Here are ten hacks to help you survive the season peacefully.

1. Let your loudest friend handle all the planning

Every crew has that one overactive planner who knows every rave, brunch and beach day. Allow them to shine. Your own job is to show up moisturised.

2. Make the Panarottis app your workday lifeline

Lunch stress is unnecessary stress. Instead of stepping out in the sun and traffic, order pizza and keep your energy for the real December activities.

3. Build a personal traffic survival kit

Power bank, water and pizza slices. Perfect for surviving the Third Mainland traffic and still arriving like someone who has sense.

4. Perfect your ā€œI didnā€™t hear youā€ face during bill-splitting moments

Itā€™s a talent. Practice it. Protect your wallet. Then reward yourself later with Panarottis because at least pizza wonā€™t judge you.

5. Keep one emergency December outfit ready

For IJGB meetups, random hangouts and last-minute ā€œweā€™re outside tonight.ā€ One ironed outfit can save your entire reputation.

6. Avoid any conversation that starts with ā€œSo what are we doing next year?ā€

Itā€™s December. Youā€™re trying to relax. Heavy conversations can resume in January. Use pizza as a distraction if necessary.

7. Choose soft life over unnecessary movement

If the venue is too far, skip it. If the sun is too hot, skip it. If your spirit says stay home, listen. Order in and enjoy your peace.

8. Claim your right to disappear strategically

Not every outing needs your attendance. Sometimes the softest life is staying indoors with a warm box of pizza and your favourite playlist.

9. Always have a small-win treat for surviving the day

Finished a deadline? Survived a family function? Didnā€™t curse anyone in traffic? Celebrate with a new Panarottis flavour. December is for enjoyment.

10. Remember that food is the real festive hack

Events can flop. Friends can stress you. The weather can embarrass you. But pizza will never disappoint. Order through the Panarottis app or walk into the closest branch and let happiness meet you.

Enjoy the Seasonā€™s Slice of Happiness.
Abraham Adesanya | Yaba | Ogudu | Festac Link Rd | Ilupeju | Admiralty | Chevron | Sangotedo | Surulere | Orchid Rd | Providence

to place your order or visit any outlet.

Raisin bread

Raisin bread is rich and filling, but not everyone likes the too-sweet raisins.

Wheat bread

Whole wheat bread might be a healthier alternative due to its higher fibre content, but letā€™s all just admit we find it less palatable compared to the sweeter and softer white bread.

Brioche bread

Is it bread or is it a pastry? Buttery and sweet, this one gives luxury or special-occasion bread because it simply always costs more ā€” or maybe it just looks like it does? Either way, Nibbles Bread is about to introduce its version, and we guarantee itā€™ll be easy on the pocket.

Tea buns

Tea buns are enjoyed as a treat, especially with tea or coffee, but like brioche, they tend to be considered more of a snack than a staple.

Sliced bread

Itā€™s convenient, good for sandwiches and widely available. But beyond being the perfect plain base for peanut butter and anything else you might like, itā€™s simply not that tasty on its own like the bread types above it.

Sardine bread

Great for when you want something savoury without having to spend on a spread or filling after buying your bread. The only reason why itā€™s not top of the list is because if itā€™s not fresh, itā€™s nasty.

Coconut bread

Itā€™s like biting into a sweet, nutty hug from the one Grandma who always brings you Gurundi and Shuku Shuku when she visits. Whether you enjoy this soft, moist bread plain or slathered in your favourite spread, itā€™s always a win. Throw in the health benefits of the coconutā€™s fibre and healthy fats, and whatā€™s not to love? The only downside is how scarce it is.

White loaf

Are you really surprised this is at the top of the ranking? Soft, fluffy and sweet, this is the go-to that defines what a ā€œbreadā€ should be. The OG, Agege bread, is low-yeast, and all other types and brands model themselves after it. But Nibbles family loaf is fluffy and sweet with a good price and longevity.

Nicknamed the ā€œbread of lifeā€, Nibbles is one of the best bread brands in Nigeria today. People, especially those who like their bread fluffy, love it for its quality and variety of options. Today, it has family loaves and tea buns, with many new variants on the way. Available on a quick stop at any or any store or supermarket nationwide.

