#TASTYTUESDAYS 22APR14 (late post)

So as most of my readers and followers on Instagram know, I live in my kitchen. That's one of my happy places. I get asked all the time to do a food page on Instagram but I just don't think I can keep up with it as much as I would like to so every Tuesday I'll show you some of my techniques and maybe even inspire you to get creative in your own kitchens. 

This week I have been participating in Deelishis' (reality star from VH1's Flavor of Love) 7 day challenge. It's been a hit on Instagram so last week I decided to give it a try and lost 4 pounds in a week. The first week was tough but I figured I'd try it again this week. The toughest part of the challenge is the no bread (which means no bread white rice pastries and also fried food), so I've been trying to switch my meals up so that I don't get bored. 

So this Tuesday I decided to make turkey wings. I was originally going to make them on Easter but I fell asleep lol. 

Here's what I used to season them with: 

*note: the McCormick brand seasonings are awesome but tend to be pretty pricey, your local store brands are more than sufficient*

Onion powder, sea salt, black pepper, parsley, seasoning salt (have a light hand with this), garlic, half an onion, and half a green bell pepper chopped in big pieces.

This seasoning blend is actually one of my recent favs, because it has paprika in it it will help give your food the great color you would have gotten if you were heavy with the seasoning salt. I've learned to explore different seasoning blends to compensate for the flavor so that a whole lot of salt isn't needed. 

Alright now that we are all seasoned and ready to go, my wings go in my crockpot on low...

And 5 hours later... 

Falling off of the bone!!! 

I also made some home made gravy with the broth the wings made. Gravy is easy to make but can be ruined easily. My technique is simple. I put 2 tbsp of flower in a cup and slowly add water while stirring at the same time so it doesn't get lumpy (you want about a cup of the water/ flour mixture per cup of broth). Once you've made your mixture pour it into your broth over medium heat and continue stirring. Add a pinch of sea salt, a little more onion and garlic and continue stirring then you're done! 

*note: for thicker gravy add more flour than water to your mix before combining it with the broth*

Plate and enjoy!

If you have any special request on what I should cook next Tuesday send your suggestions to INTHEMIXXER@CRCDJS.COM

#DININGOUTFORLIFE

More than 1.6 million people in the US are living with HIV infection, and almost 1 in every 6 people are unaware of their infection. About 1 in 4 new HIV infections are among youth 13-24 years old and most of them don't know they are infected, are not being treated, and can unknowingly pass the virus on to others. Although gay and bisexual men of all races are primarily affected by the disease, African American men bare the burden the most.

That's a lot of statistics to take in right? Right. But it's reality. "Dining Out For Life" is a night dedicated to raising funds for those affected by AIDS/HIV. Hundreds of restaurants across the country have signed on for one night to donate a percentage (in some cases all) of the cost of your meal to help provide things like medication, transportation, and services needed to treat those affected by the virus and spread awareness. 

This season of Scandal is finally over so you won't be missing anything this Thursday night. Click the link below to find out which restaurants in your area will be participating and make sure you post your pics and tag us. Thursday might also be a good day to go get tested. Grab a buddy and #knowyourstatus.
WWW.DININGOUTFORLIFE.COM

For The Girl Who... Has to chose between love and career (21APR14)

"For the Girl Who..." is INTHEMIXXER.COM's single girl's guide. Although I don't have all the answers that Sway has, I don't mind sharing my experiences to help the next girl out. A friend of mine and fellow blogger @KristalWithA_K (KristalWithA-K.tumblr.com) had the idea to start this series because we believe we aren't the only girls going through the things we go through. Kristal is a single mother with a successful career in broadcast communication with a double bachelors so you will be getting two well rounded points of view. We'll try our best to give you a straight forward unbiased opinion and hopefully spark some healthy conversations amongst you and your friends, family, and coworkers. Enjoy!

For the girl who.... Has to chose between love and career.

