Hoisin Lettuce Boats For the Win

First and foremost... HAPPY GOOD FRIDAY!!!!!

On this beautiful first Friday of Spring I wanted to share a nice, light, colorful, fun and most importantly very easy meal! I absolutely LOVE recipes that have very minimal ingredients- I really do! One thing that I don't get are those recipe's that call for ingredients that your normal day to day market does NOT carry. Complete pain in the neck!! Especially if you're a beginner at cooking. 

Well, you wont be finding those complicated recipes here! No ma'am! lol! OK, back to it... I came across a similar recipe as this one but required too much that in my opinion wasn't even really necessary. So, you know what I did...tweaked it to fit my liking:)

Take a look below to see the step by step instructions for making these delicious and EASY "Hoisin Lettuce Boats"!!!

Ingredients Used:

Ground Turkey (Sorry! Moving too fast and forgot to include it in the pic) Romaine Hearts, Vidalia onion, 1 carrot, Cilantro (I didn't end up using the mango salsa because it taste GREAT without it)!!

Add seasoning of your choice and start browning your ground turkey. I only used garlic powder, onion powder and garlic sea salt.

While your ground turkey is browning, start chopping up your toppings. (I used a grater for the carrot). You can use whatever toppings you like i.e sliced mushrooms, water chestnuts, cheese etc. The options are endless! 

Ground turkey is fully cooked and ready to be drained!

Once your ground turkey is fully cooked and drained of fat, go ahead and add the star of the show...your hoisin sauce! Hoisin has a sweetness to it so add it slowly and taste as you add.

While your ground turkey and hoisin are getting to know each other, go ahead and rinse your romaine hearts and pat dry on both sides! Nobody likes wet lettuce - yuck!

OK, your ground turkey should have had a couple minutes for the hoisin to marinate the meat so, at this time you can start adding the meat mixture to your romaine lettuce boats and start topping! 

Finished product!!! Aren't they just so colorful and pretty? Not to mention DELICIOUS!!!!

Up close and personal!!! Look at those colors:)

First bite was definitely not my last-lol!!!

When I tell you this recipe was LIFE and then some!!!!! I'm always trying to find good tasting but more healthy options and this is one that will go down in the books for hubby and I!!! It was so good!!! So good that I made it again the very next day! Yup, sure did-lol

Hope this recipe interest you enough to try it!!! If so, let me know how you made yours!!

As always... Thanks for checking out my blog: TwithTally!

7 Cardinal Rules For Life

We all need a little reminding at times on how to approach situations, or how to keep a positive mentality etc. and I think these "7 cardinal rules for life" are pretty amazing!

These are NOT my words. I've seen this floating around on social media and thought I'd share because I definitely agree!

1. Make peace with your past- so it wont disturb your present or future.
2. What other people think of you- is NONE of your business.
3. Time heals almost everything- give it time.
4. No one is in charge of your happiness- EXCEPT you.
5. Don't compare your life to others- and don't judge them, you have NO idea what their journey is about.
6. Stop thinking too much- it's alright not to know the answers. They will come to you when it's time which is usually when you least expect it.
7. SMILE! You don't own all the problems in the world and the ones you do own.... some people wish that was the only worry they had. IT'S ALWAYS SOMEONE GOING THROUGH WORSE!!

I could elaborate on each one but, thought I'd leave it right there because as simple as they sound.... they are just as bold!

As always...Thanks for checking out my blog: TwithTally!

M.A.C Lipstick Lovers... You Don't Wanna Miss Out On These Dupes

With there being SO MANY different lipstick brands it can be hard to choose which one better suites you or better yet.... which better suites your coin! I say that because as you know, beauty products can run a bit pricey depending on your budget. 

Now I'm no big makeup fan at all, however I know some of you prefer the "known name brand" because we think their products may have a longer wear, or more pigmentation etc. and some do. However, did you know that some of the major cosmetic brands also own other brands making them the "parent company". This can be a major key as far as pricing because if you don't want to pay $17-30 for a lippie, maybe the parent company will have a dupe for a much lower price like $3.50-$7.99. Big difference right?! 

