Vegetable pancake pizza

So i got inspired by another blogger one friday night and i was hungry. Its a simple alternative to pizza and you can add any topping you care for. The ingredients are

flour

an egg

Cup of water

tomatoes

shallots

white onions

One scotch bonnet

green chillies

kale

curry powder

thyme

Chicken stock pot

mix flour and egg with water and whisk throughly. Add chopped kale about a handful. Slice all the other ingredients and mix spices together. In a tray add some oil to grease the tray. Then pour the batter in and make sure it is all leveled out. Then spread the sliced tomatoes in any pattern you like. Mix the other ingredients with the spices and spread on top of the tomatoes and bake in the oven for 30mins or until done at 180 degrees celsius. You can use this as a starter for dinner with friends or a simple light dinner and even for lunch at work or school. Add any other meaty ingredients if you are the carnivore type or more vegetables or both. I hope you enjoy this nutrient packed dish. Enjoy cooking..

Yam hearts and liver sauce

Yam a low glyceamic carbohydrate,releasing energy gradually. Liver full of iron and protein. I remember saturday mornings as a child perceiving delicious odours of liver sauce as my mum prepared breakfast. Breakfast was always a must in our home and still is in mine now. My husband and i make sure we eat something very satisfying on weekends. Ah we don't joke with weekend breakfast. During the week its sort of hard to have a proper breakfast together because of that early morning rush.  Traditionally as a child we would have fried yam with liver sauce.
However decided to make mine a little healthier using boiled yam. It still tastes great. Very satisfying and it is absolutely delicious. All you need is..
Yam
Onions
Garlic
Hot peppers
Cornflour
Stock cubes(i used chicken,try beef or anyone that suits your taste)
Curry powder
Salt
Water
Sunflower oil
The very first most important step after cutting and cleaning your liver is boiling in water to remove the scum. My mother in her funny accent would always say 'pour the first water away' in her Nigerian bura accent. She said that a meat seller in the market had adviced her to do this. It actually tastes better and cleaner.

Rinse the boiled liver and add sunflower oil and fry for about 2mins. Then add all the fresh ingredients and fry until brown. Add stock cubes ,salt and curry powder to taste.Add about 5 teaspoons of cornflour into a cup of water and pour in to liver. Allow to simmer on low heat for about 20mins. You should allow the sauce reduce into a semi thick sauce.Boil yam which should take about 20mins. For those of you who are not so conversant with yam. It is a root similar to potatoes,cassava and sweet potatoes. So if you can't find yam in your area feel free to substitute with these. Enjoy it.

Rose birthday cake

Hello again, this time around its a cake for a change. I love cake decorating. Its the only artist thing that you can see with two eyes that i do lol. This cake actually took me at least 6 hours to decorate mainly because i had to change the design at one point. I made a spicy victoria sponge cake. Many people who have tried my cake love it so this recipe of mine is definitely a keeper. Enjoy the pictures....

Coconut chicken vegetable soup

For those who are looking to loose weight yet find something delicious and satisfying to eat, here is my very own coconut chicken and vegetable soup. It is filled with lots of yummy goodness and it is very easy to do. So here goes, the ingredients for this soup are

chicken

coconut milk

prawns

courgettes

potatoes

bell peppers

bay leaf

curry powder

stock cubes

onions

water

salt

hot chilli/pepper

cameroun pepper(roasted hot pepper)

mushrooms

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

Some of the ingredients i used were organic but pls feel free to use what you can afford but also make sure they as clean and not full of chemical pesticides. 

