Edibles!

Bridgetown Vs Bridgetown Market

Posted on September 4, 2015 by erikamae82

Located on the southwest coast, Bridgetown is the capital city (and only city) in Barbados.  Like most cities in the world, you’ll find an array of contrasts within the busy streets. New cars and old bikes, historical sights next to booming businesses. There are street vendors selling colorful fruit, fresh veggies, snacks and random trinkets right outside of clothing shops, hair boutiques and popular mall stores. Casual cafes to nice restaurants sit along the dock offering local plates and if you’re looking for fast food (served with a side of greasy guilt) you can opt for one of the not so fast food joints on the island… Chefette, Burger King or KFC. 

FUN FACT: Barbados is the only country in the world in which McDonalds opened and closed due to lack of customers. The popular chain barely survived 6 months!

    

    
Have a sweet tooth? You can always find a bakery or local sugar shack but in this heat, the popular choice is anything cold, preferably frozen!   

If walking doesn’t suit your day, there’s never a lack of taxi’s eager to give you a lift. This cheerful cab driver was fine with us declining a ride, however was very dissatisfied that my head wrap didn’t have a bow in the back. He took it upon himself to make sure “dis angel sista gah-de-bow she deserve”. Thank you for brightening my day kind sir! 

 
We had two random priorities that consumed some of our time during our stroll through the city. First, my dear friend Shanda wasn’t going to put her poor feet through another step of blisters. Lucky for her, there’s several shoe stores conveniently located within the city. Success! 

 
Secondly, a handstand. In the years I’ve been enjoying this wonderful country, I have yet to snag an upside down smile in the Capital. Completed!

    

  
Thank you Shanda for sharing your creative photo abilities. Check out this cool shot! 

 

Moving on to the Bridgetown Market. Not to be confused with the capital city, this annual event happens in the final weekend of Cropover. With 3 days of jam packed entertainment, local cuisine and a variety of shopping, it’s known as one of the largest street fairs in the Caribbean. 

 Along the famous Spring Garden highway you’ll find a wide range of authentic Caribbean dishes like jerk chicken, macaroni pie, fish and chips, fried plantain as well as smaller vendors with local fruit drinks and baked goods.  

 This was our view in either direction where we sat to eat. You can imagine the contrast between this angle and the vibrant street behind us.  I suppose that’s just one more thing I love about this place. 

Once you’ve had your fill of edibles, there are plenty of items to wander through as you get lost in the colorful stalls lining the highway. If shopping is your intention, just look for the brightly colored stalls inviting you in for a stroll through unique products. Jewelry, bags, clothes and like items to plants, herbs, fruit and veggies.
   
   
 

If you walk down the paved road, you’ll be tempted to chip away to the soca music or at least stop and watch the ones dancing in front of the speakers. No joke, this fella was gettin’ down for the entire time we were there! 

 If you’re keen for more traditional tunes, just follow your ears to the small stage located behind the rainbow stalls.
 

So when you’re on the island during the entertaining week of Cropover, I’d suggest making time for a walk thorugh both the capital city as well as the annual Bridgetown Market.  I’ll leave you with a shot from our walk home. Hard not to smile, right?

 

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We aren’t guaranteed “someday”.

Posted on August 30, 2015 by erikamae82

So there I was skyping with my mom, making the usual wishful comments of what we would do if she was here in Barbados with me. “I would show you this place… have you try that food… take you there…” and so on. Although she’s traveled here before, it’s been years and since her last trip and I have explored the island a bit beyond her experience. Soon after several skyping sessions, I could feel her leaning farther into the reality of actually returning to this magical place someday. As most people will confirm (especially after surving a traumatic life experience) that we aren’t guaranteed someday so yes friends, you guessed it… she made it!  

 I’ll just jump right into the surprise I had been keeping from her since the moment I found out she was coming.  “Ok, I love you and just trust me (what every mom dreads hearing, right?) put your suit on, pack for the pool and hop in!”
Here’s a photo of us on the way to her (soon to find out) day of spoiling!

 
Welcome to Cool Runnings!

