Esther Ijewere

In Career Gems January 23, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

COOKING WITH KEROSENE DANGEROUS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN —STUDY

A new study conducted in Ibadan, Oyo State, has revealed that the use of clean-burning ethanol stoves, as against kerosene stoves, can reduce hypertension and cardiovascular risk in pregnant women.

According to the lead study author and professor of medicine and family director of international programmes at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine, Christopher Olopade, pregnant women who were used to using kerosene stove had lesser chances of developing high blood pressure when they switched to ethanol stoves.

In report titled, ‘Randomised Controlled Ethanol Cookstove Intervention and Blood Pressure in Pregnant Nigerian Women’, researchers stated that the frequency of developing hypertension and diastolic blood pressure were decreased in pregnant women who cooked with ethanol, rather than with traditional cookstoves fueled by wood or kerosene.

They, however, noted that systolic blood pressure levels of the pregnant women that took part in the study did not change significantly.

Olopade stated, “Although previous studies found that exposure to household air pollution increased the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, no randomised, controlled trial had investigated whether clean-burning fuel would reduce the incidence of hypertension in pregnant women,”

According to the report, Olopade and his colleagues enrolled 324 pregnant women living in Ibadan. However, women who smoked or lived with a smoker or who cooked for a living were excluded from the study.

None of the women enrolled were hypertensive when they enrolled and they were randomised into the study between the 16 and18th weeks of pregnancy.

Half of the participating women who previously cooked with firewood or kerosene were randomly assigned to cook with ethanol. The other half continued to cook with either wood or kerosene. Blood pressure was recorded during six patient visits.

By the end of the study, the researchers found that 6.4 per cent of those cooking with wood or kerosene became hypertensive compared with 1.9 per cent of those cooking with ethanol. The study also showed that 8.8 per cent of those who cooked with kerosene became hypertensive compared to only 1.8 per cent who stopped using from kerosene and switched to ethanol.

It stated, “Mean diastolic blood pressure was 2.8 mmHg higher among those cooking with wood or kerosene than those cooking with ethanol. It stated. The mean diastolic blood pressure was 3.6 mmHg higher among those cooking with kerosene than those cooking with ethanol. “

Olopade said the findings have echoed the call by the World Health Organisation to remove kerosene as a home cooking or heating fuel.

