Ugandan peanut butter stew

March’s Man of the Month was:

Fred Penner

Here’s a little bit about him:

A gentle giant with an undeniable ability to make you feel good about yourself. This musical master brings 30 years of commitment, consistency and depth to a career that blends the many genres of performing and communication.  From delivering 12 prolific CD’s to families across North America to countless energetically live shows for eager audiences; to 13 seasons of Fred Penner’s Place – CBC Canada’s TV series and Nick. Jr. (in the  US),  to composing the music for YTV’s Tipi Tales, as well as keynote presenter at numerous early childhood conferences, he has, without a doubt, established himself as a fundamental part of the North American family entertainment scene.

Fred’s visibility has allowed him the privilege and joy of using his voice to support organizations like UNESCO, World Vision, UNICEF and the Canadian Down Syndrome Society.  In 2005, Fred journeyed to Zambia, Africa with World Vision to host a program for Child Sponsorship in the Western World.

Whether it’s through cd’s, concerts, videos, books or television, his cornerstone philosophy remains the same: ” Never underestimate your ability to make a difference in the life of a child.”

And here’s how he answered my 6 questions about creativity:

What inspires your creativity?

Inspiration is constant.  I am an observer, I see and hear and am very aware of others in this world.  Using my creative nature allows me to write and perform songs that are enjoyed by my audience on many levels.  I try to create material that takes the listener to sensitive part of their spirit.  This is for entertainment and fun, but more importantly it is to follow my philosophy of trying to make a difference.

How have you reinvented yourself thru your creativity?

I feel that I have been very consistent over the years, again holding strong to the awareness of the value and responsibility of creating for children. Over the years I believe I have learned to be a better song writer and a better musician, but the essence of my spirit has been clear.

Based on response to your creativity, how do you involve others?

I am an actor as well as a musician and one of the keys I learned through my training on the stage is that the person in the back of the theatre should feel as connected to the performance as the person in front.  When I am on stage I move around constantly, looking into the faces of the audience members. My songs have choruses that I encourage the audience to sing.  I see what I do as a 3 way dialogue, from me to the child, from me to the parent/grandparent/caregiver, and then from the parent/grandparent/caregiver to the child as they head home.  I hope that the topics of my songs opens up communication for the family.

What is the wildest journey your creativity has taken you on?

I wrote music for Tipi Tales, a TV series on YTV and APTN (The Aboriginal Peoples Television Network ) and the foundation of the series was the 7 spiritual laws of Aboriginal teachings, really human laws and values, e.g. Love, Truth, Honesty, Courage, Respect, Wisdom and Humility.

Three seasons were created and I wrote approximately 200 plus songs. When I was in “The Zone” of writing I believe I was close to automatic writing where the flow from the creative source to words and music was direct. There was one day when I wrote about 50 songs in a 12 hour period.

What is your most memorable moment in the act of being creative?

Moonlight Express was a very gentle CD we recorded many years ago, and one of the more sensitive tunes I have written was called Tears. To this day I love the lyric and the chord progression, they fit together so perfectly.  The creative moment in question happened when we were actually recording the song in the studio.  It was just me and my guitar and voice.  The engineer gave me the signal to ‘go’ when I was ready, so I took a moment to focus and played the song.  It was a One take song.  I could not have done it better! It felt as though I had drifted away for a moment and the song had carried me, not the other way around.

What’s next for you?

The foundation of my career is established.  I have many sides to my abilities, the only challenge is to stay healthy and creative and be open to the opportunities.  Every few years I take on an acting role, the last one being Captain Hook in Peter Pan at  MTYP  the Manitoba Theatre for Young  People.  This was a while ago and I am looking for the next project in that direction. There is talk of another TV series, just talk, but I would love to pursue that. I have been thinking of writing something a little more autobiographical.  I continue to write lots of songs. I hope to produce a new CD this year as well.

You can find Fred here:

www.fredpenner.com facebook – fred penner

And here’s something that inspires his creativity:

Fred Penner’s Recipe:  Ugandan Peanut Butter Stew
Years ago we were given a cook book that included recipes from around the world.  It is wonderful to read about other cultures and the foods they like.  One recipe that caught our eye ( and our taste buds) was  Ugandan Peanut Butter Stew.  Other than having peanut butter and banana sandwiches and peanut butter cookies when I was younger, I don’t remember ever eating a cooked dish with peanut butter.  That made this all the  more intriguing.  I quickly became a family favourite because it was very easy to make and tasted great!, especially with some spicy cornbread.  So here it is.

Ugandan Peanut Butter Stew
Ingredients:
One whole cauliflower
5 or 6 large carrots
One large can of tomatoes ( diced or whole )
One large onion
3 Cloves of garlic
One half cup of peanut butter
Vegetable or olive oil – 3 or 4 tablespoons
Salt – one teaspoon
Cayenne – one half teaspoon or more to taste

Heat the oil in a large pot on the stove – ( medium/high ) .
Saute onions – cut into pieces, after a minute or so add the garlic pieces. Cook for 3 minutes.
Add large can of tomatoes and one can of water- stir and cook
Add Carrots and Cauliflower cuts into bite size pieces
Bring mixture to a boil add salt and cayenne then reduce heat to Medium/low – cook for 20 minutes

Mix half a cup of peanut butter with half a cup of the liquid in the pot, and then add that to the pot.
Reduce heat to low and simmer until you serve it.
It is especially wonderful with a Mexican Jalapeno Bread
Mmmmm, Goood.  Enjoy!

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Thank you Fred! Life is so much fun with you in it!