Africa Fashion Week London (AFWL), The most sought after African Inspired Fashion Event in the UK is back for the 4th Season in August 2014. Following a fabulous season 3 AFWL 2013 at the Old Truman Brewery in Shoreditch and the grand finale at the Dorchester Hotel in Park Lane.
I love this African label. ZUVAA, a new community for African Fashion – Founded in 2013 by US-based entrepreneur Kelechi Anyadiegwu, ZUVAA is a new online store that showcases African inspired fashion from all over the world. Zuvaa comes from the Shona language of Zimbabwe and means ‘sunshine.’ ‘Zuvaa’ represents the vibrant and positive spirit of the continent of Africa and how you let your personal light shine.
Credit: New African Woman Magazine
Wrapping up July 4th weekend with chocolate!! Feel free to swap walnuts or almonds for the pecans, or use half nuts and half dried cranberries for tart, chewy bars.
Yields: 32 bars
Total Time: 1 hr
Cook Time: 20 min
Ingredients
1 cup(s) pecans
4 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoon(s) canola oil
1/4 cup(s) granulated sugar
2 tablespoon(s) granulated sugar
1/4 cup(s) light brown sugar
2 tablespoon(s) light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup(s) whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon(s) Kosher salt
1 cup(s) semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Spread the pecans in a pie plate and toast for about 8 minutes, until golden. Chop the pecans and let cool.
2, In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, beat the butter and oil with the granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamy. Beat in the egg and vanilla until smooth. In a small bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda and salt; beat the dry ingredients into the mixer at low speed. Add the chocolate chips and pecans; beat just until incorporated.
3. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan and press into an even layer. Bake for about 20 minutes, until lightly browned and nearly set in the center. Let cool completely, then run a knife around the edges and invert the rectangle. Peel off the paper and invert onto a cutting board. Cut and serve.
Here’s to a happy and safe 4th of July to you all!!
Happy Thursday! No worries cause Friday is the next day!!
Chic (currently Chic featuring Nile Rodgers) is an American band that was organized during 1976 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. It is known best for its commercially successful disco songs, including “Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)” (1977), “Everybody Dance” (1977), “Le Freak” (1978), “I Want Your Love” (1978), “Good Times” (1979), and “My Forbidden Lover” (1979). The group regarded themselves as a rock band for the disco movement “that made good on hippie peace, love and freedom”. In October 2013, Chic was nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the eighth time.
Here’s a nice Wednesday jam. Enjoy!!
Malpaís is a band from Costa Rica, active from 1999 til 2011. The music of Malpaís is part of the Costa Rica-contemporary compositions work, called by the band “Costarican new song”. The musicians are trying to relate the concept to the early folk and protest folk tradition of Latin America, mixing musical structures of regional and local folk genres such as calypso and tambito with easy-listening jazz (breaks and progressions) and romantic lyrics inspired in Latin American songwriters in order to be perceived as if they are built on the solid tradition of their musical roots. The group takes its name from the most remote, jungle-cradled beach on the north-Pacific Nicoya Peninsula—the beach at road’s end.
Here is their song “Malpais”
Want to practice your new baking skills? Try this go-to recipe for homemade outrageously irresistible brownies. Dollops of peanut butter filling are spooned onto brownie batter; pulling a knife back and forth through both results in a marbleized look.
Yields: 9 large or 16 small squares
Ingredients
Batter:
8 tablespoon(s) (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for pan
2 ounce(s) good-quality unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 ounce(s) good-quality semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
3/4 cup(s) granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract
Filling:
4 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup(s) confectioners’ sugar
3/4 cup(s) smooth peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
1/2 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan and line with parchment, allowing a 2-inch overhang. Butter lining (not overhang).
2. Make batter: Put butter and chocolates in a heatproof medium bowl set over a pan of simmering water; stir until melted. Let cool slightly. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
3. Whisk granulated sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs, and whisk until mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla. Add flour mixture; stir until well incorporated.
4. Make filling: Stir together butter, confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, salt, and vanilla in a bowl until smooth.
5. Pour one-third of batter into prepared pan; spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Drop dollops of peanut butter filling (about 1 tablespoon each) on top of batter, spacing about 1 inch apart. Drizzle remaining batter on top, and gently spread to fill pan. Drop dollops of remaining filling on top. Gently swirl peanut butter filling into batter with a butter knife, running the knife lengthwise and crosswise through layers.
6. Bake until a cake tester inserted into brownies (avoid center and edges) comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan, about 15 minutes. Lift out; let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares. Brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.
LOVE TO DANCE? WATCH TOQUES AFRO HOUSE BWG DANCERS BRING IT! Coming from African Music TV is a dance video featuring Angola’s Toques Afro House BWG Yadjaiva, which was released at the top of the year and is garnering quite a number of views. So if you love to dance, watch the Yadjaiva dancers — who demonstrate great choreography as well as equally smart attire — present Africa’s most-popular dances, such as kukere, kuduro, and azonto, to a titillating high-tempo rhythm.Check out Toques Afro House BWG Yadjaiva here. Enjoy!
Credit: Face2face Africa
Egos & Buffaloes 