Category: On The Side (Page 1 of 2)

As I turn 26….

August 28, 2017 / Kaluhi / 34 Comments

OH MY GOD!!!!!!

I AM 26!

I won’t lie, I had a mini panic attack a few weeks back following my birthday. But as days got closer, I felt like I was actually blossoming and not wilting. And today as my mom sang me happy birthday, everything felt ok and I knew the year ahead would be fantastic since it started with the person who first held me and laid eyes on me when I came to this earth wishing me well and declaring blessings upon it. God bless mothers! <3 There is this beauty about coming into your own as you grow older and living life according to your terms and that is freeing to me. I am entering a phase in my life that where my wings shall be spread with even more splendor and I will even surprise myself by what I can achieve. I am entering a phase where I am increasingly unafraid of my power and excited about challenges thrown my way. I am excited about the glow-up in all areas of my life. I am excited about everything! And as I turn 26, here is what I pray and hope for :

Blogniversary: My Four Little Things

July 27, 2017 / Kaluhi / 10 Comments

Wow!!! Three years behind me and the road ahead seems even more promising and exciting!. Who would have imagined that a silly idea of starting a blog on July 27th would have grown stronger with time? I certainly did not! But it has been without doubt one of the best decisions I have made in my entire life! Has it been easy? Hell naw! But has it been worth it? Heck yea!!

Looking back on my three years, I am nothing but grateful for each one of you for enriching my journey, critiquing me, encouraging me, laughing with me and of course, making BOMB food with me. As I start my fourth year today (OMG how fast has time flown by!!), here are four little things about my journey, random ones about my self and anything else that I have learnt and have carried me through.

Lessons and Musings – Blogging 101

February 22, 2017 / Kaluhi / 34 Comments

One of the questions I receive most be it on email, or through direct messaging on my social media platforms is how to start and run a successful blog, more specifically a Food blog. While I do not consider myself a master of blogging, I do know I have learnt a lot along the way and the little I know can help you in one way or another. This blog post is for you, who may want to start a blog, needs a bit of direction and maybe wants to make it their full time job. I will try summarize all I have learnt, and hope to help in one way or another. So here we go!

Lessons & Musings IV

December 30, 2016 / Kaluhi / 12 Comments

Another beautiful year down and I cannot be more thankful for the glorious 365 days that are now history. Thank you for all the memories made, new friendships formed, goals achieved and fun had. This is my final post of the year and I would like to give you lessons and musings I have had this year. I would also like to know what you guys have learnt this year in the comment section. But first, read through mine :))

#TembeaNaKaluhi – My Jozi Through 30 Photos

November 22, 2016 / Kaluhi / 11 Comments

I can safely and confidently conclude that my best travel trip this year has been to Johannesburg. The island paradise Lamu was enchanting and Dublin was great, however Johannesburg was simply magical!!!!! I met AMAZING young, driven, passionate creatives from different parts of the continent doing amazing things with their gifts. I discovered and fell in love with the vibrance this South African city has to offer. I sharpened my networking skills and indulged in South African cuisine which I absolutely fell in love with. It felt a lot like home, yet spoke of a culture so different. My mind has been opened to so much more and I just cannot wait to go back!! If you follow me on Instagram (If you are not, what on earth are you waiting for??!), you must have seen my daily adventures for our week long excursion through my InstaStory. It is an experience that is one of my 2016 highlights. This post is a highlight of many such moments through 30 photos. It was not a road trip for sure, but I will use the guide below to take you through snippets of Jozi. The hashtag #TembeaNaKaluhi is swahili and in translation could mean Journey with Kaluhi. I hope you get to feel the essence of Jozi through my post relive my experiences through what I share :))

Siba Mtongana: Strength, Charisma, Grace.