kale moi-moi layers

Recently i have seen so many different ways of making moi moi ,everybody's take on it. One that really fascinated me was the moi moi roll up. It was too ingenious and looked like something crafted in a top class restaurant. It was beautiful. So i decided to try mine and i did not completely weigh out the pros and cons to making moi moi this way.  So i ended up with moi moi squares. To start with it must be done in a tray wide enough so you can have good rolls. But if you want to have them in squares then pile the layers as high as you can, varying each layer. Here are the ingredients used

beans flour

Red hot pepper

Red bell peppers

tomatoes

salt

stock cubes

kale

eggs

mixed vegetables

Water

White onions

beef stock

Blend onions,bell peppers,red peppers,tomatoes in water. Add to beans flour and stir until wet and dry ingredients are fully incorporated. Add beef stock ,stock cubes and salt to taste. In another bowl set aside some of the beans mix. In a blender add some kale and blend with water and stir into the mix, it will turn green. Boil the eggs,allow to cool,peel and slice. Then in a bowl add spices like curry and thyme to mix vegetables. There is no need to cook them first as vegetables do not take a long time to cook and you would end up with overcooked and dull looking vegetables.

Now it is time to layer. First grease your tray with a little oil or butter. The pour the red beans mixture and level out, the next layer will be eggs and then vegetables and finally the kale mixture. Make sure it is all leveled out. In a pre heated oven bake at about 180 degrees celsiua for about 50mins or until done. It really depends on how much water you have added to the mixture. Finally its ready and it is the must satisfying and tasty dish. I had mine with a little Nigerian tomatoe stew. 

Beans are very rich in folic acid,iron, zinc and B vitamins,protein and fibre. They mainly contain incomplete protein hence its important that you supplement with other foods that will give you complete protein. If you are looking for a fuller longer meal this is definitely one to go for. Slowly releasing energy and hunger pangs are kept at bay. For the health lovers, it is a clean, nutritious meal that keeps you vibrant. Personally i have found that when ever i needed to strengthen my balance or even concentration levels I include more pulses such as beans. Please always consult your doctor before any dietary change as we all have different bodies and health situations. 

Kale mix and red beanflour mix

Eggs on top

Mixed vegetables

Finally kale mix

   Voila

 Enjoy cooking and be inspired.

Chia breakfast

So i have been hearing,seeing pictures of chia seeds and being a health lover, got me curious. So I looked around for the most affordable yet organic Chia seeds and found some. I decided to try them for breakfast. They are a very good source of protein and omega 3 

• Fiber: 11 grams.
• Protein: 4 grams.
• Fat: 9 grams (5 of which are Omega-3s).
• Calcium: 18% of the RDA.
• Manganese: 30% of the RDA.
• Magnesium: 30% of the RDA.
• Phosphorus: 27% of the RDA.
• They also contain a decent amount of Zinc, Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Potassium, Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) and Vitamin B2.

So next time when you are thinking of breakfast or making a smoothie add some chia seeds.

The Hair Journey 2......

 last time I wrote about this, people where asking what my hair is like now. Now i don't want to discourage anyone but it has actually broken off a bit, reason being i slacked on the hair journey and did not pay attention to it by giving it all the tender love and care it needs.
I would really love to know peoples opinion if you have experienced this, it means so much to me so feel free and drop a comment below. The idea is not everybody's hair is suited for certain weather conditions especially when you have permed or relaxed hair. Since living in a colder climate I have discovered my hair was not thriving as much when relaxed, it would get brittle and dry and just break off. Even when I moisturise my hair, by the next day its dry. African afro hair seems to thrive better in humid and warm climates.
So I am also resorting to cutting my hair and growing my hair natural and keeping it that way. I know straight hair is nice and easy to manage but I think afro hair can be too if we spend time knowing our hair. This has been different for me in recent years, am starting to know and understand my hair and know how to treat it right. what oils work well with my hair and how should I care for my hair. Foods we eat play a big role to the strength,shine and beauty in the hair. A diet of vegetables,whole grains, fish and other types of protein ,nuts and fruits will help the hair grow strong.
So today is the big chop and am hoping and praying to nurture my hair back to afro health!
And yes true to my word, I had the big chop and it has been 10 months now and am loving it. I have learnt so much about my hair and I feel so comfortable with my hair. I have type 4c hair, so my hair has little,tight curls and it is dense. I do not think I ever want to get my hair relaxed again.