There are a few catamaran cruises here in Barbados, but only one (in my opinion) has the right to boast of their phenominal customer care. In years past, I’ve been able to experience Cool Runnings Barbados and since then shared the adventure with others. You can read those specific posts from my 2012 trip or last years Teaching a frog how to dive. 
Cool Runnings has now launched their new luxury cruise which is on a more intimate scale due to a smaller group and a range of high quality products. For me, there was a feeling of familiarity as the crew greeted us with a sincere smile and welcoming warmth (it wasn’t just the Barbados weather). “May I get you a beverage as you settle in?” Who wouldn’t want to hear that at the beginning of what is set to be a day of sailing, snorkeling, dining and optional dancing?

Before we left the dock, I took a quick loop to give you a photo tour of this stunning catamaran. 

  

    
    
   
Within moments of stepping on board you’re offered a beverage ranging from coffee and tea to juice and soda as well as a large selection of adult beverages. A serving (or 3) of homemade banana bread is passed around and then it’s time to depart! 

 
The crew for our day consisted of three outstanding men who seem to have mastered the ability of balancing a fun social energy with the upmost sense of professionalism. We were even lucky enough to have Robert aboard. He’s the king (more properly “the captain”) of this floating castle and made sure we all were having a brilliant time.   

 
The other two gentlemen were equally as accommodating making sure there wasn’t an empty glass in hand and that all needs were met. They were so on point with the passengers, you would of never guessed that Douglas and Kevin were also in control of the entire boat! 

 
Their capabilities went even further than that. Try stearing the boat while gripping a girl who’s randomly upside down next to you. Well done Douglas, thanks for being a trooper!  

 
While the gentlemen were hard at work, the guests were hard at… well, relaxing. Our only responsibility was to have a good time and judging from observation, we succeeded!    

     
      

   
     

The two stops we made allowed for some swimming with the turtles, an exploration of sea life and a piece of sunken wreckage. They give you the option of snorkleing gear and flotation devices depending on your preference. Ever witness a group of adults giddy like children? It’s silly to take yourself seriously with flippers on!
    
    

After the water play (that was so graciously guided by Kevin) everyone swam back to our home for the day. Before you had a moment to even consider hunger, they were offering appetizers. House made bruschetta and/or curried chicken on a crisp won ton. Another beverage? Of course. 

  
  The lunch menu served up mouth watering options for everyone. The plates were stacked and ready for all who desired the assortment of lamb, king fish, shrimp skewers, scalloped potatoes, roasted vegetables, fresh salad and sauces to top. I’m confident that everyone went back for seconds and if they didn’t, they stole a bite from their partner that did get another round.

  

After lunch, our empty plates magically disappeared into the world of “I don’t have to do dishes today” and we were encouraged to enjoy the catamaran as we headed back to the starting point. 
     

 

Robert, Annika, Douglas and Kevin…  you really have something special here and I’m so grateful to of been a part of this day. I was treated like royalty, met new friends (that I’m still in touch with) and got to watch my mum absorb the experience to the fullest. This is one happy girl, thank you!
  

For more information or to book your day of luxury, please visit www.coolrunningsbarbados.com or call them directly at 246-436-0911. I invite you to tell them that Erika sent you from herhappytrails!

  

Categories: Edibles!, Travel talk, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

It wasn’t just the package

Posted on August 24, 2015 by erikamae82

I’ve found a new item to add to my quirky list of edibles. It’s been around for ages and finally has found it’s way to me! I wasn’t told about it nor did I read about it in some Dr. Doozy list of “top miracle health products nobody has ever heard of”.  I was walking the isles of the local Massy (a popular chain grocery store here) snooping like I do, when something caught my eye. 

 
Take a look at that package… I’ve never seen seaweed look like this before! (Make sure you read the previous sentence with a high pitched sarcastic tone).

STEP 1: Stare at the package again… for the instructions.

STEP 2: Rinse and soak 

   

STEP 3: Remove from the fridge and hold it up to the light. Inspect the curious looking monster in the container that you’re supposedly going to eat.



STEP 4: Boil for 20 min and strain. This is when the recipes can vary a bit.  My minimal research shows that some of the more popular dishes are sweet and aim towards a pudding desert-like substance. I’m going to make a veggie cake(ish) creation, so bare with me.

STEP 5: Blend it up with enough water until there are no lumpy plant chunks. Note, it expands during this process! 

   

STEP 6: Put this mess aside and bring out your other ingredients.  Here’s what I’m playing with today: butternut squash, sweet potato, egg, coconut milk, kale, vanilla, turmeric, ginger, ground flax seeds, cayenne pepper, himalayan salt and a splash of palm sugar. 

