EAT YOUR COLORS- Valentines Day

EAT YOUR COLORS

TRISH MELEK from GOTA

TASTY TARTS

TURF & Black Beans

Editor’s Notes

It’s February- time for (Black) history, time for Valentines, time for cold-weather- get the soups & stews ready.

Regarding Black History, it should not be a monthit should just be… well, it should just be! Our history, Black History in the US, should be celebrated and furthermore acknowledged, like all history. Black History is American History.

As far as Valentines Day, I would like to bring you the history on that as well and why we celebrate it. However, I always say that if you’re romantic all year long, then you don’t need a day to mark when to get your romance on. And romance is subjective- who’s to say you need flowers and candy for February 14th? Long stem roses sent to work, chocolates in heart-shaped boxes and/or dinner reservations to a fancy restaurant are all very nice. But is that all romance is? Maybe for some, maybe for most, but that is not the only way to show your appreciation to your loved one (some of y’all got a love two, or three). I like to do a surf and turf- give me a lobster tail and filet mignon over flowers and candy any day. I like it so much that I create the meal of Surf N’ Turf a few times a year- I do not wait February 14th .

Also in this issue, we’re featuring Trish Melek of GOTA (I call her Trish the Goddess) and you’ll soon read why this lovely lady is a gift to have as a friend. Trish is inspiring, informative and very proactive when it comes to healing the body with Mind, Body & Spirit.

Trish Melek is also a dynamic artist with certified hits under her belt. I can’t wait for you to hear more about her music in the issue.

See you inside!

py ntines ay

Trish Melek from GOTA

My Favorite

Dried black beans, garbanzos

black-eyed peas are among the legumes out there. They also food pantry. Not only are they incredibly inexpensive.

Some of you have expressed maintain your food journey idea how to cook these dry goods. “overnight method” and a “quicker dried black beans.

Favorite Dry Goods

garbanzos (chickpeas), split-peas, lentils and the most delicious and nutritious also happen to be what I stock up in my they good for you, but they are that you would like to start or towards better health but have no goods. Allow me to show you an “quicker method” on how to cook

Black Beans

also known as black turtle beans because of its hard shell, are a very common source of iron and protein in Latin American cuisine. The black bean is native to the Americas but can be found everywhere. This superfood is packed with vitamins and minerals and is an excellent source of phytonutrients and anthocyanins. Anthocyanins have numerous anti cancer effects, including anti inflammation, anti-mutagenesis and prevent cancer cells from spreading. And is soooooooooo delicious! You must make this a pantry staple.

Preparing dried black bean for cooking is the easiest thing to do. Soaking the beans just takes time but there are faster methods for the same quality taste. However, I do think they taste better when soaked overnight or for at least 6 8 hours. Here’s how I soak them: first I give the beans a rinse as I pick through them, looking for small debris trust me, you do not want to bite down on a small stone fragment. After rinsing and sorting through the beans, you place them in a pot (I use the same pot that I cook the bean in) and fill it way to the top with fresh water. Place the pot with the beans and water on your counter or table. The next day (or 6-8 hours later) drain the beans, give them another rinse and place them back in the pot fill with fresh water about 2 3 inches past the black bean line in your pot.

DO NOT SALT THE BEANS, DO NOT ADD ANY HERBS TO THE BEANS, DO NOT BOIL THE BEANS WITH STOCK NOR ADD EVEN A BAY LEAF. Adding any of the above to your beans will toughen the skins and will make it virtually impossible to soften.

Bring the bean to a boil, cover them with a lid, giving a crescent of space for steam to escape and lower your temperature. Cook until tender from 45 to 50 minutes. Then you’ll have tender beans to start to cook how you normally would cook your beans adding your flavorings, salts, sofritos and oils (you can also freeze these beans for later use.)

For a quicker method, rinse your dried black beans, look for debris, rinse again. Place the rinsed beans in a pot and place it on the stove to boil. Once boiling for 2 minutes, cover with a lid and take it off the heat and let sit for 2 hours. Afterwards, drain that water and fill the pot again up to 2-3 inches past the black bean line and cook as you normally would cook your black beans.

