Banga Mary

Hey World! :)

 

Banga Mary is a Caribbean fish that is typically found in coastal marine waters over the soft bottoms.

 

It is a rich source of protein and makes a good choice for a low-fat diet. Vitamins A and D are abundantly present in banga mary recipes. This fish is also full of omega fatty acids that are very helpful in the overall development of the body tissues. Banga mary is very low in cholesterol, but the method of cooking should be adopted suitably in order to reduce the calories. 

 

Above i fried the Banga Mary fish and served it with rice and peas and steamed pak choi for dinner. Pretty easy-to-cook, supermarket bought fish fillet that is versatile but mostly used for frying.

 

Music : Gimme Likkle One Drop

 

Hey World! ^_^

 

I got so use to hearing this song every day during my summer vacation to the point that I began singing it mindlessly, almost naturally. Good tune. Catchy lyrics. It creates a feel good vibe. My sis and I would say it somehow "reminds us of chilly nights we spent with my dad and his friends. Watching and hearing them play dominoes, as well as listening to the reggae music playing in the background whilst our sense of smell was entangled with cigarette smoke and beer. From Guinness, to Red Stripe, to Heineken." Believe it or not, the smell of cigarette is my least favourite scent but for some strange reason on nights like those it's tolerable. Don't ask me how!

Anyway, this song is 'Gimme Likkle One Drop' by Tarrus Riley aka "Singy Singy". Perfect for a Friday/ Saturday night.

Enjoy!

Steamed... Not Fried

Hey World! :)

Just sending you some dinner tonight!

 

Steamed Fish from Miss T’s Kitchen :: Ocho Rios, Jamaica

 

Blue Draws

Hey World!

“[T]he Ghanaian “kenkey” is probably the origin of the Barbadian word, conkie for the above traditional food. In Ghana, Kenkey refers to similarly prepared corn meal dishes.”

In Jamaica, this is a popular traditional food  known as Dukunu aka  Blue Draws (Blue Drawer's) aka Tie-A-Leaf !  Above it is pictured wrapped in banana leaf but when i'm making it at home, i use aluminium foil. The main ingredient is normally cornmeal, sweet potato or cassava but yam may also be used.

Sinkle Bible

Hey World! ^_^

Aloe vera which is referred to as 'Single Bible' or 'Sinkle Bible' here in Jamaica is the bible for the human body. Sinkle bible is an aromatic herbaceous plant that grows well in dry, stony soil. It has long, pointed, fleshy leaves with prickly edges. When the leaf is cut open it has a clear gel. (Ivelyn Harris, Healing Herbs of Jamaica, 129)

When i was in high school a few years ago, i would occasionally use the plant in my hair as a natural conditioner. Now since my Lent challenge 2013, i've taken to consuming a little aloe vera juice before bed in the nights. Despite my dislike for water (*que taunt at Waterboy* :: "Water sucks! It really, really sucks!") i prefer having a higher water to aloe vera content, it is an acquired taste. The aloe vera drink is a colon cleanser that should aid in the elimination and detoxification process.

Aloe vera is the most impressive medicinal herb invented by nature! It offers potent, natural medicine that:
• Halts the growth of cancer tumors.
• Lowers high cholesterol.
• Eases inflammation and soothes arthritis pain.
• Protects the body from oxidative stress.
• Prevents kidney stones and protects the body from oxalates in coffee and tea.
• Alkalizes the body, helping to balance overly acidic dietary habits.
• Cures ulcers, IBS, Crohn’s disease and other digestive disorders.
• Reduces high blood pressure natural, by treating the cause, not just the symptoms.
• Nourishes the body with minerals, vitamins, enzymes and glyconutrients.
• Accelerates healing from physical burns and radiation burns.
• Halts colon cancer, heals the intestines and lubricates the digestive tract.
• Ends constipation.
• Stabilizes blood sugar and reduces triglycerides in diabetics.
• Protects the kidneys from disease.
• Boosts cardiovascular performance and physical endurance.
• Speeds recovery from injury or physical exertion.
• Hydrates the skin, accelerates skin repair (acne be gone lol)
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/021858_aloe_vera_gel.html#ixzz2NxpEqwRK

Good Ole Country Cooking

Hey World! :)

How did you spend your Easter Weekend? I went to Ocho Rios, Jamaica for the weekend then got a lil greedy for more time so i stayed a lil longer ^_^. So much funnnnn, i really needed a break from everything i had on my mind and a break from school *throws confetti*. Anyway below are some pictures from my mini-vacay.

