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On this week's episode of ESSENCE Now, we discuss the recent allegations of rape and sexual assault at Morehouse and Spelman colleges, our favorite celebs discuss their Thanksgiving traditions, and we remix Thanksgiving macaroni and cheese.
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00:00I'm Makon Jovo, and today on Essence Now, we're getting ready for Thanksgiving.
00:09We've got our favorite celebs to share their family traditions.
00:13Plus, we're heading to the kitchen to show you how to remix your favorite Thanksgiving
00:17leftovers.
00:18And rising gospel stars, The Walls Group, perform exclusively for us.
00:23But right now, it's time for the hot list.
00:25The biggest stories you're buzzing about today.
00:30We've got not one, but two hot covers of Essence magazine out now.
00:35For our December-January issue, Congresswoman Maxine Waters spoke about how young people
00:40can become politically involved.
00:43If you walk into a campaign and say, what can I do?
00:45That shows a hell of a lot of interest.
00:47Then I know you're in it.
00:48So I encourage folks, if this is your passion, show it.
00:51Demonstrate it.
00:52And can't forget about this.
00:55Everyone's boyfriend in their head, Kofi Sirabo, is the other star of our double issue.
01:00Woo, is it getting out of here?
01:01Or is it just me?
01:03Oh, it's just me?
01:03Okay.
01:04All right.
01:06Say it ain't so.
01:08In a recent visit to Bravo's Watch What Happens Live, Kandi Burris revealed that she will
01:12not be recording any new music with Xscape.
01:15Watch.
01:16A lot of people wanting to know, when are you guys going to make new music?
01:19Any plans?
01:19Yes.
01:22Well, they are doing new music.
01:25The three of them are?
01:26Yes.
01:27Okay.
01:28Yes.
01:28And is that, is it under the name Xscape?
01:32Oh, I don't know.
01:36Well, we are Xscape.
01:37Oh, right.
01:38Okay, so that wasn't awkward at all.
01:42Kandi says she's going to be doing Broadway instead, but Twitter doesn't seem to be here
01:46for a Kandi-less Xscape.
01:47Penny Isaac tweeted,
01:48Xscape tried to continue with three group members before and failed.
01:52If any one of the girls left the group, it wouldn't be the same.
01:56BerryGirl29 posted a hilarious gif with this caption,
01:59Xscape making music without Kandi is like the left twix without the right twix.
02:03It's not going to work.
02:04And one more from Victor Harges.
02:06Kandi doesn't need Xscape.
02:08Xscape needs Kandi.
02:09Facts are facts.
02:10The Atlanta HBCU community is reeling after students started a movement to name accused
02:19rapists and sexual harassers at Spelman, Morehouse, and Morris Brown Colleges.
02:24Signs were plastered around the campuses saying that the schools, quote, protect rapists.
02:28While Morehouse's president says the school is investigating, many say it's too little
02:32and too late.
02:33Back in 2016, BuzzFeed published an explosive report with black women who say that not only
02:39did the schools not take their reports of sexual assault seriously, but that the women
02:43were also made to feel guilty for accusing their Morehouse brothers of a crime.
02:48One Spelman student told BuzzFeed, it's just a really deep rooted sense of protecting the
02:52black men, but everyone's victimizing the black woman.
02:55Where is that narrative?
02:56So that leads us to today's viewer poll.
02:59In cases of sexual assault, is the black community overprotective of black men at the
03:04expense of black women?
03:05Send us your comments and votes using hashtag Essence Now, because we're talking about it
03:10next.
03:10It's Tuesday, November 14th, and it's time for Essence Now.
03:23Welcome to Essence Now.
03:24You can watch us right here every Tuesday at 3 p.m.
03:27Eastern with the best in entertainment, news, fashion, and more.
03:31I'm your host, Makonjlovu, but this is your show.
03:33Feel free to sound off on topics with us at any time using the hashtag Essence Now, or
03:39you can email us at EssenceNow at Essence.com.
03:41As I mentioned in today's hot list, frustrated students at Atlanta's HBCUs, Morehouse, and
03:47Spelman College are speaking out against sexual assault on campus with the hashtag We Know
03:52What You Did.
03:53Students have also posted signs on both campuses naming alleged rapists and accusing administrators
03:58at both schools of protecting the perpetrators.
04:01But when it comes to listening to and protecting black women who have been sexually assaulted,
04:05is it the school's fault or is this just the latest incident of symptomatic in the black
04:10community as a whole?
04:11So here to discuss it is writer and producer of The Root and host of The Root Live, Danielle
04:16Young, and Essence.com senior news and culture editor, Christina Coleman, and social activist
04:21and creator of the hashtag Me Too, Tarana Burke.
04:25Welcome, ladies.
04:26Tarana, you started the hashtag Me Too movement over 10 years ago, and it went viral amidst the
04:30recent Hollywood sexual harassment scandal.