Example's:

Estee' Lauder owns: Clinique, Bobbi Brown, M.A.C, Tom Ford Beauty, Smash box and Tory Burch to name a few.

L'Oreal owns: Maybelline New York, Garnier, Lancome, Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren, The Body Shop, NYX, Urban Decay, Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) and more.

Louis Vuitton-Moet Hennessy (LVMH) owns: Dior, Givenchy, Make Up Forever, Sephora's namesake line, Kat Von D, Marc Jacobs and more.

Johnson & Johnson owns: Neutrogena, Aveeno, Clean & Clear, Lubriderm, Ambi and more.

With that being said, take a look below at some great, almost mirror dupes!

**SN: The colors on the pics below are not spot on but once you actually try the dupe out, it's pretty close to the major name brand.**

M.A.C "Fleshpot" VS NYX Butter Lipstick "Snow Cap"

M.A.C "Please Me" VS Jordan Modern Matte "Matte Tease"

M.A.C "Lavender Whip" VS "NYX Round Lipstick "Power"

M.A.C "So Chaud" VS Maybelline Matte "Craving Coral"

M.A.C "Lickable" VS Milani Color Statement "Flirty Fuchsia"

M.A.C "Dark Side" VS Revlon "Black Cherry"

M.A.C "Rebel" VS Milani Color Statement "Sangria"

M.A.C "Heroin" VS Milani Color Statement "Matte Glam"

M.A.C "Fast Play" VS Maybelline Matte "Touch of Spice"

M.A.C "Candy Yum Yum" VS Milani Color Statement "Matte Diva"

M.A.C "Morange" VS NYX High Voltage "Free Spirit"

Hope you guys enjoyed this list of M.A.C dupes!! As you can see it doesn't take you spending a whole bunch to look like you did! Your lipstick can be still be poppin without you poppin open the bank!!

As always... Thanks for reading my blog: TwithTally!!

6 Ways To Enjoy Valentine's Day At Home With Little to No Money

With this being the beginning of February, and the day known for lover's is approaching... I thought I'd share a couple ways to enjoy even if you have little to no money to spare!

I can only speak for myself, but the older I get it becomes more about the sentiment itself instead of the actual gift or amount of money spent! With that being said, it takes nothing to show your love for that special someone in your life! 

Take a look below for a few cute ideas....

1. Have a "home spa night"!! Fun right?? I mean who doesn't love a spa day??!?!! Spa's can be pretty pricey at times depending on the service/treatment you may get so why not bring the ambiance into your home. All you need are a few things: Candles, aromatics, massage oil, fruit, wine or champagne and relaxing music!! The candles and aromatics will surely help set the mood. The massage oil is for you guys to get your masseuse skills up :)! The fruit of course is accompanied by the wine. And the music.... well that's just the cherry on top!!! 
2. Make a "why I love you list"!! Be creative though!! Not any old pen to paper list... BORIIIING! Instead of writing it on paper, do a cute, sexy voice recording! It's 2016 and I'm sure if it's not 100%, it's definitely 99% of us that have smart phones which are equipped with many apps you can play with or simply use the "voice memos" on your smart phone. By your special someone hearing your voice & your emotion.... makes your expression of love that much more special :)!!! After recording yourself, surprise them by sending it via text randomly without telling him it's coming. Make sure you're next to them when they read it so you can see their raw reaction! If you do it right...the ending will be GREAT! TRUST ME!
3. Create a special signature drink together!! Depending on your taste of wine, champagne or alcohol will determine the price you spend. But, this can be pretty fun. Simply pick up some of your fav drinks and experiment. Whichever concoction you guys like most, name it and voila....that's your signature drink!
4. Have a fun, flirty, sexy, photo shoot!! Yessssss ladies!!! This is by far one of my fav things to do! I've mentioned this before and it deserves mentioning again because you just cant go wrong! This is probably thee cheapest of all things on this list because literally all you need is a few perks that you already have on hand. Those things being: a camera, his fav pump/heel he likes to see you in, a fun and open attitude with no ceilings (meaning the word NO does NOT exist during this particular photo shoot), Of course music, drinks and candles can be added for ambiance and last but not least.... you MUST not forget the body oil!!!! Put everything on, and call in him the room so he can flick away!! Trust me, this is soooo much fun. Not sure how long this photo session will last before another "session" begins.... *wink-wink*!!
5. Dance the night away!! Simple yet soooo much fun! Go to one of those novelty stores like Spencer etc. and buy a disco ball. They have smaller ones that can be placed on your table top/night stand etc. These are so much fun because they not only create an illusion that you're in a club, lounge or party, they also help with the ambiance. If you've read any of my post before then you know I say all the time - ambiance makes EVERYTHING better! The music sounds better and makes dancing much more fun!! So get to it! Pour up your drink, put on some music, turn the lights down, plug it up and dance the night away!
6. My last fun and flirty idea to enjoying Valentine's Day with little to no money is simple- buy your fav drink (if you drink), turn off the t.v., and just talk to one another. Truly enjoy each other's presence. Talk about how you guys met, your first date, relationship goals, play truth or dare etc. The list is endless!!!! 