While in Ocho Rios waiting on my cousin to get her hair done, we decided to stop by Miss T's Kitchen, after seeing the sign on Main Street. As well as remembering i wanted to sample the menu from Restaurant Week but never got the chance to go there. Took a while for us to find it but when we did, we were pleasantly surprised. It was a cute little picturesque restaurant based on that "good ole country cooking" theme. Clean, nicely lit, simple decor restaurant with pleasant staff (in the beginning). The menu is pretty affordable. I ordered the curry goat which was really good. (I took a huge chance on this, because i have a fear of buying cooked meals that includes curried anything!) But alas, no worries! hahaha :)

Curry Mutton with Rice & Peas

Tender chunks of goat meat seasoned with Miss T's special blend of herbs and spices and simmered in a rich curry sauce.
Highly Recommended

 

How can you have a vacay without a beach day?

 

A lil fruit cocktail

 

 

Island girl and loving it!

 

Then my Grandma & Aunt made some goodies,

 for my cousins to take with them back to the US of A.

 

 Dukuno aka Tie-a-leaf aka Blue Draws (or Blue Drawers)

 

Sweet Potato Pudding

 



Scheduled Spontaneity

Hey World! ^_^

Can spontaneity be scheduled?
Two besties all dolled up, going to two restaurants and a bar in one night, in a few short hours with a subaru on an impromptu girls night (with the occasional 'passerby men' dwl).... sounds like fun to me!

Below are a few pics of what we ordered, tasted, loved, disliked and took home.

First stop :: Tracks & Records, Marketplace

Jerk Chicken Spring Rolls

This has been my craving for a long time. I wanted it so bad that i can't even express in words.

 I love spring rolls/ egg rolls but the filling in this was delicious! It was so heavenly.

Highly recommended

 

 Sticky Jam Asian Wings

My bestie chose this appetizer, which she loved.

I approve of these asian wings, being the wings-obsessed-girl that i am. Delicious.

Highly recommended

Piña Colada

 Not impressive. Less than impressive.

I do blame myself however, since it was not on the menu but i requested it.

(I guess i could give 2 points for effort, for making something specially requested)

 

 Then we headed to 'Gauchos' now renamed South Avenue Bar & Grill

Chicken & Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo

This. Has. Always. Been. A-MAHHH-ZING!!!

Never fail me yet. A few bites of my fettuccine alfredo was savoured while the rest was taken home.

Ps* As confirmed or agreed by my friends and my sister, letting this sit in the fridge overnight and warming it the following day makes this dish even better!

Highly recommended

 

Mud Slide

(& my Cherry Juice in the background)

Chocolate liquor is the way to my besties heart!! Lol watching her with this was hilarious.

Next time i gotta find out a way for her to get one to go. This was CHOCOLATE-Y GOODNESS!!

Highly recommended



 

Fish & Festival

Hey World!:)

Fish and Festival - Jamaican style! Fresh off the beach at Hellshire. I couldn't even wait to take the pic before i bite into that festival at the top.^_^

Here's another reason why you need to get to Jamaica ASAP!

'Jamaican-Made' Jamaica Day

 Hey World! :)

Today is celebrated as Jamaica Day observed under the theme ‘Celebrate Jamaica: We On It’, so in honour of my country i'm going to profile two Jamaican made products i love. The first is the exquisite leather sandals, Bridget Sandals by local Jamaican designer Bridget Brown.

Style Name: Fringe (pictured on the left)


The Bridget Sandals line is elegantly simple ranging from leather slingbacks and ankle wrap thongs to ornamental flip flops. Her delicate detailing is often inspired by nature with floral or leaf-like embellishments available in many colours particularly metallics and colours inspired by the Caribbean.
Bridget's philosophy is that her sandals are ornaments for the feet which can serve as a conversation piece.