Source: PUNCH

In food and fitness September 2, 2020 By Esther Ijewere

#FOOD: BIG OLADUNNI CHICKEN STEW RECIPE-DOONEYSKITCHEN

You will need
2 canYou will need
2 cans of Plum tomatoes
2 medium red onions
Ginger – amount depends on your tolerance, but you should be able to smell the ginger in the uncooked pepper mix, otherwise you haven’t added enough
A sprinkling of thyme – emphasis on sprinkling
A sprinkling of curry powder
3 – 4 pieces of ata rodo – scotch bonnet/habanero pepper
3 pieces of tatashe
Sunflower oil – or your choice of veg oil
How To
1. First things first, blend your pepper mix + ginger. Take out a quarter of 1 of the onions and set aside. Make sure you keep your nose out for the ginger. Very important, but carefully ensure that you do not go overboard with it. Boil the pepper mixture to reduce it until it becomes thick. Also be on the look out for the colour. Big Oladunni’s Chicken Stew is a feast for the eyes and palate.
2. Boil your chicken with chopped onions, ginger, salt and seasoning cubes. Dooney’s Kitchen Tip: To boil chicken, you start with steaming it first in its own juices, decanting that first batch of stock, adding a little extra water, and put back on the heat again. This is how Mummy does it. She always stressed that you should never end up with more than 2, cups of stock, per whole chicken, otherwise you have just adulterated the flavour of the chicken by boiling it with too much water. Advice drilled in my ears over time. Mummy would get quite upset with you if you boiled chicken with a lot of water. Fry or grill after boiling and set aside.
3. By now, you should have your aromatic and sweet smelling reduced pepper mix. When you get to make this and you leave feedback, I really would be expecting comments about the aroma of the pepper.
4. Heat up sunflower oil in the same pot you boiled the chicken with, so as to caramelise as much of the chicken bits left behind. Chop the last quarter of the onion from step 1, add to the oil and let it fry till it softens.
5. Add the reduced pepper and let it fry. See what I as saying about the pleasant to the eye colour. Yeeeeees, once you can achieve this, you are on to something fantastic. Allow it to fry for a bit until you start to see bubbles appear in the pepper.
6. Sprinkle in a little curry powder and thyme. Emphasis on sprinkle because these spices are just flavour enhancers, and should not over power this stew
7. Allow the pepper to fry till it absorbs the oil and takes on a glossy kind of look. This is key.
8. Big Oladunni’s stew is not fried for ages like Buka stew (recipe click HERE), or else you lose the flavour of the ginger, so keep an eye on the pepper. Once the pepper has thickened further from Step 7 above, add the chicken stock, and fried or grilled chicken. Stir and lower the heat. Now, this is where the magic happens.
Dooney’s Kitchen Tip: Lowering the heat is vital. You forget and you will hear her screaming from the living room “shey o ti yina e lole”. English for have you turned down the heat. I know some may be wondering if my mother speaks any English at all, not to worry she has a BA in English from University of Ibadan and was an English teacher for years before she left to setup her own schools. Some of my memories of cooking with her just happen to be in Yoruba.
9. Allow it to fry until you start to notice oil patches on top. Once you start to notice a little oil layer above the stew, take it off the heat, and as Mummy does, just leave it to sit on its own for a while, to allow the flavours to develop before you serve.
This is a bite your fingers, crush all the bones to smithereens kind of chicken stew. Its flavour is light, delicious, flirty on your palate and tingly aromatic on your nostrils.
You will enjoy this Chicken Stew, trust me.
Your Sunday Lunch Rice and Chicken Stew will never be the same
This stew is quite flexible, in that you can use leftovers for Peppered Chicken, which is exactly what I did yesterday. Step by step recipe for peppered meats, click
HERE
2cans of Plum tomatoes
2 medium red onions
Ginger – amount depends on your tolerance, but you should be able to smell the ginger in the uncooked pepper mix, otherwise you haven’t added enough
A sprinkling of thyme – emphasis on sprinkling
A sprinkling of curry powder
3 – 4 pieces of ata rodo – scotch bonnet/habanero pepper
3 pieces of tatashe
Sunflower oil – or your choice of veg oil
How To
1. First things first, blend your pepper mix + ginger. Take out a quarter of 1 of the onions and set aside. Make sure you keep your nose out for the ginger. Very important, but carefully ensure that you do not go overboard with it. Boil the pepper mixture to reduce it until it becomes thick. Also be on the look out for the colour. Big Oladunni’s Chicken Stew is a feast for the eyes and palate.
2. Boil your chicken with chopped onions, ginger, salt and seasoning cubes. Dooney’s Kitchen Tip: To boil chicken, you start with steaming it first in its own juices, decanting that first batch of stock, adding a little extra water, and put back on the heat again. This is how Mummy does it. She always stressed that you should never end up with more than 2, cups of stock, per whole chicken, otherwise you have just adulterated the flavour of the chicken by boiling it with too much water. Advice drilled in my ears over time. Mummy would get quite upset with you if you boiled chicken with a lot of water. Fry or grill after boiling and set aside.
3. By now, you should have your aromatic and sweet smelling reduced pepper mix. When you get to make this and you leave feedback, I really would be expecting comments about the aroma of the pepper.
4. Heat up sunflower oil in the same pot you boiled the chicken with, so as to caramelise as much of the chicken bits left behind. Chop the last quarter of the onion from step 1, add to the oil and let it fry till it softens.

5. Add the reduced pepper and let it fry. See what I as saying about the pleasant to the eye colour. Yeeeeees, once you can achieve this, you are on to something fantastic. Allow it to fry for a bit until you start to see bubbles appear in the pepper.

