Steemit Engagement Challenge (week 4): Showing my Original Talent// Cooking by @chant

Introduction

Hello to all on the Columbia Original community and special greetings to the admins and MODs of this community. Its a pleasure to participate in this weeks’ challenge on showing our original talents. I will be talking about the two things I love doing especially within the context of the environment I find myself. I am a mother of two (5 years old girl and a 1+ boy), and I love cooking and doing my daughter’s hair. I will proceed to talk about my cooking talent and plaiting.

Why I love cooking and Doing My Daughter’s hair

I know many people will prefer fast food than cook for themselves especially if they lived alone but to me I prefer doing my cooking. I am not a professional chef but I enjoy every bit of the kitchen and I always try new recipes for my family. When they love it, it gives me the opportunity to always try other recipes.

Cooking and plaiting makes me have self satisfaction whenever I know I can provide a meal for my family and equally do my daughters hair without spending money.

It makes me become more creative in learning new recipes and different hairstyles for my daughter. At times I even do my own hair myself without necessarily go out.

You know the nourishing feeling you have when cooking and realised that ingredients are never hidden, and that cooking is not difficult as compared to when growing up it looks difficult.

Cooking at times makes me bring back old memories of my grand mother’s recipes. Those old memories at times makes me smile while cooking especially remembering an old method my grandmother used to prepare some delicacies.

One of the recipes I prepared is huckleberry with fried plantains. The reason I choose this recipe is because is easy to prepare and less time consuming. Most of our delicacies takes a lot of time to prepare them but this one is fast and easy to go especially when you are in a haste to do other activities. I love this meal because of its nutritional content with plantains containing Vitamin B6 and C, it’s antioxidants value that helps to fight some certain illnesses in our body.

Ingredients	Quantity	Price (STEEM)
Huckleberry	As desired	Approximately 10
Fresh Tomatoes	1/2 kilo	Approximately 8
Onion	2	1
Chicken	1/2	20
Vegetable oil	1/2 Litter	Approximately 5
Salt/ Maggi	2 cubes Maggi and tablespoon salt	Approximately 1
Ripe plantains	10	Approximately 10

Steps to Prepare Huckleberry with Fried Plantain

Step 1: Harvest your huckleberry in your farm if you have one but if not you can buy from the market. I bought huckleberry from the market. Then fixed it to separate strong stems and flowers.

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Step 2: I washed the vegetable trice with cold water and then put in a pot and boiled for about 15 minutes. I love it when it’s greenish, so I do not allow it to boil for long, and drained it in a colander.

Step 3: I chopped onions, sliced tomatoes and boiled together with the chicken until the tomatoes water is almost dry. I put salt, Maggi and oil and allow it to boil for 5 minutes until the water fro tomatoes dry off.

Step 4: I add the huckleberry and stir until it is well mixed with the tomatoes. Allow it for about 5 minutes and it is set to serve.

As for the plantains, it is so easy to go about it.

Step 1: I peeled my plantains, cut them in to desired sizes and put in a pan.

Step 2: I placed the pot on the cooker and pour vegetable oil and allow it to heat. Then I put the plantains and fry for about 10 minutes at low heat. If the cooker is on high heat, then you risk burning the plantains. Then food is ready and served to eat.

Another talent I will like to share is my plaiting skills. I have never gone somewhere to learn how to do this but I developed it when I traveled abroad for studies. I was with my sister and one day her hair was so bad that I decided to do her braids. The outcome was fantastic and her friends booked me to do braids for them.

Today, I find pleasure doing my daughter’s hair giving the challenging moments we find ourselves especially the pandemic. There is never a day, you will see my daughter’s hair looking bad because I do it myself.

Presently, we are observing a 1 week ghost town imposed by the separatists fighters and everywhere is locked down. Imagine the state of some children’s hair given that their mothers cannot do their hair as all hair salons are locked down. Below are some images of different hair styles I do for my daughter.

These are the two talents I love doing and I appreciate your time used to read through. I will like to invite @majerius and @saxopedia to show us their original talents.