04:33Now, do you think Spelman and Morehouse's movement would have happened if there was this
04:36resurgence of sisterhood against sexual harassment?
04:38Well, I mean, Spelman has a long history of being very active, and the women, the young
04:43women who go to Spelman are pretty active and outspoken.
04:46But I'm sure it's because of this current wave of people coming forward and talking about
04:51their experience with sexual violence, there's probably been a catalyst for them to come forward
04:54now.
04:54So people, do you think maybe the notions are starting to change, that people feel more
04:58comfortable talking about it, or is this just the tip of the iceberg?
05:02Well, I feel like it's the tip of the iceberg.
05:03I think we're kind of at a tipping point where people are realizing there's a groundswell of
05:07support around the world for people to come forward, and there's a community of folks who
05:11are supporting people who come forward.
05:12So it's definitely a tipping point.
05:15Okay.
05:15So, Tina, I know some of the Spelman women said they found it tougher to speak out because
05:20Morehouse men are their brothers.
05:21Now, you went to an HBCU yourself.
05:23How does the notion of family at HBCU affect the protection black women may or may not receive?
05:28Tina, I think it's a cultural thing for the black community, but also like the collegiate
05:33community, for black people, I think we're taught from a really young age that we shouldn't
05:37snitch.
05:38Like, nobody wants to be a snitch, right?
05:39So you can't tell on anybody.
05:41And the other part is us always protecting black men.
05:44You saw that with Cosby.
05:45People didn't want to believe the victims because they said he was about to buy NBC.
05:50You can't bring a black man down.
05:51And I think when you attend an HBCU and you live and breathe and you operate in this culture
05:57of blackness, you want to protect your own naturally.
06:01And also, we've been kind of taught that and conditioned to do that.
06:04But it is at the expense of black women.
06:07Black women.
06:07So unfortunate.
06:08And Danielle, you bravely opened up about your own sexual harassment experiences with famous
06:12men, saying we're taught as women to make excuses for black men.
06:15Now, explain what you meant by that.
06:17And it's similar to what these ladies were saying, you know, it's a solidarity thing in
06:23blackness and it spans sexes.
06:25And it's up to us, the black woman, to always lift up and to love and nurture and, you know,
06:30what Michelle Obama said and to hold up men, especially with us for black men.
06:34So that's where I come from with that, you know, being taught and being and having that
06:39learned, I don't know, that just.
06:41Behavior.
06:42Yeah.
06:42Yeah.
06:43Did you get a lot of backlash for your article?
06:45You know what?
06:45Surprisingly, I got mostly support.
06:48So that was really, really something that I did not expect.
06:51But there there's a few trolls out there who want to blame me for taking a black man down
06:56or saying that I needed and wanted the attention.
07:01And I should be so lucky, especially because I'm a woman of of curves.
07:04And, you know, I definitely don't get that.
07:07So I should be glad that I'm getting that.
07:09And that is ridiculous.
07:11Yeah, I think I mean, I love the title that you had that it looks like I'm smiling, but really
07:15inside I'm cringing because sexual harassment takes on so many forms.
07:18Right.
07:18Yeah.
07:19It doesn't have to be outright someone getting raped.
07:21It can be an unwarranted touch.
07:23And, you know, speak a little bit about that.
07:24Well, yeah, I was speaking to what Tarana has said before, is that sexual harassment,
07:28sexual assault, there's a spectrum there.
07:31And my story and I said it in the piece.
07:34I was so afraid to say something because I wasn't raped, I wasn't drugged and I wasn't
07:39taken against my will in any way other than being touched in a way that I didn't welcome.
07:44So I want women to know that you don't have to be a victim of rape to also have experience
07:50sexual assault.
07:51Now, I never even said out of my mouth that these men assaulted me, but I did say that
07:55I was touched in a way that was unwanted.
07:58So I hope that this is allowing for women to know that there are so many ways that it
08:02can show itself, sexual assault can show itself and that you are a voice and you can speak
08:06up against it.
08:07Women and men.
08:08Women and men, exactly.
08:09Yeah.
08:10So Tarana, I want to talk about the notion of in this BuzzFeed article, right, they talked
08:13about how black women don't generally report sexual assault cases.
08:19Let's talk about the differences between how black accusers and white accusers are treated.
08:23How does that work?
08:24Drastically different, right, so, you know, I've said it a hundred times, sexual assault
08:29doesn't know any race, class or gender, but the way we respond to it does.
08:32And so we can see that in the case of R. Kelly and how all his accusers are black girls and
08:39he still has a prominent position in our community.
08:42And so there's also the notion that because of the racism, the various oppressions that
08:46we operate under, black women have to almost be complicit in their own abuse in order to survive.
08:53And so we don't report, we don't come forward because look what happens when we do.
