I had bread topped with avocado and a bowl of yoghurt with oats and banana. Nothing fancy, but it felt nourishing and satisfying. It's the kind of breakfast that makes me feel like I'm taking care of myself.

Honestly, I should make breakfasts like this more often.

Later that day, I made a no-tomato meat stew that we ate with baton de manioc.

The stew is mostly made with onions, green onions (or leeks), and a few other ingredients that give it flavour. It's one of those recipes I started making when tomatoes became ridiculously expensive, and it has remained a favourite.

The best part is that it goes well with almost anything—rice, plantains, spaghetti, baton de manioc, and more.

If you'd like to try it, I've shared the recipe on the blog before:

Nothing extraordinary happened this weekend, but sometimes the simple moments are the ones worth remembering.

A good breakfast. A long walk. A meal shared with family.

Those were my highlights.

How was your weekend?

Hope you are doing well. 

I made beans for lunch today, and my main ingredient is ginger. When I took the ginger to peel, I looked at the ginger I'd bought the other day for 500 frs in disbelief. Ginger has become so, so expensive, and it is getting worse by the day. This is actually the smallest ginger I've bought for 500frs. And I actually bought this in the market where things are expected to be a bit cheaper. 

I remember how much I laughed when the lady mentioned the price, lol. Like, the shock was too much, and I just kept laughing as she explained how expensive a bag of ginger is now. 

I've tried growing ginger in my container garden to no avail. It germinates most times and dies later. I tried putting a few roots to germinate before I plant, as I saw in a farmer's video on Facebook, but it takes a while, and I end up using it to make soup when I no longer have any. I wish to grow a few for real. 

Anyway, it didn't stop me from putting a good quantity in my beans, and the flavour was amazing. Ginger isn't the only ingredient I put in my beans. I have a recipe for beans on the blog; you can check out the detailed recipe on the link below.

After making lunch and finally sitting down to eat, I put on one of my favourite Nollywood movies on YouTube. I watched the movie "Love, Camara, Action" (again) on YouTube and thought of something. So this movie, "Love, Camara, Action" by Omoni Oboli, and "Hearts Over Time" by Bolanji Ogunmola have the same theme—they both talk about love between a younger man and a younger woman. And I realised that they show the problems and obstacles the relationship faces, especially from the external factors like friends, a little family, and society in general.

But I'm yet to watch a movie where they bring a deeper insight into the family reaction. Especially the typical African moms or parents with their expectations. The challenges that such love may face when they decide to announce or introduce each other to their families. Something from that perspective. 

Anyway, I love both movies very much, and I go back to watch them over and over again. Love, Camara Action has the best kissing scene, and still looking for another kissing scene to beat that, lol. I love the chemistry between Yimika and Kido in Hearts Over Time, and their love/kissing scenes are very romantic too, but you see that kiss between Kaine and Ekom... leave it for them, lol.

I made a list of my favourite Nollywood movies on YouTube so far, and if you are looking for something romantic and cozy to watch, the link is below. You are welcome 😊

Hope you enjoy them like I did.  

Hi Radiants,

The funny thing is that this was not some long-planned baking project. We are currently on a strict budget, and I wanted to avoid spending money that day, so I decided to make bread from scratch instead of buying it.

Well...

Harder than I expected.

The dough gave me trouble from the beginning. It remained sticky no matter what I did (I kept adding flour), and I spent most of the process wondering whether I was doing things correctly or completely ruining it.

Since it was my first time, I decided to experiment. I made a few smaller loaves and baked them in the microwave as a test. Then I made a bigger loaf and baked it in a pot.

It cooked through, but it didn't brown the way bread normally does. The middle was a little dry and harder than I expected, though it was still edible. Surprisingly, the kids ate it with chocolate and didn't complain, which I consider a success.

The bigger loaf baked in the pot turned out much better. It didn't brown much either, though the bottom burnt. I think I still have a lot to learn about controlling the heat. But the inside was soft, and although it was heavier than regular bread, it tasted good.

For that loaf, I used salt underneath the baking pan in the pot. Usually, I use small stones when baking in a pot, so that was another first for me.

We ended up eating the bread in different ways. Some of it went with salad, some with cheese, pap, and of course some with chocolate. There was something satisfying about sitting down and eating bread that I had actually made myself.

I had two small loaves left from the microwave batch and thought it would be a good idea to put them in the pot to brown them a little.

It was not a good idea, lol.

Those poor loaves became so hard that I immediately regretted it. They are currently sitting in my kitchen, looking more like decorative stones than bread. I honestly don't know what to do with them.

One thing I noticed was that the microwave loaves had bigger air pockets inside than the loaf baked in the pot. I don't know whether it was because I baked them on a ceramic plate instead of in a baking pan, but it was interesting to see the difference.

Not because everything went perfectly, but because we ended up with bread, nobody went hungry, and I learned a few things for next time.

Would I bake bread again?

Yes.

Will I know what I'm doing next time?

I'm not so sure.

But at least now I can say that I've baked bread.

Hope you are doing well.

It's the long holiday here in Cameroon, and I'm so grateful for the end of another academic year. Both kids are in primary school now, and that's a significant milestone for me as a mom. It reminds me that they are growing, and I'm feeling free again as I raise them to take care of themselves. 

These first few days of the holiday have been characterised by sleeping in. The best part has been turning off my 6am alarm. The first morning I woke up and realized there was no school run waiting for me felt like a little luxury. These days, I wake up when it's time to make breakfast.  

