VINNY’S KITCHEN GOES SALADS! SALADS! SALADS!

BY EMBUKANE VINCENT LIBOSSO

TRINITYSTARFAMILY@GMAIL.COM

V

inny’s Kitchen has always been fun with a foodie side. It is a greats segment where I let you into my kitchen and give you a taste of what I am feeling; great treats and just simple recipes you can try at home. It is basically food and fun!

But I came across a foodie like me who had a great piece on the Kenya Buzz (www.kenyabuzz.com) which I would love to share today. Oh, I should call her a “saladie” (not sure whether that’s an English word) because she is “mad” about salads.

WHY SALADS?

I honestly have no proper answer to this question. Still thinking about it. I am not sure if it’s because of boredom (eating other people’s salads), or just another discovered hobby. I never knitted as a child, only learnt it in my adulthood and still knit. I might just kind t you a sweater or make you a salad.

In January 2013; my new year’s resolution was to get into chocolate rehab and eat raw salad for lunch. Just like most people; I didn’t see myself surviving, without chocolate. I mean, who quits chocolate? Very unserious people. I did start with two weeks, then I did a month; I did 40 days and at this rate; I could do a year. Bring it on! By the way; I did have withdrawal symptoms (nothing dramatic like shaking and acting crazish). I see chocolate in the supermarket and I am proud to say that I ignore the voices. Those voices used to turn me into a zombie (true story) and somehow, I would end up buying a few bars. How, I have no idea!

Focus! Back to the real story. So I started to make salads for my lunch, and I just started basic, but with leaves that my stomach and mind said ok. Lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cheese just to begin with. I have discovered that I prefer my veggies raw (not fashion). I find cooked veggies or even steamed; boring. And I mean dead boring! Like seriously- BORING! Am sure you get my drift by now.

There is something about raw veggies that I can’t explain. They give you so much energy. Sometimes I wonder if ii am on coffee. I am never tired, I feel great, and I could run across the continent and back (no I will not deliver your mail). Let us just say I feel so alive and high on vegetables.

I’m not a vegetarian, but I love my fish and my skinned chicken. I just steam them and slap a salad together and there is the meal. But I can’t ignore the benefits that come with enjoying my vegetables.

What do you like to eat your salad with?

@JAKKI ANYAZWA

SUNGURA CORNER

NAIROBI STREET FASHION: THE SKATER TREND IS BACK!

By Embukane Vincent Libosso

TRINITYSTARFAMILY@GMAIL.COM

O

ur guys have been rocking the 90’s vintage street look all over Nairobi. Have our ladies been left behind? Oh, hell, no, the skater cut design; popular in the 80’s is what they are currently digging.

Dresses and skirts in this style are short and flared- they kinda remind me of the sexy ladies on Mexican soaps. Although it comes across as a young street look; it comes in a variety of fabrics which make it wearable and you can pull the look and rock it.

·         For an official wear, team up skater-skirt with a button-down blouse and tights. Cropped tops, t-shirts and pullovers work perfectly well.

·         A pair of killer heels will work perfectly for a night out and give your legs extra length. Pair it up with ankle boots or brogues to dress it down for a day look.

·         Skater skirt or dress length is usually mid- thigh, hence tights and leggings come to the rescue of those who are not comfortable showing too much skin. Opt for neutral-coloured tights for a conservative look or go edgy with colored ones. Knee-length tights or socks give you a school girl look. If you are bold enough, go without leggings, but make sure your legs are well toned.

·         As with all other trends, this style is not for everyone. It favors tall frames, but if you are petite, you can still pull it off if you add some height with a pair of killer heels.

Special thanks to:

Model- Jillian Quarless

Photographer-Antonnio Arroyo of Konsepts Photography on Facebook.

CHEF ORNA KLOTSMAN- ORNA’S KITCHEN…

The self-taught chef Orna Klotsman runs the warm; tiled and well-equipped kitchen in a comely house. This is Orna’s Kitchen.

The chef of Russian and Spanish descent; has over 35 years’ experience in the culinary field; having worked at various hotels and institutions including Sheraton International Hotels; Fairview Hotel; Pwani Pool Restaurant and the Coca Cola Company; as head of catering.

Chef Orna’s longest stint at running her own restaurant (the then Orna’s Restaurant and Patisserie at ABC place; opened in 1993) lasted 9years.

However; her life-long passion to date remains sprucing up healthy; tasty and authentic dishes from just about any cuisine in the world; and then teaching others how to do the same. In this way; the quality of the cooking “makes you a guest in your own party.”

She now divides her time between organizing cooking lessons for amateurs and professionals at her kitchen.

If you want to indulge in fun cooking classes; then Chef Orna’s Kitchen is the place just for you. She will take you through 3 exciting courses namely; Sweet Endings; Easy Entertaining and Vegetarian Feasts. The courses take 4 weeks on average to complete.

