A Long Saturday Morning Walk

Tired and satisfied after my walk

Saturday and Sunday Lunch

When money is tight, many people naturally focus on buying whatever is cheapest. But the problem with that approach is that cheap food is not always balanced food. A family can end up eating meals that fill the stomach without truly nourishing the body.

That is why it helps to think about food differently.

Instead of building meals around carbohydrates and then adding protein, which could be expensive, it can be more affordable to make meals that already include protein.

For example, in Cameroon, dishes like

• Koki beans with plantain or potato

• Beans with rice or plantain

• Ndolé with rice, baton, or plantain

• Groundnut paste and baton 

Meals like these already offer nutritional value on their own, which means there is less pressure to buy meat or fish every time you cook. Since meat can quickly drive up the cost of feeding a family, choosing natural, protein-rich meals more often can make a big difference.

Another smart habit is keeping basic cooking ingredients in the house at all times. Things you would use to cook most meals.

Things like:

• Oil

• Seasoning

• Basic spices

• Eggs

These may seem simple, but they make everyday cooking much easier. When the basics are available, it becomes easier to improvise meals without stress. Eggs, especially, can be very helpful because they can replace meat in many dishes and make simple meals feel more complete. And they are affordable.

It also helps to buy staple foods in larger quantities whenever possible.

Items like beans, koki beans, rice, spaghetti, and eggs can serve as the foundation of many meals. Having these basics at home creates stability. It means there is always something to cook, even when money is low. Then, whenever there is extra money, more variety can be added gradually.

Seasonal foods can also help reduce costs.

When certain vegetables are in season, they are usually cheaper and easier to find. That is the best time to cook them more often. Okro, leafy vegetables, and other local produce can stretch a food budget while still adding important nutrients to meals.

The goal is not perfection. The goal is to create a system that works.

A good food budget is not about buying everything at once or serving elaborate meals every day. It is about making sure there is always a base to work with, choosing meals that are both affordable and nourishing, and adding more variety when possible.

That is the heart of budget-friendly feeding:

Do not compromise on nutrition if you can help it, especially when children are involved. Focus instead on finding simpler, cheaper ways to serve balanced meals.

Even with limited money, it is still possible to feed a family well. It takes intention, creativity, and a willingness to plan around what matters most.

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.

 💛