I have no measurements for you as I generally just pinch here, dash that, pour more and finish with a shoulder shrug.  I suppose if I master a phenomenal flavor, I’ll then post a proper recipe.  

   

  

STEP 7: Combine everything together with no method to the madness.  Just shove the ingredients in a blender and let ‘er rip!

 

STEP 8: Realize you forgot to preheat your oven and rush over to get it started. Then lightly oil a baking dish and poor in the mixture.

  

STEP 9: Bake until you can stick and remove a clean toothpick from the center.  If you’re like me, this is when you should crank up the heat to brown the edges a bit more. 

 
Final step is to remove the strange looking green cake-like dish and let it cool.  You don’t have to worry about anyone sneaking a bite because well, look at it.  

 

If you choose to eat it warm out of the oven, I suggest pouring a bit of coconut milk (or your milk of choice) over the top and eating it like a pudding.  You can see the texture of the warm version in the top photo.  

If you put it in the fridge, the seamoss will set up and turn the dish into more of a brownie texture (in the bottom picture).   

   
A few other of my favorite edibles can be seen in Coconut and cashew, yes please and My favorite Cambodian dish.  Cheers to the open road, new flavors and a creative kitchen!

   
 

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Welcome to Barbados. Lets eat!

Posted on August 4, 2015 by erikamae82

Before Shanda arrived, I had collaborated with my island peeps and made a “must eat” check-list of the tasty local foods.  Some are my favorites, others are just necessary to experience.  Lets start down the edibles in no specific order.

First up is fresh coconut water with a side order of jelly.  No folks, this isn’t the carton of imported water that you buy at your city store. This is water from a young coconut picked right here on the island! The jelly?  That’s my favorite part!  It’s the flesh that hasn’t matured to a firm texture yet. The nutrient density and benefits of this duo is magnificent! Not to mention one of the most hydrating items on the planet.

   
This next one made the list due to its popularity amongst the locals and for the recent exposure on the Todays show. The owner and operated named Cuz is known for his “All in one”. A soft bun hugging a grilled piece of fish complimented with cheese and a fried egg.

Friendly note to anyone makng their way to this blue shack: If the line is long, order quick and get out of the way. If he says “no egg”  don’t give him attitude or question it, just take what you get and move on!

Cuz’s All-in-one (minus the egg)… check!  

    
Next up, doubles! These are most definitely one of my favorites.  Typically a Trinidadian treat, these small little roll ups can be found in a few spots around the island. The most popular and traditional version is two baras (fried flat bread) filled with curried channa (chickpeas).  You can branch out and top it with cucumber, mango chutney and a spicy sauce.  My mouth is watering just explaining the goodness that comes from this West Indies delight! Today we’re eating from Pat’s, you can find her on the south coast across from Accra Beach.  

   
Marconi pie! It’s probably exactly what you think it is… Macaroni and cheese held together in a casserole styled pie. Easy cheesy, right? (Awful pun intended) 

 
Fish cakes is another common find around the island. Inexpensive, easy to eat and generally pretty tasty… If you like fish, bread and fried things.  

 
Moving on to the famous, for good reason, Roti’s! I’ve mentioned them before in several previous Bajan food posts and now it’s Shanda’s turn to give ’em a go! There are several restaurants that deliver a solid Roti with different choices for ingredients, today we chose to eat at Chutneys on the south coast. Mine had curried lentils, okra, spinach and pumpkin.  The one pictured below is chicken and potato with okra.

  
 

You’ve got to remember my favorite cafe in all of Barbados.  I did an entire post on it last year called The best not-so-kept secret, Cafe Moya. Shanda and I took a walk and enjoyed a shared brunch.  I ordered a falafel filled cassava crepe and she went with a guava and cream cheese pastry.  Delicious!  

  
She also fell in love with the local Mangos.  If you’ve never had a mango that just fell off the tree (literally), you haven’t  tasted the true flavor of these tropical fruits.  I did a handstand next to the tree to give you an idea of just how massive they can get.  Also, check out the sweetness dripping from earths candy! 