Mind,Body & Spirt

have ever met” with Trish is a wonderful, positive vibe- as I mentioned, an experience. When we get together to talk on the phone or meet in person, time seems to speed on by. For instance, I would think that a great hour of conversation had passed, only to find that in actuality, it has been 4-5 hours. That’s the kind of energy Trish brings to a conversation.

Trish Melek has transformed herself into a beautiful goddess from the inside out. You would think that her journey should be documented in medical journals, case histories and/or books on health. And as a matter of fact, that’s exactly where you’d find her triumphant journey. I, however, heard her beautiful story, straight from the goddess herself. Before her transformation into the very Being she is today, Trish’s doctor discovered she had stage 3 cervical cancer. The prognosis of this particular cancer at this stage, carries a very poor prognosis. They quickly recommended and ordered all kinds of treatments and chemotherapies. We live in the United States and that’s what we do upon discovering illnesses and cancers here. Sadly, it’s all we know to do.

But NOT Trish Melek- noooo! She has seen what chemotherapies have done to her loved ones and decided that it would not be the route she would take. Trish had the strength and foresight to take charge of her own path, to take her own journey on her own terms. Now Trish supports any medical path that you may feel is right for you- what she chose to do was right for her. She wants to be very clear about that. What she really wants us to know is that there are other options out there to explore.

Trish Melek wants us to tap into the theory of Mind, Body & Spiritespecially when it comes to healing our bodies from deep within.

Trish Melek started her beautiful journey to healing with natural medicinal practices found in other corners of the world. A holistic approach to rid the body of toxins and disease is the route she chose to combat cervical cancer. Trish has done extensive research before, during and after her journey in her quest to restorative health.

Trish has participated in medicinal practices in Peru, Ecuador and various other regions. Some of the practices date back for centuries. She participated in methods that are not necessarily practiced in the United States.

Trish travelled to the 15th-century Inca citadel located in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru, known as Machu Picchu. This magical mountain ridge is now part of the NEW Seven Wonders of the World. The properties / energies found on Machu Picchu is known world wide.

In keeping with the philosophy of Mind, Body & Spirit, Trish armed herself with knowledge. This would-be goddess told me that she had to turn off the noise and be totally self-focused. Those close friends and family members that understood- great- those that did not, also great. In fact, Trish shared that she even parted with a few. Being self-focused and giving self-care is what Trish had to do. She calls it being in a bubble. She says that you really have to do what is best for yourself.

On her trips to Machu Picchu, Trish Melek worked closely with an indigenous Shaman through a guided journey of self-discovery and transformative healing.

In the retelling of her story, Trish took me to the Mountain Ridge of Peru, to the very belly of Machu Picchu.

She explained her beautiful journey partaking with the Ayahuasca Ceremony.

“I’m a STAR in my own world!”

- Trish Melek, xo

On her trips to Machu Picchu, Trish Melek worked closely with an indigenous Shaman through a guided journey of self-discovery and transformative healing. There’s a pre- prep to undergo before participating ins an Ayahuasca Ceremony. You have to drink only holistic liquids for days, show up with your Mind open, your Body prepped and your Spirit willing and accepting.

“The Shaman who is also a Pharmacologist (best of both worlds) takes us on this spiritual hike. He picks out specific leaves, herbs and roots along this walk. There’s chanting, there’s music there an experience of Mind, Body and Spirit happening.”

“The Shaman gathers the many ingredients, places them into what looks like cheesecloth and pours some water over it. The shaman then takes like a long branch and rolls the medicinal ingredients into a loose paste.”

“I was nervous, a little scared but also excited. I know that some people get violently illand that’s when it works, I just didn’t want to go through that. However, if that what it was to help me on the road to great health, then so be it.”

“We form this circle and there’s little me with like 12 people or so. I went last so that I can see how others were going to react to the ayahuasca.”

“The first person partakes into the loose paste drink and is ill immediately. The second person the same, body just getting rid of all kinds of toxins. The next person- sick. The nextsick and so on and so on.”

“At this point, I don’t know if I’m ready for this experience.”