08:58Nobody, people tend to not believe you.
09:00You get the kind of pushback that is unprecedented in other communities.
09:04I think in general, women, you know, have to deal with not being believed, but we have
09:08a whole other layer because people are socialized to believe that black girls are lying, that
09:13we're fast, that we're, you know, we wanted the attention.
09:16And those are the kinds of things that we're socialized to believe.
09:18So Tina, your centrism of it is that people like Lupita can come forward and say, Harvey
09:24Weinstein sexually assaulted me and nobody cares.
09:28Right.
09:29So it's not even just within our...
09:30Or she's the only one, he only gets the only one response to Weinstein people.
09:33Yeah.
09:34That was absolutely ridiculous.
09:35And it's another topic for another day.
09:37But I want to talk about the notion of the current administration that we have now and how
09:40they're starting to strip away some of like the Title IX money that helps assault victims
09:45in instances like this.
09:46What are some of the solutions that we can look to when we have administration that is
09:50pulling back on how we to help assault victims?
09:53You know, it's really, really hard to look at this from like a policy standpoint because
09:57I'm not a policy person, but I think it really starts in hearts and minds.
10:00So when we go back to what Danielle was talking about in the spectrum of sexual assault, I think
10:05even teaching our boys and our women and our girls that there are so many forms of this
10:10can take.
10:11And at the very basic level, if someone's talking to you in a way that you don't like,
10:15that is not okay.
10:16Consent.
10:17That, you know, you have to understand what consent is.
10:21And then maybe we won't have to in the future deal with the issues of rape and actual violent
10:26sexual assault.
10:27Can I ask?
10:28Yes, absolutely.
10:29Go ahead.
10:30But I'm curious because how do you speak up in the moment, you know, without first appearing
10:35as the angry black woman or you're just taking the vibe out of the room or whatever
10:38it is.
10:39How do you speak up in that moment?
10:40Yeah.
10:41And it's very hard to do.
10:42This is, you go back to Danielle's title and she talked about, I'm smiling, but really
10:46I'm cringing on the inside.
10:48And that just goes to show how hard it is for women that we usually resort to this like
10:52awkward kind of, you know, we giggle, we kind of laugh it off because someone is going
10:57to...
10:58We diminish ourselves.
10:59It's going to tell us it's not a big deal and just to forget about it.
11:03And so I wish I had the answers on how to be stronger to come forward.
11:07But I think that what Tarana said, this is really the tip of the iceberg.
11:09Yeah.
11:10And once you see that communities and society is willing to support these women, then maybe
11:15it'll be easier.
11:16Yeah.
11:17But Tarana, I mean, I want to get your thought on this.
11:19How do we get men to get involved in this?
11:21Because I think as women we get it, but how do we get men to also understand the different
11:25variations of sexual harassment and also what not to do?
11:28Well, I agree about consent.
11:29I agree that we need to have comprehensive sex education in schools.
11:33But beyond that, you can...
11:34I mean, y'all clearly saw the thing with Charlamagne the other day when he...
11:37Charlamagne the God came out and started talking about that men are raised in rape culture.
11:41That is, to me, very clear that an indication that there's a change happening through hearts
11:46and minds.
11:47Yeah.
11:48And so I think the more we talk about it, the more we keep this conversation and not just
11:51a news cycle and stand up and be vocal like Danielle was, that men will follow suit,
11:56that they'll see and understand and start really going beyond their egos to get that
12:00this is affecting people, women across the board, but people...
12:04It's not a women's issue.
12:05It's not a women's issue.
12:06Yeah.
12:07Exactly.
12:08Thank you so much, ladies, for joining us.
12:09I know we can talk about this a lot.
12:11Yeah.
12:12Let's check in with Kayla.
12:13Absolutely.
12:14Let's check in with Kayla to see what you guys are saying on social.
12:16Kayla, what's going on?
12:17How you doing?
12:18So we're asking cases of sexual assault and rape.
12:19Do you think that black community is overprotective of black women at the expense of black men?
12:23And the timeline is now flooded with answers for yes.
12:26So on our Twitter viewers, Malcolm, get the bag, says, I'm extremely proud of my Spelman sisters
12:31launching the hashtag, we know what you did campaign.
12:33My dear Morehouse brothers, if you don't stand in solidarity, you are complicit in perpetuating
12:38rape culture, period.
12:40Prioritize the safety of our sisters over everything else.
12:43At Local Lins, men of Morehouse, stop protecting rapists.
12:46Some of our brothers are predators.
12:48It is not okay.
12:49Where there is smoke, there is fire.
12:51If you allow these men to brush several rape accusations off and they're falsely accused,
12:55you are just as big of a problem as they are.
12:58Facebook viewers, Viola More is watching with us.
13:01She says, we as women are made to feel like our bodies belong to any man that wants it.