Another thing I'm getting used to is the kids talking and playing most of the time in the house. During school time, I had quiet mornings, and now I'm asking them to tone down the noise most of the time. It's nice to see how creative they are while playing, but the noise at times is not easy, especially while I'm working. 

Talking about interesting things, I baked some bread today! It's my first time baking bread, and it turned out not bad. It was a bit heavy, but it was bread! I was so happy. I struggled with the dough, which was sticky till I baked it. I don't know when I'll try making bread again, but I hope I will get it right next time. 

I have quite a heap of laundry keeping me busy these days, and I hope to finish it soon. Washing by hand is getting more and more overwhelming for me, and I have never considered getting a washing machine like I do now. What makes it overwhelming is that it is time-consuming and tiring, and working after that feels heavy. Also, the time used for the laundry would serve me better for work, rest, or doing something else which is more productive for me. Another chore I find overwhelming is cooking. I enjoy cooking when I don't feel obliged to cook and when the ingredients have been prepped. These are the moments I'm reminded that I need to put in more effort to have a better life because a washing machine and help are really necessities. I've been intentional about building a life that feels lighter and easier. A washing machine may seem like a small thing, but on days when I spend hours washing clothes by hand, it feels like a symbol of the kind of life I'm working toward.  With the kids on holiday, there will be more cooking and laundry, so I have to brace myself to balance that and other things. 

Life lately has been calm in a way I didn’t even realize until I stopped to think about it.

The kind of season where you look around and realize life has quietly been moving forward while you were busy living it.

The holidays are finally here, and I’m looking forward to slowing down a little. No more waking up every morning to prepare school bags, rush through school runs, or think about homework and school errands for at least the next few months.

Grateful that we made it through another school year. Grateful that the year turned out differently in many ways but was still beautifully successful.

One of the biggest moments lately has been my son graduating from nursery school to primary school. I still can’t believe I’m about to become a mama primaire officially lol. Both my kids are now in primary school, and that feels like such a huge transition for me as a mom.

It honestly feels emotional in a soft, quiet way.

Like one of those moments that remind you life is moving forward, whether you notice it daily or not.

A few months ago, I went to the salon for my usual cornrows, and while I was waiting, I saw another woman getting a weave installed. And I suddenly realized I hadn’t done a weave in almost ten years.

The thought had crossed my mind once or twice in the past, but seeing it made me suddenly want to try it again. So after finishing my hair that day, I told myself, I’m definitely doing a weave soon.

And since then?

I’ve basically gone from one weave hairstyle to another in the past couple of months.

The first one was shoulder-length.

The second one was much longer.

And now I’m currently wearing a very short one that I just did yesterday.

What made the whole thing even more nostalgic was the fact that I used my old hair extensions stored away in a bag from years ago—from my student days. I brought them out, cleaned them up, combed through them, and took them to the salon.

At one point, I even used AI to help me choose a hairstyle, which still feels funny and futuristic to me. I definitely want to write a separate blog post about that experience because it was actually so interesting.

But beyond the hairstyles themselves, I think what has mattered most is how doing my hair again has made me feel.

It reminded me of an older version of myself.

A younger version.

A version of me that took care of herself differently.

And somehow, reconnecting with that part of myself has made me want to pay more attention to myself again in more intentional ways. I enjoyed the way I looked and felt with it.

I’ve been deeply focused on my work as a digital communications strategist for nonprofits. There was a point where I honestly felt disconnected and discouraged in that area, but recently I took time to evaluate myself, rethink my systems, and reset.

Since then, I’ve been fully immersed again.

Creating content.

Building systems.

Planning campaigns.

Organizing ideas.

Refining workflows.

It has honestly taken up a huge part of my days lately, which is probably why I haven’t blogged consistently these past few weeks.

I think I haven't posted here in three weeks despite my desire to post weekly, and while part of me feels guilty about that, another part of me understands that seasons shift sometimes. Sometimes you go quiet in one area because another area needs your full attention for a while. But I'm back to our weekly posts.

What matters is finding rhythm again.

And I think that’s what this current season is teaching me: rhythm, refinement, and balance.

Lately, I’ve been reflecting deeply on where I want my energy to go, and I’ve decided I want to focus more intentionally on my handmade business. I’m not completely abandoning the kids' business, but I know now that my handmade products are where I want to place more creative energy moving forward.

I even started revisiting some bags I had made in the past. The handles needed fixing, so I began working on them again before life got busy. But now that I’m clearer about my direction, I want to intentionally create time to continue fixing and improving them.

And honestly, I think that describes this season perfectly:

Refining.

Improving.

Going deeper instead of wider.

Not necessarily chasing brand new things all the time, but strengthening what already exists.

Even personally, I think I’m still learning how to balance all the different parts of my life. Sometimes I focus intensely on one thing and unintentionally neglect another for a while. But I’m learning not to panic about it.

This is what rebuilding looks like sometimes.

You don’t always move in perfect balance immediately. Sometimes you focus deeply on one area, then slowly learn how to synchronize everything together over time.

Appearance-wise, nothing much has changed beyond my hair adventures lately. Fashion is still a work in progress because my body is still changing. I’m still figuring out what feels good on me now, what flatters me, and how I want to present myself in this new phase of life.

But slowly, I’m finding my way again. Just slowly becoming more aligned with myself again.