Nice & Creamy (OUTSPOKEN_DIVA's Favorite Recipes)

I like finding healthier alternatives to fatty treats like Nice Cream. Nice cream is a frozen dessert without dairy, eggs, or sugar in ice cream. I am a big fan of ice cream, but I am not a fan of bananas and anything that taste like its flavor. Bananas are too sweet for my taste buds. But they are a good cream alternative. There are tons of recipes that use them. Most nice creams aka ice cream alternatives rely on them a lot. I knew that 

• Mango
• Papaya
• Pear
• Chia Seeds
• Fresh Dates
• Nut Butters
• Unsweetened Applesauce
• Avocado

were good substitutes for bananas in smoothies but I didn't know if they translated well as nice cream. So, I was so happy to run across this 55 calories, Eating Well recipe on Facebook. It is banana-free & very easy. And of course, I brought my buddies at Diet Solutions (Facebook page is HERE) along for this taste bud ride.

Mango-Pineapple Nice Cream
Ingredients

• 1 16-ounce package frozen pineapple chunks 
• 1 cup frozen mango chunks or 1 large mango, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice or lime juice

Directions

1. Process pineapple, mango and lemon (or lime) juice in a food processor until smooth and creamy. (If using frozen mango, you may have to add up to ¼ cup water.) For the best texture, serve immediately.

This nice cream is very good. I thought it was going to be more like a sorbet, but it is a little creamier. It is refreshing & light, also. Now, I want to try peach nice cream. Peach is the only fruit flavor ice cream I like, so that should be interesting to try. 

As Always Talking to You In Adult Terms.

Maybe I Should Have Became...

*sigh*...a School Nurse. Nursing was my first major in college if you didn't know that already. Clearly, I couldn't educate any worse. I see the foolishness on the internet and I almost went back to school. And I have a feeling these mindsets and practices aren't new. Now because of social media, we see them publicly discussed.

I know when I was in school, Don't reuse a condom was said. But when the CDC has to tweet this factual advice, it must not have been said everywhere. It is a signal to me that reuse is more common than I could ever think to realize. We see there are still new HIV and AIDS cases rising. And we see there are drug-resistant versions of curable STDs mutating. I personally thought about the lack of use, not the misuse. And the misuse can be blamed on two factors in my mind, cheapness & laziness. And with a pack of 3 condoms being less than $2...you know what I'm going to make a meme.

I will say when I saw this after sex meme on a timeline, the person posting it was admonishing it. They saw it as disturbing as I saw it. For ladies, urinating after sex may feel slimy. But that is not how or when the egg is released from the body. Menstruation is the regular discharge of blood and mucosal tissue(known as menses aka the material the egg clings to in the uterus) from the inner lining of the uterus through the vagina. Let's use common sense. If a monthly egg is sticking to the menses when they are shed, the egg falls also. But I will say that according to this incorrect meme's depiction coupled with menstruation, menopause should occur in women sooner. But sadly that's not how it works. That's not how any of this works.

Oh, I'm sorry to the squeamish & prudish, I didn't type a warning. But I wanted everyone to read this. Humans can't afford to be stupid, dumb, & half-witted all the time. We have to smarter than we are. Our future depends on it.

Always Talking to You In Adult Terms!!!

Thoughts on My Thoughts

There will be a day I will stop this crazy thing I call, "Thoughts of an Outspoken Diva". When that day comes I don't want anyone coming to me asking if one post was actually about them. Actually, I don't want anyone asking me that ever. That is something some often ask, "Do people behind the scenes think you are talking about them". I would like to say No, but I have never asked. I don't ask, because I know in my heart I didn't. I also think that if anyone was offended, they could have talked to me. But if that is the case, that makes me delusional and the offended, a liar.

The sad part is we live in a world where no matter your aim, anyone can misconstrue it. That's why the memes I posted are floating around social media like they are gospel. I mean there is some truth in them, but in these days and times, many rely on their emotions to determine what they believe.

This blog has always been about my thoughts. It might feel like a soapbox I hop on, but trust me my opinion is just that, my pure opinion. If this blog is used as a weapon to hurt others, what does that say about my thoughts? I unload many clips on here, but that's to make room to shoot at stuff I have to have on my mind. This is a mental release.

As Always Talking to You In Adult Terms!!!

Random Shocker, Advice, and A Why (Answering Questions)

At least these don't have a theme. Themes make this seem staged. And my dears, I am no thespian. I just answer y'alls questions.