13:05K.K. Bradsfield says, when I was little, I was taught that what goes on in the house stays in the house.
13:09Well, in that house, I was molested.
13:11That is, oh my gosh.
13:13Wow.
13:14That's really heavy.
13:15Okay.
13:16Remember, we're still taking your votes for today's viewer poll.
13:18So keep those comments coming in, which in light of the allegations that Morehouse and Spelman,
13:22and the question is this, in cases of sexual assault, is the black community overprotective of black men at the expense of black women?
13:30Keep your comments and votes coming in and we'll read the results later on in the show.
13:35Now coming up, we're going to head to the Essence Kitchen to show you how you can remix those macaroni and cheese leftovers
13:40after Thanksgiving.
13:41But first, some of our favorite celebrities discuss their Thanksgiving traditions
13:46and give us their own definitions of the itis.
13:49So I am 20 years old, I'll be 21, and I still sit at the kids table.
14:01So I'm not sure when you get to move up to the adult table.
14:05Maybe 21?
14:06You could finally sit at the grown folks table, I feel like around, I don't know, 19, 20, and have real conversation with everyone, like 20.
14:16It all depends on your OG, man.
14:18Like I know some people that's 28 that still can't get at the grown folks table.
14:22So I'm going to say 20, 25.
14:28If you can't count, count, count dominoes in your head, you can't be at the grown folks table.
14:33You can't be there.
14:38At Thanksgiving dinner, everyone has that one cousin who gets super lit, drunk, and just acts a fool.
14:44Everybody has that one cousin who is rushing the cook.
14:50When's dinner going to be served?
14:51When's dinner going to be served?
14:52We cooking.
14:53It's coming.
14:54Everybody got that one cousin that's still.
14:56So you got to put away the dishes and forks and whatever.
14:59They even steal some silverware, the silver.
15:01Yeah, you got to put away the silver.
15:02I guess one for each family member.
15:07Sometimes people be taking home the whole tin.
15:10They'll like find an empty tin and they just go crazy with it.
15:13It all depends on the family member.
15:15But you got that one uncle that he's so cool and he going to talk you through it.
15:21Like he going to talk about how he ain't doing too well right now.
15:23You know what I'm saying?
15:24He looking for a job.
15:25And why you just like, oh man, he just sliding plates.
15:27You know, Auntie Diana, who's bougie, that come in here with her pearls, she can't take a plate home.
15:32My definition of the itis is as soon as you finish eating, you wish the table would just transform into a bed.
15:41The itis is when you get so much food, so much good food, and you get sleepy all of a sudden.
15:48Right after you're done eating.
15:50You're tired.
15:51You're sleepy.
15:52You just need a nap.
15:54I have no idea what the itis is.
15:56I have to Google that.
15:58Oh, man, the definition of the itis is you have a, you know, a delicious meal that, uh, is above your calorie count.
16:07Uh, and it, you know, it puts you in a coma.
16:11You catch the itis and you knocked out on grandma's couch for at least two or three hours, at least a minimum.
16:20You're watching Essence Now.
16:21I'm your host, Makon Jovo, and as you can see, we've stepped into the lovely kitchen to talk what else?
16:27Food!
16:28Joining me is Chef Lexi to show us how to remix a popular Thanksgiving side dish, not one, but two different ways.
16:35So you're not stuck eating the same old leftovers over and over again.
16:38Hey, Chef Lexi!
16:39Hey!
16:40All right, so what's the side dish that we're starting with today?
16:43So today we're gonna, everybody has mac and cheese at Thanksgiving, everybody, no matter how your mom makes it, whether it's a roux or you just throw the cheese straight in there, we have mac and cheese.
16:51Okay.
16:52So we have to remix it because why do you want plain mac and cheese again the next day?
16:56Mm-hmm.
16:57So we're gonna, for the first time, we're gonna do fried mac and cheese balls.
17:00Ooh, yeah.
17:01Okay.
17:02So let's, let's start.
17:03Let's start.
17:04All right.
17:05So I just get a nice scooper.
17:06We have our mac and cheese.
17:07You don't have to reheat it.
17:08All you have to do is make sure it's really, really cold, and you use a scooper to scoop it out.
17:12That's a good point.
17:13So you just keep it cold.
17:14Yeah.
17:15Keep it really cold.
17:16Okay.
17:17How big should the balls be?
17:18The ball about one inch, but if you don't have a scooper like I do, you can just cut it in nice little squares, and then you can just dredge it.
17:23Make sure you use one hand for dry.
17:25Okay.
17:26What are we, what are we dipping in now?
17:27So we're dipping in a little flour with salt and pepper.
17:29Okay.
17:30And your other hand for wet.
17:31For wet.
17:32And that's eggs?
17:33This is egg wash.
17:34Eggs and milk all together.
