Surprises are really everywhere!

I have to write this post here, because surprises really are everywhere! 

You see, I haven't added to this blog in a very long time.  I had given up on it all together actually!  But there are some of you that have been posting comments which tells me that my itty bitty blog is still being read!

Well, Holy Crap!

I have started a new one over here, at A Life Most Bizarre, if you are interested in reading what's up lately.  I will try to come back here more often.

So, Thanks for reading and keeping my life full of surprises!


Cheers, Sylvie!

bahamian recipes

No  this isn't going to be another new year post about the resolutions, diets and fads to "Plan" for.  thank the gods....

 

This is a post to catalogue the two things I loved the most about eating in the Bahamas!  I couldn't find another place to keep these recipes so here they are.

 

Anyway, it is also an attempt to enjoy the Pantry Challenge Month from over on Good Cheap Eats.  Will you try it out?  It is a challenge to use up what you already have in the fridge, freezer and/or pantry cupboards.  The key is to plan it all out carefully so you spend as little as possible in the grocery store this month.

So, while I have many more recipes and food ideas to add to the menu this month I want to incorporate these recipes as well.

peas n rice

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion
• 1 small sweet pepper
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 strips cooked bacon
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• Three or four sprigs of fresh thyme
• Salt  & red pepper to taste
• 1 tsp browning (optional)
• 1 chopped fresh tomato (optional)
• 1 large can of regular pigeon peas or pigeon peas in coconut milk
• 2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
• 3 cups water

Directions:

• Dice onion and sweet pepper
• In a hard-bottom pot heat up oil and fry onion, sweet pepper, and bacon along with the thyme
• Stir in tomato paste, add salt and pepper to taste (and optional browning and chopped tomato)
• Add the pigeon peas and stir well, add water and bring to a boil. Season to taste.
• Add the rice until it is about an inch and a half below the water line
• Stir well, lower the stove to medium with pot uncovered
• While the pot is simmering, stir at regular intervals
• When the rice has absorbed most of the water, turn the stove to low heat and cover the pot
• Leave to steam until fully cooked
• Enjoy with meat or fish

mac n cheese

Spicy Variations

Ready to take your mac and cheese up another notch? Many locals love to concoct spicier versions of this dish, mixing in more mild tabasco sauce or including larger quantities of the much hotter crushed “goat pepper” (like a Habanero), jalapeños, or fiery “bird pepper” as it’s called here on the islands. If you want to test out a hotter variety of your own, try this one, made with chilli peppers, thyme, garlic, salt, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Talk about a flavour explosion!

How to Make at Home

For a Traditional Pan of Bahamian Macaroni and Cheese, follow this recipe adopted from Kev’s Bahamian Baked Macaroni:

Ingredients

• 1 lb uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 (16 ounce) bags cheddar cheese
• 1/2 large green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 large white onion, diced
• 4 eggs
• black pepper
• 2 pinches salt
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 habanero pepper, diced
• 12 ounces evaporated milk

Directions

1. Add 2 pinches of salt to large pot of water. Bring water to a boil and add uncooked macaroni pasta. Boil until tender.
2. Strain macaroni and place back in pot. Add butter and stir in macaroni until butter melts.
3. Slowly stir in most of cheese evenly. Reserve 8 ounces (or half of a 16 ounce bag) for later topping.
4. Add paprika, black pepper, onion, bell pepper, and 1/2 of a finely diced habanero or goat pepper. Stir well until cheese is melted and blended.
5. Beat eggs lightly and stir into mixture.
6. Slowly add evaporated milk, pouring about half a cup at a time. Stir well, and spread the mixture evenly into a large prepared baking pan about 13 x 9.
7. Top with remainder of cheese and loosely cover with foil.
8. Bake at 375°F for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes or until top is a golden color.
9. Allow macaroni to cool for 45-50 minutes until room temperature before serving.

Run of Bad Luck...Part 2

Wow, What a Week!!!

I thought it can't get any more hectic than what I told you about in my last post....Boy, Was I Wrong!!

This being the final week before our trip there were a few things that needed to be done to "catch up".  I use quotations because of its significance, as there are never enough ways and days to actually do this strange and elusive THING.

Anyway, Monday was trim the in-laws hedge day.  Yes, in the rain.  Sick, I know.  But, when we come back there will be no moment the first week back to do it, and then we'll be right into the thick of a heat wave, I just know it!

Then Tuesday, My older two boys have been in drama class and this particular Tuesday was their last rehearsal and then the performance...all in one day.

My oldest asks me if I had a chance to get their pictures ready for the marquee.  Um...No.  Thank God for Walmart Photocentre!!  Online download of the pictures to pick up an hour later!  I then realized that we have no gps unit for this trip and we wanted one.  This particular Walmart was sold out, and they were out of duffle bags to use as suitcases...crap.

We raced out of the store to go from South Keys to Orleans.  Arrived with ten minutes to spare!Yahoo!  Made it! but still nothing.

