Getting Back on the Bandwagon: Fitfam.

So you know sometimes you fall off a bandwagon that you were so on and your life just feels kind of stagnant and incomplete? Well that's kind of how I've felt this whole month of October ever since my bootcamp instructor left for the States for a while! At this point you're probably wondering, what bootcamp? And you're right to. For some reason I stopped blogging about my fitness journey and that's not necessarily because I stopped, it just went through varying highs and lows. Last time I was here talking about fitness was June 2013 before I did Cancer Research UK's Race for Life! How time flies... I also did Insanity and have a few updates on that too, Insanity Month 2: It's not a Diet, it's a Lifestyle.

So this bootcamp is done in Banana Island, Lagos and it's called Body By Ponz, it's on 4 times a week, Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays 6-7 pm and Saturdays 7 - 8am. For more information you can check out his instagram page @bodybyponz.

So back to the essence of this post, for the last month, I've been off the wagon because Ponz left for a month but then I saw a picture on his instagram announcing the new season starts on November 3rd and I knew I had to do something and move my lazy ass before then. Plus it's the end of October, that means Christmas is upon us, gotta get that body looking right in time for all the events and old family members and friends. I started a new regime yesterday that I really want to stick through for at least a month. It involves waking up and working out. Haha. That's the simple part. I really think I could work out all day everyday especially in these cuties! What kills me is the food part.

I'm sure some people are thinking, well can't you work out and eat whatever? The short answer is no. Attaining your dream body is 20% exercise and 80% food... Which is why I have to stop nodding my head every morning when my colleagues ask me if I want hot akara from Iya Basira! For those who don't know akara is basically beans that has been ground and then deep fried and that alongside tea, coffee and Mcvities Digestives have been the reason for my waistline expansion! It's time to stop all these bad habits and throw in the new. I'm ready to move again and here's what I'd be doing..

1. Do a 30 minute workout every weekday morning

This would be in terms of those cute charts and diagrams you can find on Instagram like the one below from Fit Girls Worldwide and my aim is to complete 3 sets and then skip for the remaining 30 minutes. I'm throwing in the skipping because I often don't feel like I get enough cardio from these.

2. Do Bootcamp at least 3 times per week

Once the new season starts, I plan to be just as committed as I was before and do boot camp at least 3 times a week. I wouldn't lie... I never go for Saturday, Friday nights are simply too activity filled to expect me to be out of bed before 7am!

3. Say no to hot akara

Lol. And all other types of deep fried foods and unnecessary, unhealthy snacks. This is going to be the most difficult one because my colleagues literally just drop temptations on my table and sometimes babes are peckish... I'm compiling a list of healthy snacks that are easily portable so that at work, when the elevenses munchies strike I have something yum and healthy with me.

Well that's it for now... Is anyone else on a fitness journey? Or just trying to look good for the upcoming holiday season? Drop me a comment let's do this together!

Christmas Body Loading! Haha.

Dinner Party for 12? Yes Please!

So some weeks ago in Nigeria we had the Sallah holidays which translated to a super duper long weekend as we had Monday and Tuesday off then I was extra lucky because as I'm just a humble corper I have CD on Wednesdays which means I don't work. I pretty much had a whole week off work and it was amazing! However it also meant that on Sunday when I realised the weekend wasn't about to be over I had this nagging urge to make the most of it. And make the most of it I did! My friend Efe and I decided to throw a dinner party for 12 at my house and so this meant doing all the cooking and planning and of course the all important guest list! Haha.

It was a super duper last minute decision but it worked and the date was set for Monday, time 7pm. Did I mention that we were walking around the grocery store when this happened? We were looking for something basic like toothpaste but came out with a basket full of food and some wine for good measure. 

On the menu for the dinner party was:

Starters:

Crepes

Mini burgers

Mains:

Traditional Lasagne

Jamaican Chicken Coconut Curry

Basmati Rice

Dessert:

Banana Rum Cake with Coffee Icing

Cocktail:

Tropical Rum Punch

So with all our ingredients gathered the day before, we woke up bright and early like excited children on Monday morning and started cooking, yes we made everything from scratch. Well except the Lasagne sheets. Lol. If you're interested in any of the recipes we used then drop me a comment and I'd work on putting those out there properly but for now here's some pictures of the cooking process and the finished work.

The chicken pieces for the curry had been marinated with curry and other spices overnight to make sure the flavour really sank in.