SN: Please keep in mind that Valentine's Day doesn't just have to be about lovers!! It's about sharing love PERIOD! So if you know someone whom may be single... share your love with them too. Bringing laughter or a smile to someones day may just be the sunshine on a cloudy day they needed!! You never know how you can brighten one's day simply by being kind!!

Hope you guys enjoyed this small list of ways to enjoy Valentine's Day at home with little to no money. If you still need more ideas on how to spend Valentine's Day at home, click on the "Love-Sex & Everything In Between" tab and see if anything fits your fancy there :)!

As always... Thanks for checking out my blog: TwithTally!

Dear Ladies: STOP Letting the Unqualified In- You're Harming Your Womb

Do you believe in YOU? Do you believe that YOU deserve nothing short of the BEST? If so, then you should agree as much as I do with the above quote!

As women we often get side tracked by what we want as far as companionship, by social media's image of what's supposed to be or simply by paying attention to the lives of others more than we do our very own!! It's easy to fall victim to your own pity party not even realizing you're throwing one. By focusing on what you don't have and how bad you want it.... makes your inner spirit vulnerable and it becomes very easy to let toxic energy in, which in fact will harm your womb!

I think these three simple steps will not only help you to protect your womb so that you don't fall victim to "self inflicted pain", but will hopefully also open your eyes on what to do and what not to do making your life so much easier :)!!!!

#1- STOP settling just to say you have somebody!! Trust me, I get it! I really do!! We all want someone we can call our own. Someone to have our back like no other. Someone to come home to etc. BUT ... if you settle with someone that's not faithful to their word, not loyal to your relationship, doesn't show you constant love and support.....YOU'RE NOT PROTECTING YOUR WOMB!! By allowing this toxic energy in your life, you're only adding more stress and more pounds of hurt on your heart than you had being single (where they do that at??)! Use the idle time to not complain about what you don't have, or what you want and tired of waiting on but to instead focus on YOU!!! Tell yourself daily that you are worth it. Work hard towards your goals whether it be financial, health, career moves etc. Once your done accomplishing just a couple goals you set forth, you wont have time to entertain toxic energy!!!

#2- STOP letting social media society predict where you should be in life!! It's 2016 and a lot of people have that "social media-microwave society" mindset where we want everything NOW!! The career, the job, the house and of course...the spouse! What we have to realize is, social media is a place where people show you what they WANT you to see! It's not a life vlog where everyday or every waking moment is broadcast so of course it's gonna look peachy!! Just because it appears to be 100% on social media does not mean it's 100% in life! BIG difference! So don't get caught up in what you see online. Rushing into something is for sure harming your womb. Be patient! Don't accept bull**** because you're tired of being single and you're getting older blah-blah-blah...what's meant to be yours - will be yours! Everything happens when it's supposed to happen. 

#3- STOP watching others, keeping track of what their doing comparing your moves to theirs!!! I think this can be thee biggest mistake of all and yet the easiest way to harm your womb! Why? Because your life is NOT the next persons life! What they have has NOTHING to do with you and what you may or may not have! Just because your friend is married or in a relationship and you're not, does not mean their more ahead in life than you are! We all will have something that the next person doesn't and vice-versa. Be happy for the next person and all their happiness because a bitter heart doesn't produce love and if you're not producing love how will GOD see fit to send you love? Please believe....we reap what we sew. So, if you're sewing hate, it's simple....don't expect to reap love! It's like oil and water.....the two don't work!