\the next dayI then raced over to a different Walmart with my three year old to find that dang Gps unit and duffle bags.  Last one and the box had not been opened!  Great Luck!  I decided to grab a few pre cut trays of healthy foods for the kids back at the theatre, as it was a hot day and they were going to be hanging around a lot longer than usual.  Good thing I did, because not one child had a snack with them!

I called hubby to make sure he was going to be there for three when the show started...it is now two pm... my cell had died and I actually found a thing called a payphone! 

And guess what!

His power steering busted and he needed to get to the garage asap....so could I meet him there and pick him up?

Our garage is back near our end of town! 45 mins away


So, back onto the highway.  25 minutes later I pull into the garage, ten minutes wait and we are back on the highway to get back to the theatre....made it just in time to pay for tickets and fiddle with the video camera that isn't working!!

Crap!!

On the way into the theatre I touched something on the screen and all of a sudden I could see!  Thank God!!  There are Grand-parents that are going to want to see this! 

So, now our car is in the shop, power steering needs an overhaul, timing belt and water pump were due, so they'll get it done now...they get to keep the car until we come home. Cha-ching!

Wish us luck, it looks like we may need it!

A Run of Bad Luck???

Well Now!

WT_!!

Yesterday, my hubby was driving home from work at around 3am and a "hobo" (his words not mine) walked across Hunt Club road, right in front of his car, without looking, almost causing his wandering days to be over!

Rattled and unnerved, not even a block later hubby ran over a raccoon!  Just rolled right over the huge monster as it raced out from the dark.  OMG!

THEN....Today....

Hubby dropped a cast iron patio umbrella holder on his big toe!  Now, huge, purple and angry, he had to come home from work, unable to put on his safety boots.

Sigh, our vacation in  a week and a half cannot come fast enough!!

My (long) list of failures!

  Well,

Here I am, There you are!

It has been months since I've been back.  You, I know I suck!  Let's just list this as failure #1.  I don't seem have much direction lately, not that I had much before.

So, straight off, I apologize.  It is inconsiderate of me.

Now onto my list of failures.  This list consists of the things I planned to do, planned to change, and planned to share with you .  Eek! I really DO suck!

#1.   Blogging at regular intervals

#2.   Last October I wrote a post about our change of diet, including removing sugar          from our lives.  Fat Chance, my family refused to do it, and I am weak enough not to have pushed harder!

#3    same goes for veganism
#4    and Vegetarianism


Granted though, that I have iron deficiency and #3 and 4 make it very difficult to feel healthy when I can't get in enough iron!!

#5     Finishing my first novel
#6     Getting my Baby Diaper Rash spray business off the ground
#7     My homeschooled kids tried "real" school this year and failed miserably
#8     My homeschooled kids are not geniuses, and are not ahead of their peers
#9     My home reno is STILL not finished! (5yrs later!!)
#10   More debt than income, 'nuff said.

Can I keep going?  Sure, but I'm depressed enough that I want to go lay down.

Everyone blogs about how wonderful things are going, how motivated they are, how much they are doing....positive sunshine shining out of their asses.  Well, I cry BullShit!  No one person can be so bloody wonderful, all-of-the-time!

Enough people!

Trying admitting the truth!

Try a blog post about how well everything is NOT going right now!  Please let us know that you're human!


So, tell me, how shitty are things going for you right now?

Got Pumpkin??

Who doesn't love SOMETHING in pumpkin??

Something....anything??

If the answer is you...try these...not too heavy on the pumpkin flavour.  you may be converted!

2      cups    flour
1      pkg      instant butterscotch pudding mix
2      tsp       baking soda
1      tbsp.    ground cinnamon
1      tsp       ground ginger
1/2   tsp       ground allspice
1/2   tsp      ground cloves
1/3   cup     finely chopped candied ginger slices
1      cup     butter, room temp
1      cup     granulated sugar ( not the time to worry about sugar folks!)
1      cup     packed brown sugar (honest not the time!)
4                 eggs
1      tsp      vanilla
15   oz        pumpkin puree


Cream the butter and sugars together first until light and fluffy, this is important because the butter needs to be evenly distributed before you add the flours, otherwise you'll end up over mixing it.

Add the spices next, then the eggs one at a time (or they will splash about) then add the pudding mix, mix well, add the pumpkin next and mix well.  (make sure you puree it if you roast a pie pumpkin from the fresh state as it will be too stringy)  add the vanilla, then slowly add the flour mixing until only just mixed in.

Grease your tins or silicone liners or use foil lined liners as I found paper liners stick too much to the muffin.

Bake in 350f  12-15 mins.   Makes 24 muffins if regular tin is filled 3/4 full.

Home made Instant Oatmeal

Here's my favourite Instant Oatmeal, hope you like it! It is so much healthier than the boxed versions sitting on store shelves.

1/2 - 3/4 cup 1 minute oats
1 cup of milk of your choice, I love unsweetened almond milk

mix together and put into microwave for 2-3 minutes, until soft.  add in your fave toppings.

examples:
1 tbsp. brown sugar 2 tbsp. maple syrup
mashed banana
applesauce and cinnamon
blueberries
strawberries

keep trying new combos!