The Dirty Martini | Paula Deen under fire

This past Tuesday, Paula Deen sat down with the Today’s show Al Roker to discuss her recent announcement that she has Type-2 diabetes.   Deen has been under media fire because she waited 3 years after her diagnosis and after securing an endorsement deal for the drug she is taking to control the disease.  Deen stated that when she was first diagnosed she decided NOT to go public with the information because she needed to first sit with it and process what having the disease meant. 

So if you’re like me, you may be thinking…so what?  What’s the big deal? 

Well, many are upset, including a fellow Food Network star, that while she was behind closed doors working out her drug endorsement deal, she was also out continuing to promote her cooking show, restaurant and cookbooks which serve up dishes that are high in fat and sugar.  Deen’s stance – she stated to Roker during her interview that she was always promoted eating in moderation on her show and will continue to do so.  You can see her Today show interview below.

The Diva weighs in| I have been and will always be a Paula Deen fan and I completely understand and support her decision to keep her diagnosis private.  Just because you are in the public spotlight doesn't mean that you have to have full disclosure on every detail of your life, more specifically your medical history.  We have to remember that first and foremost Paula Deen is in the entertainment industry...she is on TV to serve up a big old butter laden, sugar filled dose of southern hospitality as she shares warm and often times funny family stories while cooking up some delicious looking comfort foods.  That is what she gets paid to do....to entertain.  It is not HER responsibility to remind or for that fact warn us that eating these high fat and high sugar foods can be bad for our health...that is the responsibility of our doctors...or wait here is a novel idea....how about it's OUR responsibility to take control of OUR health and what we put into our bodies.  Being mad at her decision to hold off sharing her diagnosis or for even deciding to be the spokesperson for the diabetic drug Victoza is just plain dumb!  I have never looked to a celebrity to provide me with advice on what I should eat and/or what drugs I should take.  I am a responsible, free thinking adult and can make those decisions for myself.  If I want medical advice then I will speak with a medical professional...not turn on the TV. 

So to my dear Paula, while I am sorry for your diabetes diagnosis I applaud you for taking some time to get control of your health and for also looking at building/maintaining your empire.

And if there are any companies tout there that would like me to endorse their product...holla at your girl...I got 3 children that I need to put in college and a retirement fund to build, as long as what you're selling doesn't go against my beliefs....we can talk.

What do you think about Paula Deen and her diabetes announcement on the Today Show?  We'd love to hear from you.

Cocktail of the Day | The Dirty Martini

Coupon Organizing with Sister Save A Lot

As an Extreme Couponer I know all too well that the key to saving is being organized.  As a couponer you acquire coupons from everywhere.  The number 1 source is the newspapers, then you have internet coupons, pull tags, peelies, tear pads, blinkies, and coupon books.  This could become an overwhelming task.  My main coupon goal this year is to make sure that my coupons are kept in check.

Accordion Style Coupon File – You can find these wallet style coupon files at just about any office store or in the office area of Target or Walmart.  These files allow you to sort your coupons by the categories of your choice and are often small and easy to carry with you to the store.  This system will work great for a single person who may not be in need of a lot of products.

 Coupon Box – You can make your own coupon box using a recipe box or other small storage container and your  choice of dividers and/or envelopes. I have a coupon box that is filled with coupons that I get from stores once I check out. I picked up mine from Michael’s (the arts & crafts store).  Be sure to use a coupon to save on your coupon box purchase!

File/Clip/Print As You Go – This is the method that I use.   File your coupon inserts and printable coupon sheets and clip only what you need for the week. If you are utilizing blogs like this one when preparing your grocery lists each week, the location of each coupon will be spelled out for you.  All that you have to do is know where to go to find the coupon.

Coupon Binder – Coupon binders are exactly what they sound like… binders with page protectors that store all of your coupons in one place.  Most couponers use baseball card holders to hold the coupons.  The best way to organize the binder is to section them of into categories such as dairy, meat, snacks, health & beauty etc.

Be sure to choose a method that works for you.  You may want  to test out a few methods to determine what works best.  With everything that you do have a "Happy Couponing". 

