Blog Visitors Mail #1: Room 411

I’ve been getting lots of mails recently and sincerely, i must admit i don’t have the answers to all the questions being asked especially since there are more experienced experts who read this blog. Some mails dey make me scatter laff while others dey make me crack brain….lol! Therefore, i’ve decided to open this section so mail senders can get advice from other blog readers and in the process we can all learn from each other.
P:S: For questions on recipes posted on the site, please leave them in the comment section of the particular recipe/article you are referring to so that once it’s answered, it’d be beneficial to you and others with similar questions. Thank you.

Smoothies Basics: 
Am ………….,I follow you up on your blogs on smoothies.this has inspired me to set up a small business of smoothies in the area where I live. pls I know completely nothing about how to go…though I have tried coconut and orange…twas nice but wasn’t smooth.or is it NT suppose to be smooth,?pls what are the first things I should do?

Smoothies are meant to be smooth. When making coconut milk and orange smoothie, you’re meant to use just the coconut milk alone (Chaff excluded). when making smoothies, you’d need frozen fruit to make up the base of your smoothie. Some popular fruit choices are: Mangoes, Strawberries, Avocados, bananas, kiwis, blueberries, raspberries, apples. With any of the fruits listed, you’re bound to get a smooth texture once you blend. Also, juicy fruits like pineapple, watermelon, orange would work well although they’d make your smoothie watery (smoothies are meant to be slightly thick). To get started, try strawberry & banana or Mango & strawberry combo. 

Cooking issues: 
Dobby hi, i’m now good with the regular fried tomato stew. However, i’m in a fix dobby. My boify thinks i’m a great cook but my dad thinks i’m a very bad cook. Dobby i dunno wat to do for/to my dad. He’s probably a perfectionist and there’s nothing under heaven that i’ve cooked that he likes. Please help me. Meanwhile dobby, there’s this stew/ soup that’s called yellow soup. It’s usually made with fresh fish and no tomato. Do have any idea on how to prepare it because google seems never to understand me when I say yellow soup. Its a south south delicacy. See if you can send me the recipe plus what are your thoughts on the issue i’m having with my dad? Also my beans doesn’t taste as good as my sister’s and gets burnt before the water even dries up well. Tell me what I’m doing wrong please. 

Your dad is probably like most parents. As most people get older, they tend to cut down on a lot of things like spicy foods, peppery foods, salty foods and a whole lot more. you should try asking your dad how he likes his meals cooked so you could cut down on things he doesn’t like. I haven’t heard of yellow soup but since you’ve mentioned it, i’d be on the lookout for it and keep you posted. For the beans, don’t turn it once you put it in the pot. once it softens, add your oil and let it cook for a while till the liquid in the pot reduces before you turn it else it’d burn. To make beans that’d knock out your sisters version Click HERE

Hibiscus in “obodo oyibo”: 
Hi Dobby, I’m one of your subscribers in Houston Texas. Hmm, if I say your blog hasn’t been a blessing to me then I’m a liar. Do you know recently I have been craving for zobo drink? One of those pregnancy cravings. Until now that I got a mail from you about “Homemade Zobo”, my joy knows no bound. So, I have been seeing hibiscus leaves in Walmart in he grocery section but I wear my real Naija hat on thinking is one of those air freshener Oyibo people have. (Please don’t laff at me). My question is: can I use that same hibiscus leaves? Cos I so want to make mine this week.
Thank U so much Dobby for taking time to teach us different delicacies.

Is hibiscus leaves used as an air freshener Abroad? :s 

UPDATE

Mint leaves in portharcourt: 
Hi, where can I get mint leaf in port harcourt.

?? over to you