Recipe: Berbere Chickpea Stew

Earlier this week, my sister-in-law lent me her kitchen for a few hours. We made a deal,  I could play with her fancy slow cooker if I made enough food to feed the family and some friends. I have a baby slow cooker that's no where near as big or powerful as her's. Naturally, I was giddy with excitement - so many possibilities: soup, stew, curry, maybe even a whole roast chicken! I went into her pantry and rustled up some ingredients: chickpeas, carrots, garlic, a can of tomatoes and some spices. That settled it: Chickpea Stew was added to the dinner menu!

Process and Reflection: Creating Kwa Nanju


I am a perfectionist. My strive for perfection affected the process for creating this blog. As I'm sure you can tell, I'm new to blogging. Turning my idea into a reality has been such an adventure already. I went from a clueless dreamer to skilled newbie blogger. I've created a masterpiece that I can admire and build on some more.

My Favorite Sugar Scrub

I am a summer baby, I love heat! New England winters do not agree with me. The cold dry air always wreaks havoc with my body, especially my skin. Since I can't have a summer glow year round, I've adapted and found ways to make winter more tolerable: DIY sugar scrubs!

Meal Plan 101

This year, I’m determined to get back into menu planning. Growing up, Amayi (mother in my native language), had all of our meals planned. I haven't been very organized lately, and it's come at a cost. So, I’ve taken Amayi’s plan and am repurposing it. I’ve also developed a few tricks and tips to help me accomplish my goal. I'm doing my brain, tummy, and wallet a favor and getting back on track.

How I came to love cooking

I love cooking. That wasn’t always the case. Up until a few years ago, I never set foot in a kitchen except to eat, clean, or observe. I left food preparation to the pros – my mother, sister, brother and just about anyone else who would feed me. 

Welcome



I am a creator.
I like experimenting and making things. Over the last couple of months, I’ve been toying with the idea of writing about all of my random projects. I experiment a lot with food and DIY beauty. For various reasons, I rely on improvisation and firmly believe that necessity is the mother of all my creations. Enter Kwa Nanju – a space for me to catalog all of my experiments and the discoveries I make along the way.