By Yinka Shokunbi
Waoh! If you are reading this piece, I say congratulations, because you are one of those who truly made it to the year 2015.
After what seems like an endless season of merry-making and celebrations first, to mark the birth of Jesus Christ, and then, for crossing over to the new year, and also celebration to mark the birthday of Prophet Muhammed (SAW), many should gradually be preparing to settle into a period of economic reflections.
To many income earners and even businessmen, the month of January is often referred to as “economic month” during which many households run on tight budgets.
“The reason for running on tight budgets, for many homes, is not far-fetched,” a caterer, Maupe Onitiri, said; adding; “It is simply because the month of January coincides with when children return to schools after the Yuletide and unless parents have settled school fees before the Yuletide break, the tendency is for parents to express fears over how to source money to meet their obligations.”
But according to Gabriel Oronsanye, a teacher, “The month of January is often tough in many homes where planning has failed to be the basis for their existence. I don’t see any reason January should be different from other months if there is proper planning and execution.”
Whichever way one looks at it, the fact is that there is need to have a regular budget for the home. In other words, there is need to have a consumer watch for the family.
Consumer watch plan
Due to economic restructuring, it would be a good idea to have a budget that takes care of basic home needs for starters.
In the new year, a sketch of family menu in which foodstuffs and general provisions are purchased in bulk would be preferred to making purchases as you consume.
Checklist for the kitchen would include bulk purchase of meat, fish, vegetables, edible oils, grains and fibres like yam tubers and flakes like gari. It would better if purchases are made directly from local markets, bulk offices of manufacturers and stores rather than superstores or retail outlets, which would be more expensive.
Due to tight budget, decide to cut off non-essentials. Rather than go for chicken, you may choose fish and cook beans and yam rather than yam and egg.
For the spicy pepper soup that the family delights in having at table to still feature, for example, preparing your pepper soup mix and storing it in the shelf rather than make quick buys each time you want to make pepper soup is a better choice to cut on family budget. So, let’s check it out:
Ingredients for spicy pepper soup
Pepper soup ingredients
·6 to 8 pieces calabash Nutmeg
·8 pieces Negro pepper (uda seeds)
·1 tablespoonful seeds of alligator pepper (atariko/ulima seed)
Note: this makes about 3 tablespoonfuls pepper soup spice mix (some people add dried ginger roots and cubeb peppers (uziza seeds) to their mix (it is about choice)
Cooking method
Roast the Calabash Nutmeg on a frying pan until it begins to turn dark brown and its lovely aroma comes out.
Gently peel off the outer skin and take out the seed inside.
Combine the calabash nutmeg, Negro pepper (uda seeds) and alligator pepper (atariko/ulima seeds) in a blender, and grind to a fine powder.
Pour into an airtight container and store in a dry place. This pepper soup spice mix stays for up to a year if stored properly.
The mix can be used to prepare just any type of spicy pepper soup. Some people even love to add ground chili pepper while cooking for extra pepper taste.
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