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We’ve all gone through breakups. Some hurt us for a long time, some hurt us for a short time. Sometimes we cry, sometimes we laugh. At other times we may exhale a sigh of relief. Most times we remember the words that were said when it was over. ”It's not you, it's me.” “Neither one of us is happy right now.” “@#$% Y**”.....I could go on and on. I was in a situation once that was quickly coming to an end, and I will NEVER forget the words that were said to me…” Thank you for showing me how to cook with so many herbs.” Rarely am I at a loss for words. This was one of those times. I honestly don’t remember my reaction. I think I was so shocked to hear it, that I just stood there with a puzzled look on my face. Then after a brief silence I said “No problem.”

I love to cook with fresh herbs, dried herbs, any type of herb, especially my own herbs. As I strolled through the garden today I realized that we are 6 weeks away from my favorite holiday. Yes I love Thanksgiving(more on that later), it's like the NBA Finals, SuperBowl, Olympics and Wrestlemania wrapped up into one for me. I usually stay up most of the night before prepping, cooking, and drinking wine(or Jack Daniels). When visitors walk in and inhale the amazing aromas, I’m quick to say “It's the herbs” Now as a young youth(shout out to Wu-Tang) the only herbs I knew were parsley and…nope that's it! I knew it as a dried garnish and nothing more. I was in my early 30s when I began to learn and experiment with herbs, especially fresh herbs in my cooking.

The first year I made a turkey for Thanksgiving I spent more money on herbs than I did on the turkey(I also have a few tricks about how to get a really cheap turkey). Did it look amazing? Yes Did it smell amazing? Yes Did it taste amazing? Yes. Did I know what I was doing with the herbs? Not really. I’m a person that loves to learn, so a few months later I bought my first herb plant, it was rosemary. Well one plant wasn’t going to be enough for me, so I purchased a few more as well as some seeds(of course). The next thing I knew I had 18 different herbs growing. My days were filled with caring for plants, and my nights were filled with using those same plants in the kitchen. The relationship mentioned above was not going well, but it was not because of my cooking! She really loved the herbs…Who knew?

From that point on over the next few Thanksgivings I had every single herb I needed and more. And I utilized everything I could. My cooking got better, and my green thumb started turning into a green hand. Then the pandemic hit and I had a lot of free time to use these green hands of mine. So much free time that all my herbs were beginning to outgrow my usage of them. Now for months, unbeknownst to many I experimented in my kitchen with the herbs that I grew in various combinations to come up with “something”. I didn't know what something was, but I knew I was going to create it. Aggravated, frustrated, not knowing where to go, it was around this time 3 years ago as the weather got cooler, and the days got shorter that I started thinking about my favorite holiday…Thanksgiving. Then it hit me! I thought back to a conversation with one of my business mentors where I shared a list of goals I set for myself when I first had the idea to start D.O.P.E. To be precise the conversation was initially started on February 20th, 2018(I only know that because I went back and saw the email I sent requesting a meeting with this individual to share my ideas).

So like I was saying…It hit me! “I know what herbs it takes to make my foods taste amazing, I should share my knowledge and talent with everyone else! So like a madman I worked to create the perfect herbal combination that would enhance my Thanksgiving dinner. And on October 23rd, 2020 This Salt Is D.O.P.E. was created using freshly harvested rosemary, sage, and thyme. I was excited, I was nervous, I was hopeful. I launched it and I swear I sat waiting for the 1st order to be placed. It didn’t happen that day. Nor did it happen on day 2. Day 3 nothing again. After 5 days of absolutely nothing, I began questioning myself and wondering If I did the right thing.

Well on Day 7 the first order came in…Finally! Then the next one, and the next one, and the next one. Not only were orders coming in, but I also started receiving compliments and reviews stating how great the product was. As I was told once “Those D.O.P.E. seasonings hit every time!” At this point my confidence was on “Kobe 4th quarter status.” This led to me to create more flavors, and more people getting to experience the delicious herbal combinations from my home garden. I often say “My plants are my babies and my heart,grown with love, so you’re getting a piece of my heart everytime use any of the D.O.P.E. family of products.

Oh I almost forgot to mention why I love Thanksgiving so much. Way back in the summer of 2010 there was no guarantee that my mother was going to make it to the end of July, let alone Thanksgiving.Well miracles happen and she made it to Thanksgiving. That year was the very first time I prepared the entire Thanksgiving meal(except the turkey….we bought fried turkeys back then) by myself. I didn’t ask for her help, or her advice. I just went to work. After it was all said and done, I sat next to her and said with tears streaming down my face “This is the best day ever,because I didn’t think you would be here for it, and I’m so glad that you are. How was the food?” She looked at me in silence for about 30 seconds and said “The food was alright, you’re just the student, and it's not as good as the teachers’!”....SILENCE….”So are you going to cook again at Christmas?”...I looked at her and said “For you? Of course I am!” And she nodded and smiled at me. Now as circumstances would have it, that was our last Thanksgiving together and every year since then I have cooked my a** off as if it was for my mother. So the sheer joy I get from cooking, and remembering her is the best feeling in the world for me. Halloween is fun, Christmas is great, but Thanksgiving is D.O.P.E.

(This story was written as Dogg Food by Tha Dogg Pound served as the background soundtrack…but it got a little to expliclit for me today…LOL. Released October 31st, 1995)