 

We can’t leave out the Vitamin C power-house of the Bajan cherry.  For any details on this beauty, check out the recent post titled Happy as a cherry!  
Last up is what the locals call a sugar apple. I feel like any fruit with the word “sugar” in it is bound to be sweet and tasty… and it is!  Ripe is when it’s soft and opens with the most gentle of pressure.  If you look at the inside, nature has already divided it up into bite sized little pieces for you.  So scrumptious! It reminds me of the cherimoya I fell in love with from years past! 

 
Click here for all the other mouth watering posts from the beautiful island of Barbados!

Categories: Edibles!, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Happy as a cherry!

Posted on July 25, 2015 by erikamae82

The cherry tree of Barbados produces a fruit that has the bragging rights of being extremly sweet, while containing heaps of nutrients with minimal calories. Malpighia emarginata is also known as Acerola, West Indian cherry and Wild crepe myrtle… yeh, I’ll stick with calling the Barbados Cherry.

Check this out, these little juicy delights pack in more vitamin C than an orange, sour cherry and blueberry combined! When measuring Vitamin C (based on weight), Oranges have 53 mg per 100 g. Barbados cherries sore with 1,678 mg! 

  

 I have the pleasure of staying with one of my longest known Bajan friends, Jason (you’ll meet him later). In his backyard is one of these hard to find Vitamin C power-house trees. Score! 

 Typically, we all just grab a few cherries within an arms stretch as we pass under, leaving the bottom fruitless and the mid to top overflowing. Wouldn’t you be tempted? Check out these gorgeous clusters of goodness! 

   

 Well, since I have an abundunce of energy and plenty of time, I felt driven to gather from greater heights. All I needed was a ladder… perfect! 
 The rest of the photos explain themselves.  Just a chipper girl in her happy place, collecting miniature bundles of sweet, red, juice filled bubbles of health. Ok, that all seems a bit much after writing it, but you get the picture.  I love this!
   

 Hi fella (or misses) I’m diggin your shell, keep on keepin on my friend!  

  Note to self and other cherry pickers: Palms up!  The ripe ones fall into your hands (or plummet to the ground if you’re not ready).   

  

Natures snack is soon to be served! I ended up putting these lovely delights next to some plain greek yogurt topped with self love, raw pumpkin seeds and pure gratitude. Again with the cheesiness, but I’m just feelin it today!

  

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Smell with your eyes open

Posted on July 23, 2015 by erikamae82

Getting directions from a Bajan is similar to listening to someone explain a story in a different language or maybe like having a toddler tell you about their new toy. They know exactly what they are saying and look at you as if you should too.  “I’m speaking clearly, why don’t you understand”? Now looking back, his instructions made sense only if you’ve walked the path before or possibly were born and raised here. Oh well… off to the market we go!

Last year I can remember arriving around 9am and having slim pickins, so this time I’m on it bright and early.

“So go out the back gate and turn right”. (Back gate of the yard? the neighborhood, the round-about?) 
Since I didn’t see a gate in his yard (turns out there is one… oops), I walked out of the front door and headed in the direction he had pointed.  So far so good!  

  His street started to bend so I looked left and behold, a gate! I think. The rickety linked fence stared back at me with a locked, rusted, jagged prison gaurded resemblance. Hmmm… I don’t know about this.  Eh, lets go for it!

Side note, probably not the most brilliant idea to hop this trap wearing flowing pants during a windy island day. No need to worry, I survived.   

 “Follow de road”  Got it. “Walk till you see the fountain and turn left”. 
 Ok, easy enough (there was even a cute little arrow confirming for me). Step two, success! 

 

No thanks, I’ll keep walking. 

 
I’m not sure if it was the euphoric state of mind I developed while walking in silence or simply the view that was before me (probably a combination of both), but at this moment, all was in alignment. This is a small piece of what I believe people mean when they suggest to “stop and smell the roses”.  

Getting to the market was my goal, but this… this was just as magical. 

 
Back to the directions.  “Once you get to the golf course, don’t follow the road, take the pedestrian path over the hill”. Well this looks very “pedestrian” welcome.  Not much of a hill as I was expecting, but off the main road is what he said, so here I go! 

 
He didn’t mention a split in the path.  Uh-oh.   

 
As I continued along the foot path, things just weren’t feeling right. So what do I do?  Keep walking. 

  

Not looking good my friends…  
A sign! Can you see it?  If that says “Hope st.”, I’m on the right track!  

