Mama's Specialty || LOH contest #185

Is there a special recipe or tradition that is associated with your mom (or mom figure) that you would love to share with us?

An original photo

Hello! I’m Moryn and am I’m here to talk about a special tradition of my mum’s.
I grew up in a family of four girls and I happen to be the third.
My mum is a whole lot of things and I have so many memories of her that I don’t know the one to share😂

For one, my mum yells a lot. I think part of the reason is cos we girls always pretend not to hear her at first. I remember as kids how I and my siblings would be in a room and my mum would call one of us and everyone would suddenly be silent till she calls a second time😂 I know it’s bad habit and she talked about it almost all the time but c’mmon, we were teenagers and can be a handful.

One tradition of my mum’s is making Moi Moi every Sunday. I know you’d be wondering how we have a particular meal every Sunday but just hear me out 😂

So I’m from Nigeria and Moi Moi is a common food though very difficult to make. It’s veryyyy tasty if well prepared and could be taken with a couple of other foods .So every Sunday, we make Moi Moi, my mum makes sure of that. It doesn’t matter how tired we are or how much we the girls are craving for something else, we’d still settle for Moi Moi.

A typical Sunday in my house starts with my mum waking us all from sleep followed by chores. Girls being who they are, we end up making lots of noise while preparing for church.My eldest sister would usually want to wear a shouty make up and my mum would always refuse. They’d go on and on about it till my dad steps in and ask my sister to rub everything off her face. She’d sulk and get moody but she’d still do as he says. Then the second daughter who liked wearing short gowns cos she had this particular guy she wanted to impress back then would start giving my mum a thousand and one reasons why the gown was fit for church. My mum would always find a loophole in every excuse and after several minutes of arguments, she ,(my sister) would remove it. I was usually less dramatic and do exactly as I was told.

One hour after we’re back from church and prolly eaten light snacks,
My mum would call us all for the main event😂

We usually start by picking the beans and washing it. (That’s my job actually), after which my mum blends the beans cos she doesn’t trust us with the electric blender😂 After that we mix the paste. What usually happens is that my two elder sisters argue on the exact quantity of salt, seasoning and other stuffs to put in the paste till they both wear themselves out and then my mum steps in😂

After mixing the paste, she puts them in nylon wraps and then proceed to cook them. My mum doesn’t allow any of us outside the kitchen till the food is done. It’s funny cos we didn’t do much asides sit down and have lots of arguments and yell at each other and try not to throw things.

After the food is done, we serve my dad and then my mum dish ours. My eldest sister usually picks a plate before any other person.

We had a loud and somewhat chaotic house growing up and though I never really liked it then, being in uni and staying so far from home has made me realize just how much I miss all the noise.

It wasn’t easy growing up but my mum was with us in every step of the way. I love the way my mum separated fights between I and my siblings without trying to side anyone. Most of my best life decisions were as a result of the influence of my mum.

My mum is a strong woman. I love how she handles the home and makes it a safe space for everyone. I remember the nights I feel overwhelmed with everything and just a phone call with my mum puts me in a better mood.

I love the way my mum shares things between I and my siblings. It’s usually funny but looking back now, I realize she was able to curb lots of quarrels that would have ensued between I and my siblings.

I look at my mother and I see a strong woman. A woman who would put her children’s happiness before hers. A woman who would do whatever it takes to make her daughters happy and comfortable.

I look at my mother and I realize just how strong women are. How differently we are built.

I look at my mother and I say to myself, “one day you’re going to be a mum and you would do just fine because that’s how you are wired".

Thank you for reading. My entry came late this time but I'll be early next time. Be posted and do come around. Muah!