6. Sprinkle in a little curry powder and thyme. Emphasis on sprinkle because these spices are just flavour enhancers, and should not over power this stew

7. Allow the pepper to fry till it absorbs the oil and takes on a glossy kind of look. This is key.

8. Big Oladunni’s stew is not fried for ages like Buka stew (recipe click HERE), or else you lose the flavour of the ginger, so keep an eye on the pepper. Once the pepper has thickened further from Step 7 above, add the chicken stock, and fried or grilled chicken. Stir and lower the heat. Now, this is where the magic happens.

Dooney’s Kitchen Tip: Lowering the heat is vital. You forget and you will hear her screaming from the living room “shey o ti yina e lole”. English for have you turned down the heat. I know some may be wondering if my mother speaks any English at all, not to worry she has a BA in English from University of Ibadan and was an English teacher for years before she left to setup her own schools. Some of my memories of cooking with her just happen to be in Yoruba.

9. Allow it to fry until you start to notice oil patches on top. Once you start to notice a little oil layer above the stew, take it off the heat, and as Mummy does, just leave it to sit on its own for a while, to allow the flavours to develop before you serve.

This is a bite your fingers, crush all the bones to smithereens kind of chicken stew. Its flavour is light, delicious, flirty on your palate and tingly aromatic on your nostrils.

You will enjoy this Chicken Stew, trust me.

Your Sunday Lunch Rice and Chicken Stew will never be the same

This stew is quite flexible, in that you can leftovers for pepperedchicken

Source:dooneyskitchen.com

In Interviews&profile January 20, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

#PROFILE | MEET TOLA ADENLE, THE WOMAN WHO CREATED THE FIRST WOMEN MAGAZINE IN NIGERIA

Emotan Magazine, a woman bi-monthly magazine was founded in 1977 by trail-blazing Mrs Tola Adenle, a wife, mother of four, grandmother of six, who turned 70 in April.

Mrs Adenle’s career in journalism started when she was serving the mandatory National Youth Service at The Daily Sketch Newspaper. She went on to start, Emotan, A Woman’s Bimonthly which ran from 1977 to 1985.

From 2002, she contributed weekly essays to The Comet on Sunday, and she continued writing till December 26, 2010.

Emotan Magazine which was sold for 50kobo at the time, covered many women related issues including politics, sports, fashion, and opinions.

In her Editorial Note in the July/August 1978 issue, she described Emotan as ‘Nigeria’s First Quality Women’s Magazine’

She also wrote about being a female publisher;

I remember when people used to ask when they would see my boss!… Well, do you blame those male ch……? I’m a most unusual publisher, I agree…. I did succeed even with all these men despite my quarter-inch afro which I have grown back.

“The tiny African girl with the big afro” was how one of her bosses described her when she worked at the World Bank in the early to mid 1970s.

Interestingly, Mrs Tola Adenle has kept the memories of her magazine alive through blogging and she has been doing this since 2011.

After she was introduced to blogging by her youngest daughter, she decided to digitize her old newspaper weekly essays as well as write on other subjects that are of interest to her.

She considers her blog, emotanafricana.com, as a free time hobby to keep her busy.

One of the subjects she loves to write about is the Yoruba’s Aṣọ Òkè, which has attracted over 12,000 viewers on her blog.

Because of her followers love for the subject, she created a different category on her blog for the topic while she wrote a book on the subject titled, “Aso oke Yoruba: A Tapestry of Love & Colour, A journey of Personal Discovery.”

Although it took her so much effort to get people to read the blog when she started, the 70-year-old woman has now been blogging for five years.

Credit: woman.ng , emotanafricana.com

In Interviews&profile January 18, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

#PROFILE | CELEBRATING HUMAN RIGHT ACTIVIST DR. JOE ODUMAKIN

Dr. Joe was born in Zaria, Kaduna State, but grew up and schooled in Ilorin. Her passion for defending people’s rights started way back as a child. Growing up as a teenager, she decided to be a Nun, this decision was influenced by the Catholic educational environment she was groomed in but the fear of her father disowning her took away that zeal.