August 17, 2016 / Kaluhi / 14 Comments

If you have been following my blog since its inception you know very well just how much I look up to Siba. I always talk about her and admire how effortless she is with her craft. I first met her on Thursday the 12th during “This is Africa Launch” and had the honor of once again getting a once in a lifetime chance of getting a one on one interview with her the following Saturday. I was sooooo nervous. I was just praying not to stumble over my words or make a fool of myself in the presence of my role model LOL. After arriving ~~embarrassingly~~ a little bit late I found a warm, calm crowd cracking in laughter while keenly listening to Brian speak as she looked on and chipped in. After the meet and greet, we took our selfies and got to chat with the power couple. “You are doing a fantastic job! I love your work & I love your site!” Siba told me. My soul literally left my body! Hearing that from someone I look up to is among the most validating things I have heard since I started this journey. We spoke about so many things. She has this warm demeanor that makes anyone feel at ease. She is very humble despite her constant rise and rise. Born and raised in Africa, and still living in Africa, she is very proud of being part of this continent’s story and is a strong believer that we can rewrite our narrative and that in whichever field we are in we can be just as good as, if not better than, people born in other parts of the globe.

Here is how our one on one interview went down:

2 Years Down, Many To Come!

July 27, 2016 / Kaluhi / 18 Comments

On July 27th 2014 I literally woke up and decided that I am starting a blog. Being a very resolute person, once I had decided to do something I go hard and I get it done. I thought no one would even read my blog :DD. I thought after three months, I would get tired, put my blog in the back burner and move on. I never thought I would have such amazing readers from all parts of the world who I’d enjoy creating for. Even though at that point I did not have a clear growth plan, I knew I enjoyed cooking and sharing my recipes. Two years later and 200 posts down, we are here! * waves pom poms in the air *

I have learnt plenty along the way, I have grown a great deal too. And the learning and growing never ever stops. Its has been the most fun roller coaster ride, and I am so excited for the years to some and the great things we are going to achieve and experience together.

#TembeaNaKaluhi – My Lamu through 30 Photos

April 27, 2016 / Kaluhi / 7 Comments

After attending the Lamu food festival, we returned home with a ton of new memories after falling in love with the rich culture of the people of Lamu. Lamu Food Festival presented to us a beautiful way of experiencing all that Lamu had to offer. Besides just food, we were captivated by other aspects of the Island that we felt were so captivating and just showed how beautiful our country is. If you are yet to read my first two Lamu posts, check them out here and here.

Jayson suggested that we do a 30 photo road trip challenge to try capture the essence of this beautiful island and I thought this would be the best way to give you a visual feel of Lamu. If you are yet to, ensure Lamu is on your list of places to visit this year. 30 pictures are not enough to capture the beautiful architecture, warm people, amazing food and rich heritage, but I shall try. To really feel this, you just have to go and experience Lamu. I hope one of these fine days we shall bump into each other on the narrow streets of Lamu <3.

My Worst Ever Food Fails

March 31, 2016 / Kaluhi / 23 Comments

I am always asked this question “But do you ever have kitchen fails?” And my answer is always the same “Like everyone else on earth, I make kitchen blunders” It does not matter if you are the best chef in the world with years of training, mistakes are bound to happen. Let me tell you, I make major messes, it’s just that I do not show them to you or you do not see them all. But that has never kept me from trying and improving. I am a food blogger, but that does not meat I am a demi god who has never made a cooking error. For me, I take each failure as a learning point. After each mistake, you get to learn what not to do next time of what to change up next time. I encourage each one of you to develop the same outlook. Mistakes will happen, but do not stop trying and growing.

Today, I am laying myself bare. I will show you some of my countless errors. And I must say, I would not have gotten as good if I did not make mistakes along the way. Let this serve as encouragement to you, mistakes will happen in the kitchen. You will make master blunders. But never let than prevent you from getting better and better. In no particular order, here we go:

Lessons and Musings III

March 25, 2016 / Kaluhi / 18 Comments

As promised, I will be giving you more insight to my little busy thoughts once in a while in place of taking stock. I hope you enjoy the read. This Good Friday afternoon, wind down to a good read :))- Lessons and Musings III

Lessons and Musings II

February 19, 2016 / Kaluhi / 30 Comments

For those that know me, they know that I really do not know how to summarize my opinions or stories. I am that girl who is the story teller. One of my Instagram followers told me that she enjoyed the first lessons and musings and urged me to do more of those. I must admit, I was incredibly nervous about publishing an emotionally naked post, but it felt very much worth it. I indeed felt that taking stock was too summarized and static for me. I will here hence forth do away with TS and take on lessons and musings. Hope you can relate in one way or another :)). Here we go!

