Life Lately: Healing, Grocery Hauls, and My Cooking Flop

Eating better to heal

If you read my last update, you already know I’ve been dealing with some fatigue for a while. So, I decided to build back my energy. I did some research on what it could be. 

I read that it could be low iron or just a lack of certain nutrients, so I started eating more fish, eggs, and vegetables. I ate mostly fish pepper soup. I made it spicy since I felt nauseous from time to time. 

Even though I was still feeling weak some days, I was proud of myself for not pausing blogging completely. I kept writing, posting at a slower pace, but that was alright and satisfying. 

A mini grocery haul and the shock of prices

We needed a few things at home, so I went out to do a small grocery shopping for just a few things we needed to complete the month. Lately, prices of stuff have increased, and it greatly affects the choice of things to buy, especially when you are dealing with a small budget. I was shocked at how much prices have changed again. Prices of cocoyams and tomatoes, for example, have doubled, and things like sugar have increased a bit, but you definitely feel it.

I found myself doing that mental math before going to the market 😂 I had to drop many things I thought I could buy and make changes. I reflected on how to make what we still have at home work, then I got the indispensable to complete it. 

Got these from the supermarket plus some other food stuff from the store which I couldn't get from the supermarket

Still, I was grateful. Because even with the rising prices, I could get what we needed and even a few small treats for everyone. It’s moments like this that remind me how adulting is basically balancing gratitude and shock every week.

My akara beans disaster

I made akara beans, and I didn’t know what went wrong at first. I have made it before, but that day, it just refused to cooperate. I added eggs and even flour to fix it, but it was just not giving. I later realised there was a bit more water than usual after I checked the recipes of others on YouTube.

A little view of the texture of the paste

I decided to use a frying pan because it's flat and will reduce the scattering of the paste

The result. This made me really happy 😊  This method made the akara to 'drink' (absorb) less oil

The first ones I fried after adding the raw eggs and flour. I thought it was going to kill the effect of the watery paste

See the texture after I added flour. I started regretting why I added the floor. It was heavy inside

The first ones I fried.

I still managed to make it edible (because wasting food? Never!), and surprisingly, the kids still liked it, so it's still a win. 😅 We move.

That has been life lately. Hope life has been treating you well.

 💛