While schooling, she met with a lecturer who had keen interest in her because she was very intelligent. She was exposed to materials to read about Martin Luther King and other people like Karl Max, Malcom X. Quietly, a fire began to kindle with her very young mind.

In 1985, the position of secretary for Women in Nigeria, Kwara State branch was vacant so she applied alongside other women that had applied for the position. She won the hearts of many when she stepped out to declare her manifesto, after which she was accepted for the position.

Joe’s motivation came from all the books she read while she was in school and other interesting biographies of international activists who gave their lives to struggle for the right of people. It was then she looked within and saw that an opportunity to do the same was wide open in Nigeria, during the military dictatorship of late Abacha and Ibrahim Babangida.

Much later, fate and optimism brought her close to late Dr. Beko Ransome Kuti, who at that time was the President, Committee for the Defence of Human Rights. Her relationship with him, brought her closer to late Chief Gani Fawehinmi and the Afro-juju singer, Fela Kuti. Together they gallantly clamoured for change and democracy. She was always at the forefront of rallies held against military dictatorship, and she was detained severally in prison while she suffered bruises from severe beatings. It was during one of her many detentions that she met with Comrade Yinka Odumakin, and they got married later.

After the military era, she kept on fighting for the rights of minorities in the nation, particularly women who were constantly abused in the society. She also participated in various rallies protesting for free and fair elections in Nigeria, particularly the Save Nigeria Group [SNG] campaign.

With over 25 years experience in human rights work in Nigeria, Dr. Joe Odumakin keeps showing exemplary leadership qualities, undying commitment to grassroots development, and selfless service to humanity. She has been honoured with so many awards both in Nigeria and in other countries.

In self development January 17, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

#EMPOWERTUESDAY | LAGOS HOUSEWIFE : THE “MUST HAVE” KIDS SCHOOL LUNCH BOOK

Good morning, mamas. How was school resumption yesterday? How many of you shouted Halleluyah? You see yoursefs?

I’m back today with school lunch. Because of our children. Because of you mothers.

What are we feeding our children? The healthiest meals are balanced meals. Every food group is needed by their bodies. The trick is to add each in balanced quantities.

I also don’t believe children should not eat sweet things, except maybe for specific health reasons. But it should not be an everyday thing and I believe in making those sweet treats myself so I know exactly what goes inside.

The School Lunch Menu contains all the above with easy preparation methods and prep ahead tips. That is your own part. You don’t have to worry anymore what to pack in your children’s school lunch. How to balance their meals. How to cook varieties. How to make all those tantalizing meals.

Everything has been sorted out for you. For N2,000.

For everyone who has been inquiring, there are currently 3 payment options available for The School Lunch Menu:

– PayPal for International Payments
– Paystack for Local Online Payments
– GTB for Direct Bank Transfer

All the payment options are on this link – http://lagoshousewife.com/recipe-books/school-lunch-menu-timetable-recipes/

Please send me an email after payment so I can send you your copy.
My email address is also included in the link.

Don’t forget, The School Lunch Menu is an e-book in PDF format and will be sent to your email after payment. So your location is no hindrance. If you have an email address or a whatsapp number, you will get your copy.

Follow my instagram account https://instagram.com/lagoshousewife for more pictures of school meals prepared by me for my children

****This was posted for free in line with our vision to support female owned businesses and showcase their work for free every Tuesday through our #EmpowerTuesday initiative.

In lifestyle January 16, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

ARIYIKE WEEKLY : NANNY DRAMA!!!!

On this episode of Ariyike weekly, the gist is all about Nanny Drama! Ariyike talks about some of the lies these Nannies tell. Some even go as far as lying that their Parents are dead just because they want to get off work and for most of them, no matter how nice and accommodating you are to them, they will still leave you and go to their villages for Christmas. As for the agents, most of them keep recycling these girls even when they know they are not fit for the job. When I was trying to employ a Nanny last year, I did blood tests for a lot of them and so many of them tested positive for Hepatitis B and Pregnancy. In Nigeria, you must ensure that you do the necessary blood tests for these Nannies before employing them just so that you are sure who you are taking into your home. Is it the same in other parts of the world? Please watch and share some of the challenges you have faced with these Nannies/ their Agents. Today, it’s all about Nanny/Agent DRAMA!!!!

