Category: Travel

Nelson Mandela Walks with the Angels Now

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

Nelson Mandela was laid to rest today in Qunu, the village in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province where he was born 95 years ago.

Even though he’d been ailing for several months and we knew it was a matter of time, the news of his death knocked me back unexpectedly.

I thought I was ready when I wrote earlier that it was time to let him go but I feel his loss as acutely as if he were a family member, which, in the grand scheme of things, he was.

Nelson Mandela was a towering figure, a fearless advocate for his people and, by extension, the international black community. He was our hero, too.

My tears flowed silently and freely, leaving streaks in my makeup, but I didn’t care. I was sad, sad and felt forlorn. I had never met Nelson Mandela or Madiba as he was called or been part of the crowds that heard to him speak. I had ‘walked’ in his footsteps at Robben Island Maximum Security Prison and Victor Vertser Prison, from which he resumed his life as a free man, but I wished now that I had a glimpse of him. And as I reflect on Madiba’s life, his struggles and sacrifices, I take comfort in his words.

5 Inspiring Quotes from Nelson Mandela

As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.

For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.

No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.

Honesty, sincerity, simplicity, humility, pure generosity, absence of vanity, readiness to  serve others – qualities which are within easy reach of every soul – are the foundation of one’s spiritual life.

Our human compassion binds us to one another – not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learnt how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future.

Farewell, Mr. Mandela.

Our 3rd Blogiversary – in 3 Takes, Take III and a Giveaway

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

My visit to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Lesotho starting me blogging, but Jamaica was my inspiration to get in to travel. Though I was born in Jamaica, I don’t know it as well as I think I should.

When I got laid off from my job in November 2003, I was excited. For several months prior, two friends and I had been planning our next professional moves. Mine was to start a tour company that would showcase Jamaica the way I see it, not the sand, sun, reggae and rum tour that many people associate it with.

At less than 4,500 square miles, Jamaica is slightly smaller than the Connecticut yet it is as diverse as many countries twice its size. Part of the island’s beauty is its lushness. Jamaica is a garden full of a variety of flowers, including orchids – about 200 species, nearly half of them endemic to the island, several hundred types of ferns and trees which bathes this little piece of rock in a riot of color year round.

It was not surprising then that my first post was about flowers, the kinds of flowers that my mother, grandmother and countless Jamaicans grow, the flowers that make my heart smile. Since then, I’ve blogged about flowers several times.

Our fruits…

Me no drink cawfee tea, mango time. Care how nice it may be, mango time. Mango Time, Jamaican folk song

We’re passionate about fruits but especially mangoes, which is celebrated by its own folk song. Yes, when it’s mango time in Jamaica we eat it at every meal. Almost.

Our food…

3rd Blogiversity in 3 Takes
Little Ochie’s Jerk Lobster

Jamaica has more than 300 species of birds, more than two dozen of which are endemic to the island. The doctor bird, a swallowtail hummingbird is our national bird.

3rd Blogiversary in 3 Takes
Doctor Bird, Roaring River, Westmoreland

Domestic animals are also quite common. You’ll notice goats, cows, as well as donkeys, especially in the rural areas. 

3rd Blogiversary
Holy Goat, Trelawny
Sometimes, it's the Characters that Make Travel Memorable
Dunns River Falls Donkey, St. Ann
Horse
Horse

From large great houses, opulent castles such as Trident to small board houses, we have them all. Take a look.

3rd Blogiversity in 3 Takes
Trident Castle, Portland, Jamaica

 Our churches….

Our landscape

Blue Mountain sunrise
Blue Mountain sunrise

 

Our beaches…

Twenty or 30 years from now, I’m going to be on a beach in Jamaica. – Idris Elba

Mobay Beach
Montego Bay Beach

Our people

3rd Blogiversary Giveaway

In celebration of our 3rd Blogiversary, we’re giving away three prizes – two (2) copies of the Lonely Planet travel guide to Jamaica, and a copy of The Real Taste of Jamaica by Enid Donaldson to three lucky winners. Enter by December 22nd by leaving a comment, tweeting about the giveaway #3Years3Prizes or liking us on Facebook. It’s that easy. The giveaway is open only to addresses in the United States and Canada. Good luck!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Linking up this week with Travel Photo Thursday, which Nancie at Budget Travelers Sandbox organizes. Be sure to head over and check out more photos from locations around the world.