AND NOW: We Ranked Nigerian Bread Pairings From Worst To Best

Of course, as the Explorer that I am, I explored Lagos alone at first which I immediately regretted. For a home buddy, you would almost think you are self-sufficient, too much consumption of lifestyle Instagram content made me feel like one of those creators, and so I took my phone stand, airpods and decided to venture into Lagos, totally forgetting how Lagosians took advantage of IJGBs (I just got back from the diaspora, usually for the holidays) and generally people who are new in places and embarked on a Lagos adventure. 

As if being mugged wasn’t enough, my meals didn’t taste like they looked. Great ambiance but terrible food! But if you know me by now, I donā€™t give up; visions of bustling markets, vibrant nightlife, and delicious food danced in my head. The best meal I had will only get 4/10 in my books. But the resilient person in me doesn’t give up, so, we movee. 

I went on Google and did a bunch of searches on the best restaurants in Lagos and the best reservation apps similar to opentable in Lagos (Opentable is a reservation application I use to book tables in the US) to ensure I had more than enough options. Of course, I saw a couple but something about lulled me in. Iā€™ve always been a sucker for good-looking stuff and Reisty stood out for me. Installing the app was a breeze, I set up an account and my Reisty login was simple. Guess who saw a whole 2000 naira in their wallet? Meee! Thumbs up to Reisty for whoever came up with that genius idea.

Perusing the restaurants was something I enjoyed doing because each restaurant profile had all the answers I needed, from menus to clear photos of the restaurant to the location and even genuine reviews from people who had visited the restaurant. The creativity of the Reisty app is one I love to experience over and over again. Lagosians, you really donā€™t know what this online dining reservation app has done for you until you try it.

I tried the first restaurant with about 50% enthusiasm, because once bitten twice shy, and Iā€™ll give them 100/100. The first restaurant I decided to try out was I have heard a lot about this restaurant especially since I had a hidden interest in Indian culture and it looked like the perfect spot. It was so good, the ambiance, the food, and just everything was top-notch! 

By the second restaurant, my excitement level had risen to 70% because I didnā€™t want to serve myself breakfast before the real breakfast. The expectation was surpassed, and now, I have 100% confidence in any restaurant on the Reisty app. 

One thing I particularly love about Reisty is, . Reisty had the right restaurants with great ambiance and even more fantastic food. Because of the shege I had seen, my first intention was to drag Reisty and the restaurants they had on blogs for their inconsistency, but I couldn’t because of the excellence at which everything went. The seamless location of restaurants made identifying restaurants, viewing menus, booking seats, and ordering food a breeze. 

Restaurants are segmented based on categories, making it easy to explore restaurants that suited my vibes, from rooftops to restaurants with ocean views to Indian and many other categories

The foodie in me has been upgraded because this adventure was top-notch. At this point, Reisty needs to employ me as their US-Nigerian ambassador because all my friends and family have downloaded the app. 

To be very honest, whoever created the Reisty app had me in mind because my Lagos adventure went from potentially stressful to absolutely fantastic. I also got a free 2k in my Reisty wallet, so it was a win-win for me. I explored hidden corners of the city, experienced authentic Lagos culture, and, most importantly, had a blast doing it.

To my fellow IJGBs, listen up! If you’re planning a Lagos adventure, just download the Reisty app from your app store, or playstore. You’ll definitely thank me later. Lagosians, I would also advice that you donā€™t sleep on this because it takes your outside game from zero to 100. Take this from a US resident.Ā 

You already eat one or the other every Sunday

Youā€™ve spent the entire year eating jollof and fried rice. Now that 2023 is winding to a close, do you want to continue with that? Let yourself and your taste buds rest, we beg of you.

Itā€™s a celebration 

You made it through big 2023. Itā€™s time to lay out an actual assortment of food and drinks and have a ball.

You have enough time

You have seven full weeks, all the time youā€™ll ever need to step up your cooking game and attend a Christmas class by a Guinness World Record holder herself. 

Hilda Baciā€™s cooking class is just six days away, and youā€™ll get to learn over 160 recipes, five plating techniques, and letā€™s not forget the prizes you might win.

There are other types of rice

We understand that you, jollof rice and fried rice have an unbreakable bond. But we beg you to please allow the spirit of Christmas break whatever has joined the three of you together.

To showcase your culinary prowess

Think about it. What better chance will you get to test all the recipes youā€™ll learn from Hilda Baciā€™s Christmas cooking class on your unsuspecting family members? 