My 10 months natural hair plus shrinkage lol

My normal routine since my big chop has been, moisturising with water and locking in moisture with Avocado oil,Castor oil, Shea butter and Sesame seed oil and also Glycerine. I have found they work very well for my hair. Castor oil tends to thicken my hair strands, making them stronger, Avocado butter is amazing, its so emollient and makes hair soft and smooth. I also deep condition like every two weeks or before any hair do. my usual treatments are -Avocado and Banana hair treatment or eggs and cider vinegar treatment. They both help to condition your hair and leave it soft. I also use a Shea butter conditioner and sometimes after all the treatment I rinse my hair out with tea such as Black tea for extra strength or Hibiscus tea. Its so important to use as many natural products as possible because many of the man made ones are filled with so many chemicals that are just not healthy for your entire body.
The first few months of my natural hair, I trimmed my hair regularly, cutting off all the weak ends from relaxers.
To protect my hair I try not to do hair styles that put too much strain on my hair strands, like fixing a weavon too often and I noticed with constant brushing of the weavon it weakens your own hair because of the constant pulling and combing. I discovered this new hair style, crocheting. At first I made it with straight hair and because I had to constantly comb, part of my front hair gradually broke off.  So I decided to use curly hair so I would not have to do any combing at all and still have the protection I needed during the winter months.
It worked out fine. I usually leave my hair out after a couple of hair styles but I make sure I am daily moisturising with water and sealing with butters. I also either make my hair into twists when I am home or plaits and cover with a silk scarf all day, so my hair does not dry out. I sleep with a silk scarf too and a silk pillow just for extra coverage in case my scarf comes of at night.
Whenever I go out with my natural hair, I make sure it is well moisturised with water and oiled. Try not to leave the hair out for too long, no longer than two weeks in winter so that it does not keep breaking from dehydration or the stress of cold winter months.
Your diet matters too, eat well, drink a lot of water and exercise as much as you can. So there you have it. I will do another update soon.

The desire to fit in......

So many pressures surround each and everyone of us, whether as children, teenagers or adults. In different areas of life, whether it be education, career, marriage and so on. Many people loosing their identity or defining themselves with things. I know it all too well, having come from a cultural background that puts so much appreciation on being somebody, you are first known by your title, or who you are related to, or what you have achieved. All these things are relevant and import in the scheme of things but when you find yourself in a situation where you are struggling to define yourself, what do you do? It can be quite hard for the person who always wanted to be a lawyer.    Due to circumstances and situations beyond their control, they suffered  a lot from poverty. Maybe there was only one bread winner in the family and hence no money to provide for children to live their dreams. how does one handle that space in life when you are expecting the expected, waiting for the desired. where does the person fit in? how does the person fit in? how is the person perceived? how is the person treated? what is the responsibility of the people around be it friends or family to make that person feel loved and desired. 

It is so easy to gravitate to people who have got it all sorted, who are rich, well spoken, well dressed and well mannered. It is easy for people to desire the butterfly than to go through the process of cocooning. Everybody loves the ready made, the instant coffee, the fast food joint and the credit card because you can have what you want, when you want, how you want it and as you want it. 

The desire to fit in is met with impatience and self gratification. Patience is no longer the watch word, maturity with time before success. 

For young and old, wanting to be part of the crowd, be in vogue, be trendy regardless of the cost attached to it. You hear stories of people doing the unthinkable and heartless to get money, you hear of women who sell their bodies in order to wear the latest fashion of the day. Many people selling their birthright in order to be called the son of Pharoah's daughter.

Please do not misunderstand my persuasion in mistaking it for a hatred for people who are well to do, successful and so on but on the contrary. My own quest is how was it gained, by what means, who suffered or what suffered for your indulgence.

There is a place that opportunity meets preparation and it is in that space that gap that patience and waiting and endurance tends to linger on and on. It is in that place of a desire to fit in that you find your niche, your unique role, your purpose, what you are meant to be and who you are. You discover a strength that lies deep in you because of one who Strengthens if you truly have a relationship with Him.