In one session; lasting between 4-5 hours; students learn between 6-8 different culinary skills.

-located at Mzima Springs; off Riverside Drive; to book cooking lessons at Orna’s Kitchen 

contact; +254(0) 733 740 027/ +254 (0) 737 745 428

For more info do visit www.ornaskitchen.com or https://www.facebook.com/ornaskitchen

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.637162946301876.1073741843.609419172409587&type=3

THE HEALING POWER OF NUTS

THE HEALING POWER OF NUTS

FOR KENYA KIDZ

BY EMBUKANE VINCENT LIBOSSO

You can’t help noticing the new trend in Nairobi where everyone in the office is eating peanuts. From men to fellow women; it seems like the in-thing.

As everyone keeps on nibbling theses little wonders called peanuts; your truly did a research and found out that there is a huge surge in both diabetes and high blood pressure; with a filling on half of our country’s already over stretched hospital beds.

Back in 2008; a random sample of 4,000 dwellers in central Nairobi found 700 of them suffering from either high blood pressure or diabetes.

Writing for Nakumatt’s Smart Life Magazine; Larisa Brown laments; “lifestyle diseases that were at the bottom of the ‘health concern’ list are now a cause of alarm.

But scientific evidence shows that high blood pressure can be ended in just a few weeks; and the risk of heart disease set aside, by eating just a handful of nuts a day. These nuts include nuts like almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts and walnuts.

It was in California back in 1992 that researchers at Loma Linda university first discovered that people eating nuts daily had up to 60 per cent fewer heart attacks that those who didn’t. The study of 31,000 people; of all weights; ages and both genders, was based on a mix of peanuts, almonds, walnuts and other nuts.

It is time to move from the old age mentality that nutritional advice has always tended towards advising minimal nut consumption on the grounds that they area a ‘fatty’ food. On the contrary, scientists now say eating nuts regularly reduces the risk of obesity and may help with weigh loss.

Since I am a foodie and we are in the whole issue of nuts; why don’t you try my guacamole with peanuts some time?

Serves 2

Prep: 15 mins; no cooking or fire

2 mashed up guacamoles

A bag of nuts

2 finely chopped small pieces of raw tomato

1 finely chopped small pieces of raw onion

1.       Mash up the guacamole into a sauce.

2.       Add the finely chopped raw tomatoes and onions.

3.       Stir in the onions and tomatoes with the guacamole sauce.

4.       Add the bag of nuts and mix them up.

-sugar can be added to increase taste for those who love their guacamole with sugar.

-guacamole is what we know in the local language as avocado.

the story is online at-http://kenyakidz.com/new/index.php/latest-news/17-health/778-nuts-heal-chronic-diseases-studies-show

PREGNANCY MYTHS AND FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW

We've all heard them - the pregnancy myths and old wives' tales centered on the gender of a baby. From eating your meat rawer in the hopes of conceiving a boy, to a heart rate over 140 indicating a girl, there are a wide variety of pregnancy myths around the world. Since pregnancy myths are a fun (but definitely not scientific!) way to day dream about the sex of your future child, we chose to illustrate some of the ones we found most interesting. Enjoy, and please share with your family, friends, and colleagues!

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Infographic About Pregnancy Myths - Is It a Girl or a Boy?

Infographic About Pregnancy Myths - Is It a Girl or a Boy?

THOSE LITTLE WONDERS CALLED NUTS

THOSE LITTLE WONDERS CALLED NUTS

FOR DAYSTAR INVOLVEMENT NEWSPAPER

BY EMBUKANE VINCENT LIBOSSO

You can’t help but notice the new trend in Daystar especially among the ladies where everyone is into eating nuts. It seems like the in-thing but the wave is taking over the offices too as nearly everyone is nibbling on peanuts.

Some few years ago; nutritional advice always tended towards advising minimal nut consumption on the grounds that they are a “fatty” food. But scientists are now saying that eating nuts regularly reduces the risk of obesity and may help with weight loss.

According to a piece on the Standard newspaper; nuts are excellent sources of protein, fibre, minerals, healthy mono- unsaturated fats, and vitamin R and omega-3 essential fatty acids.

Nuts like almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts and walnuts fight bad cholesterol and control the total cholesterol level in the body, therefore reducing the risk of heart disease. Cholesterol is not all bad; it is the fat that provides support in the membranes of our bodies’ cell. And so not all cholesterol is bad. There is the god cholesterol, which aids functioning of our body and bad cholesterol; which collects in the walls of blood vessels causing blockage.

By reducing cholesterol levels; nuts cushion the heart from notorious elements like hypertension. Magnesium, calcium and potassium contents in nuts reduce blood pressure.

