African Food and Art

Thank you to our latest donor, Tony. Thank you, Tony. We were able to purchase three new stainless steel pots to continue our cooking and teaching heritage.

Kwanzaa Is Meant to Help You Start the New Year Off Right

Kwanzaa Is Meant to Help You Start the New Year off Right Kwanzaa

Umoja (oo-MO-jah) means Unity

Kujichagulia (koo-jee-chah-GOO-lee-ah) means Self-Determination

Ujima (oo-jah-MAH) means Collective Work and Responsibility

Ujamaa (U-jay-ma) means Cooperative Economics

Nia (NEE-ah) means Purpose

Kuumba (koo-OOM-bah) means Creativity

Imani (ee-MAH-nee) means Faith



Kwanzaa is meant to help you start the New Year off right. A new year inspires renewed energy and excitement for what could happen. Kwanzaa's seven principles of unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith fit right into the New Year resolutions wish list.

Beginning December 26 and lasting for seven days until the first day of the New Year, Kwanzaa is a celebration of everyone's community, family, and culture.

History of Kwanzaa: each of the seven days of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of seven principles. The colors of Kwanzaa are black, red, and green; Black for the people, red for their struggle, and green for the future and success that comes from their struggle.

Seven Principles of Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa's seven principles are the Nguzo Saba (n-GU-zo SAH-bah).

Dr. Maulana Karenga introduced Kwanzaa in 1966 to the Africans of the American diaspora as a ceremonial celebration to welcome the first fruit harvests in the Americas. Dr. Karenga created Kwanzaa “to introduce and reinforce seven basic values of African culture which contribute to the building and reinforcing of family, community, and culture among African American people as well as Africans throughout the world African community.”

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is a seven-day celebration of family, community, and culture. Kwanzaa is not an African Christmas celebration; Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday, nor is it meant to replace Christmas. The colors of Kwanzaa are black, red, and green. Kwanzaa is a seven-day celebration that begins on December 26 and ends on January 1.

Kwanzaa has seven symbols representing the values reflective of a peaceable world known as the Nguzo Saba. The seven principles of Kwanzaa are unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. The name Kwanzaa is derived from the Swahili term "matunda ya kwanza", which means first fruits. Kwanzaa is based on African harvest celebrations.

What is Kwanzaa? People of many faiths, cultures, and ethnic backgrounds celebrate Kwanzaa. Kwanzaa is a time for all communities to celebrate ancestry, African culture, future and past endeavors, and virtues. Kwanzaa is a positive force in all communities, respecting beloved ancestors and elders for their wisdom, knowledge, sacrifice, and fortitude.

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What is the difference between ugali and fufu

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How to make the popular African recipes Ugali and Fufu and what is the difference.  Ugali is a starch dish in Kenya and Tanzania made of fine cornmeal cooked in boiling water into a soft dough. Fufu is a thick, dough-like West African food made by boiling then pounding a starchy vegetable such as yam, plantain, or cassava or a mixture of starchy vegetables. The main difference between fufu and ugali is fufu is boiled first then pounded while ugali is simply boiled. Ugali recipe. Easy Ugali Recipe Prep time 5 minutes Cook time 30 minutes Total time 30 minutes Ingredients 4 cups finely ground cornmeal 8 cups water Directions Heat water to boiling in a saucepan. Slowly pour cornmeal into boiling water stirring continuously. Add more cornmeal if necessary until it is thick as soft bread dough. Serve immediately with vegetables, stew, or any dish you would use a spoon with to soak up the sauce, ugali is purposely bland tasting on its own. What is the difference between ugali and
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Top 20 Largest Countries in Africa

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African Country by Size List. Africa Which are the top twenty largest, smallest, and territorial country in Africa by land area? 1. The continent of Africa is the world’s second largest based on land area and population just after Asia. 2. Top five largest countries of Africa are Algeria, Congo Democratic Republic of the, Sudan, Libya and Chad. 3. Top five smallest African countries and territories are Mauritius, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, Saint Helena and Mayotte. African Country from largest to smallest Area sq mile Area sq km Algeria 919,595 2,381,740 Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) 905,568 2,345,410 Sudan 718,723 1,861,484 Libya 679,362 1,759,540 Chad 495,755 1,284,000 Niger 489,191 1,267,000 Angola 481,354 1,246,700 Mali 478,767 1,240,000 South Africa 471,011 1,219,912 Ethiopia 435,186 1,127,127 Mauritania 397,95
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Ethiopian Midwest American Hotdish

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Our Ethiopian hot dish combines Ethiopian cooking with classic Minnesota Midwest casserole meal. The hot dish’s origins are a product of settlers traditions in Midwest America dating back to the early 20th century. A hot-dish or casserole is a one-pan meal that traditionally includes a combination of starch like potatoes, pasta, or rice, ground meat, vegetables, and a creamy canned soup base, all topped with crunchy goodness like breadcrumbs or tater tots. The concept of hot dish became popular in the Upper Midwest, particularly in states like Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin, in the 1930s and 1940s. This period was marked by economic challenges, including the Great Depression. The need for economical and filling meals led to the creation of dishes that could be stretched to feed many people using simple, affordable ingredients . Hot dishes became synonymous with potlucks, church suppers, and social gatherings. These events were central to rural and small-town communities, where
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Neck elongation rings how to put on and take off

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Neck elongation rings how to put on and take off. Idzila are Ndebele wives traditionally wear rings around the neck as a status symbol and wear rings around the arms, legs, and neck. Wearing Neck Rings. For centuries, married South African Ndebele tribes’ women saw wearing heavy rings around their neck as an honored status symbol. Neck rings are any form of stiff necklaces worn around the neck of an individual. The neck rings are usually made of copper or brass. During initiation, girls wear an array of colorfully beaded hoops called izigolwan around their legs, arms, waist, and neck. After marriage, the Ndebele wife would wear copper and brass rings around her arms, legs, and neck, symbolizing her bond and faithfulness to her husband, once her home was built. Idzila rings were believed to have strong ritual powers. Husbands used to provide their wives with rings; the richer the husband, the more rings the wife would wear. These outward symbols can be removed only in ca
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