17:35Eggs and milk mixed in together.
17:36Okay.
17:37And then panko crumbs at the end.
17:38Ooh.
17:39Fancy.
17:40Make it nice and crunchy.
17:41Make it a certain size ball or the ball size.
17:43I like to keep it on the smaller side because you don't want it to break.
17:46I see.
17:47So.
17:48Okay.
17:49So we're getting a little bit there, but no worries.
17:50No worries.
17:51Keeping it together.
17:52Keeping it together.
17:53Okay.
17:54And we're gonna fix it up.
17:55And if it does break, you can actually lower it in.
17:57Mm-hmm.
17:58And that way you don't have to worry about it breaking.
18:00How long should you fry it for in there?
18:01You fry it for about 10 minutes.
18:0310 minutes?
18:04Yeah.
18:05Wow.
18:06Okay.
18:07Because it's already cooked.
18:08So all you're doing is reheating it and making it yours.
18:10Okay.
18:11Can you fry like three or four at a time or you just fry?
18:13Yeah.
18:14We can add some more.
18:15We can add some more?
18:16Yeah.
18:17Okay.
18:18Making it into a nice little scoop.
18:19Now, does it matter how you make your mac and cheese?
18:21What kind of cheese you use when you're doing this particular recipe?
18:24I use extra sharp cheddar cheese or aged cheddar and smoked gouda as well as Monterey Jack,
18:33Pepper Jack.
18:34Okay.
18:35So that gives it a little spiciness to it.
18:36Mm-hmm.
18:37I like to use Parmesan sometimes, which is really good.
18:39And as long as the cheese is good and melting.
18:41Okay.
18:42So that's what you gotta add.
18:43When you go to the cheese section, depending on which store you go to, as long as you add
18:46them a good melting cheese, you're good to go.
18:49I'm so nervous when you dip it in because that grease is hot.
18:51I'm so used to frying.
18:53You know, you get really close.
18:54You can't be afraid to fry.
18:55Okay.
18:56A lot of people like to throw it in there, but you shouldn't throw it in there.
18:59Get as close as possible and just drop it.
19:01That will stop the splash.
19:03And if you're feeling a little adventurous, maybe you want to dip it in some sauce.
19:06Can you dip it in extra sauce, like a barbecue sauce or a hot sauce?
19:09Yeah.
19:10Or when you're making the mac and cheese, maybe you put some barbecue sauce in it and then
19:14that way you can...
19:15Oh, that's a good tip.
19:16Put it in the mac and cheese.
19:17Put it in the mac and cheese.
19:18And then you have barbecue mac and cheese.
19:19Look at that.
19:20Yeah.
19:21We're learning so much today.
19:22So we got a couple there.
19:23Okay.
19:24What kind of oil are you using?
19:25So today I'm using soybean oil, vegetable oil, which everybody would know, but I have
19:31a bakery, so a lot of people would say, is there soy in this?
19:33So I have to know that it's soy.
19:34So it's vegetable oil, soybean oil, same thing.
19:37It's the least, it has the least amount of flavor as far as what you want to, you don't
19:41want to alter the taste of the mac and cheese.
19:43Okay.
19:44It's coconut oil now.
19:45I see an avocado oil, but that actually changes the taste of the food.
19:48In a bad way.
19:49I mean, it could be good if that's what you're into, but traditionally you might not be looking
19:53for that taste.
19:54So you want to just start off with a tasteless, a fairly tasteless oil.
19:58I got you.
19:59Canola even also.
20:00Okay.
20:01And what about the temperature?
20:02Is that a thermometer that has it right?
20:03So this is a candy thermometer or you can have a, sometimes you have a probe.
20:06You can just put it in there, making sure it's not touching the bottom of the pan.
20:09Oh.
20:10That way you don't get the center.
20:11You get the actual oil temperature.
20:12That's such a good point.
20:13Yeah.
20:14Okay.
20:15And that way you can, you can see, and it's about 325, 320.
20:19That should be where you're, where you're at.
20:21And if you don't have a thermometer and you're at home, if you drop, sometime I drop time inside
20:26of it, just to give it a little flavor.
20:27Once it starts to crack a little bit, that's how you know it's ready.
20:30Oh, okay.
20:31Good tips.
20:32All right.
20:33On to my favorite part.
20:34Yes.
20:35Let's taste it.
20:36Let's taste it.
20:37Yes.
20:38And this is what it's going to look like.
20:39Okay.
20:42Oh my God.
20:43It looks amazing.
20:44Mmm.
20:45So good.
20:46Girl.
20:47Oh my God.
20:48This is delicious.
20:50Oh my gosh.
20:51Okay.
20:52What else do you have for us as I chow down on this?
20:54Now I'm going to make the same mac and cheese, but let's add some sausages, some, some
21:00spinach and even more cheese.
