Delicious Stews You Can Make Without Fresh Tomatoes

Are we going to stop eating our staples because there are no fresh tomatoes in the market to make the stew?

When everything is working against man, he needs to device a means of survival.  Four pieces of Tomatoes is now sold for five hundred Naira and my question is how much tomatoes can make a pot of stew enough for a family of six.  How many families in Nigeria can afford this new trend of feeding the family?  The answer will get you scared and I don’t intend to give any figure.  

What I intend to do is to share a little experience on how you can make tasty and delicious stew without using the so called fresh tomatoes. 

My husband hosted a club meeting recently and I decided to put my experiment into action and the result was amazing.  Since we are to entertain them with rice and there are no fresh tomatoes and the available one is out of my budget, I have to use my experience and this is how I did it.

I used carrots (carrots are available now in the market, so use enough quantity about N300 because this determines the quantity of the stew), green peas ( any quantity is okay), green pepper, spring Onions, Cameroon pepper, Onions, ginger, curry and 2 sachets of Tomato puree.

I used chicken and fish (These did not increase so much, they are still within the normal price).

How to Make the Stew

After per-boiling your chicken to get the stock (The stock is the only water you will use, so make sure you have enough)

Start by heating the oil for a minute; add the sliced onions and the sachets of tomato puree.  Fry for about 2-3 minutes.  Do not over-fry, add the ginger and curry (frying the ginger a little bit brings out the aroma of the ginger) and finally add the chicken stock and the fish and allow to cook for 3 minutes.

Add your sliced carrot, green peas, green pepper, spring onions, Cameroon pepper one after the other.  These vegetables do not take much time so a minute is enough for them to be alright.  Add your cubes of magi and a little salt to taste.

The taste was wonderful as I got 5 stars from our guests.  It is also healthier and economical.

You too can try it.

What Can the Church Do To Redeem the Time?

At a Time like This Can the Church Help?

It is no longer news that we are faced with hard times.  A situation where individuals provide for themselves social amenities that is to be constitutionally provided by the Government even at a reduced rate to help its citizens is beyond imagination. 

Everyone is responsible for himself, every man on his own and if you are not strong and equipped enough, oh my God…………………!!!  Your name will be sorry.

This is not funny at all and it is not just in Nigeria but around most of the countries of the world, people are struggling to survive. 

Some of these challenges are partly due to technology replacing human labor with machines. Some of it is due to social and political breakdowns, warfare, violence, and corruption. Some of it is due to terrorism and natural disasters. Some are due to lack of a good work ethic, motivation, honesty, diligence, responsibility, and so on.

In the face of all these particularly in my country Nigeria, majority of the people seem to find solace in the churches.  Many people like me have the belief that solution to these world problem will definitely come from the church.  

While I believe in miracles, there no doubt that faith without work is dead. Churches need to develop and organize entrepreneurship programmes to equip their members and also promote economic growth, development and reduce the social vices in our countries.

The absence of jobs and work is a huge factor in poverty of course. People need work to eat and find shelter and basic necessities. But unemployment or joblessness brings with it a loss of human dignity and a squandering of gifts and abilities God grants to each of us. We need jobs to be able to survive and provide for our families the basic needs.

The various ways in which the church can assist their congregation in entrepreneurship programme includes:

Capacity building programme,

Skill Acquisition Programme,

Giving Soft Loan,

Scholarship,

Mentorship,

Seminars.

Capacity building programme:

Building capacity involves skills transfer, training, human resource management, organizational development, and the strengthening of communities and social networks. There is a need for the church to organize capacity building programme so that their members can gain more skills, knowledge and values which will help them to be more productive to themselves and the society at large.

Skill Acquisition:

This can be in form of organizing training programmes in soap making, bead making, catering, photography, cosmetics and make-up, tailoring, hairdressing, shoe and bag making e.t.c.

The skills gained through this programme will enable them start their own business and also generate revenue thereby reducing unemployment in the society and also creating employment for other jobless members.

Giving Soft Loans:

Churches by granting soft loans to their members who have financial challenges will motivate their members to start and expand their business rather than killing their ideas due to lack of finance.

Scholarship:

There are some training that can be embarked upon which will add value to their members. Most members are willing to participate in the training but they lack the money to pay to acquire this training. Churches can encourage their members by giving them scholarships to acquire this training.

Mentorship:

People who have experienced in the business are connected with the young entrepreneur to assist them with the necessary advice they need to succeed.

Seminars:

Churches can organize seminars to equip members with the necessary information they needed to succeed in their business.

These I believe will give a member a sense of belonging, fulfillment and the ability to overcome.

Busy Hands - Why It Pays

Sometimes, I wonder why I cannot stay idle.  My hands are always searching for something to do and this attitude of mine has shown me that you can actually do anything you want to do as long as you have the determination and courage.

I love wearing beads but I love to wear them simple.  I don’t like bogus ones.  I also like it to be unique not every ones affair.  So I need to do it myself using my own style, but I need to learn the techniques and this I have to do without breaking the bank.

My dream came true recently. I was coming back from the office, last year November precisely.  I came across this flyer talking about training and empowerment being organized by one of the NGO’s in Lagos, Nigeria. Immediately I got interested in this training and decided to give it a try. 

I quickly registered as if someone was pushing me.  The fee was just a token and I chose to undergo Bead Making and Wire Works. This is because it has been my passion.

The training lasted for 3 weeks and within that period, I made more than 15 patterns and they also issued me a certificate of participation. 

You know what; the result was beyond my imagination so I decided to share my works with you.

                                                              

                        

Lets I forget, these works are up for grabs.  

To show my happiness and appreciation for a task completed, I want to give them away.  With a little token to be decided between me and you I will give it to you.

If you are interested, just get in touch with me through My Contact and these beautiful works will be yours. 