“Now it’s my turn- here goes. I take a sip and return the cup to the Shaman. He looks inside and says, ‘No No Nooo, must drink it all.’ and he hands the cup back to me.”

“I drink it all in one full swoop. I wait for it but seconds later, I’m hearing chants, seeing Holy Visions and staring at the purist white light I have ever seen.”

“I then hear the voices of my parents and quickly realize that I am cocooned in the womb. I felt like I was floating and having the experience wash over my Mind, Body and Spirit.”

“I came back to Earth’s reality and soon realized that very moment was the best 10 to 15 minutes of my life.”

“Well, what felt like 10 minutes or so was actually 5-6 hours! I really could not believe it.”

“I am honored to say that coupled with various other holistic practices and medicinal treatments in other countries, I took me four years or so to be in remission. Now, I’ve been living a healthy life (because this is a Lifestyle Change) for the past 2 decades.”

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The History of Saint

The origins of Valentine’s Day is varied and shrouded in mystery. While some claim that Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine’s death or burial—which probably occurred around A.D. 270 others claim that the Christian church decided to place St. Valentine’s Feast day in the middle of February in an effort to “Christianize” the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Celebrated at the ides of February, Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

To begin the festival, Roman priests would gather at a sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. They would then strip the goat’s hide into strips, dip them into the sacrificial blood and take to the streets, gently slapping both women and crop fields with the goat hide. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed the touch of the hides because it was believed to make them more fertile in the coming year.

Valentine’s Day

According to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city’s bachelors would each choose a name and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage.

Lupercalia survived the initial rise of Christianity but was outlawed by the end of the 5th century, when Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine’s Day. It was not until much later, however, that the day became definitively associated with love. During the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed that February 14 was the beginning of birds’ mating season.

which added to the idea that the middle of Valentine’s Day should be a day for romance. The English poet Geoffrey Chaucer was the first to record St. Valentine’s Day in his 1375 poem “Parliament of Foules,” writing, ““For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne’s day / Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.”

Valentine greetings were popular back in the Middle Ages, though written Valentine’s didn’t begin to appear until after 1400. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans.

Again, this is just one theory among many for the famed Saint Valentine’s Day.

Easy Fruit Tarts

There’s nothing tastier, easier and faster to make than a beautiful and delicious tart. I make a baked crust version, I create a No-Bake version and I use various vessels to place them in. I use glass cups, tart pans, Mason jars even plastic cups that one time.

Please checkout the various videos on my YouTube channel to find the easiest one or ones for you to make- you won’t regret it.

Surf N’ Turf

Every Valentine’s Day, I try to make my delicious Surf N’ Turf of lobster tail and filet mignon or NY strip steak.

It’s so delicious, easy to make and my beautiful Partner Henry just loves it. He says it’s one of his favorite meals. I try to make it as often as possible- maybe 4 times a year, but definitely on Valentine’s Day.

Try to get the best ingredients you may afford, try to relax (mood affects the outcomes of your foods) and watch just how easy it is to make your own romantic meal(s).

If you prefer shrimp or crab and sirloin steak or skirt steak, by all means do that. Surf N’ Turf is just seafood (surf) and meat (turf) so anything goes. Mix it up, do your best and come up with your variation(s) of Surf N’ Turf.

At times, I make shrimp and brisket- there are no rules!

Jason Goldstein, creator of Chop Happy has Been featured in various media outlets Follow Chop Happy

My Black History

The Creoles of Color are a historic ethnic group of Creole People that developed in the former French and Spanish colonies of Louisiana (especially in the city of New Orleans), Mississippi, Alabama, and Northwestern Florida i.e. Pensacola, Florida in what is now the United States. French colonists in Louisiana first used the term "Creole" to refer to people born in the colony, rather than in France.

The term "Creoles of color" was typically applied to mixed-race Creoles born from the French and Spanish settlers intermarrying with Africans or from manumitted slaves, forming a class of Gens de Couleur Libres (free people of color). Today, many of these Creoles of color have assimilated into Black culture, while some chose to remain a separate yet inclusive subsection of the African American ethnic group.

