Making it Paradise...bits of Bajan life

So, while I was gone I attended a  great organic gardening workshop. It was a gift and the perfect gift it was! It was conducted by Bajan-Brit Sharon Cooke who is owner of Garden Wall Designs.  I consider myself quite knowledgeable in the area of gardening, or maybe the helpless gardeners in my midst have made me the one eyed king in the land of the blind :)!   I was so very impressed with the many new things I learnt, not only from Sharon, but also fellow gardening students. I gleaned a wealth of information regarding plant names, indigenous species and their uses and pest control tips from two elderly ladies who were a comical riot.  The class was  conducted on a spacious verandah and one of the first things we did was to conduct soil tests on samples brought from our own gardens. This was super easy to perform, requiring only vinegar, and since good soil is key to healthy crops and beautiful blooms, it is something I plan to incorporate in my garden c...

 As a prime tourism destination, Barbados is home to many great restaurants. Literally, food from all cultures across the globe are represented on this small rock. Unfortunately, most of these restaurants are quite pricey and the average Bajan usually opts for Chefette's BarBQ Barn (think of an upscale version of BBQ's, if you are a New Yorker) when a bit more than fast food is required. Well., I am very much a cosmopolitan girl who loves eating out as much as I love cooking, and I think I have infused my children with this passion well. I love the entire dining experience and consider it to be a rather sensual affair.... I love the smell of warm bread rolls (preferably with herbs), the condensing water glasses, the aromas of each dish, enjoying wine with food, the chatter and laughter of diners, the intimate lighting...I simply love it all. And no place on this rock do I love it more than Champers Restaurant.   Located on Skeete's Hill just a stone's throw away ...

Being from an incredibly lactose intolerant family, all my life I have been acutely aware of my dairy intake. When I became a mother, I breastfed for as long as was practical, but weaning time was inevitable and so began my affair with homemade coconut milk. Coconut milk is a great option for infants with its high fat content much like breast milk. As my children grew, I found it an easy and cheap alternative to add to cereals, porridge, muffins, cakes etc. I usually buy dried coconuts for Bds$1.00 each. I get them from the same guy we purchase our coconut water from every Sunday. Five dollars later, I have more than enough milk for the week! Super easy to make and very versatile in use, here's how you can make your very own batch of coconut milk. People resort to all kinds of options when opening up a coconut, and here's my method. Simply place the coconut on the ground and take a hammer to it. It will break into fragments. I then use a butter knife (dull blade) to pry t...