Life Of A Mum

Freshly Made Cupcakes Ingredients 3/4 Cup Unsalted Butter 1 1/2 Cup of Sugar 5 Eggs 1 Cup Whole Milk 2 1/2 Cups of Plain Flour 1 tbs Vanilla extract 2 tsp of Baking Powder 1/4 tsp salt Mix butter and sugar in a mixer/hand mixer until light and fluffy, add vanilla extract, add in the eggs one at a time. Sieve all the dry ingredients together, turn mixer to low speed and gradually add the dry ingredient and the milk one at a time while scrapping down the sides with a spatula to get the batter well incorporated. Preheat oven to Gas mark 5, line cupcake oven tray with paper cups, scoop in the batter with an ice cream scoop to get adequate proportions in each cup. Place in the middle oven and bake till a skewer comes out clear, leave to cool down and enjoy with ice cream, ideal for tea time, kids lunch pack, parties etc 

Freshly Baked Chicken Pie 1kg Plain Flour 500g Unsalted Butter 1/2 cup Whole Milk + 1/4cup Cold Water Mix together all the ingredients for the dough with two clean hands adding the liquid gradually until well mixed, making sure dough is properly bind together and allow to rest while you prepare the pie filling.                                                      Pie Dough after mixing Pie filling  6 Chicken Thighs 2 Large Carrots(chopped into tiny chunks) 2 Large Potatoes(chopped into tiny chunks) Season chicken with 1 small white onion, 2 cubes of knorr, 1 tsp of thyme, 1 tsp of curry, 1/4 tsp salt and cook for 20 minutes on low heat allowing the chicken to produce its own juice. Leave to cool down, carefully separate the flesh from the bone, place the chicken on a chopping board and cut into small pieces, set aside. Seamer carrot and potato in hot water for 7 minutes, seive and set aside. Place a pan on the stove and add 3 tbs of sunflower oil allow to heat

Here is one of the most sought after Nigerian delicacy loved by all. It is one of my favourite local delicacies which I almost gave up trying to prepare because its difficult to find natural unrefined Red oil in the UK which gives the dish its peculiar taste...so rich and delicious. This is Abacha made from Cassava served with oven grilled suya spiced(used Foodace suya spice) Sea bass, red onions, cucumber, lettuce and a bottle of cold Malt drink. This delicacy is a winner this Christmas, look out for it anytime you visit Nigeria and thank me later. Abacha ncha Grilled suya spiced Sea bass served with fried Plantain and a bowl of fresh Salad. Made this for my husband on his birthday and he loved it.

This series has some rice/beans ideas Basic Nigerian Fried rice served with oven roasted chicken Moi moi served with fried plantain and boiled egg Fio fio(Carribean Gungo peas) Nigerian local beans made with mashed boiled yam, red oil and seasoned with salt, lots of scotch bonnet and stock cubes Nigerian Jollof rice/Beans pottage served with grilled stewed chicken and fried plantain Delicious fried rice served with plantain, cucumber slices, carrot, lettuce and boiled egg Pineapple Egg fried rice cooked with King Prawns,veggies and pineapple 

I'd like to share some of my festive inspired eats which are basically unconventional with some people. The idea is to try something different from the usual Rice meals during Christmas, most people living in the city/abroad would appreciate these sort of food because they dont really get to enjoy them often. Its special and tastes more delicious when its from your mum's kitchen especially prepared locally with dried fish and cooked on firewood stove...yum. I hope you get to try one of them sometime, I love local foods and living in the UK will not raid on my parole...LOL Basic Yam and Vegetable(Ji akwukwo) made with green/ugu /spinach vegetable and oil bean(ukpaka) Boiled yam served with oil bean and spinach sauce (made this with red oil, crayfish, scotch bonnet, salt, knorr, ukpaka, tuna fish chunks and spinach) Boiled ripe plantain served with cooked spinach and egg sauce (the egg sauce has bell peppers, scotch bonnet, salt and seasoning stock cubes) Basic