Q: Which do you prefer?

Marvel vs DC?

Star Trek vs Star Wars?

Mickey Mouse vs Bugs Bunny?

Care Bear vs My Little Pony?

Theater vs DVD & Streaming?

A: Oh WoW!!! You know I love random questions. *takes a deep breath* Here Goes Nothing!

Slowly admitting I'm a tad bit more of a Marvel fan. But will Never argue like those extreme fans.

Movies: Star Wars but Shows: Star Trek (And Picard & Next Gen is my favorite series installment)

Neither(Eeyore & Foghorn Leghorn)

Both (And Strawberry Shortcake, Mon Chi Chi, & The Wuzzles)

Depends on the Movie. I classify movies into 4 categories; Theater, DVD, Premium Service(Cable, Netflix, Hulu), & Basic Cable(BET, TBS, TNT). And how I feel about the movie determine my comfort level.

Q: I'm going to an ex-boyfriend's wedding. I was invited and I am not crashing. If asked, do I tell people I am the groom's ex?

A: Unless the Groom introduces you as an ex-girlfriend, the answer is No. No matter what is the reason or circumstances you were invited, you just know the groom. "Oh, I know the groom", is a nice vague answer. Don't be a wave maker. The event is not about you.

Q: Would you ever be a vlogger or start a podcast?

A: I played with starting a vlog. Then I understood why I shouldn't

How I would look
vlogging😆
From my bed,
Wrapped in a sheet

• I will want my quality to be like the YouTubers who have been on the site for years. Me taping from my phone would not be suitable for me.
• It is time-consuming. Quality means Editing. Editing means Time. It is easier for me to type & add some pictures.
• I talk too much. You guys have no clue how many sentences I delete in a blog post before hitting publish. Imagine me trying to delete the sentences I say.

And the same thing can be applied to having my own podcast. Typing is just easier to convey my thoughts to the masses.

If you have questions send them to C.OUT.SOKEN.DIVA@gmail.com. As you see, I will answer.

As Always Talking to You In Adult Terms!!

Hot Chip Education (A Submitted Article)

A client, Anna asked me to give my personal & professional opinion on this article HERE. Thank you, Ms. Anna, for this one and for being the first reader to suggest an article.

I really hoped when I saw "Memphis mother says hot chips to blame for daughter’s gallbladder removal" was going to be a story that a one time serving of Hot Cheetos or Takis caused problems for the daughter. But of course, it was not. Instead, I see these quotes from the articles,

"She loves them. Every time I go out she says, 'Bring me back some Hot Takis, bring me back some Hot Chips.' I want to make her happy, so I brought them back. She was eating big bags and would take them to school with her," Craighead said.

The Craigmont High student estimates she was eating around four bags of hot snacks a week.

Also when I saw this, I thought it was going to be click-bait. No, this article is trying to educate but it's actually blaming the chips. But with so many burritos & cake recipes, with Hot chips as the primary ingredients, I understand using that angle. But unless food science is able to find the addicting causing ingredient, blame the snacks is moot. Until we all start teaching & monitoring what children including teens are eating we will have "...eating 4 bags..." and a parent confidently say they say they buy the big bags blaming what comes in those bags.

I won't bash the chips. It is a Known Fact that ALL Junk Food is not good for the body especially in large amounts. Anything we eat excessively will harm us. We could eat four apples a day for one week and I can promise you the words diarrhea & cramps will be a part of your vocabulary.

I can imagine the gastritis excessive eating spicy snacks could cause. I can see the child's gallbladder having being removed because of the excessive amounts of the fatty snacks and probably other fatty foods.

The chips companies are doing their supply and demand job. And guess what? Snacks foods have a nutritional label. Look at one from Takis. 13 chips is the serving size and there are 5-6 servings in a bag. Do the math and multiply the bag by 5. Then multiply that answer by 4. That's the damage being done for a week.

I want the human misuse and all the behaviors & actions aiding it to be blamed. Anyone who uses common sense & reads the article understands. And because of the removal surgery, I hope mother & daughter understand that one day. Get well, love.