Now, these three simple steps are simply my opinion to help you NOT accept toxic energy into your heart and life! It's pretty simple: Don't settle, Don't let social media predict your timetable in life and NEVER compare your life to the next person's. Buy doing these things, it's almost impossible to let the unqualified in! Unqualified meaning, not loyal, not trusting, not compassionate, not supportive, not encouraging, etc. There are so many "men" looking to take a seat wherever the chair is pulled out. Meaning, they have NO intention on being faithful but because your vulnerability is transparent and easy to play on... they play on it! So be confident in YOU, be dedicated to improving YOU, and most importantly be in love with YOU so that when real love comes knocking.... you already know what it sounds like cause cant nobody love you like you love yourself! 

Major Key: "You can't expect to "level up" when you're accepting beneath your level!"

Hope you guys enjoyed my thoughts on this post. If you have something to add, please comment or email:).

As always... Thanks for checking out my blog: TwithTally!

Fried Oreos = Yummyness

If you saw my last post - "Easy Seafood Boil" which is what I cooked for New Year's Eve, I asked that you stay tuned to see what dessert I did annnnd ... **drum roll please**..... Fried Oreos it was!!!! 

I've been wanting to try these out for a while now. They've become quite popular in restaurants and thought it couldn't be but so hard to try myself so I did. These fried oreos came out BOMB!!!!! I intended to only cook about 6-8 but I swear my right hand, hubby and I couldn't stay away from them (ashamed to say) lol!!

If interested in seeing how to make these uber easy and super delicious "Fried Oreos" see below....

Original Oreos (You can use any type of Oreos you like)

Shake 'n Pour complete pancake mix- just add water

Add 1 cup of Pancake mix to a bowl (makes approx. 8 fried oreos)
Slowly add water & mix to a batter as you would making pancakes (not pictured)

Dip your oreos in pancake batter and carefully put in deep fryer or deep bottom pan with hot cooking oil

Cook for approx 2 minutes each side- or just until you start to see the bottom browning

Take them out the oil once browned and let drain about 2 minutes.

Totally optional...but I think the confectioner sugar is a great bonus!!

All done.......YUMMY RIGHT?!?!?!?!?

AGAIN....these fried oreos came out the BOMB.COM!!!! Don't believe me? Try them out for yourself and THEN tell me what you think!!!!

As always... Thanks for checking out my blog: TwithTally!

Easy Seafood Boil

Hey guys and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!! It's *2016* Whoot-Whoot!!!!

Hope you all enjoyed bringing in this new year and I hope all had a fun and safe night. My hubby and I didn't do much, stayed in and enjoyed ending the year with each other, some good drinks, good music and of course good food!!! 

As I've said numerous times......I ABSOLUTELY LOOOOOVE SEAFOOD!!! Not all seafood though-lol! I can't eat raw oysters, raw clams, sushi (unless cooked- which sucks because my hubby eats it and its so pretty) basically NOTHING raw! But, fried oysters and clams...we good to go!

Speaking of my fav: seafood...I decided to cook up a very easy and delicious seafood boil on New Year's Eve. It only consisted of shrimp and crab claws this time but I normally add andouille sausage and corn but, since I didn't have any and was not making another run to the store- this had to do!!

See below from beginning to end....

Large Deveined Shrimp

Jonah Crab Claws

Beer, Butter, and Lemon Old Bay

Crab Claws in Beer butter

Shrimp & 1 lemon added w/crab claws in beer butter




Finished Product.....

See....simple and VERY delicious!!! If you guys try this, add sausage and corn. Although this boil was delish on its own, the andouille sausage adds much more flavor!!

Hope you guys liked this easy, no time at all to put together yet VERY delicious seafood boil!! If you try it out, let me know!!

(P.S....stay tuned for the dessert I made....ummmmm)

As always, thanks for checking out my blog: TwithTally!