It takes a village!

I'M MISSING MY HOT WINGS I've always liked vegetables and red meat but everything else is a blahh taste for me.  And don't get me started on chicken! The smell of chicken, cooked and raw makes me nauseous.  I feel like hurling the moment that pong hits my nostrils yet hot-wings are my cryptonite. If I was Superman, the villain would just have to wave a good hot wing in front of me to render me compliant, and yes there is such a thing as a bad hot wing. Now what's really weird about this, is that I can't stand the taste of anything else on the menu at Chicken Licken or KFC.  I shallow-breathe when I'm near or in their establishments so why do I love their wings?  No clue.  Equally perplexing is that once I've gotten to the 4th or 5th wing, I start to get that hurling sensation again and the taste just goes out the window- so, yes 5 hot wings are my limit. And now with the lockdown, if you're like my kids (or me), the hot-wing craving ad...

BUT SCHOOLS ARE OUT WORKING TOGETHER  Yesterday was supposed to be back-to-school day for my little monsters but the lockdown has put a damper on not just their plans but mine as well.  I've had to rethink all the work that I had scheduled.  My to-do list seemed to have gotten longer until I realised : 1. there are less clothes in the laundry, ergo less washing, less water and less ironing 2. there is less food wastage because in my house, you eat all your food until it's finished and I don't care how many mealtimes it takes to do it! Which I cant do with uneaten lunchboxes. 3. once the kids know the schedule, in between the fussing and bickering, everything gets done.  4. My to-do list has more hands to help me 5. We all get to sit down at mealtimes and talk to each other 6. I have help to do those things I've been putting off So here are a few tips to get everything done (and get some learning in as well) while the kids are at home. Check out my ED...

AND IN THIS CORNER, PROTEIN-PACKED BEANS.. The humble bean does not exactly make you drool when seen on the shelves in their dry  unappealing form.  Yet in a well-cooked curry, it is tastier than most meat dishes.   Kids love beans- it gives them an excuse to toot-toot and for all the toot-toot jokes!  Not only is it an excellent source of protein but it is a staple in any diet and there's a variety to choose from. For those hungry stomachs that need to be filled while  you cast a wary eye on your dwindling grocery supply, beans (pulses) are an excellent addition to your cupboard.   So choose a packet of your favourite beans or try different ones and let's cook.  The recipe below can be adapted to suit any beans that you want to cook.  I've used sugar beans to make little bunny chows for supper but you can eat them with roti, rice or bread. DURBAN SUGAR BEANS CURRY You will need: 1 cup dried sugar...

CORONAVIRUS , SCHOOL HOLIDAYS AND MY KIDS 😱 As if all that's happening in the world and whole countries being on lock-down isn't enough, parents have to now worry about finding creative solutions to keep hungry, bored children at home, entertained and fed.  Personally, I was not cut out to be a teacher. I don't have the patience or tolerance. I definitely feel unprepared. I can handle irate Board members, finicky CEOs of major companies, confidently talk to ambassadors and ministers but my own kids?  Now that's scary. Precisely how I feel.  And then it's the constant hole in their stomachs like "Didn't I just see you eating 5 minutes ago?" As I waiver between  guilt for denying my child life-giving food (apparently they will starve if their mouths are not continually eating and I'm a terrible mom for even thinking of restricting them 😒),  worry over how your already over-stretched budget is going to handle this onsla...