Creole blood runs through my veins as my descendants can be traced back to French Louisiana (La Louisiane) way before the Louisiana Purchase and beyond.

I’ve taken the names of my Ancestors and written them into a historical psychological novel exploring gender identity, sexual preferences and behaviors and the trauma of slavery and freedoms. There was not even terminology to describe certain psychosis, behaviors and identities in the late 1700s like we do today. Please allow me to show you the Prologue to my novelTaboo Down the Bayou.

Tammy approached the far side of the slave quarter’s out-house, ready to enjoy one of her secret pleasures. She surveyed the area for any possible predators. In the late 1700s, a girl alone was not safe in the darkness of the bayou, especially a slave girl. Tammy clawed the soft Louisiana dirt and dug up a well-worn smoking pipe she had wrapped in a rag. The pipe was an old corn-cob one she had found on the side of the road. If caught with it, she would be accused of theft – not too many slave girls had personal possessions. She could be beaten or whipped to within inches of her life if the Master thought she stole from him – much worse if he thought she stole from someone else. Once inside the out-house, Tammy slipped off her field dress as fast as she could. She began to embed the tobaccopacking end of the pipe between her lean muscular legs, feeling for just the right spot. Then, to her satisfaction, it began. Waves of euphoria filled her as she started to trickle urine out through the pipe’s smaller end. She flashed back to when she was six years old, when her mother scolded her for urinating standing up. She never did feel quite right when she squatted to relieve herself. Besides, she knew her Daddy and the other slave males stood-up to urinate. Now that she had her penis pipe, she felt as normal as any boy would.

*Please let me know what you think

Trish Melek

Trish Melek has been singing her heart out since she was a teenager (not that long ago- see what I did there?) and has not stopped since. Forming GOTA (Girls On The Avenue) with longtime Bestie Pamella Lee, they amassed a couple of successful songs- their song “ALRIGHT” (collobration with Georgie Porgie) is a certified hit.

Now, Trish Melek, embarking as a solo artist, has released 2 new singles- "What's Going On" and "A Perrial a la Pared.“

Trish just returned from the Caribbean. She spent time in the Dominican Republic to create a brand new video for WHAT’S GOING ON? and it’s sure to be as hot as her music.

Trish Melek also shared with me that she’s going to shoot another video in Central America for “A Perrial – A La Pared”

Trish (I call her Trish the Goddess) opened a Ministry called Healing Angels and collaborated with 19 global artists, as well as a very dear friend of hers- actor Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon). They created a fundraiser called Classics4Cancer and donated all her proceeds. Trish Melek also runs an Orphanage in Uganda, Africa where she supports over 360 children with medical care, food, clothing, school supplies, and hygiene supplies. Promoting healing through her craft, Trish Melek remains rooted within her mantra- ‘Love has no color.’

What’s Going On?

The NEW song “What’s Going On?” is a sultry, mellow, laid back vibe by solo artist, Trish Melek.

It’s the kind of song that you want to groove to with that special someone over a glass of wine, vibe to with a couple of good friends or just a great song you want to hear over coffee, on vacation, in a lounge or cruising in the car. I love that song!

What’s Going On is sure to be one of your favorites too. It’s a mid-tempo song with elements of Reggaeton and cool Club beats. Add Trish Melek’s sultry tones to the mix and you have a song that’s sure to be another certified hit.

You can find “What Going On?” on Spotify, Apple Music and on YouTube. I can’t wait to see the music videos- I know that Trish and her Team have been filming and working on locations in the Caribbean and Central America.

*Check out What’s Going On by tapping/clicking on the following page.

A PerrialA La Pared

Trish Malek’s (GOTA) other NEW Reggaeton song is “A Perrial – A La Pared” and it’s my new jam!! You cannot hear that song and not move to the beat! This is one of those smooth grooves that I know you’re going to like just as I do.

This Italian American’s Latin Influence shines right through on this one. Trish’s Cuban Godmother was a constant in her life. Having worked with various Latin American artists and producers also perfected her sound for this genre.

I think you’re really going to like it! The music video promises to be just as dynamic. I can’t wait!

You can check A Perrial – A La Pared this on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube too.

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