I would always prefer my homemade meals.

Okay, let me keep it real with you all ,I'm a Nigerian mom and cooking for my family is simply what I do. It's just a major part of who I am. Now don't get it twisted, I'm not saying I never hit up a mama put or restaurant. When life gets super hectic or I'm just feeling way too drained to even think about firing up the stove, you know this girl has got to take a break. But for real though, most days you'll find me holding it down in my kitchen, whipping up something delicious for my loved ones.

I'm sure you're wondering why though, right? Why do I prefer to do all the cooking myself instead of just ordering in or grabbing takeout? Well, let me break it down for you.

First off, when I'm the one doing the cooking, I know exactly what's going into that food. I get to use all fresh, quality ingredients. None of those overly processed, preservative-loaded, who-knows-what-else kind of situation. With restaurant grub, it's like a total gamble on what they're really putting in there behind closed doors. But not in my kitchen.

Another major key is that the food I cook myself just tastes better, period. It's those long-standing family recipes that have been passed down from my mama's mama's mama and so on. Generations of African magic get cooked right into those time-honored dishes. I can tweak and tinker with the spices and seasonings until the flavors are popping off just how my family's tastebuds like it. You just can't replicate that authentic homemade goodness!

Don't even get me started on the health benefits too. When I'm doing the cooking, you know I'm loading up on all the good stuff - veggies, proteins, fruits, all those nutritious gamides. I can actually balance it out properly. But let's be honest, those mama put ladies aren't exactly prioritizing a balanced meal most times. Drenched in oil and light on the real nutrition is more their M.O.

Cooking from scratch also helps a naija mama out on a budget like myself. The amount I spend on cooking ingredients for a whole week could barely cover a couple days of consistent restaurant meals for my whole family. My pockets appreciate me putting in that home cooking labor!

But even past all the practical reasons, cooking is honestly just a nourishing experience for my soul. There's a real satisfaction that comes from taking simple, fresh ingredients and transforming them into something wholesome and flavorful to nourish my people. It's like my love language, for real. Anytime my kids devour one of my traditional Nigerian meals like jollof rice, egusi soup, moi moi or the like with smacking lips and satisfied bellies, it just fills my heart up. Knowing I'm the one who cooked that up with my own hands for their enjoyment? Priceless.

It's also how I get to keep our rich culture alive and share it with my babies. The recipes, the techniques, the entire ritual of it all , it's been passed down to me from the aunties and big mamas before me. You already know I'll be schooling my own children on all those secret tricks and traditions to keep our heritage traveling down the line too. It connects us to our roots in such a powerful way.

Listen, I get that eating out from time to time can be a fun novelty and convenience. But at the end of the day, this Nigerian mama's heart and soul will always belong to the home cooking game. Simple, fresh, nourishing ingredients cooked up with a whole lot of love and sprinkled with generations of know-how? That's the real good good right there! My stove and I will be holding it down, guaranteed.

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