For the love of cooking….IWUK EDESI.

Ahhh, the reason for this blog!!… lool, no but part of…

I love cooking, I don’t get to cook as often as I’d love to so when I do I always want to enjoy the process of buying the ingredients, to preparation, to the actual cooking( which is not much work btw) the preparation is the real cooking. somebody say yea!!

Well, my friend Dudu introduced me to this recipe called IWUK EDESI it is a locally prepared jollof rice that originated from Calabar in Nigeria and I had such fun cooking it the first time, my family asked  begged me to cook it a second time.

Now when I wrote down the recipe, I forgot to write the instructions so when I cooked it the first time I basically winged it and added and remove some ingredients. This second time too I did the same thing BECAUSE I didn’t remember what I did the first time.

Original ingredients

- 2 cups of rice

- 1 medium Ikong or ugwu (please what is ugwu in English?) I used Efinrin(African Basil) instead

- 6 pieces of beef

- half cup of smoked shrimps

- 2 cooking spoons of tomatoes

- half teaspoon of dried pepper

- 1 cooking spoon of palm-oil

- 1 teaspoon of ground crayfish

- 1 crayfish seasoning tablet

- 1 beef seasoning cubes

- 1 litre of water

- salt to taste

First time pictures..

The first time…

Iwuk Edesi

Shrimp so and so

So yesss for the second time we didn’t have shrimps so I used snails.. I just love how I can cook something and every time I do it comes out differently from the first time, usually that is why I don’t like following exact measurements. I love the surprise.

new addition for the second try..

Added sweet peas this time, since I cooked my mango fish and shrimps stir-fry I have started loving the sweet and sour taste in food!! and it was also a hit with my sister.

 

fresh from the garden (Basil)

 

original ingredient list.

 

steaming pot..

 

Pot of Gold

Verdict: My people seem to think the first time was the best, but the sweet pea was a plus this second time, so maybe its a tie. Maybe just maybe third time will be golden!!

 

Love and Greens

“Loba

Therapy.

It’s been a month I updated my blog and so much and so little have happened, everytime I think it is not necessary to update but I will try today.
I have a great big confession to make, I think I maybe losing interest in my gardening, not because of the waiting, it’s me. I may have a problem but then I find something new growing and I get all excited again.
I asked this question on one of my gardening social networking sites http://www.bloomingblogs.com (go there if you will) what kind of songs do you listen to while gardening if you do? Me I do a lot of random songs, especially my Nigerian songs. I like to dance in my garden sometimes and sometimes it is my place of peace to reflect so those times I do not listen to anything. But lately my watermelon has been invading everywhere I don’t feel peace when I go there anymore, that is part of my problem.

Ok I’m done with this therapy….pictures, the good, the bad and the really bad.

What the rain that fell 2 days ago did to my patch

The war between my watermelons and other plants, I think the melons are winning.

So I found that when these dry up on my canna lillies they have black seeds in them which I just planted, hoping to see the outcome.

Found this watermelons growing by the walkway on Mobolaji Bank Anthony in Lagos..love it.

Love and greens
‘Loba

Pictures….Just because. No caption.

Love and Greens

‘Loba

Liebester Award

I got nominated for the Liebster award a while ago and I haven’t had the time to get to it.
It’s nice someone thinks my blog is awesome enough to be nominated.  Thank you so much Kovie P of Random Musings for nominating me.
The Rules:
• Thank the person who nominated you
• List 11 random facts about yourself
• Answer the questions they have asked
you
• Nominate 11 other people
• Ask the nominees 11 questions
• Last and but not least, let them know
you have nominated them.

ok, this is really a lot for me and quite frankly I’m not so sure about putting personal stuff on this blog seeing as it is a garden blog, BUT, there is always a first and only time. so here goes.

Randoms

1 I’m possibly the most boring person you’ll ever meet or read about so this will already be boring.

2 I love food, food, food.. well you get the idea

3 I’m too, way too comfortable being by myself, I can go weeks, months without having to talk to anyone even if we are in the same room.

4  I’m so shy it is like a sickness or call it a disease, quite unfortunate it comes off as being a snob. but I don’t curr.

5 I really love my little garden space and the peace it gives me when I’m there.

6 I’m at six and I don’t know what else to say, can someone say borrrring.

7 I’m so damn restless, it’s unbelievable.

8 I’m so happy I started my garden and I’m sticking to it, and so happy with the progress I’ve made so far.

9 I always form some complicated little mama, but I am so not and really most times I relieved that I’m not.

10 I used to hate humans generally, but now I only hate specific humans.

11 I love humans now, I will need to coexist with them right, right.

ok, that’s all folks I think I should get a medal for finishing this.

next one…
1. What’s the most important relationship in your life?

I’m blank….
2. What book are you currently reading? If none, what was your last read?

things fall apart by Chinua Achebe, I forgot about this book and love re-reading the workings of the Igbo clan.

3. What’s your most annoying habit?

worrying
4. If you could only read one book in the world, what would it be? (Apart from the Bible)

that is not possible for me to choose, I love so many books.
5. If you could change just one thing in the world, what would it be?

Eve should definitely not have eaten that apple.

6. What’s the one gadget you can’t do without in your life, and why?

My trusty little laptop.
7. One physical feature on yourself you wish you could change

Nothing, I generally love my body. 
8. What inspires your way of life?

Usually, ‘Less is more’ sometimes ‘ Live and let live’
9. Favorite day of the week, and why?

Monday, start of a new week, have time to do a lot, and also because everyone seems to hate it. lool

10. Favorite holiday and why?

Never had that, I’m hoping for one soon.
11. If you could only travel to one place in the world, where would it be?

Ah, right now, Singapore.

Ok, that’s it. now I’m supposed to nominate 11 people and ask 11 questions. what’s the fascination with 11 though?

the nominees are….DRUMROLLS

- Enclos*ure

- Jayajade

- The Garden Smallholder

- Sierra Foothill Garden

- Letters from Royalty

- Before she implodes

- Nitty Gritty Dirt Man

- Gwirrel’s Garden

- Pardon my Garden

- A Foodie’s Ramblings

- The Growing Green and Greener Club

My questions for the nominees..
1. What’s your favourite plant?
2. What book are you currently reading? If none, what was your last read?
3. What’s you best part of the day?
4. What’s your favourite song?
5. Your favourite phrase or sentence from a movie?
6. What’s the one gadget you can’t do without in your life, and why?
7. Enclosed space or open air?
8. What inspires your decisions in life?
9. Favorite day of the week, and why?
10. What’s the one thing you can’t do without?
11. If you could only travel to one place in the world, where would it be?

NOTE: There is no general committee that handles this award. It’s really just a recognition from one blogger to another for how awesome they are. Kind of like a really big internet hug!

So, yea that’s about it.

Love and Greens

‘Loba

Wordless Wednesday.

Mango fish and shrimps stir fry

I was scrolling through my Google reader when I saw this post from A foodie’s Ramblings and I decided to try it too.
She used chicken but. I just decided to try something different.

Ingredients
Mangoes
Spring onions
Basmati rice
Green and red bell peppers
Titus fish
Shrimps
Carrots
Onions
Soy sauce
Salt to taste

So I made mine with basmati rice and it was a hit with my sisters. The flavour of the mangoes with the rice was heavenly.
I will definitely make it again.

Wordless Wednesday