Nothing comes close to bread. You can make it on a stove or in an oven, it comes in different shapes and sizes, and you can pair it with literally anything and itā€™ll slap harder than a giveaway in this agbado era.

Egusi

People might look at you sideways as you carefully spread your egusi on a thick slice of bread, but that shouldnā€™t concern you. Theyā€™ll never understand the greatness of such a pairing.

Beans of any kind

Do you know how bad you have to be to go into a family and marry all the members? The only person that comes close was Esauā€™s brother, Jacob, and we all know how much God loved him. Give it akara, ewa aganyin, palm oil beans, vegetable oil beans, and if youā€™re a real risk taker, gbegiri.

Stew

If you can eat swallow and soup, then you can eat bread and stew. Make sure thereā€™s an excess amount of protein in your stew, fold that bread, and eat to your heart’s content.

Banana

If you can eat banana bread, then you can slice a banana, place it between two slices of bread, and eat. 

Pepsi

Notice how we singled Pepsi out from its counterparts? Bread and all the other sodas are great, but bread and Pepsi? Your inner bricklayer will awaken, and youā€™ll feel like you can move mountains.

Avocado

Even though avocados look the way they do, we believe in the power of bread to make anything taste better than rice on a Sunday.

Amala

We need you to have an open mind. People have attested to the greatness of this pairing. Plus, amala looks like chocolate.

Indomie

If you plan on pairing cooked Indomie with bread then you have stand in front of the stove, take the indomie straight from the pot to the bread and into your mouth. Itā€™ll slap so hard youā€™ll give testimonies for weeks to come.

Ice cream

Think of it like bread and tea. Tear large chunks of bread into your bowl of ice cream, wait for it to steep, and then, scoop into your mouth.

Egg

One thing about bread, itā€™ll find other versatile foods and pair up with them. Bread and egg bangs, especially on a Saturday morning with a hot cup of tea to wash it down. And guess what. It can sleep with the mother too *wink.

Anointing Olive oil

We told you bread was for everyone ā€” even the godly among us. Drizzle a light amount on your bread, let it soak in for a bit and eat. Itā€™ll taste like a symphony in your mouth.

Burning Ram is a meat festival bringing you and other food enthusiasts, creators and curators together to celebrate the Nigerian culture of meat and grill. Weā€™re inviting you to enjoy the best suya, kilishi, asun, burgers, and interesting takes on common Nigerian meat snacks on September 30, 2023.

Why is æģĆØŹÓʵ doing this?

The short answer: for your enjoyment.

The better answer: A conversation around the lack of African cuisine representation in global conversations is brewing, and Burning Ram is our response. Weā€™re elevating the worldā€™s perception of food, one African dish at a time, by bringing together 3000 people to experience a world of expert grilling, spicing and meat.

Burning Ram is not just an event about meat; our goal is to become pioneers of innovation, conversation and new experiences around African cuisine, starting with meat in Nigeria. Changing perceptions and appreciating a culture’s cuisine is a gradual process, and it starts with one plate, one dish, and one experience at a time.

This is a big goal, and yes, we need your help to make it happen.

Why should you attend Burning Ram? 

If you love having a good time with your friends and family. If you love meat ā€” from suya to kilishi that tastes like a rainy evening in Abuja. If you’re not afraid of trying new things, like akara burgers, then you should only be at Burning Ram on Saturday, September 30.

What to expect at Burning Ram

We promise you a spectacle. The festival will feature various activities including firebreather performances, eating contests, cooking competitions, tutorials, and music. Food lovers will have an opportunity to try out different types of meat in one place. 

Fans of æģĆØŹÓʵ VRSUS will also enjoy the Suya VRSUS Wars, which will feature a culinary chef versus a mallam. A suya-making tutorial class is another activity that participants can look forward to at the festival.

Weā€™re also running a raffle draw where one lucky attendee will win an actual ram. Yes, you read right. An actual live ram won to be prepared by experts and sent to the winner. 

Be the first to get more details about these activities and find out when ticket sales begin by signing up .

Interested in becoming a sponsor?

Burning Ram is bringing together over 3000 food enthusiasts, chefs, families, students, professionals, tourists and more. To share a part of this vision, kindly reach out to us .