Antoinette Peterson is one of the couponers featured on TLC's Extreme Couponing and Extreme Couponing All Stars.  She is also a regular on the weekly radio show Cocktails and Conversation.  Her popular website www.sistersavealot.comwww.sistersavealot.com is a great place for money saving tips, access  to the latest coupons and sales and rebates that are available.

Dirty Martini | Make Mine A Double

Sometimes one straight cocktail filled with the highest premium liquor just isn’t enough and for this version of The Dirty Martini we are going to pour a double shot for this one. 

Anyone that knows us understands that we love reality TV.  VH1's Love and Hip Hop falls right into that category. 

Now on last week’s show Jim Jones surprisingly proposed to his longtime girlfriend...er... um fiancé Chrissy. Chrissy had ahh... proposed to him a few seasons ago and was eagerly awaiting his “PutA Ring On It” moment.  She was actually getting quit tired of waiting and took a girls weekend to Miami to let off a little steam.  Well at dinner one night Jimmy pops up outta nowhere and takes her to the side and whips out one gorgeous ring (and I do mean gorgeous)!  Of course she agrees and we the loyal watcher was left to think, “Hmmmm was this all just a little bit staged??”  I mean she really had to give him the business to realize she was DUN and ready to get him on one knee or she was gonna walk.  Is this what it’s come to ladies?  Now I’ll admit prior to receiving my marriage proposal to my now ex-husband I did give him the “ish or get off the pot” speech but at the time he had already picked out the ring and told the parents he wanted to marry me – even though I didn’t know. 

So I understand Chrissy’s angst but what I don't understand about this duo is that SHE actually asked HIM to marry her.  Yeah you gotta go for what you want ladies but some things just need to be a man’s job.  How can we expect him to do what he is called to do by God if he can’t make the step to say,“You are what God designed for me and I wanna put a ring on it.” ? That’s what we need to hear not, “Okay girl since you have hung in there here you go.”  Any Martin fans out there?  Remember that first proposal Martin gave Gina?  The one where he said…”Dam Gina here is the ring what else do you want?”  Well to me that is what Jimmy might as well have said to Chrissy because this staged attempt at a proposal wouldn’t be the one I wanted, sorry being a little spoiled and selfish here but Prince Charming needs to be that CHARMING!  So Chrissy and Jimmy I wish you well... I really do but make sure you are getting the spiritually blessing on your marriage that is so needed in today’s time of jump-offs, groupies and the like. 

Extreme Couponing All Stars

We are so happy to see that our very own Antoinette Peterson (AKA Sister Save-A-Lot) was selected to compete in TLC's Extreme Couponing All Stars.  This series takes the 12 best extreme Couponers to go head-to-head in a shopping challenge to see which Couponer can save the most money.   During each episode, two Couponers compete and the person having the highest percentage of savings will be named the winner of the round.  Out of the 12 contestants only 3 will make it to the finale.



The competition rules are simple:
1. Each Couponer must spend at least $500 retail.  This is before any store savings and/or bonus cards.
2. Each Couponer must have a minimum of 15 different items.
3. Pre-orders can be placed in advance, however they are limited to only 3 different items.
4. Couponer cannot pay full price for anything.  Everything purchased must be on sale.
5. All shopping have to be done in 30 minutes or less!

The show airs on Tuesdays @ 10/9c on TLC.

This morning on Good Morning America Paula Faris gave us a peek inside the competition.  Check it out ...

Antoinette's show aired this past Tuesday, so if you missed it don't worry.  She'll fill us in on how she prepared for the competition and let us know the outcome on tomorrow's show.  So make sure you tune it!

If you're interested in trying out the wonderful world of couponing, we encourage you to check out Antoinette's newly designed website at Sister Save-A-Lot for information on couponing classes, coupons and other great deals.  You can also find her weekly, letting us in on the deals of the week on Cocktails and Conversation every Saturday @ 8am EST!



Big Things Happening in 2012

2012 is off to a GREAT start here at Cocktails and Conversations and we couldn't be happier.  Late last year we were approached by Ayize and Aiyana Ma'at the power couple and masterminds behind the highly successful and popular website Black Love and Marriage to be a part of their team for 2012.  We were so honored that that selected us and we graciously accepted the offer!  In total they have added 6 writers to contribute to their site.  You can read more about the 5 amazing writers here. 

You can find out more about Black Love and Marriage by checking out their website. 

Happy New Year