Our 3rd Blogiversary – in 3 Takes, Take II

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

In the Take I on InsideJourneys’ 3rd blogiversary, we looked back at the trip to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Lesotho, that inspired me to start blogging. The year following that momentous trip, I visited London, Paris and Toronto.

Here are some of the photos I took:

3rd Blogiversary in 3 Takes
London Eye

Usually, I stay clear of tourist traps but on this, my third trip to London, I decided to do some touristy things, like stand on line to see the London Eye. It had been calling out to me all during the week and that first weekend, I stopped ignoring its pull.

The lines were long but moved pretty quickly – about 45 minutes from the time I joined to the time I climbed aboard one of the pods. The ride took less time, about 30 minutes, but unparalleled views like this makes the wait definitely worthwhile.

3rd Blogiversary
Parliament from the London Eye

The other touristy thing I did in London  during this visit was seek out fish and chips. Okay, so it wasn’t wrapped in newspaper but it still counts. My opinion: do it once and you’re done.

3rd Blogiversary in 3 Takes
Fish and Chips
3rd Blogiversary in 3 Takes
The Circus

As soon as I booked my ticket to London, I bought a ticket to visit Stonehenge. Besides meeting my new nephew, it was to be the highlight of my trip — and all I could think about for weeks before I left.

Bath Houses, Bath
Houses, Bath

I wanted to have a good view of the English countryside so I was one of the first to get on the bus when it arrived and took the seat behind the driver. Our first stop was the historic town of Bath where I got these photos.

The Circus as well as these apartments in the second photo were designed by John Wood, the Elder (to distinguish him from his son). The Circus is actually three buildings, which all together form a circle.

For anyone interested in architecture, especially Georgian architecture, a trip to Bath is a must.

3rd Blogiversity in 3 Takes
Avon River, Bath

After leaving Bath, we had time to walk around the town. I was taking photos one after the other without really looking to see how well they turned out. I was pleasantly surprised when I downloaded them and saw how beautiful this shot is.

3rd Blogiversity in 3 Takes
King Johns Hunting Lodge

We stopped for steak and kidney at the George Inn in Lacock where this bicycle caught my eye.

I must admit, I was a little disappointed when I saw Stonehenge. Over the years, I’d built up such a huge mythology from my readings and the documentaries I had watched on television that I felt a bit let down when I got there. I mean, it’s just a bunch of stones, right? And at first, they looked smaller than I had imagined. But if you look at the second photo, you’ll see that they’re not.

3rd Blogiversity in 3 Takes
Stonehenge
Stonehenge
Stonehenge

There’s certainly nothing small about moving these gigantic rocks and setting them into place. And I’m still awed by them. Now that I’ve been, I’d like to go back for one of the solstice festivals. I’d also like to visit Avebury, which our tour guide recommended, but I didn’t have time because I was heading home the following day.

The lines at the Louvre almost made me turn around. But I’m an art lover and any art lover worth their salt cannot pass up an opportunity to visit the Mecca of art in Paris. I could visit this museum everyday for a year and still not see it all.

3rd Blogiversary
The Pyramid at the entrance to the Louvre
The Louvre escalator
The escalator to the underground lobby

I did the usual touristy things in Paris, including climbing the Eiffel Tower. Now, that’s an amazing piece of architecture and huge! Definitely larger than I expected. I was impressed.

Eiffel Tower from bus
Eiffel Tower

 

3rd Blogiversary in 3 Takes
Eiffel Tower
3rd Blogiversary
View from the Eiffel Tower

I don’t visit Toronto nearly as often as I should and maybe because of that, I’m continually surprised by how rich and diverse the city is.

Toronto building
Toronto building

On this particular visit, I remembered what I love – the public art – on buildings, on sidewalks, in unexpected places. It was like visiting a museum, I felt soothed.