Adding in the coconut milk to the nearly cooked chicken

Almost done now... Just a few minutes left.

Initial stages of the makings of the banana rum cake...

Garnished with fresh banana slices and peanuts.

Browning the mince meat for the lasagne...

Preparing to make our mini patties for the burger canapes...

Meat left to 'rest' for a few minutes before moulding and grilling..

 Mini burgers garnished with tomatoes and mozarella cheese...

 Crepes! ^_^

After we were done with the majority of the food, we set the dinner places and decorated the dining table with some of my tealights and other candle-y bits for a romantic feel and then waited patiently for the guests (and their bottles of wine of course) to arrive.

Finally at around 8.30 when most of the guests had arrived, the food was brought out to the table and like they say... the rest is history!

At the end of the night everyone couldn't stop going on about how delicious the food was and the proof was in the empty plates and dishes. We literally had no left overs at all. Zero, zilch, nada!

Given the success of the first dinner party and our joint love for cooking, Efe and I decided to start a new dining concept in Lagos and you'd be hearing a lot more about it very very soon! But let's just say for those who like to meet new people, eat delicious food and not pay with an arm and a leg then we just might have something cooking for you... Literally. Haha.

Hair Woes: Fairy Knots

Can you guys see that single strand of hair between my fingers? Yes? Great. Look a little closer, can you see that bit where the hair has knotted ON ITSELF right in the middle? Yes? That's the current bane of my natural hair existence. It's called a single strand knot (because a single strand literally ties itself into a knot) or a fairy knot (because it's believed that the knot is so small that only a fairy can tie it). I've been getting these for a while now and they are starting to cause serious breakage and length retention issues because I mostly just cut them off.

They are especially noticeable towards the ends of my hair and usually feel like a 'rough' section when I'm detangling. It wasn't until I pulled off the above hair strand in frustration that I saw that the cause for all my problems were these damn fairies! I even used to like Tinkerbell and her lot *sigh*

So after much online searching, I realised that this was a common problem for a lot of natural sisters but I didn't find very many solutions to the problem though! Apart from making sure that your hair is well moisturised, which I thought I was on top of but would definitely be reviewing, does anyone have any more suggestions for me on how to get rid of ssk's or fairy knots?

For now I've put my hair in a weave to stop me from yanking at my ends, first one this year actually and I'm sort of already regretting the decision but my money cannot waste! This weave will stay on my head!

Please help guys! I need y'all :(

October Snippets from The Nigerian Theatre and Film Scene.

So I started thinking about writing this post and putting it up sometime soon (read procrastinating) until I found out that today would have been the great Fela Anikulapo Kuti's 76th birthday and then I just knew I had to quit being lazy and put it up today. You're probably wondering what Fela has to do with this post and the answer is not a whole lot BUT, this past month I've been enjoying a lot more of the Nigerian theatre and films scene, a scene that I wholly love immersing myself in.

A lot of Lagosians, especially people that recently moved back, always complain that there's nothing to do in Lagos but go out and drink. While it's true that drinking IS one of our favourite past times, it's definitely not the only thing to do. I often tell people that complain that if they just TRY they will find something to pique their interest. My interest was definitely piqued by the arts scene and here's a couple of things I've done this month.

I went to Eko Hotel for the premier of "October 1" a 'psychological thriller played against the backdrop of Nigeria's Independence Day'. This movie was SO brilliant, it wasn't initially what I expected but it definitely went beyond my expectations and took my expectations of Nigerian movies to a whole new level. It was produced and directed by Kunle Afolayan who also plays a role in the film and honestly I don't know a single person that has watched it and not immediately loved it. Seeing such high quality from Nigerians, by Nigerians, for Nigerians and the world literally makes my heart swell with pride. That's not to say the film has no flaws though but why pick at the flaws when you can simply appreciate the beauty.

In fact the movie was so good that I've already seen it twice! The second time actually ON independence day and was at a film festival in Lagos towards the end of September called Lights, Camera, Africa! which is actually in its 4th year now. I went with a friend who was keen on seeing the movie and the viewing ended in a Q&A session with the director and one of the main characters. The Q&A really raised some important questions not only about the film but on how Nigeria should move forward on it's 54th year of independence. One thing that really struck a chord with me was when we were talking about the tribes general disdain for each other, Mr. Sadiq Daba who plays Detective Wazuri stood up and declared "I am a Hausa man, my wife is Yoruba, we have children. If you split Nigeria where do I go? Where does my wife go? Where do my children go? Would you so thoughtlessly split up my family?" Food for thought.