21:01Oh, okay.
21:02Yes.
21:03Even more cheese.
21:04Even more cheese.
21:05Excuse me.
21:06Are we using the same batch of macaroni?
21:07Same batch of macaroni.
21:08Okay.
21:09Yes.
21:10So now I'm just going to add some butter to my pan.
21:12Okay.
21:13Now this macaroni is still, do you warm it up or it's the cold?
21:18I mean, I would like to have it room temperature.
21:20So you set it out for a couple of minutes just to get it room temperature.
21:23It'll be easier to warm back up back in the pot.
21:26Yeah.
21:27Since it's already cooked.
21:28Oh, I see.
21:29I see.
21:30And what are we doing with this dish?
21:31I know we had the rice, the macaroni balls here.
21:33Yes.
21:34But this particular dish, what are we making here?
21:36So it's a loaded mac and cheese.
21:38So my loaded mac and cheese has andouille sausage in it, spinach and extra cheese.
21:43Oh.
21:44You need cheese.
21:45You need cheese.
21:46Cheese on top of cheese.
21:47So, you know, again with the smoked gouda, extra sharp cheddar cheese and any other cheese
21:52that you want to add in there.
21:53I'm just buttering the pan so it's just a little bit easier for me to mix everything in.
21:57And if you could pass me the macaroni.
21:59Of course.
22:00I would love to.
22:01Oh my gosh.
22:02This looks so good.
22:03And then let's like scoop it out here, right?
22:04Okay.
22:05How big a scoop are we making here?
22:06Do you want me to hold it up or this is good?
22:07You want to hold the whole thing in there, right?
22:08The whole thing.
22:09Yeah.
22:10Okay.
22:11Let's half it first.
22:12Because we don't want to splash.
22:13Let's get it closer.
22:14Closer.
22:15Okay.
22:16Yeah.
22:17Now I saw you use butter, but if I wanted to use olive oil or canola oil, that's fine.
22:20Perfectly fine.
22:21Okay.
22:22Whatever you have.
22:23It was easy.
22:24See, it's easier if you just section it out.
22:26And we don't want anything to go to waste because we want to eat all of our leftovers.
22:29Yes.
22:30You might want us to eat the same thing over and over again.
22:32No.
22:33And if you want, you can add the turkey to this.
22:36You can add ham or whatever other meat you might already have instead of making, you
22:39know, sausage.
22:40Oh, that's a good point.
22:41Okay.
22:42And any other, maybe you have collard greens, you know, chop it up and throw it in there
22:45too.
22:46So you have a different mac and cheese.
22:47Now, how long are we going to fry this back for?
22:49We're just, we already, it's already warm.
22:51Okay.
22:52So as long as it gets a little hot, and then I have, my sausage is already, it was already
22:55cooked.
22:56So we just throw it in there.
22:57Okay.
22:58With everything, all the nice juices.
23:00Oh, it smells so good.
23:03And then, once I just get this a little bit, is our stove a little bit higher?
23:09A little bit higher, yeah.
23:10So you kind of want to have your stove on high for this dish?
23:13Yeah, so it could just be a little faster.
23:14Okay.
23:15Oops.
23:16That's okay.
23:17We'll get that later.
23:18That's a leftover for later.
23:19That's fine.
23:20Yeah.
23:21We're going to get a little, a little sizzle on it, and then we're just going to add as
23:25much.
23:26Do you want me to keep mixing as you?
23:27Oh yeah, please do.
23:28All right.
23:29All I did was chop up this fresh spinach.
23:30Okay.
23:31I use fresh spinach because it has less water in it.
23:33I know a lot of people have frozen spinach laying around, but you just don't want any
23:36added moisture to it.
23:37So the fresh spinach is the easiest way to go.
23:39But the spinach can wilt away sometimes, right?
23:40So you don't want to cook it for too long, right?
23:42Yeah.
23:43Okay.
23:44All right, so you turn it down, so we're going to add something else?
23:46No, we're good to go.
23:47We're going to put it in the pan and then we're going to top it with some more cheese.
23:50So everything is melted back again, like you just started your mac and cheese again.
23:53If you could hold that for me.
23:54Yeah, I'll hold it for you.
23:55That'll be perfect.
23:56And we're just going to put it right in our small ramekin, or you can just throw it
24:00right back in the same pan you started.
24:01I see.
24:02Yeah.
24:03Now this is the type of pan that you can throw in the oven?
24:05Yes.
24:06You can throw it right in the oven.
24:07Yeah.
24:08So you want to be able to throw it right back in the oven because you want to, sorry about
24:11that.
24:12You're good.
24:13I want to take some extra cheese.
24:14And what kind of cheese is this again?
24:15This is just sharp.
24:16Sharp cheese.
24:17Okay.
24:18You might have shaved off the day before for your mac and cheese.