3rd Blogiversity in 3 Takes
Public art from Toronto’s streets
3rd Blogiversary in 3 Takes
Toronto street art
3rd Blogiversity in 3 Takes
Toronto Street art

That’s it for Take II of my 3rd Blogiversary. Hope you’ll stop by for Take III, which will be all about Jamaica.

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

Our 3rd Blogiversary – in 3 Takes

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

The date of my 3rd blogiversary hit me by surprise this year. (Honestly, I’d totally forgotten about it!) I was doing a little site maintenance last week and noticed the date of my first post – November 29th. Right away, I knew what I wanted to do – show some of my favorite photos of the last three years but there was no way to weed through more than 2,500 images in two days and decide which ones to use.

I registered my blog about 3 years before I started blogging. Even though I was traveling, I couldn’t seem to get the writing part going. That is, until two of my friends and I made it to southern Africa. Three weeks in Zimbabwe, South Africa and Lesotho and I returned with so many wonderful and memorable experiences, I could hear myself telling the same stories over and over. I needed a medium that would allow me to share my stories and photos – my usual travel journal wouldn’t do. Then I remembered the blog I registered and never used.

Shortly after I returned home, I looked up my blog, downloaded my photos – almost 1000 images – and began writing. Surprisingly, the words flowed and even more surprisingly, they haven’t stopped.

My blog and I have grown considerably since those first tentative moments three years ago. I’ve met and befriended readers and bloggers and can proudly say there’s no group more supportive. It is because of you that this 3rd blogiversary is possible.

In Take One, I’ll go back to where it started – that trip to southern Africa. We visited Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Victoria Falls and Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, and Sani Pass, Lesotho.

If you can only visit two continents in your lifetime, visit Africa. TWICE! – R. Elliott

3rd Blogiversary in 3 Takes
Entrance to Victoria Falls
3rd Blogiversary, Vic Falls
Victoria Falls Rainbow
3rd Blogiversary in 3 Takes
Victoria Falls
Lunchtime at Makalolo Plains
Lunchtime at Makalolo Plains, Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe
3rd Blogiversity in 3 Takes
Lone bull elephant at Mbisa, Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe
3rd Blogiversary in 3 Takes
Mandela House, Soweto
3rd Blogiversary in 3 Takes
Iconic Soweto Watertowers
Looking down, Table Mountain
View from Table Mountain, Cape Town
3rd Blogiversary in 3 Takes
Table Mountain Tablecloth
3rd Blogiversary in 3 Takes
Jackass Penguins at Boulders Beach, Cape Town
Vineyard in Stellenbosch, South Africa
Vineyard, Stellenbosch, Cape Town
3rd Blogiversry in 3 Takes
M’hudi Wines’ Oupa Rangaka
3rd Blogiversary in 3 Takes
Durban trees
3rd Blogiversary in 3 Takes
Sani Pass Hotel
3rd Blogiversary in 3 Takes
Durban Rickshaw
Morning on the Golden Mile, Durban
Morning on the Golden Mile, Durban

 Some of the people we met…

It’s been a while since I saw some of these photos so that made it even more difficult to decide what to include. But it was great looking back at the wonderful time we had.

I still keep in touch with several of the people we met in South Africa and Zimbabwe. The first time I visited Africa, a friend told me it would change my life. It took the second visit for it to happen.

Coming up tomorrow, Take 2: London, Paris, Toronto, and New York.

Linking up this week with Travel Photo Thursday, which Nancie at Budget Travelers Sandbox organizes. Be sure to head over and check out more photos from locations around the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jerk Roast Turkey for Thanksgiving

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

For many Jamaican families in the U.S., the traditional baked turkey will not take center stage at this week’s Thanksgiving dinner. Instead, it will be replaced by jerk roasted turkey.

It started a few years ago. I suspect, because somebody got bored with the traditionally baked turkey and decided to add little kick to it. When you think about it, jerking a turkey makes sense. If you can jerk a chicken, why not jerk a turkey?

Well, that idea has caught on. Several Jamaican restaurants now prepare and sell jerk roasted turkeys on order.