Pot of chopped tomatoes cooked down, seasoned and fried before adding the grilled chicken and bell peppers together, covered and left to cook for 10 mins  A bowl of 20 pieces of chicken wings and 1 ball of onion Wings in the pot with onion and seasoned with 2 tsp salt, 3 knorr cubes, rosemary and 2 tsp Foodace All Purpose seasoning fried in the pot with 1/4 cup coconut oil for 20 mins, popped it in the oven to grill for 15 mins I love to be creative and my creativity comes in handy when I'm bored of doing things the same way all the time so I decide to create this delicious Tomato Sauce which I served my family with boiled white Yam and they loved it so much that they asked to have it again the next day with boiled rice. Look at all the juice from the chicken which served as the liquid stock for the sauce. Tomato and Chicken wings Sauce served with Boiled Yam

I've finally put up our Christmas tree, fully decorated with mini presents hanging on it to be unwrapped on Christmas day....surprise! I've also concluded with wrapping of presents and I can say I'm very proud of the out come, at the end of the day its all about the kids. They are very happy, they love what I did with the tree this year and they gave me cuddles and kisses of appreciation which felt good. Ta da! The Tree is finally up. Merry Christmas!! I had to leave a note claiming its from Santa's Elf just so the kids will behave and leave the presents alone

SANDWICHES I cant think of anyone who doesn't love a Sandwich, its one of my breakfast champions, quick and easy to put together. My daughter does swimming and other after school club activities and there hasn't been a time I needed a snack for her to take and she wouldn't ask for a sandwich. It is easier for me because i always have one or two things in the refrigerator which comes in handy especially during the morning rush. These Are Some Of My Favourites Croissants stuffed with Cheese, Tomatoes, Avocado and Lettuce.  Mashed Avocado, Chicken and Lettuce on Toast Soft and Squidgy Bead loaf (Agege bread for my naija people) with Omelette and a side of sweet Strawberries Sesame Bagel stuffed with Ham, Cheese, Crunchy florette salad and Avocado Bacon and Tomato Salad Sandwich with mini Carrots You can always put together some of your favourite sandwich fillers,add Mayo or Greek yoghurt enjoy with the family as breakfast or packed lunch. I hope

No More Boring Meals! I have a passion for cooking, creativity comes naturally to me and I try to apply it to my daily life even in the kitchen. Who says meals can only be served a particular way? Make it colourful, appetizing and delicious by trying new recipes and being adventurous with spices and fresh ingredients. To me, cooking is therapeutic, its something I enjoy doing ( I sure have lazy days) and its more fun when I have my Ear Phones on listening and enjoying my favourite songs while cooking...my mood do inspire my kitchen magic. Cooking is even more fun when you have prepared everything you need before hand which means spending less time in the kitchen especially when it requires a lot of  chopping, its best to have everything already chopped and set ready to go into the pot...meal prep is the best. Instructions. I made the chicken wings with mixed peppers, pak choi, garlic, ginger, onions, salt, seasoning cubes and coconut oil. First saute the chicken wings in a f

Today marked the 2017 Save the Children Christmas Jumper Day in the UK a charity that raises money to help protect the most vulnerable children around the world. They give them the opportunity to have a healthy start to life, education and protection from harm. I'm glad my children are aware of how hard life can be for some people, they know that not every child around the world has the opportunity to celebrate Christmas with lots of presents, wearing their best cloths and dinning with their loved ones on Christmas day. They wore their Christmas Jumper to school today with their donation for Save The Children UK and they understand the need to be charitable,to share love and kindness to others always especially during this festive season. Last year's Christmas was very emotional for my daughter Kamdi. It was around the time she was having Catechism classes in preparation for First Holy Communion. They were asked to put a smile on a child's face by buying a present f