What is my attitude towards those who are in this patch, the desert in which streams are yet to appear. The place that is filled with so many mirages. Do I seat in silence and watch them suffer? Do I lend a helping hand and even if I may make mistakes at supporting them. For the person in this space, what is your attitude towards those who are not in the zone of deprivation you feel at the moment. Are you joyful , happy or bitter? Are you constantly unhappy , refusing to be excited for another persons happiness for lack of your own? How does one transit from constant moodiness because of stagnation or should i say hidden growth in the sense that it is not apparent that there are changes occurring.  how does one prevent from constantly being introspective, making everything seem dark and gloomy when in actual sense the rain is falling , yes the sky is grey with clouds but the sun is shining, blazing behind that gloomy weather. 

Is the desire to fit in over rated? I feel it is so much more important that your roots go deep down to find a source of strength and life that cannot be quenched, that will constantly be available for life's challenges. It is important to understand whose you are and who are, to embrace situations that will develop you into who you actually are meant to be.

But even on that note , one has to be careful about unnecessary isolation, that can starve the life out of one. we all need support in that space, that time of dryness and nothing happening, that time when you sort of don't fit in. we ought to surround ourselves with other pillars , people who would truly stand with us, people that will pull you out when you feel down, people that will lift you up and not push you further into the mud. If you Have a relationship with God , to be fully anchored, to know that He is your sustenance, the one in whom we have our identity.

Career vs Hobby

I have been thinking for a while now,  in my late twenties and I am still yet to fully get my career up and running. I have worked in different places some related to my chosen field of  study and some not. I do not know who else out there is in similar shoes as I am. Just a few thoughts as to where the shoe pinches. I am quite artistic by nature or should I say I love the social sciences. There is  this struggle in my mind to know which career path to take. There are many interests and things that fascinate me. what makes it really bad  hence some indecision ;is to an extent is my desire to know everything. I have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, whether its about animals, food, politics, history, travelling, children, fashion, new trends and so on and so forth. There is so much out there to interest one and to learn. But where does one draw the line from knowing which one is your clear career path and just your interest or hobby or can you combine both?  How do you know if you should pursue a hobby as a career?  Recently watched a tv programme and saw a guy who was working as a lawyer or something quit his six figure salary job to pursue a career in lego. He started making sculptures from lego bricks and oh my are they amazing!
It is quite frustrating in the sense that when one is passionate about too many things particularly if you love them all, its hard for you to make up your mind to follow a chosen route without thinking you may feel very cheated particularly if the chosen field does not really work out. Many people say follow what you love doing but in the economic climate we live in its quite hard to do such. You sort of want to have something you can fall back onto just in case what you really love doing does not blossom as you expect it to.
There is the constant feeling that you might be famous in that particular hobby you think you are good at, you have received compliments for. but what if you don't become as creative as you like to be, or opportunities do not arise enough to express your desired gift? Should one give up or keep on trying? I look at my peers and feel there is that innate pressure to be successful as soon as possible, quicker than you could say ' dodo'. There is the pressure to meet up to expectations of parents, people around, society, friends and family.
There is also the question of should one follow a vocation or a chosen career. Are you a hands on person or someone who can sit at a desk contently. I know certainly where I fall and it is not at the desk. There is that desire to be one's boss, particularly for those who struggle to handle a 9-5 job, please there is nothing wrong with you. You might be best suited for starting a business of your own and being an entrepreneur.
There other train of thought too is that , is one giving up too soon on a prospective career to follow a much easier route because of all the hard work it would take to build that career. is it out of sheer laziness to develop ones self. It could it be also the frustrations of finding the right job telling on a person, hence making them indecisive?
I guess the answer is to be patient , work hard and trust God to guide one in all ones endeavours. Also to have hope and keep on planting seeds, knowing that one day it will sprout and as you nurture it, it will become a big tree. There is no fast route to success at the end of the day. It is good old rich principles, hard work, education and an endearing spirit.