Type ‘jerk turkey’ or ‘jerk roast turkey’ on your computer and the search will return several pages with recipes, how-to information, and videos. You can even buy a jerk roast turkey from Nieman Marcus and jerk turkey from Boars Head.

I’ve never had jerk turkey, mainly because I don’t like turkey.  I’d curious to give it a try but it won’t be this Thanksgiving. I’ve been invited to join a family for dinner and I expect the turkey will be baked and accompanied by the normal Jamaican fare  – curried goat, jerk chicken or pork, escoveitch fish, rice and peas, etc.

If you’d like to try making jerk turkey for your Thanksgiving this year, here’s a recipe I found at Saveur.com.

Jerk Roast Turkey


Write a review

Save Recipe
Print

Ingredients
  1. ¾ cup olive oil
  2. ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  3. ½ cup chopped scallions
  4. ¼ cup freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
  5. 2½ tbsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
  6. ½ tbsp. dried thyme
  7. 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  8. ½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
  9. ½ tsp. ground cloves
  10. ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice, plus wedges for serving
  11. 1½ tbsp. soy sauce
  12. 6 cloves garlic
  13. 2 Scotch bonnet or habanero chiles, stemmed and chopped
  14. 2" piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
  15. 8 tbsp. unsalted butter
  16. 1 (12-lb.) turkey
Instructions
  1. 1. Heat oven to 500˚. Combine ¼ cup oil, sugar, scallions, ¼ cup pepper, 2½ tbsp. salt, thyme, cinnamon, nutmeg cloves, juice, sauce, garlic, chiles, and ginger in the bowl of a food processor; puree until smooth and set aside. Melt butter and mix with remaining oil; set aside. Rinse turkey and pat dry with paper towels. Season turkey inside and out with salt and pepper and let come to room temperature.
  2. 2. Transfer turkey to a rack set inside a roasting pan, tuck wings behind turkey and tie legs together with kitchen twine. Brush turkey all over with butter, reserving some for basting. Pour 2 cups water into roasting pan and roast turkey, brushing once with more of the butter, for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350˚ and continue roasting, brushing occasionally with butter, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into a thigh, without touching the bone, reads 150˚, about 2 hours. Remove turkey from oven and baste completely with reserved sauce. Place back in oven and continue to cook until internal temperature reaches 165°, about 20 to 25 minutes more. Transfer turkey to a cutting board, and let sit for 30 minutes before carving; serve with lime wedges if you like.
Adapted from Saveur
Adapted from Saveur
InsideJourneys https://insidejourneys.com/

Nigel Spence, one of my favorite Jamaican chefs, does a deep fry jerk turkey and has created this video demonstration for how to make it. Chef Nigel owns a restaurant, Ripe, in Mount Vernon, where he makes and sells his jerk turkey. Deep frying a turkey is best left to professionals or cooks with a lot of experience.

How to join the #FoodieTuesday linkup –

  • Add the link to your foodie post in the link tool at the bottom of this post
  • Leave a comment.
  • As a courtesy, please include a link back to this post.
  • Tweet, G+, Like, etc., using the hashtag #FoodieTuesday

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 Loading InLinkz ...


The Animals That Caught My Eye

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

I’d be the first to say that I’m not an animal lover so I was mildly surprised at the number of photos of animals I’ve taken during the last year. Here are a few:

The Cat at Croydon

A friend who was a cat owner used to say that cats were humans in an earlier life. That’s why they act so superior.

Cat
The cat at Croydon

As we sat listening to the Croydon Plantation tour guide talk about coffee growing and processing, this little cat jumped on the bench in front of me. I snapped this photo just before it walked away.

Jamaica Red Poll, YS Falls

It’s common, especially in the rural areas, to see cattle in pastures or even on or near country roads. YS Falls in St. Elizabeth, is not just a stud farm, it also has several heads of Jamaica Red Poll cattle. The Jamaica Red Poll was developed from Red Poll cattle that was imported from Britain in the 19th century to improve the local breed. I love their distinctive rich reddish-brown color.

Jamaica Red Poll Cow, YS Falls
Jamaica Red Poll Cow, YS Falls

I wish I had longer lens, but I couldn’t resist taking a photo with the egrets waiting nearby to catch dinner – small insects that the cow distributes.