Well enough on the seriousness and implications of "October 1", on Saturday I went with my mum to the final showing of a stage play called "The Wives" written by Ahmed Yerima and produced by Kemi Lala Akindoju and it was HILARIOUS! No like seriously, I was crying real life tears of laughter. The play starred the dons of the game like Joke Silva, Jide Kosoko, Kate Henshaw and Iretiola Doyle, with Lala Akindoju also playing the role of the youngest wife "iyawo kekere". I was super excited at the end when I got to meet Ms. Akindoju and I really hope they come back again over Christmas because I would definitely watch it again. I got some stills from the play though, here they are:

So I've told you guys about things that happened in the past, this is something that is STILL happening, the release of a documentary on the life of this musical genius and Nigerian legend, Fela! It's called "Finding Fela" and it premiered at The Shrine on Sunday and is now out in Silverbird cinemas. I already know what I'm going to do this weekend... 

What have you guys watched recently or are you going to watch soon? Preferably something steeped in African culture. Feel free to drop book titles as well, I'm currently reading "We Need New Names" by Zimbabwean author NoViolet Bulawayo.

P.S. Chimamanda's book turned film "Half of a Yellow Sun" deserves an honorary mention even though it didn't happen this month!

Restaurant Review: Independence Day at Yellow Chilli

Hey y'all! Happy Monday, so this post is kinda late because it was meant to be my Independence Day or shortly after post but one thing always leads to another and you know... Anyhow, on October 1st I went to lunch with two of my friends from primary school Deola and Mosope. Yup, THROWBACK! Haha. It was meant to be a slightly bigger reunion but a lot of people dropped out at the last minute so it was a nice girly day for three instead.

We all met at "Yellow Chilli" in Ikeja with empty stomachs and eager anticipation and in the end, we were glad the boys didn't turn up! Read on to find out why...

For those who don't know Yellow Chilli is more or less a fancy buka. Or that's what Mosope thought anyways, lol. They serve all sorts of Nigerian food and do a lot of soups and semi-solids (swallows). They need a 30 minute lead time to prepare your chosen soup though because they do it all from scratch for every order. I really like that about them because it means that unlike most other typical bukas, you're unlikely to hear "Food has finished". Lol.

On arrival I got a Chapman, because really what other drink would you get on Independence Day if not a Chapman? Chapman is a Nigerian cocktail and different people have different recipes but the basis is always the same: an orange flavoured drink (Fanta), a lemony flavoured drink (Sprite or Bitter Lemon), Angsturra Bitters and Grenadine. The one I had was actually a little darker than chapman normally is and was also a lot sweeter so my Chapman aficionado senses tell me that they used some sort of blackcurrant cordial instead of grenadine.

After we ordered our food we got catching up and gisting on all the most recent happenings of our lives and I must say it was a lot of fun. But nothing can really compare to the moment that our food arrived... I must say I was positively salivating. We all decided on pounded yam (the real deal NOT poundo) as our swallow of choice and had three different soups for variety. For starters my eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach and I order a portion of Nkwobi for us to share.

I had Edika-Ikong which I really believe is the South-South's version of Efo-Riro.

Deola had Banga Soup which has palm oil as a basis.

And Mosope had White Soup aka Nsala which is quite a healthy option because it's apparently not cooked with any oil at all... Is this true my Nsala lovers?

Side note: I really love how the photos came out, it was my first time using my iPhone 6 which I got as a belated birthday present and I think the camera quality is off the chain!

By the time we were done eating we could barely move. I'm not even sure we finished everything on the table but we definitely made a huge dent. The service at Yellow Chilli is decent and the waiters are quite friendly and the food is GOOD!! Like proper GOOD, GOOD! The price is a lot higher than your average buka but to be fair, this is a restaurant not a buka and my main cost only N2300! I also like the fact that you can add whatever extras of meat and chicken you want into your dish, at an additional cost of course.

It was a lovely day and a lovely catch up with the girlies and I all but rolled myself to watch the movie "October 1" but more on that later.

Here's my final say

Food- 8.5 (because it was slightly cold)

Service- 8

Ambience- 9

Overall- 8.5

To see more restaurant reviews in Lagos and abroad then use the "Restaurants" tab above... Or click here