 Style Name: Rose (above)

 Style Names : Valerie (top left),
                        Cutaway (bottom left and center),
                       Mary Kay (top second left to right & bottom right)

 

Style Name: Norma (above)

 

So treat your feet to something sweet! Call 876-968-1913 for details on prices or visit the

Bridget Sandals facebook page here.

 

The other Jamaican designer work i love and fully endorse is Peace-is of Bianca. Bianca Bartley is the creator of this dynamic and exquisite jewellery line. She is an incredibly talented young woman that i just can't wait to see more of her work. Peace-Is of Bianca is where abstract meets organic, giving birth to a fusion of copper, silver, gold, intertwined with semi-precious metals and stones, and a variety of raw materials. Her line is very much in the ethos of “living green”, inspired by nature and her moods.

Bianca’s work has been featured in many local and regional publications. In August 2012 the line was sought after by the ANISA production team of International Television Reality Series- America’s next Top Model, College Edition Cycle 19 which aired in October [where] contestants vie for over thousands of dollars worth of jewellery courtesy of Peace-is of Bianca.

Above pictures from the 'Kaleidoscope' collection.

Left, arm candy bracelets; right, layered chains.

 

'Peace-is The Cure' collection made for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

For more info. on this collection click: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20121015/flair/flair8.html

 'Water Lily' with Amethyst



I LOOOOOOOVE THESE 'Peace-is of Bianca' Staple Hammered earrings

 

To place an order or inquire about Peace-is contact: peaceisofbianca@gmail.com or go to the

'Peace-is of Bianca' facebook page here.

Stand Up Against Rape or Watch The Nation Fall

Hey World! :)

Take a listen to this song posted below by Jamaican entertainer Romain Virgo titled "Mi a wait".

Awesome song with an even more important message, which should educate the young minds on the respect women deserve and the meaning of the word no. Simply put, ‘no’ means NO!

The reason for waiting on consent and not forcing the other party into sex is not because of the legal punishment but it is out of respect for the other party. It is because we are both entitled to make decisions for ourselves about what we want to do with our bodies. How we want to treat our bodies. Who we want to get involved with. We have that right to decide for ourselves.

Every nation ought to stand up against rape. (Although the legal definition of rape varies from country to country, rape is generally defined as forced or nonconsensual sexual contact, against a female by a male. However, men can still be forced into nonconsensual sex either by a female or a male.) Whether it is from the soft voice of a female or the deep of a man’s, no still means NO!

Scary Fact: “[T]he fastest-growing crimes in Jamaica at the moment are rape and incest. Statistics show that the cases of sexual abuse have increased exponentially since 2007, moving from 121 cases in that year to 2,671 reported cases in 2011. And experts agree that the figure is actually much higher since there is an estimated high percentage of under-reporting. Not only are rape and incest increasing, but the ages of the victims keep getting lower and lower.”
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/When-rape-becomes-common_12667494#ixzz2LMYbVYNW”

Important To Know:

• “Stop” means NO!
• “I don’t want to” means NO!
• “Do not touch me” means NO!

(But it is not limited to only those words, there is a distinct difference in consenting, just listen.)

• Silence does not translate to consent!
• My dresscode is not consent!
• Being under the influence of drugs or alcohol does not necessarily translate to consent, so it’s best to postpone sex and wait. (Prevention better than cure.)
• Consent can be revoked at any time! Whether we just took off our clothes, or we almost started having sex or whether we are mid-penetration and it feels good to you. You have a right to change your mind at any time.
• In my view, your “don’t…. stop” rape jokes are only perpetuating the grotesque rape culture of our society! Don’t try to smudge the line between not wanting sex and consenting. It is not funny. Stop it!

Rocking in Trench Town

Hey World! :)

Below are some pix from the recently held staging of Trench Town Rocks, last Saturday (February 9). Enjoy!

 

 

                 

 

   

 

 

Photos courtesy of Ishangophotos

For more highlights from Trench Town Rock held at Culture Yard in Trench Town click the link above.