How do you become a vendor?

You want to showcase your take on meat and everything that can be paired with it at Burning Ram, then , and we’ll be in touch in a couple of weeks.

Burning Ram promises to be an exciting festival for food lovers and meat enthusiasts. Come hungry.

Anyway, I spoke with Tinu and Oreo puff-puff doesnā€™t even top the list of her crazy but successful puff-puff experiments.

Your Oreo puff-puff is driving Nigerians crazy at the moment. Why do you think so?

A lot of them havenā€™t seen or heard of Oreo puff-puff till now.

What inspired the twist?

I like to experiment with cooking. Oreo puff-puff isnā€™t the craziest thing Iā€™ve done with puff-puff. Iā€™ve also made red velvet puff-puff, coconut puff-puff, kinder Bueno, etc. Lol. Food evolves, and thereā€™s nothing wrong with experimenting once in a while.

I mean, if people can add pepper and onions to puff-puff, why can’t I add Oreos?

Fair point. Do you find regular puff-puff boring?

No, I donā€™t. I actually have a readymade puff-puff mix line with three flavours. I love puff whether itā€™s the regular one, chocolate or spicyā€”Iā€™m here for all of it.

You might have to start a puff-puff fan club.

Iā€™m on it.

Without giving away your full recipe, how does one make Oreo puff-puff?

Itā€™s pretty much the same way you make regular puff-puff. Just before frying your batter, dip your Oreo cookies (or whatever youā€™re crazy enough to try) in the batter. Scoop it like you would regular puff-puff and make sure the batter covers the whole Oreo, and then fry.

Now I want to try it.

Please do, I promise itā€™s not that bad. Also, it slaps with ice cream.

Iā€™ll be back with a review. So, if you had to break a Guinness World Record for puff-puff, what will that be?

I think a record I could break would be the number of unique puff-puff flavours I can think up and make.

Whatā€™s your hot take on Nigerian finger food?

We make the best finger food, no one can deny that. I feel like we need to experiment more and try new things. I wonder how people will react to my Asun spring rolls and Suya spring rolls.

I love the sound of Asun and Suya spring rolls.

Itā€™s delicious.

Please take the survey .

Egg

Source: Roselyn’s food house

Remember when you could get an egg for ā‚¦20 or ā‚¦30? This ā‚¦100 madness has to stop.

Turkey

Source: The Kitchen Muse

Itā€™s so wrong that turkey is now a protein option reserved for festive seasons in many households. Jagaban, please, run it for us. Letā€™s go back to the days of having a kilo of turkey for ā‚¦1700.

Beverages

Forget fit fam, the ā‚¦200 price tag on Coke, Fanta, Pepsi and the rest is probably why people now drink water more.

Noodles

Have you seen any pack of noodles going for ā‚¦50? Exactly. The status quo needs to return ASAP.

Garri

A paint bucket of garri has no business being anywhere above ā‚¦1k. We donā€™t have an exact figure in mind but definitely below a thousand.

Bread

Source: Taste Better From Scratch

How did we get to the point where the price of sliced and agege bread are rubbing shoulders? Is this the upside down?

Pure water

Pure water needs to return to the days of ā‚¦5 per sachet, and ā‚¦100 per bag.

Margarine

Source: Twitter (@stylesbymorh)

Everyone involved in making us pay over ā‚¦1k for margarine must answer for their crimes. 

Sardine

Source: Dimsale Global

ā‚¦600 for a tin of sardines is criminal, and weā€™ve had enough. It might come in a golden tin, but IT. IS. NOT. GOLD. ā‚¦200 or nothing, Mr President.

Canā€™t say the same nowadays. Itā€™s hard to put shawarma and class in the same sentence. So how did shawarma lose all her rizz?

Source: Kikifoodies

Dated food bloggers

Shawarmaā€™s real trouble started when she was discovered by food bloggers. All the mysterious things that made her so yummy became public knowledgeā€”no thanks to the countless videos of  ā€œHow to make your own shawarmaā€ on the interwebs.

Too much (Pitta) bread

Source: Forks and Foliage

Like hair to Samson, so is pitta bread to shawarma. The fact that you could walk into random supermarkets and buy pitta bread gave many people the idea that anyone can make shawarma.

