Capturing the traditions: A Day in the Life of Palm Oil Making

 You know how Saturdays can be, right? Busy, busy, busy! This past Saturday was no different, especially since I had just returned to the village. Remember that never-ending semester exam we had? Well, it finally wrapped up, and I hightailed it back to be with my family. So, on Saturday morning, I didn't want to rouse everyone from their slumber, so I quietly slipped out of bed to get a head start on the day. First things first, I did my morning devotion, and then I jumped into action, ready to tackle the day's tasks. My first mission was taking care of the poultry and making sure the broilers had enough to eat. It was a shock to see just how much those birds had grown! I certainly wasn't expecting them to beef up so much, but hey, the proof is in the pictures! Take a look for yourself.         After tending to the birds, it was time to give some love to the sheep. Those fluffy fellows are just fantastic. Unlike the broilers, they're pretty low-maintenance; as long as they've got food and water, they're good to go. I made sure everything was set for them, and I even tied them up under the shade of the orange tree. Don't worry, they have a shelter too, just in case you were wondering. I decided to bring them out so they could enjoy the fresh air without anything getting in the way. Check out these pictures of the sheep, you’ll see what I mean!       --- You wouldn't believe the next part of my day - I got to witness the whole palm oil making process! You know how seriously we take that special red oil from palm fruit in Africa, right? It is like the lifeblood of our cooking! I mean, we can't even think about making some of our favorite dishes without that flavorful palm oil. Have you ever seen a palm fruit before? Let me know in the comments! Trust me, it's an interesting little thing.     So, there I was, ready and waiting to capture the process as my mom worked her magic with the palm fruit, turning it into that precious red oil. It is a bit of a process, let me tell you. But the end result is totally worth it. I can't wait to show you the pictures! Just wait till you see how it all comes together. Next was the cooking part - we had to cook the fruit until it was nice and soft. Then came the fun part: pounding the palm fruit until it reached just the right consistency. Trust me, you'll see the action in the images I took. It's quite the workout, but I have to say, it is pretty satisfying.    After pounding, we added the softened fruit to water to draw out the raw oil, which my mom then cooked again to get that final, beautiful red oil. That's the good stuff right there.    Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to take pictures of the finished palm oil because the whole process stretched into the night. But if you're curious to see the end result, just let me know in the comments! I'll be more than happy to show you how it turned out.  And that's a wrap! My day was jam-packed and incredibly productive. I can't believe all that I got done. It's been quite the day, that's for sure!