In Career Gems January 16, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

“YOU ARE THE WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL GIRL” – JOHN KERRY TELLS ZURIEL ODUWOLE

As the chief foreign affairs executive in the Obama Administration, the US Secretary of State – the Rt. Hon. John Kerry in between managing global trouble and flashpoints China, Syria, Iran, Israel and Brexit, has met with 14-year-old Zuriel Oduwole in his office at the U.S. State Department in Washington DC, to honor her.

He commended Zuriel for her ‘clarity of purpose’ in her fight for Girls Education in Africa through her Dream Up, Speak Up, Stand Up project and her other secondary initiatives such as her filmmaking class for unemployed youths. She has now taught filmmaking to more than 305 youths across 4 African countries – including Namibia, Kenya, Mauritius and Nigeria. The secretary was impressed that a student from her first film class workshop in February 2016 – 24 year old Namibian Anna Kalola, produced her first documentary just 9 months later, in November 2016 in Windhoek.

“I don’t believe there is anyone out there under the age of 35 doing anything nearly as much as what you are doing,” the Secretary told Zuriel. “It is incredible you have seen clearly the importance of these global challenges, and taken bold steps to do something about them. As far as I know, you are the world’s most powerful Girl, but you probably just don’t know it! You are inspiring and empowering Africa’s youth, and that is powerful”. “I try, Zuriel replied,” but Secretary Kerry responded saying ‘No, you are not trying, you are a doer, and we like to recognize talent like yours”.

Zuriel asked Secretary Kerry what his most difficult challenge was in the last four years as Secretary of State. In one word, he replied ‘Syria’. He explained the difficulty was because of the various proxies and complexities of dealing with many factions with varying interests in the country.

Secretary Kerry told the young, independent filmmaker, who has now met one-one-one with 23 World leaders, addressed more than 24,900 children across 11 countries on Education, and who was invited to speak at the UN last September, that because of her continued development work, she might one day be a future U.S. Secretary of State, or as many in the diplomatic circles now believe, perhaps the youngest UN Secretary-General in history.

Zuriel thanked the Secretary for not leaving out the issue of Girls Education in his programs over the last 4 years, and hopes the next US Secretary of State continues with Secretary Kerry’s policies, when he or she takes over after January 20th.

In Interviews&profile January 16, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

#PROFILE| MEET MAKY BENSON, THE ECONOMIST TURNED PARENTING BLOGGER

Maky Benson was born Chiamaka Araraume into the household of Senator Ifeanyi Godwin Araraume of Imo state, Eastern Nigeria. She is a graduate of Energy Economics and a chemical engineer.

She is happily married to Yomi Benson and the duo is blessed with two children, Micah and Eliana. Recently, the economist turned lifestyle and parenting blogger (www.makyscorner.com) published her cook book titled ‘ Micah’s meals’. Micah’s meals is a book which contains several recipes for babies, toddlers and beyond. Her book was inspired by her decision to feed her first child, Micah home-made and healthy food.

Maky (@makybenson on IG) is also the host and co-founder of The Little Foodie Sessions, a series of cooking sessions where you learn everything you want to know and more about how, when and what to feed your little ones.
We celebrate you, Mama Micah and Eli as she is fondly called, here at women of rubies.

In self development January 15, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

TOKE MAKINWA : “WHEN IT’S OKAY TO WALK AWAY”

Media Personality Toke Makinwa is out with a new episode of Toke Moments.

On this episode, she talks about when it’s okay to walk away from a relationship and how leaving is always an option.

In Interviews&profile January 14, 2017 By Esther Ijewere

I WANT TO SEE GOVERNMENT ENACTING LAWS THAT WILL GIVE ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS – YETUNDE TANIMOMO

A graduate of Mass Communication from the Nigeria Institute for Journalism, Yetunde has worked in various sectors including Construction, Manufacturing and recently resigned from a bank to focus on her passion to care for girls and women with special needs.