Yard Fowls in Portland

There was a time when just about every Jamaican household had chickens, hens and at least one rooster running around. My family was like any in Jamaica – we also kept chickens and about once a month, we’d have one for Sunday dinner.

Cock, Boston Bay
Rooster, Boston Bay

Now it seems everyone buys chicken from the supermarket, or they’re raising day-old chickens that they feed round the clock. They’re ready to eat six weeks later. I prefer the yard fowl.

Black and white hen
Black and white hen
Brown Hen, Boston Bay
Brown Hen, Boston Bay

A Peacock at Appleton

As if on cue, it began drizzling just as we started the Rum Tour at Appleton Estate. I put away my camera and took the umbrella the tour guide gave me. Just then, I noticed a peacock several yards away. I wanted a photo but didn’t want it badly enough to get my camera wet. But when the peacock turned and began walking towards us, my friend held the umbrella. I was ready just as it sauntered by me.

Peacock at Appleton Estate
Peacock at Appleton Estate

Clydesdales in Falmouth

These Clydesdales in Falmouth moved so quickly, I hardly had time to get a second shot.

The Animals that Caught My eye
Clydesdales, Falmouth

 

Any glimpse into the life of an animal quickens our own and makes it so much the larger and better in every way. – John Muir

Linking up this week with Travel Photo Thursday, which Nancie at Budget Travelers Sandbox organizes. Be sure to head over and check out more photos from locations around the world.

 

 

 

 

Sometimes, It’s All in the Hands

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

I started out with a clear idea of what I wanted to do for this week’s Travel Photo Thursday, but by the time I finished going through my photos, I decided to do something I call, It’s All in the Hands.

Our hands perform many different tasks throughout the day. But I’m fascinated by people whose hands pull nets full of fish, hammer nails or pound stone, keep tradition alive – ordinary people doing ordinary things with their hands. Here are a few I met during my travels.

I never tire of watching Fay, who I call the Peppermint Candy Lady, make peppermint candy from scratch. It’s a tradition she learned from her mother. She has taught to her son, who she believes will continue it.

Peppermint Candy - Adding color
Peppermint Candy – Adding color

I noticed him, moving slowly, determinedly in the heat of the afternoon, closing the distance between us, one hand clutching a string of freshly caught fish. This is a normal sight in fishing towns and villages in Jamaica. But with a large cruise ships docked several yards away at Falmouth Pier that day, it felt out of place. He smiled when I asked if I could take his photo. 

It's all in the hands
Fresh catch

When the guide at Holywell Recreational Park heard me say I’d never seen the raspberries that grew in this part of the island, he slipped quietly away, returning moments later proudly bearing a handful of beautiful fruit. These are a different shade of red than those in the U.S. but just as sweet.

Sometimes, It's All in the Hands
Raspberries

Limestone rock covers almost two-thirds of Jamaica. It was used in the construction of many of the old buildings in the island. I watched as this worker hammer a rock to get the right size and shape to patch a hole in a retaining wall.

Sometimes, It's All in the Hands
Breaking a limestone rock

My sister designs and makes jewellery; she also teaches. She works primarily in silver and has made most of the silver jewellery I own. I love her work but until a few months ago, I’d never watched her make any of her pieces. Here she’s showing a group of women how to make a simple necklace using copper wire and gemstone. I think copper wire is her new favorite material. 

Sometimes, It's All in the Hands
Making jewellery

 

Linking up this week with Travel Photo Thursday, which Nancie at Budget Travelers Sandbox organizes. Be sure to head over and check out more photos from locations around the world.

 

 

 

A Meeting and Music at The Cloisters Museum

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

Elizabeth and I planned to meet uptown at The Cloisters Museum & Gardens a few days before I was scheduled to leave New York City. A friend from the blogging world, we’d read and commented on each other’s blogs for several months before we met and strengthened our connection offline.

Talk about six degrees of separation? About a year ago, I was on the phone with Elizabeth arranging our first meeting when friend of hers arrived. Accompanying her was a cousin of mine that I’d never met. I still shake my head when I think how unbelievable that was.