As Always Talking to You In Adult Terms

Food Days (OUTSPOKEN DIVA's Favorite Recipes)

I saw this funny video circulating on social media. Then I started to think about my food education. It all didn't happen in a classroom. School Food exposed me to many foods I wouldn't have ever tasted. My grandmother cooked 90% of our meals at home. So when I started school in the early to mid-80s, I had never heard of;

• Chicken Fried Steak
• Chicken Patties
• Boxed Mashed Potatoes
• Burritos
• Tetrazzini (Chicken or Turkey)
• Chicken Nuggets
• Tator Tots
• Traditional Sloppy Joes (Muh Diva puts canned vegetable soup in her recipe)
• Cream Gravy
• Sugar Cookies
• Fruit Roll-Ups

I still remember my first pizza day in Kindergarten. Our teacher told us what was for lunch and I was excited because I knew what that was. That weird rectangle on my plate confused me. It only had pepperoni on it. Where were the vegetables & other meat? And why was corn & salad on my plate, too? Even at an early age, I knew not to ask much at school. I was teased enough without opening my mouth. The next time we had pizza at home, I learned about the different types of pizza. We ate Supreme at home. And schools served us one topping, corn, and salad because they had more people to feed. I guess that explanation satisfied Kindergarten me. Probably when I mentally made the separate groups, "Food I ate home" & "Food I ate at school" 

My first salad bar experience was at school. If a student didn't want the hot lunch, they could go over & make their own chef's salad. But no salad rivaled school Fiesta Salad. It is similar to a taco salad but with chili con carne & rice. I only know one picky eater that didn't get in the lunch line for Fiesta Salad. As a young adult, I guessed the correct recipe one day and make it. It wasn't on the internet as it is now.

Fiesta Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 Tbl sp & 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 pkg taco seasoning
• 1 tsp bottled minced garlic
• 1 lb ground sirloin
• 2 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes with green pepper, celery, and onion
• 1 (19-oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 oz corn chips (more if you want)
• 1/2 cup rice, cooked and hot
• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup shredded lettuce
• 1 Tbsp sour cream (optional)
• 2 Tbsp salsa (optional)
  

Directions:

1. Cook the first 5 ingredients in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until beef is browned, stirring to crumble.
2. Add diced tomatoes; bring to a boil.
3. Add beans; cook 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Set aside.
4. In a bowl place the chips inside.
5. Top with the rice.
6. Add 1 cup of the chili mixture over the rice.
7. Add the cheese.
8. Top with the lettuce, tomato, and condiments

Nowadays, I don't eat the meals I did as a school-age child often. Some of them, not at all. I limit the beloved Ravioli Casserole to once a year, but I don't eat Chili Mac at all.

Oh and I still prefer Muh Diva's version of sloppy joe. Even my Fiesta Salad is now made with no salt added canned tomatoes, fresh black beans, frozen corn, and lightly salted corn chips. Oh, and salad goes great with pizza. But it's cool to realize the foods that the school lunchroom introduced to me. And a nice trip down memory lane for my emotions & taste buds.

So, what were your school lunch favorites? Leave them in the comments.

As Always Talking to You In Adult Terms!

Isn't That Part of the Game

*Spoilers are in This Post*

Are any of you guys watching Love is____ on the OWN Network? I'm a Will Catlett (That Guy, First, Black Lightning), who plays Yasir fan. I saw him on a commercial for it and I had to watch it. The well-written storyline is keeping me watching it. The plot is a black influential couple, Nuri & Yasir in 2017, tell the story of their escalation to prominence & love in Hollywood that started in the late 1990's. It is based on the love story of the show's creators, Salim & Mara Brock Akil.

Both characters come with relationship baggage. Nuri dated multiple men at the time she met Yasir. Yasir had a roommate with a few benefits, named Ruby. He was unemployed, slept on her couch for 5 months and they had sex twice. Yet, Ruby is very jilted. Especially since Yasir has moved on to a job & a new love life. Ruby feels like she prepared Yasir for his new phase. (I feel like she enabled him, actually. But I don't write the show.)

But isn't that part of the game. Don't every dating, romantic & sexual we experience prepare us for next of love. I'm going to paraphrase a common dating advice quote. Sometimes a person's purpose in another's life is to help them become a better person for another person. Everyone is not your "end all to be all", but everyone is a learning lesson. I sometimes think we are taught to understand that lesson late.

I often wonder why we don't understand that fact. Why do we let obvious temporary intimate involvements hurt us when they are over? I am often led to the same thought. "Love stories" we are steered to follow, enhance the happy ending relationship. But also in the path of people to get to the finale, the teachable storyline is there.

Pay Attention to it All!!!

As Always Talking to You In Adult Terms!