Chin-Chin

Chin-chin originated from Nigeria. It is a deep-fried snack which can be used for a light refreshment.

Ingredients and measurement:

Different measurements of ingredients can be used, depending on the quantity of chin-chin to be prepared. 

For an occasion (for example, a christmas party with many kids), I used the following ingredients (for a soft chin-chin):

2 kg flour

250 ml condensed milk

300 g margarine 

350 g caster sugar (granulated)

2 tbsp ground nutmeg

6 eggs

5 tbsp baking powder

250 ml water

Oil to fry

How to prepare:

Mix the sugar and milk and leave to soak

Sieve the flour into another bowl

Add baking powder and nut meg, and mix

Add Margarine and mix well (preferable, with the hand) making sure that there are no lumps

Add eggs (one after another) and mix well

Add the sugar and milk mixture gradually while mixing

Add water and continue mixing to form a soft dough

Sprinkle a small quantity of flour on a flat surface, place the dough on the surface and knead gently

Once you knead the dough properly, cover and leave it while you get ready to start frying

Frying:

Heat the oil

Cut a small portion of the dough and knead with a dough roller

When the dough is flat, cut into desired shapes and sizes

Deep-fry in hot oil

Continue the process until you finish frying the dough

Storage:

Allow the chin-chin to cool down quietly

Store in a dry, air-tight container

Enjoy!

Grilled Turkey

This turkey was prepared for more than 10 people

Below are the ingredients used

5 kg Turkey

For turkey spicing:

4 Maggie cubes

Olive oil

3 sprigs of fresh thyme (chopped)

3 sprigs of parsley (chopped)

2 tbsp fresh ground pepper

Salt to taste

For the stuffing:

225 g bread crumbs

Few sprigs of fresh sage leaves (chopped)

300 g mince meat

2 onions (chopped)

2 Maggie cubes

2 tbsp fresh ground pepper

2 tbsp ground nutmeg (preferential)

Olive oil

Salt to taste

Vegetable:

3 Carrots

1 kg Brussels sprout

How to prepare

Wash the turkey thoroughly and dry with a kitchen towel making sure that any water in the cavity is soaked up.

Rub the olive oil on the turkey.

Mix the Maggie cubes, thyme, parsley, ground pepper and salt.

Rub the mixture all over the bird; ensure that all corners and crevices are covered. Cover the turkey and leave it for a couple of hours to absorb the ingredients.

Depending on preference, let the spiced turkey stay overnight to give enough time for the ingredients to soak into the bird. 

For the stuffing, warm the olive oil and add the chopped onions.

Cook the onions until it is soft.

Add the seasoning - Maggie cubes, chopped sage leaves, ground pepper, nutmeg and salt.

Cook for another few minute until the ingredients are well mixed.

Allow the mixture to cool, then add the mince meat and bread crumbs.

Mix well and roll the mixture into a ball. 

Wash the Brussels sprouts and carrots; chop the carrots.

When you are ready to cook the turkey, stuff the cavity with the prepared stuffing. Make sure that you allow a little space in the cavity. If you completely stuff the cavity, it might slow down the cooking time.

Place the Brussels sprouts and chopped carrots on a roasting pan and place the prepared turkey on top.

Cover the turkey with a tin foil.

Heat the oven and cook for 4 hours or more (at 180C / Gas level 6/ 350F) until the turkey is brown and well cooked.

When the turkey is cooked, carve and serve (with gravy or any preferred source).

Enjoy!

All set for Christmas? Do you know why?

The Christmas day is here again! This is the day Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the time for giving and receiving (presents and kindness in different forms); a time people rejoice in the good things of life.

The efforts involved in preparing for the Christmas celebration is really huge. 

On a general level, one thinks about presents / cards to buy for loved ones. One also thinks about decorations (the Christmas tree & accessories, etc.) to buy for the home. The women (and some men) will think about special meals to prepare (for example, turkey and ham, rice, cake, chin-chin, etc.). 

On a personal level, ladies (especially) will think about things to buy for the family members and themselves (clothes, shoes, jewellery, etc.). That does not mean that men and kids do not buy gifts.