24:21You might have some extra already there, whatever you have.
24:23Okay.
24:24You just want to make it as easy as possible.
24:25So I saw you just add cheese now, but let's say you're lactose intolerant.
24:28Okay.
24:29Is there an option that you can use that is?
24:31I like cashew cheese.
24:32It's very similar to what we enjoy as a regular mac and cheese.
24:37So that one, it gets really melty.
24:39I guess it doesn't work.
24:40Yeah.
24:41Nice and bubbly.
24:42And it looks just like the traditional mac and cheese.
24:44Okay, very good.
24:45How long are we going to pop this in the oven for?
24:46So about 10 minutes on broil because you just want it to get nice and toasty brown on top.
24:51It's already cooked.
24:52So we're just making sure it gets nice and crispy.
24:53You don't want to burn it.
24:54You just want to get it nice and brown.
24:55You don't want to burn it.
24:56Okay.
24:57Let's see what it looks like.
24:58Yes.
24:59The final product.
25:00Yes.
25:01I can't wait to dive into this.
25:02Oh, I think my mouth is watering.
25:04Okay.
25:05This looks amazing.
25:06Yes.
25:07It looks so good.
25:08Okay.
25:09So we got that right in.
25:10And this took a total of what?
25:12From start to finish.
25:13From making it.
25:1420 minutes of that.
25:1520 minutes of that.
25:16Yeah.
25:17Oh, so good.
25:19So, so good.
25:20Please don't judge me.
25:22I'm about to eat this quietly in the corner.
25:24Chef Lexi, thank you so much.
25:26This was so good.
25:27This was absolutely delicious.
25:29Well, there you have it, Essence Now fam.
25:30Chef Lexis has showed us how to make two super easy and super tasty ways to remix your Thanksgiving
25:36leftovers by turning mac and cheese into fried mac and cheese balls and mac and cheese turned
25:42up a notch with spinach and andouille sausage.
25:44Now hit us up on Facebook and let us know how you plan on remixing some of your favorite Thanksgiving
25:49leftovers.
25:50Thank you so much for joining me.
25:51I really appreciate it.
25:52Don't move.
25:53We have today's real poll results coming up next.
25:56Oh, it's so good.
25:57All right.
25:58Can I eat this whole plate?
25:59Yeah.
26:00It's on still.
26:01I really hope you don't, but I'm going to eat it.
26:03Ew.
26:04I don't like either.
26:05Ooh, stuffing.
26:06Dressing.
26:07That's a move.
26:08If I'm, if I'm upset, I'm upset.
26:09Give me some stuffing.
26:10But if I'm in a good mood, give me the dress.
26:11Yeah, so I'm, I'm gonna go, I'm gonna stuff it.
26:12I'm gonna go stuffing.
26:13Traditional turkey.
26:14Fried turkey.
26:15Ooh, fried turkey.
26:16Give me the, give me the fry.
26:17Give me the fry.
26:18Give me the fry.
26:19Give me that grease.
26:20Go back for seconds.
26:21Go back for seconds.
26:22Thirds, fourths, all of that.
26:23Get two really big plates.
26:25You stack up the plate.
26:26You chill for about 15, 30 minutes.
26:27And then you go for seconds.
26:28Again.
26:29You like.
26:30You see?
26:31I'm so excited about it.
26:32I'm really excited about, I'm gonna go and stuff it.
26:33I'm going to gotta stuff it.
26:36I'm going to go stuff it.
26:37Traditional turkey.
26:38Fried turkey.
26:39Fried turkey.
26:40Oh, fried turkey.
26:41Give me the, give me the, give me the, give me the fry.
26:43Give me the fry, give me the fry.
26:44Give me that grease.
26:45Go back for seconds.
26:46Go back for seconds.
26:47and then you go for seconds again.
26:54Wherever you can find a seat in the house.
26:56But in my house, don't eat anywhere else
26:58except for the table.
26:59Wherever you can find a seat in my family,
27:01like we're huge, so there's almost never a seat left.
27:05Wherever you can find a seat in the house.
27:07It's all traditional when you pray over the food.
27:09Once that, everybody's, it's every man for himself
27:11at that point.
27:12Uh, neither, uh.
27:18Peach gobbler.
27:20Sweet potato pie.
27:21Come on, peach gobbler.
27:22Peach gobbler's the one.
27:23You ain't gonna let me cheat on peach gobbler.
27:24Now, peach gobbler watching, you ain't gonna do that.
27:26You ain't gonna do that.
27:31You're watching Essence Now.
27:32I'm your host, Makon Jovu.
27:33Now, before we head out, let's check in with you all
27:35who have been watching us on social media.
27:37Kayla is standing by with some of your comments.
27:40Hey, Kayla, what are folks saying?
27:41So we're still asking, in cases of sexual assault and rape,
27:43do you think the black community is overprotective
27:45of black men at the expense of black women?