After several meetings with Founders, Executive Director Foundations, NGOs, and government agencies, Miss Tanimomo and her team are convinced that a change in peoples’ perception of what they term ‘disability’ will help in pushing for policies that will create an environment that would foster proper care for people with special needs.

Early Preparation

Initially you feel nothing did but I have come to realise that our past prepares us for what lies ahead. Because we do not see the future we tend to feel the present is just passing by. However, I have come to understand that we are shaped by experiences for what is to come. Losing my dad showed me what it means to be needy, having children around me brought out the love and care. Both attributes are necessary for what I am doing.

Meet Me!

I am Yetunde Tanimomo, a graduate of Mass Communication from the Nigeria Intitute for Journalism Ogba. I have worked in various sectors including Construction, Manufacturing and banking. I am also deep into Interior Decorations.I have a passion for Children and women with special needs. A passion specifically targetted at care for girls and women with special need

Inspiration behind Miss Ability Pageant

I saw a very beautiful young lady. She was strikingly beautiful and though she had special needs I noticed what I saw first wasn’t how she was? For several years that face never left me and I kept thinking about how to showcase such beauty to the world starting from home of course. That is what gave birth to Miss Ability Pageant.

Future Plans

I intend to work with other NGOs, Foundations to advocate for a better living condition for people with special needs. This will involve a lot of public sensitization on Mass Media, Social Media and the likes. We intend to hold seminars for parents with children or loved ones with special needs.

Leaving banking for social work

I wanted to stop talking about my passion and start to do something about it. I needed time away from ‘work’ to be able to face the project. So at that point it was the right move. I will get back to working. I need the time to lay a process in place for the foundation. To put structures in place. I believe I will need to work to also fund the project. I don’t want to rely on Government, organisations and other individuals alone.

Giving Up

Giving up for me is never an option. Whatever I take up I give all I can to see it through. I won’t deny the fact that there haven’t been times when I felt overwhelmed when I look at how huge the task is. For this I have been able to assemble people who share the passion so it’s easier to share ideas and strategize for upcoming programmes and the next move.

Another challenge is that you have to manage people who already have a set mind concerning people with special needs . Many of them are dumped in trash heaps. Some are probably terminated before birth because of the stigma associated with having a child with such needs. It will take some time but pretty soon we will get people appreciating them.

Challenges

Many folks are ashamed of their children or ward with special needs and as such they keep them locked up away from society. It’s hard to reach such children or persons.

People feel a sense of pity. They go ‘eeyah’ whenever they see anyone with special needs. They do not need pity but encouragement and love.

Getting Government and corporate organisations to support the move is proving a bit difficult. So many promises. Do you know what can be achieved if corporate organisations start to get people with special needs as brand ambassadors? Let them start with the Paralympians who have done the Nation Proud at the Olympics. That single feat will encourage others can and start to change people’s perception of ability in what they term disability.

Nigerians compassionate enough to kids with special needs?

Compassionate? yes, enough? No. What they need is not pity. They get a lot of that. But encouragement, empowerment and a chance like they give to everybody else. I want to see people with special needs having equal opportunities at getting jobs like the other folks. I want to see government enacting laws that will give enabling environment for people with special needs to move freely and have access to facilities like others. Look at virtually all public and commercial buildings, only few have parking spaces or entrances for people on wheel chairs and the blind.

Advice to women in same field

It’s all about passion driven by love and care. So do not look at how huge the task is. Just start one step at a time. Keep the passion fire burning. Get people who can help you. If a dream requires only you to carry it out then the dream is small.

I am a Woman of Rubies

I refuse to be limited by situations and circumstances. I have chosen to devote time to loving people with special needs especially girls and women. I want them to know their life shouldn’t necessarily be determined by what society thinks about them. They are worth much more. I intend to empower them so that society will view them differently and help out.

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