SEC-S30W1: Family Bonding Activities"

It's quite funny how I'm doing this on dire minutes because I didn't want read the rules well that you're supposed to do three activities with your family. It was only the cooking aspect I did and even prepared a post for this before seeing the rule. So now, the three activities from the list of 5 that I did were;

• Cooking with family
• Eating meals together
• Doing household projects (cleaning)

So these were the three activities that I involve myself in or with my family. Starting from the first activity which I'll explain elaborately, how it was done, the challenges involved, the gains and other social questions.

So we decided to cook together on Friday since it's only one person that has been cooking this week while others are usually busy with their day's activities. So the menu was Editan Soup. These are the ingredients used in preparing this food and the steps used.

• Editan leaves [Grounded]
• Onions and Pepper
• Crayfish and dry fish
• Cow meat and hard meat
• Red oil and salt
• Stock fish and periwinkle
• Water leaf
• Fufu and spices

These are the major ingredients including water in the list of ingredients. So we decided to do a division of labour in the work so that it would reach everybody and no one would have to spend so much on a particular thing. This was the division we did.

• My mom prepared the ingredients and kept in plates for us to use. She was really into supervision, but was responsible for cutting and grinding the leaves. She used two sharp knives to do this and after she was done, she took it to the market and ground it, bringing it back for us to wash it as this particular leaf isn't washed before slicing.

• After this, she was still around the kitchen giving us gist while we did the work at night. It's always fun cooking at night here, but my mum doesn't like it but when it's late in the night. I started with the Meat. I washed both meats in a basin and then cut the cow meat into pieces, leaving the other meat for my mum to take care of. After cutting the cow meat, I contained them in a pot and added a cube of Maggi, half teaspoon of salt, one onion and three ground pepper into the meat and placed it on low heat.

• After some minutes, the meat was done. I then switched to washing the stockfish with other dry fish and contained it inside the pot we'll use for cooking. I added salt so it would catalyze the cooking process and soften the fishes. I then placed it on medium heat as well to steam. After the meat and fish cooking processes, I turned my attention to the Fufu mixing.

• While I was making the Fufu, my sister boiled a kettle full of water to use and wash the ground leaves. She then used a filter to filter the stickiness and remove the bitterness. After washing it properly, she then squeezed them and contain in a plate to use for cooking. She also did the honours of washing the water leaves and slicing them with onions.

• After cutting the water leaves, she then started preparing other items for soup. While doing this, we exchanged words that are comical and emotional. My brother came in and washed the periwinkle for us to use and do the cooking. It was only my sister that did the cooking because too many hands spoils the soup. So I decided to assist instead of cooking.

• While turning the Fufu, I had a little conversation with my sister which motivated me to complete the turning of Fufu. In no time, our food was done and we ate it so happily. The second activity was done the next day.

It's not as if we've not been cooking together, but this week, only one person has to cook in the morning till night because of the nature of my mum and dad's work. The challenge I had was forcing my sister to join the camera, but she didn't. She preferred just wanting to like that. The challenge for this cooking was my elder sister because she couldn't join the picture. I only captured her at random.

Aside from this, nothing was challenging because the division of labour made it easy. Everyone was willing to spare their time and do something because it was about cooking which concerns me.

The gain is that this cooking together brought us together and be happy. My mom, sister and brother were all part of this which made me discover my hidden talent when it comes to cooking. His wife can cook very well and her coolers are also notable. **
Who in the family enjoyed these activities the most? My mother enjoyed this together because it's the fact that it has relieved her of her cooking. Instead of cooking alone, she could now get enough bands to help her during cooking, whether around or not.

This bonding activity of cooking was better than before because in the days, my mom would be cooking alone while we busy don't the narrative has changed.

So I decided to do the second activity which is eating together as a family. We set all phones aside and continued the eating things. W got to sell it to someone and give you a considerable amount so that this family time can be carried out. My sister was still the challenge to getting the whole picture, but I forced her and she did it.

At around 5am in the morning, my sister was bent on washing household utensils while I did clean the backyard by sweeping it with my brother. It was the best moments to actually see my family do things together.

It did help us cherish the moments with family and why it's important that family do things together for the bond in that family to grow. Conversations was made freely and we felt as if we had a change of heart into doing the right thing on and on. It just made us realise this as an essential part of family bonding.