 
Wrong. I now have the confidence that I shouldn’t have confidence in my current route. I did a 180 degree turn and headed back towards the main road. As I approached the first split, my eyes zoomed in on the “hill” he must of been speaking of. Yep, according to my burning thighs, this was definitley more of an incline than the golf course! 

 
Here’s a quick shot of the view once I reached the top.  

When was the last time you stopped to smell the roses with your eyes open? 

 
It may not seem like I’ve been gone for long, but I should have been to market by now. Early bird gets the worm… or in this case, early girl gets to pick the best veggies before they’re gone!

Although I don’t mind  getting a bit turned around (in fact most of the time, I love it!) today I was eager to be there on time for the broad selection of organic tropical goodies! Awh, look at this. Help was literally parked at the top of the hill. Thank you Universe! 

These two kind gentlmen not only helped me along the way, but drove me a stretch in order to show me the next turn on my journey! If you look at the bottom photo, you can see that he stood and watched until I was on the clear path.  Angels. 

 
Once I stepped foot on the broken dirt path, things started to look familiar. What’s this? I’m finally here! 

  
With fingers crossed, I held my breath rounding the corner like it was the first day of school and I was the last one to class. Am I too late? Did I miss out on the very thing I came for? 

 
Turns out everone was on Bajan time this morning which means,”It’ll start when we’re ready”.  All righty, so my hour late arrival was actually an hour too soon. Lovin the island vibe! What to do while I watch everyone set up their booth… have a seat at the cafe and absorb it all! 

 
SIDE NOTE: The currency is about half the dollar, so the iced coffee below would be around $4 USD.

  
Slowly but surely, stands arose and the market was in full swing!  You may recognize some of the produts and people if you’ve been following years past. The Holders Market was a part of the post, The rest of Barbados in a coconut shell!    

   
    
 Can you feel me smiling yet?! The music fired up as I headed on my way back home. 
 
The walk back was just as entertaining as the adventure to get there.  Easier on the mind, but not so much on the body.  Who knew after years of breaking them in, blisters would appear from my favorite sandals! I got these beauty’s in Vietnam from the post Lady lady, where you from? Good thing I love to feel the earth under my feet!

 
Look who it is! Greeted with a smile, I walked over to give them the requested update on my Holders experience.  I couldn’t tell if the smirks I was receiving were from a joyful reconnection, or simply being entertained by this crazy girl! Either way, they didn’t hesitate for a photo and certainly didn’t decline my offer of toasted coconut chips that I had brought from the market.

 

I’ll leave you with my final stretch in which I came across a little cheeky friend.  Tourists think they’re cute (because they are) and locals think they’re theives (because they are).

   

   

Categories: Edibles!, Fashion from a backpack, Fitness, Not-so-happy trails, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Can chickens smell a chicken?

Posted on July 18, 2015 by erikamae82

My father is an exceptional plasterer. I suppose he should be since he’s been doing it from his teen years. Even though experience says a lot, there’s a reason he’s still requested for work after 40 years of building a reputation. I explain this because we just found out he was hired to do a job in New Mexico. So with a short notice (and super-woman for a wife) his entire family was packed, kitchen and all, to hit the road for an extended out of state stay.    
As I say good-bye, they’re explaining the chores that I had offered (silly me) to take care of. Just two pups, a few feathered animals and a garden. Couldn’t be that hard… right? Ha. Ha. Ha.

The first day wasn’t to bad as it was mainly just checking things out. Food, check. Water, check. Pick the garden and walk the dogs… check, check! 

Ticks: Small arachnids (that I have a hard time finding a reason for their existence) that live off of the blood from mammals, birds, humans… pretty much anything that bleeds. I got my first after day one, so here’s my attire for future chores. 

 Day two: I remembered my cell phone today because yesterday I had left it at my Grams’s. Her mindful thoughts brought her all the way out to make sure the length of time I had been gone wasn’t due to any mishaps. (This is necessary for a story below).

First up, I fed the pups after a long walk up their country dirt road. Meet Shadow, the black dog that just appeared into the family’s yard one day and Captain, the lovable beagle my sister waited patiently to get.
   
 The 4 legged kids are fed and happy, so now it’s on to the feathered friends. Check for eggs and make sure the feed and water is full. Easy enough…

This is the view of the main chicken yard.