Lessons and Musings from 2015

December 31, 2015 / Kaluhi / 26 Comments

Every new years eve (and the eve of my birthday) I always review the year that is coming to a close. I highlight my favorite moments but especially moments that I drew so much wisdom from and life lessons I take with me to the next year. These typically come from things people said or did or I things I personally experienced.

I feel compelled to share some of the things that were learning points for me. I wanted to do a ‘taking stock‘ but I could not bring myself to summarize anything LOL. I hope you can relate to some of them and draw some wisdom from this busy 24 year old mind of mine on the final day of 2015.

Cooking Challenge – #KupikaNaKaluhi

October 7, 2015 / Kaluhi / 0 Comments

Every Monday, I always give you guys an ingredient of the week and show you how you can use it in your cooking to spruce things up. Today, I am giving you a set of ingredients only difference is, you are making a dish of your choice and a fantastic prize is up for grabs for the best recipe and the best picture of the prepared dish. This challenge is dubbed #KupikaNaKaluhi and it is in partnership with Infinix Mobile. Kaluhi’s Kitchen is all about innovative recipes while infinix mobile is all about innovative mobile trends so we want to honor one of my readers who shall embody the same quality both brands have: Innovation.

Taking Stock Seven

October 2, 2015 / Kaluhi / 10 Comments

As we head into the final months of 2015, time to pause and recount. :))

In My Pantry – My Essentials

August 4, 2015 / Kaluhi / 7 Comments

I have a bunch of things I turn to when I want to add a bit of flare to my meals. Though some of them I do not use every day, I consider some must-have in my kitchen. They are not only tasty but transform an otherwise normal/boring dish into something very delicious.

Last week Wednesday on Instagram, my instaFam and I were discussing about the ingredients we like most in the kitchen. While it was nearly impossible to single out just one, there were some ingredients that were of common to all of us. Read the entire interactive conversation here. I shall take you through some of my (and some of my readers’) pantry essentials and why my I (we) deem them so important.

*Side Note* : I had so much fun taking these pictures and was so stocked with how they turned out. Improvement is a good thing :))

30 random things about me

August 2, 2015 / Kaluhi / 37 Comments

Someone asked me to tell more about myself beyond what I share on the blog. To just get to know me. It is abit beyond what I feel comfortable doing, but no harm in doing it. So here is a tiny bit of who I am: 30 things about me.

Taking Stock Six

July 27, 2015 / Kaluhi / 16 Comments

Kaluhi’s Kitchen turns one today!!!! *jumps in air and waves pom poms* And I could not be more thankful for the amazing ride it has been thus far. I have learnt what it means doing something you like, just coz you like it, and enriching other lives in the process. I have learnt to constantly aim for excellent, regardless whether there is an audience or not. But most times, when you do aim for excellent, the audience does turn up.

For the growth, the journey, the small victories, the times I spread myself out too thin, the critics and the support and my beloved readers who I would be nothing without, Thank You. Today, let us pause and recount.

7 most common food myths denunked

June 19, 2015 / Kaluhi / 4 Comments

We have all heard those do’s and dont’s about cooking , food and being in the kitchen. While many of them hold ground and have truth to them, others are just not quite true. With the society at large becoming more health conscious, alot of foods are being avoided at all costs. I am a believer that every single food can contribute to the well being of our bodies. It is just important for you not to overindulge. Here are some 7 most common food myths:

Taking Stock 5

May 22, 2015 / Kaluhi / 10 Comments

With 84 posts behind me and a jumble of recipes in my head, it is time to take a pause and smell the roses… or the food.. or whatever we want to smell :D. Here we go: Taking Stock 5.

Taking Stock 4

March 13, 2015 / Kaluhi / 15 Comments

Time to take a little breather. Allow myself to reevaluate myself and let you in on my life as we continue on this culinary journey together :). Today: Taking Stock 4

Making: Many more bolder decisions this year. As I have realized the absolute worst that could happen is simply rejection. But with that too, comes a world of experience and know how.

Cooking: A lot of matumbo these days. And loving every bit of it.