Do you make your secret wish and think about the likely gifts you might receive from your loved ones? I do :-)

As you celebrate, always remember one thing: It is not just about being merry, drinking & eating too much (and everything), and receiving presents. It is all about being reconnected to God and His love for mankind. It is a time to reflect on God's purpose for sending His only begotten Son to this world - for the salvation of mankind. A time meant for believing & trusting God, and forgiving others. 

As you celebrate during this festive period, do take care not to exceed any expected limits... 

I wish you all merry Christmas! I hope that your days be merry and bright always!!

Motivated to exercise?

You want to loose weight and remain healthy. No problem, but are you interested in exercising? It is true that exercise alone does not do the whole job of shedding all extra kilos / fat, but it goes a long way to help. In addition, it keeps you fit. 

People always give many reasons to justify their decisions not to exercise at any point in time. I will say that I am a witness to that because I once had so many reasons.

1.
At the initial stage when people start, some of the reasons could be related to time - there is never any time to exercise. We always have things to do. If you are determined to keep fit by exercising, you will definitely be able to plan your daily activities well and have few hours to spare. 

2.
After a couple of weeks, other challenges do crop up. The major challenge at this stage will be trying to overcome the initial nasty pain (in the ribs, knee joints, thighs, back, etc.) associated with an exercise. One starts being lazy and reluctant to go out, finding every reason not to. It needs determination, great will-power and strength to carry on.You notice that once you are able to drag yourself out, you will feel lighter and be glad when you return. 

Once you are able to get through these two main stages successfully, you will hardly let a day go by without exercising, even if it is just for few minutes.

I dealt with these issues at one time and was able to overcome the challenge! You can do it!!

Feeling happy and refreshed all day long?

Questions to you lovely lady out there:

• Do you always have the kit with you? 
• How many times do you check daily to confirm that you look refreshed with no oily face (if you have an oily face)? 

At the start of the day, everyone feels energetic and refreshed. After some hours, we gradually start feeling worn out and hungry (especially by lunch time). This tiredness shows instantly on the face as it is the most affected part of the body. That is when it starts getting dull and oily. 

I usually ask ladies, to what extent do you freshen up (check and update your facial outlook) during the day?

Some people may have a complete makeover (facial cleansing and makeup) once or twice daily. Others may have some top-ups every now and again. The number of times one freshen up during the day depends entirely on the person involved. 

For me, I do some checks, at least, twice a day. I think that the most crucial times to check are before lunch time and at the end of the working day before going home. 

My reasons:

• Since we sit glued to our desks / work in the morning time, it makes sense to check oneself at lunch time before going out to meet and chat with others. 
• Before going home, check yourself to avoid looking like something the cat dragged in on your way home. Some ladies have their boyfriends or husbands come to pick them up. Nobody wants to embarrass her partner by being in a messed-up state. Even if your partner is at home, you want to look good when you meet him. For all single ladies, you never know who will meet you on your way.

Therefore, look your best and very attractive at all times!

Anxious to see your weight drop while on diet?

While on diet, some people get into the habit of checking their weight every day to see if their diet plans are effective. Sometimes, this can be frustrating!

First of all, check what you are eating. Are you strictly keeping to the eating instructions or are you giving yourself more junk treats than required?

Once the rules are being followed, then we can talk about the different types of scales and how they function. I recommend that you ensure that your scale functions properly. If you have more than 1 scale at home, make sure to use just one of them at all times.

From my experience, different scales tend to show slightly different figures when used at any particular point in time. I am not sure what the reason might be but I noticed it myself.

I have 2 scales at home; I usually use one of them. One morning as I was tidying up the bedroom, I came across the other one and decided to see if there had been any change from the last time I weighed myself. To my greatest surprise, my weight was 5-4 kg higher.

You cannot imagine how shocked I was! I did not believe the number so I went downstairs to check myself on that one I usually use. To my relief, the figure was still the same as the last time I checked the previous day.

Once I noticed this difference, I simply decided to stick with my usual one and save myself unnecessary shock and worries :-)