FINALLY a new post! I have been neglecting my poor blog (and my poor friends who read it) for far too long now. Since the rain has kicked into high gear in Dominica (and every other Caribbean island), its a perfect time to do an update!
Where shall I begin?! I guess I'll start fresh, from today. It's been raining non-stop for the past few days, so I haven't really been outside much (unfortunately). Along with my growing "island fever", I am also starting to experience "cabin fever"! Speaking of cabins, we got a new one..well, its not a cabin...more like a barn. Literally, that's what it looks like. It's basically the Kootney storage shed..but with an apartment upstairs which is REALLY NICE!! So the story is, our landlord Trish emailed Martin to ask whether we wanted to see a larger apartment that was newly available. She wanted to show it to us before she advertised it. She mentioned that it was more appropriate for a married couple than our small 1 bdrm, so we agreed to check it out. When we first pulled up to the place (which is tucked away in the back of the property), we were a little skeptical. As I mentioned before, it is shaped like a barn and has a garage with a bunch of old equipment stored in it. I looked at Martin's face and thought "he must be thinking what I'm thinking...this can't be a nicer place". Well, the old saying "you can't judge a book by its cover" certainly rang true for us when Trish opened the door and took us upstairs... It is BEAUTIFUL!! We had no idea that such a place existed at Kootney. The selling point for us I think, was when we saw the big plush couches.. that is SO rare to find here! And of course we feel less like we're stepping on each other, which is nice. Martin has a great study area with lots of shelf and desk space.
Some pics inside "the barn" AKA our new apartment:
(Wondering what that is on the screen door?? Nope, not a bug... a sweet little bat! We heard him chirping last night, but had NO IDEA that he was cuddled between the screen and glass door!
So that's it ladies and gents- "THE BARN" :) Our new pride and joy! (Along with our new bat friend, "Joey".. I just named him that now..)
What have I been up to lately you ask?? Well...not much. Trying to keep busy indoors while it rains cats and dogs outside.
Today I decided that I would actually attempt to make Dominican cocoa tea. I bought a "kit" a while back from Caribbean Magic Spice in Roseau (AKA "The Spice Man"). The "kit" consists of a tiny grater, a stick of cocoa, a bay leaf, nutmeg, cinnamon stick, and instructions. Well, it turned out well, but I am still warming up to the taste. We had to put sugar in it, because its far to bitter otherwise! I actually enjoyed using real spices and grating the cocoa myself. There is something really cool about doing things the old-fashioned way.
Here are some pics:
For those who want to try a little taste of Dominican "bush tea" in your home, here is the recipe:
COCOA TEA:
(serves 2)
Ingredients:
-Ground cocoa
-Nutmeg (optional..for a garnish)
-Cinnamon stick
-Bay leaf
Instructions:
1. Bring 1 cup of water to boil in small pot
2. Add approx. 3 heaping tbsp. of cocoa (or grind 1/2 inch of cocoa stick)
3. Add milk (I added approx. 1/4 cup)
4. Add bay leaf and cinnamon
5. Boil for 3 minutes
6. Strain into cups (I poured pot contents into measuring cup, and then used a small strainer to pour into each cup)
7. Garnish with nutmeg
8. Sweeten with sugar as desired (I added about 1 tsp.)
VOILA!! Authentic Dominican cocoa tea :) Not everyone's "cup of tea", but you gotta try it to know!
And in other news:
We got to see Mulligan as a grown up puppy! Henry (the Kootney gardener) brought him by on Sunday. Here is a before and after pic of him:
BEFORE:
(Notice how tiny he was; he fit in Martin's hands!)
AFTER:
He is so big now!! His name has also changed to "Bruce". So he is no longer our little Mulligan :( I am so thankful that I was given the opportunity to give him a good start at life though. He looks like a happy and healthy puppy now, and I know that Henry and his family love him!
Well, I think that's about all the updates I have for now, but I will try my best to continue updating my blog :)
Next Tuesday I am taking a trip to Victoria Falls, so I will put some pictures up from that trip. Apparently these falls are the most beautiful in Dominica!
Take care everyone!!
Peace, love, happiness, (and rain),
Stef D. xoxo
p.s. I am COMING HOME IN 5 WEEKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
can you tell I'm just a bit excited?!
