I am back

It has been a very long time since I posted on my blog.

2012 has not been the best so far, I can only hope things will return to normal soon, they say it never rains but it pours.

At the beginning of January my computer fell sick, it was only a couple of years old but the mother board was toast. Fortunately my Techi son in law Tim saved everything for me and has transferred it to my new computer that I bought in Canada last week.

February my 92 year old Mum in England fell and broke her hip, she has never had surgery in her life and ended up having two surgeries as the first one did not work well. It was a scary time as she was in intensive care for a short time, and has been in hospital until a couple of weeks ago. She has not walked since falling and has lost all confidence. Although she would have preferred to return to her own house, this was not possible as she needed 24 hour care. We have found her a place in a care home in Charlton Kings which we hope she will settle into. I spent April in the UK to visit and it rained every day.

There has also been a death in the family, which was sudden and a terrible shock to us all.

I had surgery here in Trinidad earlier in the year and have to return to Canada for some further surgery late August.

On a possitive note, it looks as though we are staying for another year in Trinidad. I will update you on some of the fun things we have been doing since I last posted.

Christmas Morning In Trinidad

We had breakfast at Maracas beach on Christmas morning, there was only a handful of people there and it was perfect.



I think Stefanie and Tim enjoyed it more than a cold Ontario Christmas morning.





We all had a wonderful time on Christmas Day, had a swim in the pool in between opening gifts. A roast turkey dinner is not quite the same in a hot climate, although Tim got us all in the mood by finding the Fireplace Channel on T.V.

The time with Stefanie and Tim has gone too quickly and they will be leaving tomorrow, however we have managed to do some very different trips with them this time.

I can't wait to share one of them with you all...........when I have a minute to edit the 100 plus photos we took.

Christmas Eve in Trinidad

Stefanie and Tim arrived safely very late Thursday evening. We sat up chatting till almost 3am. Doug was working Friday so the kids finished wrapping gifts and took a trip to the Mall. We picked Doug up from work around 4pm, went for supper and came back home for a few drinks and an early night.

This morning it is 10.00am and Stefanie and Tim are "chilin" in the pool, it is a beautiful day.










The glasses contain juice, no alchohol...........................MERRY CHRISTMAS.

Mince Pie Anyone

I have just finished baking 55 Mince Pies. Some will be for us to enjoy over Christmas the remainder will be finding their way into some Trini homes this festive season.

We are swapping mince pies for some local delicacies being made by Doug's work colleagues.



Stefanie and Tim arrive late tonight, I think I am ready, maybe a nap this afternoon, dinner to cook and the kitchen floor to mop. It is going to be a wonderful Christmas with them here, Doug hasn't seen them since July.

Hope Santa is good to each and everyone of you....MERRY CHRISTMAS

Lazy Sunday

Sunday we drove to Chagaramus to find a restaurant we had heard so much about. We went after lunch so decided we would have a drink and check it out for future visits.

We spent a couple of hours watching the boats and soaking up the view. We were shopping for Tim's Christmas present but couldn't decide on which one. Sorry Tim maybe next year. We will definitely be going back for lunch, maybe when Stefanie and Tim are here.






Today I am making my mince pies plus several orders for the locals in Doug's office. we have all the gifts wrapped and under the tree. ( I don't think Doug has done his shopping yet) The turkey is in the freezer and a ham in the fridge. All ready to go for the big day but one thing is missing............Cold Weather.........it is not the same having the warm climate and although everywhere is very festive and the shops are crazy, it does not feel like Christmas.

My first Rum Cake

Although it is very hard to get into the Christmas Spirit as the weather is much too warm, I have been doing some Christmas baking.

Last week I sent in a tray of Christmas cookies for Doug's office, I forgot to take a picture. This week I made a Rum Cake for the first time. I had bought a lovely cast iron cake pan in the shape of a Christmas wreath so I baked the cake in it. Came out pretty good for a first attempt.




Next week I will be making a tray of Christmas Candy, I will remember to take pictures before they go to the office. I also have a lot of mince pies to make for some of the locals, we are swapping for some traditional Trini delights. Doug is very happy as most everything has rum in it.

It is only a week before Stefanie and Tim arrive to spend Christmas with us. All my presents are wrapped and will be going under the tree at the weekend. But it still doesn't feel like Christmas.

The Humble Nutmeg

I have never thought much about where nutmegs come from. When I was young I can remember grating a nutmeg on the rice pudding and in later years would buy it in the supermarket ready grated. After our visit to Grenada I have developed great admiration for the humble nutmeg.

After Hurricane Ivan in 2004 a lot of the nutmeg trees were destroyed and nutmeg production is still not up to full capacity, new trees have been planted but it takes several years to have a good crop from them.

Come with me on a nutmeg journey.

Nutmeg trees fruit all year long, when they are ready to fall from the tree the outer pod splits.





The red you can see around the nutmeg is mace, this is removed and dried in the sun until it turns yellow and then ground to make the spice you buy in the store. You can see the different stages of growth, after the mace is removed the nutmeg is still in an outer shell. With this shell intact they will last for years. Once cracked open you get the nutmeg we see in the stores.



At the nutmeg cooperative, the farmers are guaranteed a certain price per pound for their crop. The nutmegs are laid out to dry for several weeks and raked several times a day with a wooden rake.



They are then put through a machine that cracks them and removes the nutmeg from the outer shell. The outer shells are used in landscaping much the same way we use bark chippings around shrubs and plants.





The nutmegs are them packed in sacks to be shipped all around the world.



Every part of the nutmeg is used, the outer pod is left on the ground to rot and give back to the soil. It produces the spice mace. Helps retain moisture in the garden. It is also used to make Nutmeg Syrup similar to Maple Syrup which I had on pancakes for breakfast and it was really good. Doug tried Nutmeg Jam on his toast at breakfast and it too was really good. It is also used in medicinal treatments and apparently very good for arthritic joints. Not forgetting the uses it has in cooking.

You are never too old to learn something new.