Everywhere you go like MTN

Maybe we should blame it on the fact that Davidoā€™s Unavailable came rather late.  Every bus stop in Lagos has a shawarma stand. Take a leaf from Davidoā€™s book babes.

Became a cheap babe

It was a little harder to buy shawarma on a whim when the least we could pay was N2500 for a serving. Canā€™t say the same anymore with N500 shawarma everywhere. She needs to learn from seafood okra.

Hopped on the Owambe train

Not our classy shawarma fighting for recognition with abula, ofada rice, and ewa aganyin at owambe functions. You canā€™t compete with the OGs like that.  Leave that to small chops.

Became a people pleaser

Shawarmaā€™s dignity was intact when she was just for beef and chicken lovers. These days? Thereā€™s seafood, noodle, jollof, suya, mushroom and all sorts. Why dear? Everyone canā€™t like you and thatā€™s okay.

There’ll be loads to eat and drink at the hottest women-only party in Lagos on May 27th. Grab your HERtitude tickets .

We recently witnessed , but what if we told you itā€™s possible to make a decent pot of soup with ā‚¦1k. Weā€™ll show you how.

Melon soup

Source: Sisiyemmie

The key here is to stay within your budget, so donā€™t expect chunky proteins in your soup.

What you need:

Eja kika (round fish)ā€“ ā‚¦300

Cameroon pepper ā€“ ā‚¦100

Ground melon seeds ā€“ ā‚¦200 (smallest tomato tin)

Palm oil ā€“ ā‚¦100

Crayfish ā€“ ā‚¦200

Average spend: ā‚¦900. Serves two.

Groundnut soup

Source: Sisiyemmie

Groundnut is for more than snacking on when you want to drink garri. Try this low budget soup instead.

What you need:

Roasted groundnut: ā‚¦200

Ponmo: ā‚¦200

Palm oil: ā‚¦100

Dried shawa fish: ā‚¦300

Cameroon pepper: ā‚¦100.

Total spend: ā‚¦1000. Serves two.

Assorted fried stew

Source: Mumj3kitchen

Not exactly a baddie when it comes to soups, but youā€™ll have something to go with white rice. 

Pepper ā€“ ā‚¦300

Ponmo ā€“ ā‚¦200

Crayfish- ā‚¦100

Smoked mackerel ā€“ ā‚¦300

Palm oil – ā‚¦100

P.S: Buy the pepper from Hausa roadside traders, and not the market women. Average spend: ā‚¦1000. Serves two.

Waterleaf vegetable soup

Source: Afrolems

Who says you canā€™t have options with a N1000 budget? 

What you need:

Waterleaf: ā‚¦200 (If youā€™re lucky, you can even find them growing somewhere in your area) 

Source: The Guardian

Ponmo: ā‚¦200

Iru (locust beans): ā‚¦50

Eja kika (round fish): ā‚¦300

Palm oil: ā‚¦100

Habanero pepper: ā‚¦100

Total spend: ā‚¦950. Serves two.

Ogbono soup 

Source: Instagram (@playfoodbyyinka)

Ogbono doesnā€™t get the love it deserves for offering so much value at minimal cost.

What you need:

Ground ogbono powder: ā‚¦100

Cameroon pepper: ā‚¦100

Crayfish: ā‚¦200

Ponmo: ā‚¦200

Ugwu leaves: ā‚¦100

Eja kika (round fish) ā€“ ā‚¦300

Total spend: ā‚¦1000. Serves two.

Ila alasepo (Okra soup)

Source: Vee_Familylifestyle

Another low-budget soup that didnā€™t get its flowers until the join-body with seafood. This soup is a lifesaver.

What you need:

Okra: ā‚¦200

Iru (locust beans): ā‚¦50

Ponmo: ā‚¦200

Cameroon pepper: ā‚¦100

Eja kika (round fish): ā‚¦300

Total spend: ā‚¦850. Serves two.

Chicken feet pepper soup

Source: Blackpeoplesrecipes

Thereā€™s even something for when you want to set the club mood in your house.

What you need:

Peppersoup spice: ā‚¦100

Scent leaf: ā‚¦50

Cameroon pepper: ā‚¦100

Chicken feet: ā‚¦600

Total spend: ā‚¦750. Serves two

There’ll be loads of food and drinks for the hottest babes at HERtitude23. Grab your ticket .