Recently this conversation was brought up because I am in the process of making a major move. I'm switching coasts at the end of the year. The furthest west I've ever been is Louisiana (I used to date a guy from Baton Rouge). Now I'm not involved with anyone in any way and since I'm moving I've made the decision to not even start anything new until after because I'm not the long distance type. But then I asked myself, well what IF I met someone and even through friendship started developing feelings for them? What the hell do I do now? Eight months is a long time to spend with someone. Marriages can come out of an eight month stitnt. Well from my point of view as a single 25 year old woman with no children. I'd still make the move. Although this wouldn't be an easy decision to make, and every situation is different. I'd move. Everyone that knows me knows I am a hopeless romantic. I love everything about love. But an opportunity to see something new? I'm taking it. If I were forced to make a decision like this I would definately weigh the pros and cons. This world and this life has so much to offer, I personally wouldn't pass it up based on a shoulda coulda woulda. So what if you stay? And the person you passed up this awesome opportunity for ends up breaking your heart? Now your stuck and full of resentment. Don't let loneliness cloud your judgement. Live a little! And if that person was meant to be in your life... They'll be there.

- @InTheMixxer

Need Kristal or myself to weigh in on your single girl's issues? Send your letter to INTHEMIXXER@CRCDJS.COM

MONDAY MOTIVATION: TOP 5 TRAINERS & TRANSFORMATIONS

*Cues Fabolous x Thim Slick*

I don't know about you but over the holidays I ate like a mad woman. I was so happy to be back in my own home and in my own kitchen that I literally cooked everything that came to my mind. Cooking may be good for the soul... but not so much for my waist line. I was in the best shape of my life last summer and in January I made the concious decision to get my body back. But here is what I learned, being fit has to be a lifestyle change not something temporary. I was so upset with myself that I had made so much progress and in only 2 months i was back at square one. Well if you are or were in my shoes, here are my Top 5 Trainers and Transformations that still keep me motivated through my lifestyle change.

#5 @PicturePeggy - Miami, FL

I first came across this young lady's page by way of a clothing line (@kennedikouture) that I follow on Instagram that she is heavily involved with. She offers a meal plan and a fitness regiment that caters to working moms like herself. Doesn't she look fab?! Click Here to check out her products.

#4 @MsTisch - Atlanta, GA

If you are in the Atlanta area this is the trainer for you! All of her clients are transforming. I have a personal friend that trains with her and she started seeing results the very first week! Just following her on Instagram makes you want to hit the gym! The primary example I have been following, however, is clothing designer DeLecia Cordon (@msdecordon). Although DeLecia has always had an amazing body she has taken it to the next level by training with Tisch. I know a lot of times we can get concerned with getting bored from doing the same thing over and over again. I have never seen the same workout twice on her page. She really challenges her clients and you can see it in their transformation pics. The next time I'm in the A I absolutely have to get at least one session in with her.

TISCHTOSCHTRAINING.COM

#3 @The_MikeEly- Virginia Beach, Va

Although I haven't trained with Mike Lambert I have seen him transform a lot of people's lives and that is no understatement. A friend of mine has always said she wanted a booty, a few weeks ago he had her squatting in heels, and when I saw her at church yesterday BAM!!! She's got a booty now!  All jokes aside she looks amazing and from what she tells me she really enjoys her sessions with him because he pushes her and he really cares about her results. A couple of his clients are well known DJs and radio personalities in the area and with that lifestyle comes a lot of drinking, eating late, and lack of sleep but he's got then all looking healthy.

MIKETHEFITNESSJUNKIE.COM

#2 @BrixTV - NewYork, NY

*cues Brix x Hecky Naw (my favorite track off his first mixtape)* OMG OMG OMG!!!! Now listen. Lets flash back about three years (I know right? Its been that long). Three years ago if you remember I was on an online radio show called The Angel of Underground Show with Divita757. I had a segment called "In The Mixx with InTheMixxer" where I would interview small business owners and indie artists. One of the first interviews I did for that segment was a rapper from NYC named Brix and one question I asked him was "How did you get the name Brix?" His response was "I've always been a big guy, my family used to tell me I was built like a tone of bricks."

WELL NOT ANYMORE! So last year Brix took his health into his own hands and started training with our #3 pick Mike Lambert and lost a whopping 100 POUNDS in 7 months!!!! Do you realize 100 pounds is an entire person?! The awesome part about this story is that he made a complete lifestyle change. He's super disciplined in his nutrition and even turns the simplests tasks into workouts. He's even been taking the steps to become a personal trainer himself! I'll def be on the lookout for the #BrixFitness brand in the near future! 