Hello! Who says one can only have things done a certain way? No! It becomes boring after a while trust me and then you'll be stock not knowing what to do to bring more excitement to meal times. I love to change things around, not just food but everything really so as to keep things exciting, it can be tiring and you might want to give up sometimes but as long as its something you are passionate about you will always try to keep pushing. So...i'd like to share a meal that we've been having the same way in my household that i decided to give a new twist. Let me know if you get to try this and please share your thoughts as well. This plate has Plantain (dodo) one of Nigeria's most loved food. I added slices of cucumber and boiled eggs, carrot and lettuce. How about you add this to your Christmas menu list...something different for the whole family to enjoy. This is fried rice served with baked beans, grilled chicken and Cole slaw (the Cole slaw is a combination of

What do you do with left over food that nobody wants to eat or term "boring"? I remember when I was growing up and my mum would take it upon herself to eat all the leftover food in the fridge until they are all gone instead of having us chuck them in the bin simply because we've had it twice and nobody wants to eat it anymore. Now that i have my own little family, I try to revamp any leftovers, I add either  vegetable, salad on the side or meat and plate it so beautifully so that the kids wil jump on it as soon as they sight the plate not knowing its the same food they rejected...cheek right, it works for me all the time. We normally get "Treat Days" most weekends usually takeouts either Pizza, Nandos, KFC, Mac Donalds, Five Guys, Chinese etc depending on what the kids prefer really and last Sunday was one of those days. The kids choose to have Pizza Hut's Meat Feast pizza and I asked to have the Veggie pizza that had mixed peppers, red onions, mushroo

Hi! Its the most wonderful time of the year! Its officially the season of Advent and everyone is excited especially the kids who are doing everything in their powers to be well behaved and get good grades in school so that Santa can be nice to them this Christmas...LOL. The most exciting part for the whole family is getting everyone together to celebrate the birth of Christ and enjoy the holiday with so much joy and happiness. People travel from far and near to see their family, parents, siblings and friends whom they've probably not seen in a long time...how exciting! Family is priceless and having a loving warm family to spend time with at this time of the year is a beautiful thing to enjoy. Lets talk about putting up the Christmas Tree! How many people have their trees up already? How early or how late should one put up their Christmas tree? Personally, I don't really care when it goes up to be honest I just make sure its set 1-2 weeks before Christmas eve but the kids

MOIMOI AND PLANTAIN WITH PRAWNS ON A BED OF CRISPY FLORETTE SALAD. It gives me joy to create something different from the regular. Moimoi(beans cake) is a Nigerian delicacy that can be enjoyed alone or normaly served with jollof/fried rice but I try to be creative in the kitchen, making meals more appetizing that the anyone would want to try it. Ingredients 2 cups peeled beans (I used brown sweet beans) 1 large onions 2 large paprika pepper (long red pepper) + 1 bell pepper Thumb sized ginger(minced) 2 garlic cloves 1/2 cup sunflower oil or oil of choice 2 1/2 cups water 1/2 of 1 canned corn beef (sauteed in 2 tbsps of sunflower oil or oil of choice just to give it a nice crisp) 2 scotch bonnet 2 seasoning cubes (I use knorr) Salt to taste (adjust accordingly as corn beef has a salty taste) Instructions 1. Place a pan on the stove and sautee corn beef till crisp and separated, set aside to cool. Share the peeled beans, peppers, scotch bonnet, onions, garlic, ging

Scrambled eggs, Crispy Florette Salad with Avocado and Mango Salsa. This is one quick and easy breakfast anyone can prepare in less than 5 minutes, its deliciuos, fully nutritious and a good way to fuel the body for the day. I normally prep the salsa (mango, pepper,coriander, tomatoes, avocado) before hand and leave in the fridge to save time. Ingredients 3 medium sized eggs 1 large mango 3 cherry tomatoes 1/2 red bell pepper Avocado Coriander (one pinch) 1/2 of one packet of shop bought salad (i used Florette crispy salad) 2 tbsps of milk/soya Pinch of salt Black pepper 1 tbsp of butter (i used Flora buttery) Instructions 1. Place a frying pan with butter on the stove on low heat. In a clean bowl, whisk eggs with milk of choice or water, salt and black pepper. 2. Pour in the whisked eggs into the pan and keep turning till its cooked as desired. 3. Serve with a cup of tea or coffee.