27:48At Alex Vogue says, we know what you did.
27:50The hashtag, this is a lot.
27:52Take time for yourself to sit.
27:54Please cry, go to counseling, stand your ground.
27:57The people, these people are definitely not
27:58the only predators.
27:59Please denounce sexual violence, friend or not.
28:02And it looks like Cedric Fuller's the only one voting no.
28:04He's watching us on Facebook and he wrote,
28:06a black man will be guilty until proven innocent
28:08in this case, in any case.
28:09So he's not here for it.
28:10And shout out to Nancy Clermont.
28:11She says, this is such a valuable and necessary discussion.
28:14Must not stop talking this through.
28:16Absolutely.
28:17That is absolutely right.
28:18We have to keep talking about it.
28:19Now, as Kayla mentioned, we've been discussing the recent allegations
28:22of rape and sexual assault at Spelman and Morehouse Colleges.
28:25And we've been asking you in today's Viewer poll, in cases of sexual assault,
28:29is the black community overprotective of black men at the expense of black women?
28:34Was it A for yes or B for no?
28:35And here's how you voted.
28:37Let's see how you voted today.
28:38The result is 97% say yes and 3% say no.
28:45Wow.
28:45Okay.
28:46So first of all, two things.
28:48The no I'm hearing is mostly from men, which is really sad because men, we have to do better.
28:52But I think we can all agree that there are some issues with sexual assault.
28:56We do live in a rape culture.
28:57I think we can all agree there and that something needs to get done.
29:00So we will keep continuing to talk about it.
29:02Thank you so much to Sheree Whitfield, Vanessa Simmons,
29:05Chef Lexus and all of our guests for coming through today.
29:08Now, remember, if you missed any of today's show,
29:10you can catch the replay shortly on Essence.com and watch all our videos on our YouTube channel.
29:16And of course, remember to tune in next Tuesday at 3 p.m. Eastern for an all new Essence Now.
29:21All right.
29:22Closing us out today is a musical family inspired by the gospel greats like Kim Burrell,
29:27Piki Shared and more. Their new album, The Other Side, is out now singing my life.
29:33Here is the Walls Group. I'm Makanya Dovo. See ya.
29:39I don't want to be that lie to make you second guess
29:45who I'm representing. No, I'm not perfect. No, I'm not the same to confess.
29:54I just want you to see that I'm trying. And no, it's not a game.
30:00But I ain't gonna lose no sleep over what people say.
30:04Just let me live my life.
30:06Ah, you ain't giving me my life.
30:10Nah, you can't tell me what's right.
30:14Nah, you ain't laid down. You ain't laid down. You ain't laid down. You ain't laid down.
30:20You ain't laid down. You ain't laid down. Hey, he made me great. Hey.
30:24So let me be great. Oh.
30:26Oh. He made me great. Yeah. So let me be great. Oh, great.
30:30And we see this in me. He made me great. Oh, yeah.
30:32So let me be great. I'm. He made me great. Great.
30:37So let me be great. Yeah.
30:39Please don't take offense, but I just think it needs to be said.
30:45Y'all don't really get the picture. Focus your attention on what really matters instead.
30:53Oh, but leave it in and I'm with ya. Don't get too caught up in what you see on the ground.
31:00I will stay hyper because that's just who I am. So let me live my life. Ah, you ain't giving me my life. Nah, you can't tell me what's right. Ah, you ain't laid down. You ain't laid down. You ain't laid down. You ain't laid down. You ain't laid down. You ain't laid down. You ain't laid down.
31:22He made me great. He made me. So let me be great. Oh, boy. He made me great. Yeah. So let me be great. So let me be great. Woo.
31:30We move differently, but we're working towards the same nose. Some move fast and some move slow, but we're all on the same road. I'm already doing what God told me to do. So it's more about him. And less about you.
31:48Let's go. Oh, yeah.
31:50Yeah.
31:51Just let me live my life. Ah, you ain't giving me my life. Nah, you can't tell me what's right. Ah, you ain't laid down. You ain't laid down. You ain't laid down. You ain't laid down. You ain't laid down. Just let me live my life. Let me, let me.
32:12You ain't given by me, you ain't given me my life.
32:16You can tell me, cause you won't.
32:21You ain't laid down, you ain't laid down.
32:27You made me, so let me be great.
32:30Hey, you made me be great, so let me be good.
32:35You made me, let me be great.
32:37So let me be good.
32:39told somebody, he made me be great.
32:41So let me be great, yeah.
32:43Leave me alone, yeah.
32:46Oh, leave me alone.
32:48Oh, let me do me, yeah.
32:51Leave me alone, yeah.
32:54Ooh, yeah.
32:55Leave me alone.
32:57Oh, no.
32:59Oh, yeah.
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