#1 @Uptown_FitnessLLC - Chesapeake, Va

WARNING: I'm biased and I don't care. As I've embarked upon my own fitness journey I have enlisted the help of the trainers over at Uptown Fitness. What makes these trainers different is that their goal was to make health and fitness affordable for everyone. Not everyone can afford a gym membership and not everyone can afford a personal trainer. Uptown fitness offers a monthly bootcamp (with small groups so you still get the same attention you would in a personal training session) 3 times a week that I attend and I also have one one-on-one session with Renaldo (@Uptown_Naldo...who will start providing weekly workouts for INTHEMIXXER.COM). Working with them has been an awesome experience so far. Sometimes I feel like they care more about my results than I do lol. I've been pushed to the point where I've cried in front of them but I've never been able to quit. That kind of love for what they do is what earned them the #1 spot this week.

TOP 5 INSTAGRAM FINDS (JAN-APR 2014)

I'm back! 2013 was an extremely busy year for me. For those that don't know I am active duty military and last year I was deployed to the middle east for just about the entire year and it KILLED me to not have the ability to blog while I was away. Although I was all the way on the other side of the globe that in no way shape or form stopped me from doing what I do best... SHOP. Instagram is an awesome marketing tool for small businesses and any brand for that matter because it's FREE. So while I was away I took the time to really find out which businesses were legit and which ones people should probably stay away from. With that being said here are my top 5 Instabusinesses for Jan-Apr 2014.

#5 @BOUTIQUEONTHEGO - MIAMI, FL

THIS ONLINE BOUTIQUE IS ONE OF MY FAVS BECAUSE THEY CONSTANTLY ARE UPDATING THEIR INVENTORY AND THE PRICES ARE PRETTY COMPETITIVE. SOME OF THESE BOUTIQUES CAN BE PRETTY PRICEY BECAUSE THEY HAVE AN INSTAFAMOUS PERSON WEARING THEIR STUFF AND VOUCHING FOR THEM EVEN THOUGH A LOT OF THEM SHOP FROM THE SAME VENDORS. MY ONLY GRIPE ABOUT @BOUTIQUEONTHEGO IS THAT THE LARGER SIZES GO SUPER FAST. I AM NOT A PLUS BUT I'M ALSO NOT PETITE SO THE STANDARD LARGE IS PRETTY MUCH WHAT I WEAR IN ALMOST ALL OF THE CLOTHES THEY CARRY SO IF I SEE SOMETHING THAT I WANT I HAVE TO ORDER IT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER THEY POST IT OR IT WILL BE GONE! OTHER THAN THAT THE ITEMS I'VE ORDERED ALL CAME INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPED AND IN GREAT CONDITION.

#4 SNOBLIFE.COM (@IAMMINGLEE)- ATLANTA, GA

OK IF YOU KNOW ME I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE A GOOD WEAVE (EVEN THOUGH I JUST RECENTLY DID A BIG CHOP FOR THE SUMMER). BACK IN OCTOBER OWNER OF SNOB LIFE STUDIO MING LEE HAD A HUGE SALE ON HAIR IN HONOR OF HER BIRTHDAY SO OF COURSE I JUMPED ON IT. I PAID $185 FOR FOUR BUNDLES OF BRAZILIAN WAVY HAIR (16,18,20, & 22 IN). YOU CAN'T BEAT THAT! WHAT WAS EVEN BETTER WAS I ORDERED MY HAIR AT 8AM AND IT WAS SHIPPED AND ON ITS WAY BY 2PM THE SAME DAY! WHEN I GOT MY HAIR INSTALLED OVER THE HOLIDAYS MY HAIR DRESSER WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE QUALITY OF THE HAIR ESPECIALLY AT THE PRICE I GOT IT. MING LEE HAS A WELL OILED MACHINE WHEN IT COMES TO HER BUSINESS AND HER STORY OF HOW SHE BUILT HER EMPIRE IN 3 YEARS IS AMAZING. SHE'S GONE FROM HAIR DRESSER TO MOGUL WITH HER OWN LINE OF HAIR, HAIR CARE PRODUCTS, HAIR TOOLS AND SHE'S WORKING ON HER 2ND SNOB LIFE STUDIO LOCATION SET TO OPEN IN HER HOMETOWN OF DETROIT.  WHEN THE SUMMER IS OVER AND I'M READY FOR LONG LOCKS AGAIN I'LL BE SURE TO ORDER FROM HER AGAIN.