 I opened the wooden door to reach for the feed and walked in with confidence, chickens can smell a chicken right? Why I get goosy when a rooster heads for me, I have no idea. When I entered, like always, I lightly pulled the door behind me. Click click. It shut.. and locked. No big deal as I turned to look for the pull string that would release it from the inside. Non-existent. So there I was, trapped in a chicken coop on a hot sticky Oklahoma afternoon.    

  MacGyver time! Feathers? Too weak.   

  This metal device? Too angular.  

A stick! Too large.  

 I could crawl through the… nope. Turns out the chicken door is smaller than the doggy door I’ve had to climb through (don’t ask).

 After a solid 15 minutes of sincere efforts to make an exit, I finally decided to call upon my grandma to come let me out. Call her with the phone that I left sitting on the truck! Can you see it?! 

 Great, she won’t be heading this way anytime soon since yesterday she did for no reason. Especially after this mornings joke of “I’m bringing my phone this time so you don’t have to worry”!

After debating on kicking in the door or just waiting for anyone to come over, I glanced down and saw my last hope. Success!   

Since I made the great escape with time to spare, I made my way to the garden for an afternoon playing in dirt. Corn, okra, tomatoes, yellow squash, 3 types of peppers and one happy camper! 

 
  I learned quickly to make sure I ate before picking veggies. 2 tomatoes in the basket and one in my belly. An okra for home and one for now (yes, I even like them raw!). Have you ever enjoyed the sweet taste of yellow sun-kissed corn right from the stalk while standing waste deep in the garden? Me neither.  
Side note: If there are no chemicals that would harm these guys, there’s no chemicals to harm you. Hooray for organic gardening! 

 Even this mini crawler made it all the way home. “No worries little fella, I don’t blame ya… I’d live in the garden too if I was your size!” 

  

3 things I learned about myself while taking care of my family’s property:

1. I jump just as high if a monkey were to jump on my back or if a grasshoper leaps to a leaf in front of me.

2. I don’t want to live anywhere that ticks do.

3. When I grow up and have my own place… there will be a garden.

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Fish fry and fireworks!

Posted on July 6, 2015 by erikamae82

One of my goals with this (unofficial) officially quirky blog is to show you a variety of views in regards to culture, traditions and everyday differences around this beautiful planet. In the next few posts, you’ll see several options in which Americans celebrate their Independence Day, better known as “The 4th of July”.

I’ll start with a quick flashback from years prior. In the 2012 post, 4th of July in the USA I was in Folsom California for a cattle drive followed by a house boat trip with some long time friends. 2013 found me returning to that familiar floating home-of-fun with the same amazing group seen in Jumbled July Shenanigans in California.
Last year I decided to celebrate on the other side of the nation with my mom, seen in 4th of July Santa Rosa Beach Style.

This round brings me to Oklahoma with 3 different ways that “folks around these parts” (to be said with a southern accent) celebrate North America’s anniversary of freedom.

Option 1: The backyard barbeque -AKA- block party, neighborhood social, shindig, friendly feast, cookout, potluck, USA’s birthday party, fish fry, weinie roast, BBQ, grass gather, barefoot dinner, Okie banquet or picnic.

This specific event is an annual barbeque held on the property of the local sherif (yes, this cute little town of Agra knows the name of both cops). With food, drinks, waterslides, a trampoline and fireworks… it’s surely a local favorite! 
 

Lets take a quick walk.  The following photos speak for themselves.  I’ll start with my personal favorite, a country kid with an innocent glare piercing the camera.  I couldn’t of set it up any better. 

     Considering the amount of entertainment provided, this family affair leaves the adults time for enjoying some catch up conversations while encouraging the kids to completely exhaust themselves. 

     With temperatures creeping near 100 degrees (about  37 celsius), a monster waterslide measuring in at 30 x 60 feet (9 x 18 meters) was the main attraction.  Sign me up!

   

A close runner up would be the kiddy pools, or “the bathtub” according to the little girl covered in mud. 

    

Hungry? You’re welcome to the fried fish, pork shoulder, beans, rice, potato salad, fried bread, macaroni salad and more of what most consider southern food. I’ll admit that I did not partake in the “grub” shared by the hospitable hosts, however the line shows that many were eager to fill their bellies!  