Avoid These Words, They Make you Look Incompetent Even When They Are True

No matter how talented you are or what you've accomplished, there are certain phrases that instantly change the way people see you and can forever cast you in a negative light. 

These phrases are so loaded with negative implications that they undermine careers in short order.

These phrases carry special power: they have an uncanny ability to make you look bad even when the words are true.

Why You Must Not Allow Your Kids to Get Tattoos

Recently, there has been a resurgence of body markings especially among the young people.  Some get tattoos because of unnecessary reasons like; peer pressure, being stylish, beautification of the body without taking into consideration the meaning and origin of tattoos.

Marking of the body or tattoos was used in the past by pagans to mourn their dead.  History also confirmed that pagan kings and their families used tattoos to appease the anger of their gods.  It was also hoped that when they cut their bodies for the dead, they will find some help in the land of the dead.

How to Make Unripe Plantain Porridge No One Can Resist

Diabetes is no longer strictly genetically contracted; it is now commonly gotten when you continue to eat unwholesome and unhealthy foods and drinks. 

It will therefore do you a lot of good if you start implementing healthy recipes in your home right on time. Unripe plantain ranks high in this group of food.

Unripe plantain has many benefits and has been confirmed to be one of the most nutritious and suitable foods for the Diabetics, perfect for those seeking good health and  those who wants to loose weight.  

Ironically people seem to run away from this beautiful food because it often comes out tasteless and boring if it is not cooked properly.

In this post I am going to teach you how you can make unripe plantain porridge irresistible even to your kids.  Read on

Lifestyles That Can Make You Fat

Do you know you can maintain a healthy weight throughout your life time?  Do you also know you can accomplish this without visiting a single Doctor?  Avoiding the following will help tremendously:

Sitting Too Long

Are you an office worker or a Writer who sits for too long in front of the computer? Are you addicted to movies and programs and sits for a very long time watching your television?  Are you the Boss or Madam of the house or the shop and surround yourself with errand boys and girls and then sits in a place dishing out instructions? 

7 Habits That Can Make You Rich

Have you ever wondered why some people work so hard but still remain poor while some others who don’t struggle that much grows richer?  The difference is the Approach and Attitude.  Making wealth is more or less a skill and it is mostly done in the Head, it is also not reserved for the “privileged” but can be learned by everyone.

The following actions can help you achieve much in a little space of time.

Discover Your Challenges and Anticipated Solutions

No one can tell more about you than yourself.  You know your limitations – those things that don’t allow you to move forward.  Write all of them down and search for their possible solutions. 

For example, if your problem is ‘procrastination’, ask people who had overcome this challenge how they did it and apply it to your case.

The idea is to move you from thinking and nursing problems to solving problems.  

To make headway in life, you must be a problem solver.

Do the Things You Have Not Done Before

Set the ball rolling for yourself because no one is ready to discover you in the crowd if you did not distinguish yourself.  Run ahead of your folks.

There is nothing wrong in approaching those you think will help you achieve your ambition.  Make that bold step of asking for referral from those in authority if you know any.  Ask for a raise from your employer if you know you merited it.  Start doing things in an extra-ordinary way. 

Stop settling for ‘what is available’ and start thinking big.  Dream big dreams and act as if it is real. 

Change your approach of doing things that did not work and you will see great results.

  

Read, Listen, Watch and Invest in Motivational Materials

Make out time to read motivational books, watch podcasts and videos of individuals who had made it through thick and thin.   Listen to good motivational speakers and attend business seminars, you will be put on your toes even if you are the dumbest person on earth. 

Look out for such books as Rules that help. Educate yourself constantly on how making money works.

Join Elite Clubs  

It could be a Church, Business Club, Sports Club or Non Governmental Organizations, the idea is to mingle with rich people.  When you expose yourself to people who are better off and more exposed than you, it is likely going to expand your thinking, give you the connections that will catapult your income.

Read Life Histories of Successful and Rich People

Avail yourself with copies of biographies of those who have worked hard to make their wealth.  Read about Warren Buffett, Steve Job even our own Dangote etc.  When you read how these people made it from nothing to their enviable levels, you will be motivated.

The idea is to identify a role model who you can emulate.

Create More Than One Stream of Income

Look for ways of creating more than one income opportunity. There are different ways of achieving this like: investing in shares or properties, writing books, teaching on part time bases, blogging, internet marketing etc. 

Sticking to one stream of income will only help you pay your bills and no one actually gets rich with such income.

Don’t be rigid and stay-put with one income job.  Engage in other side jobs that will enable you earn extra money you will use for investment.

Don’t Jealous or Hate Rich People

This one is the list of them all but very powerful and effective because it got to do with your inner man.

When you see beautiful things that you like even if it is owned by your next door neighbor, appreciate it and congratulate the owner.  Instead of being jealous and resentful, find a way to know how the owner was able to acquire it and apply that same method.

The idea is that if you appreciate good things and bless those who own them, you will attract good things to yourself. 

Habits That Can Delay Or Stop Your Marriage Proposal

  

After a certain age, every single girl who has the intention of getting married will begin to look out for a suitor.  Unfortunately many who thought that beauty, academic qualifications, family background and status in the society will make this journey a safe sail for them has been greatly disappointed.

Every endeavor in life is guided by rules and regulations and marriage is not left out. Certain things if not done properly will make getting married a herculean task but if you want to have a smooth journey in your quest to getting married take these tips in consideration.

How to Earn Extra Income While Keeping Your Paid Job

Recently, I published a post “Home Business You Can Do”.  In that post, I introduced Team180 a unique type of multi level marketing business Club where you can make extra Income with or without selling any product.  Many People have been calling to ask how they can be a member of this club and to answer this question, I have decided to send this post your way.