Spicy Seafood and Noodles Pepper Soup. This is one of my favourite winter warmer meals, its spicy, its hot and its delicious. Its quick and easy especially if you have everything prepped and ready to go into the pot. This can serve as either breakfast, lunch or dinner. Ingredients 265g cooked free range egg noodles 1-2 salmon fillets 1 medium onion 1 garlic clove (minced) Thumb sized ginger (minced) 2 knorr seasoning cubes 1 tbsp pepper soup spice (i used Foodace pepper soup spice) 100g pak choi 50g frozen washed and deveined king prawns 2 cups of water 2 medium sized scotch bonnet 1/2 red bell pepper (optional) Baby corn Pinch of salt Instructions 1. In a pot of boiling water, add in the noodles, baby corn, pepper soup spice, knorr seasoning cubes(or any stock cube of choice, i use maggi as well) minced garlic and ginger, salt, onions and prawns, cover to to cook for 2 mins. 2. Add scotch bonnet, red bell peppers, salmon fillets and pak choi. Cover to coo

 Natural/Acquired Skills Hi! Today I'd like to talk about human skills, strengths and pace. Women generally have unbelievable strengths and great skills which sometimes come naturally or by observation. Natural skill is a natural ability that is inherited from family. It could be physical endowments, talent, gift of quality inherited from parents or grand parents. It is absolutely brilliant for one to have a good natural skill to help you through lives journey. As a mum I'm able to juggle a lot on a daily because I watched my mum and grand mum do same without feeling over worked. My granny (God bless her soul) was a very industrious and hardworking woman who carried a lot on her shoulders, did a lot of charity work and made sure everyone around her is happy. She taught young women how to be domesticated and how one can find fulfillment in the little things of life. As a grandchild I spent a lot of my school holidays with her which exposed me to hard work, perseverance and

Homemade Cough/Cold Drink All you need to make the cough remedy juice drink for the whole family packed full of natural vitamins for a stress free night sleep especially for the children.                                 Ingredients                                              Juice of 5 lemons                                Juice of 3 limes                                1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar                                1+1/2 cups warm water                                1+1/2 tablespoon pure Honey                                Big thumb sized Ginger                                4 Strawberries cut in halves(this is to add a little bit of flavour and colour) Lets Make It  In a jug/bowl combine all the ingredients except the strawberries and ginger, give it a proper stir, grate in the ginger (you can add cayenne pepper for more spice and kick - optional) and seive out the bits from the juice, pour juice into your desired clean jar/bottle with li

Dealing With Cold In Adults And Children Hello! Hope everyone is doing good! Now lets talk about the weather and how we cope with it. To me, coping with the weather is not all about covering up well especially the kids, its about monitoring the changes in their appetite and breathing as the colder months draw near so I try to give them fruits reach in vitamin C like oranges/tangerines, kiwi, pineapples etc. We try to get our body ready for what is to come so it does not hit us hard, that doesnt mean one cant catch a cold by eating fruits rich in vitamins....its just a shield so to say...hahaha. I have home made cough and cold drink I learnt from a friend which magically helps calm the stuffy nose and chest especially at night while sleeping. The drink is for adults and children...it does help. I'll be sharing the recipe and how to make it, very quick and easy in my next post. Lots of love and best wishes from my family to you all! 

Introduction. Welcome to my blog! Hi everyone! My name is Chineze Michaella, I'm a full time mum of 2 beautiful girls(I call them my blessings ). Being a full time mum is one of the hardest jobs ever but its super rewarding and the best job ever. It hasn't been easy going about my day to day activities especially living in the UK (London United Kingdom) without help from extended family members which is one of the best things that one enjoys when living closer to home. Life challenges, experience and daily struggles made me stronger, I'm blessed to have a very loving and supportive husband who helps out so much around the house. This blog is all about my journey as a mum, how to make quick, simple and delicious meals/recipes for your family and many inspirations I draw from my daily life and experiences. I intend to give my readers a bit of insight to my activities and how i juggle daily tasks especially in the kitchen, sorting out easy homemade meals for the fami