#3 ITSRICHGIRLZ.COM (@ITSRICHGIRLZ)- MIAMI, FL

 

*CUES TRINIDAD JAMES x ALL GOLD EVERYTHING* MS. NESSA HAS BEEN KNOWN FOR YEARS FOR HER GIANT HOOP EARRINGS SEEN ON SOME OF OUR FAVORITE REALITY STARS LIKE DRAYA MICHELLE, BROOKE BAILEY, KIMBELLA AND THE LIST GOES ON AN ON. AS HER BRAND HAS EVOLVE SHE'S BEEN PRODUCING A LOT OF GOLD JEWELRY WHICH I HAVE BEEN ALL OVER. MY PERSONAL FAVORITE ARE THE MIDI RINGS AND THE BODY CHAINS. SHE GETS MAJOR POINTS FROM ME FOR HER FAST SHIPPING TIME (2-3 DAYS STANDARD), HER PACKAGING (EVERYTHING COMES IN ITS OWN BLACK VELVET POUCH), AND SHE IS ALWAYS OFFERING A GREAT DISCOUNT CODE TO HER FOLLOWERS. I'M EXCITED TO SEE HOW HER NEW MAKEUP LINE AND FASHION LINE WILL DO THIS SUMMER. IF SHE PUTS HALF OF THE ATTENTION TO DETAIL INTO THOSE AS SHE DOES HER JEWELRY I'M SURE THIS WON'T BE THE LAST TIME SHE MAKES MY FAVS LIST.

#2 SHOPGUILTYPLEASURE.COM (@SHOPGP)- VIRGINIA BEACH, VA

 CONFESSION: I MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIASED BECAUSE I KNOW THE OWNER PERSONALLY. HOWEVER, THAT MAKES PUTTING THIS ACCESSORY BOUTIQUE IN MY FAVS EASY BECAUSE I KNOW THE WORK ETHIC THAT GOES INTO THIS BUSINESS. WHAT MAKES THIS BOUTIQUE AWESOME IS THAT THE OWNER TAKES THE TIME TO GET TO KNOW HER CUSTOMERS AND SHE LEARNS WHAT THEY LIKE. FOR EXAMPLE I AM A BIG EARRING TYPE OF GIRL. SO WHEN I PLACED MY ORDER WHILE I WAS GONE IF I ACCIDENTALLY PICKED SMALL EARRINGS SHE JUST WENT AHEAD AND REPLACED THEM WITH BIG ONES AND I LOVED EVERY PAIR. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR BIG STATEMENT PIECES AND HAND BAGS THIS IS THE SHOP FOR YOU. AWESOME CUSTOMER SERVICE AND QUICK TURN AROUND TIME.

#1 OWNYOURSOLE.COM (@OWNYOURSOLE_) - ATLANTA, GA

 WHAT GIRL DOESN'T LOVE A FABULOUS PAIR OF SHOES?! I'VE ORDERED FIVE PAIRS OF SHOES FROM HERE AND I MUST SAY THEY HAVE GAINED A LIFETIME CUSTOMER. A LOT OF PEOPLE HAD ISSUES WHEN THEY ORDERED THE POPULAR ZIGINY BRAND PIARRY BOOT. SOME SHOETIQUES CLAIMED ISSUES WITH THE COMPANY SOME CLAIMED THEY WERE ON BACK ORDER. I HAD NONE OF THOSE ISSUES AND I ORDERED THEM IN 2 DIFFERENT COLORS. I PREORDERED THEM AND THEY WERE SHIPPED TO ME RIGHT WHEN THEY SAID THEY WOULD BE SO NO COMPLAINTS IN MY BOOK. CUSTOMER SERVICE IS WHAT EARNED THIS BUSINESS THE #1 SPOT, I RECEIVED PERSONAL EMAIL UPDATES ON THE STATUS OF MY SHOES SO I WAS NEVER IN THE DARK. FYI THEY ARE HAVING A MAJOR SALE RIGHT NOW TO GET READY FOR THE SUMMER INVENTORY WHICH LOOKS VERY PROMISING. I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN HOLDING OUT ON BUYING SHOES I KNOW THEY WILL BE GETTING IN STOCK JUST SO I CAN PURCHASE FROM THEM. 

Ok so now that I'm all caught up you can expect my #TOP5IGFINDS at the end of every month. The next top 5 will be posted at the end of May. If you have any businesses you think I should check out comment below or email me at INTHEMIXXER@CRCDJS.COM