The reality in Kenya today and right now is that lifestyle diseases that were at the bottom of the “health concern” list are now a cause of alarm. How do you explain a research done in 2008; where a random sample of 4,000 dwellers in central Nairobi found 700 of them suffering from either high blood pressure or diabetes?

Feeding on nuts has been connected to reduced incidence of coronary heart disease in both men and women and reduces blood cholesterol levels. These benefits can be attributed back to the fibre and heart- healthy unsaturated fats nuts contain.

Other reviews such as that published in Atherosclerosis Report and The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition report that eating nuts on a regular basis may help reduce the risk of diabetes in women. And for people already diagnosed with diabetes, nuts are a healthy addition to a diabetic diet, they contain few carbohydrates and have low glycerine index, which can help control blood sugar levels.

Other benefits of eating nuts and seeds include:

§  Ellagic acid in nuts lowers the risk of cancer.

§  Decreases the risk of prostrate and breast cancers.

§  Increase immunity and reduces the risk of tumor growth.

§  Leads to improved blood flow.

§  Leads to improved sexual potency.

So while we are still at this issue of peanuts; I ‘m a foodie so go ahead and try my guacamole sauce with nuts some time.

Serves 2

Prep: 15 mins; no cooking or fire

2 mashed up guacamoles.

A bag of nuts.

2 finely chopped small pieces of raw tomato.

1 finely chopped small pieces of raw onion.

1.       Mash up the guacamoles into a sauce.

2.       Add the finely chopped raw tomatoes and onions.

3.       Stir in the onions and tomatoes with the guacamole sauce.

4.       Add the bag of nuts and mix them up.

-          Sugar can be added to increase taste for those who love their guacamole with sugar.

-          Guacamole is what we know as avocado in the local “mama mboga” language.

read more at-http://kenyakidz.com/new/index.php/latest-news/17-health/778-nuts-heal-chronic-diseases-studies-show

TO APPLY MAKE-UP ON HER OR NOT

Samira is a bubbly 6-year old who adores her mother very much. Every time she spots her mum before the mirror, she innocently creeps up for a fun experience and for a mother-daughter bonding session over facials and make-ups.

Like most mothers, Samira’s mum is always tempted to apply make-up on her which she often reluctantly does on several occasions especially when they are about to go out or have guests over. Her argument;

“It is just a simple eye-liner. It won’t hurt any bit, right?”

Wrong! Well according to Muthoni Njoba, a make-up specialist, failure to clean off any make-up very well is dangerous as make-up left on the skin can clog pores and cause premature aging.

As mothers, we forget that our skins are not always the same as our daughters or little children. That is why it is advisable for one to go to a professional make-up artist to advice on the best suitable make –up (foundation, concealer, powder, eye-shadow e.t.c) for your skin tone, skin type and features.

Factual research has shown that our skin starts aging after the age of 25; so mum do your child justice by withholding that make-up. Your child’s skin is very soft, tender and flawless at a young age and it would be a disgrace for a beautiful 10-year old girl looking like a 30-year old due to make-up.

Finally; as a mother and as a woman, I am sure one of your New Year resolution is dedicating yourself to a great skin care and embarking on the journey of using make-up to enhance your already beautiful features. While you undertake this treacherous journey of greatness and amazing look; tag along your girlfriends; sisters or better yet your young daughter. Encourage them to drink lots of water and eat fresh vegetables.

That is the best kept secret to a better health and flawless beautiful skin. The secret is out now ladies!

HEY CHECK OUT MY STORY ONLINE AND MAKE A COMMENT-http://kenyakidz.com/new/index.php/hope1/13-baby-care/759-apply-make-up-on-your-kids-or-not

-find Muthoni Njoba at www.muthoninjoba.com or email her at makeuplounge.m@gmail.com. You can also read her column at the Kenyan Kitchen Magazine.

FamilyCord’s new infographic, "There Grows my baby”

hey i got thie great email from of our readers thought i should share it- Hi,

My name is Aldo Baker, I wanted to share a piece of content with you that I thought might interest your readers. FamilyCord’s new infographic, "There Grows my baby” is a monthly milestone guide starting from newborn to 24 months old.

You can review the graphic at http://www.familycord.com/familycord-baby-milestones-guide.html

If you like the graphic, please feel free to add it to your blog or help us share it through social media.

To display the graphic on your blog or website you can easily copy and paste the code directly from the infographic webpage.

Feel free to email me if you have any questions.

Thanks,
Aldo Baker

At FamilyCord, we know that every child is unique — they grow, learn, and develop at their own pace. The baby milestones below are based off of generally accepted development milestones and offer a loose guide that you can compare with your child's development.

Feel free to leave a comment, share with friends and enjoy this graphic on Baby Growth Milestones!

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