       Once the buffet was set and ready, they called attention to the crowd for a blessing of the food and a come and get it holler. The kind eyes pictured below belong to Patty, the woman behind the preparations.

 Here’s a sample plate from my cousin Eric (aka “Dude”). 

 Talk about country style cookin, welcome to the crawfish boil! Yep, they drop corn and potatoes with pounds of crawdads into boiling water and viola! Supper is served. Everyone dip up a plate?  Hardly. Gather around the table and dig in!

   
 

As night crept up, the chairs began to form a horseshoe shape around the soon-to-be firework show. A quick hello to friends Tyler and Austin before the flames begin. Sparklers and Picalo Petes? No way, this colorful display is going sky high!  

    

 

That wraps up the first event of this holiday weekend.  Next up, a baseball game and camping lakeside…
 
  

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“Look Keka, I got a bullfrog!”

Posted on June 5, 2015 by erikamae82

I’ve gotten the opportunity to volunteer on several farms all over the world.  Ahh, such grand memories! They differed in many ways, but a common quality was the concept of recycling. Trash can? Only if the animals won’t eat it! Food scraps, egg shells, fruit skin and anything else parishable is collected as the day goes on. I love the idea of using all parts of any edibles as seen in the post I eat my left overs first, so this just makes me happy!

  
Take it around the back and toss it to the furry feathered kids. Snack time! 

    With all of those amazing nutrients going back into their system, they produce fresh eggs daily for the family to enjoy.   

 Fun Fact: By placing fresh eggs pointy side down, it allows the air pocket to settle at the rounder top end. This keeps the yolk centered and further away from possible bacteria. I found this website that goes into much more detail!  

Another trick: Boil your eggs for only one minute then remove from the heat and cover for 15 minutes. Your yolks will be creamy and soft, uh yum.

 

“Look Keka! I got a bullfrog!”

For some reason I pictured a huge green frog with monster like eyes and slimy brown spots. To my surprise, here’s what he was showing off.  

Tornado warnings and thunder storms just meant that the fun stayed on the porch and continued inside.  

 

Random things to do on a rainy day…

Play with the little kids (and wonder how the others can distroy a clean room in under 2 minutes).

  

Workout with the children (or use them as convenient weights). 

Pile up old clothes that dont’t fit (or that you’re sick of backpacking with) and bust out the scissors! 

And of course the position I find myself loving to be in, hair time for neighbor friends! (aka kitchen cosmetology). 

I’ll close this post with a small personal fun fact.  There’s been a petite bracelet on my wrist since 2012. I tied it on during my backpacking through Spain and brought a matching one home to my dear cousin Lana.  She put it on her wrist that same day and it lasted through the years of wear and tear… until now.  Upon it falling off, she immediently wrapped it around baby Kasiah’s arm for the next chapter. Little item, big meaning. Love you girls!

 

Categories: Accommodations, Edibles!, Fitness, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Real farmers wear overalls

Posted on June 2, 2015 by erikamae82

You know I’m in my happy place when there’s fresh food, unique treats and live music all in one venue. Welcome to the Hot Springs Farmers Market!

 

  

Let’s just dive into the edible items that grow from this precious earth!

Side note: His overalls made my day. 
  
  
 

Prefer baked goodies?  There’s some creative ones around here!

  

 

…and for all the carnivores out there, please help me understand what a “pork berry” is.

   

Thirsty? Tired? Hungover? Sick? Anxious? Just want something scrumptious? Problem solved! Kombucha tea is a groovy beverage with hidden bubbles, a tangy bite and an abundunce of health benefits!

 

Beyond the chatter of eager attendees and locals catching up, there was a magnetic sound coming from this talented 15 year old.  His name is Ben Carey.  With an adorable smile and a natural stance behind the microphone, it’s no surprise he made it through the tryouts on the popular show “The Voice”! 

Best of luck following your passion! 

Happy children, colorful clothing, handbags, jewelry and dog treats were just a few addtional items that we saw while strolling through. 

  

  

  
Would it be “stereo-typing” to claim that only in these parts of the country would there be a knife shaperening stand between the organic herbs and homemade jam?

  

As we departed the market, (just down the way from Doc and his knives and beyond the pork berries) we were granted a sight of this vibrant bouquet.  Doesn’t it look just like a breath of sunshine?  

“It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving”.  Mother Teresa 

Categories: Edibles!, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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