The Cloisters Museum & Garden
Entrance to the museum

So I was looking forward to catching up with Elizabeth again and excited to experience The Cloisters with her.

A branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Cloisters Museum & Gardens houses a fine collection of medieval art and manuscripts, illuminated books and Flemish tapestries.

The museum was created from an endowment from John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and built to resemble several European medieval abbeys. At least five buildings were taken apart, the bricks reassembled to create the museum which occupies its own campus north of Manhattan in Fort Tryon Park.

Despite a light rain and dark, ominous skies, the museum was bustling with people and activity. In addition to the beautiful tapestries, stained glass, sculptures and paintings for which The Cloisters is well-known, there was a sound installation of the reworked forty-voice motet, Spem in alium numquam habui by Thomas Tallis, in the Fuentidueña Chapel.

The installation, by Canadian multimedia artist Janet Cardiff, is the first presentation of contemporary art at The Cloisters. Forty speakers, one for each voice, have been mounted throughout the chapel, filling the museum with haunting choral sounds that seemed to follow us where ever we went. The installation will be on display until December 8, 2013.

The Cloisters Museum & Garden
View of Manhattan from The Cloisters

Elizabeth and I had planned to have a bite in the cafe and sit in the garden but the rain changed that plan. That only means that we’ll return when the weather’s better.

Visiting The Cloisters

The Cloisters Museum & Gardens is located at 99 Margaret Corbin Drive, Fort Tryon Park, New York. The museum is open 7 days from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Admission: Adults $25 (Recommended), free to members
Accessible to the M4 bus (The Cloisters/Fort Tryon Park), and ‘A’ train (190th Street station).
Free parking is available at Fort Tryon Park.
No flash photography allowed.

Linking up this week with Travel Photo Thursday, which Nancie at Budget Travelers Sandbox organizes. Be sure to head over and check out more photos from locations around the world.

Stewed Peas (Meatless)

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

I love legumes and turn to them whenever I feel like taking a break from meat. Mostly, I make stewed peas, which is red kidney beans that’s cooked with spices and coconut milk.

Traditionally you make stewed peas with meat – pig’s tail, corned beef or pork, or chicken. But a few years ago, perhaps as a result of the popularity of the Rastafari’s ital way of cooking, which excludes meat, a meatless variation started cropping up on restaurant and cook shop menus.

Stewed Peas (meatless)
Stewed peas with brown rice and salad

But you don’t have to be vegetarian to like meatless stewed peas. Red kidney beans are so flavorful, you can enjoy it as a meatless stew or soup without much loss of flavor.

Making stewed peas

Soaking the peas overnight reduces cooking time. But if you’re unable to and have a pressure cooker, you can have them cooked in about twenty minutes. I love having a pressure cooker handy precisely for this reason.

The main ingredient in stewed peas is red kidney beans. As I explained in a previous post, what we call peas are really beans so I apologize for any confusion. Sometimes, I add carrots and spinners or potatoes, other times just carrots, especially when I’m watching my sugar intake as spinners (long dumplings) and potatoes raise blood sugar. Carrots can too, so keep that in mind if you’re diabetic.

For seasonings, I use scallion, thyme, Scotch bonnet peppers, pimento berries, garlic and a few thinly sliced strips of ginger. I love slightly sweet taste that coconut milk adds to any dish but you can leave this out if you prefer.

Stewed Peas (Meatless)


Write a review

Save Recipe
Print

Ingredients
  1. 1 or 2 cups peas
  2. 1 or 2 medium carrots (chopped)
  3. 1 sprig of thyme
  4. 1 stalk of scallion
  5. 1 Scotch Bonnet pepper
  6. 1 tbsp. Pimento Berries
  7. 2 cloves garlic
  8. 1 small Irish potato (optional)
  9. 1 can coconut milk (optional)
  10. 2 Bay leaves (optional)
  11. Water – enough to cook peas
  12. Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  13. Spinners (long, thin dumplings - optional)
Instructions
  1. Pick out defective or broken peas and wash. Soak overnight. The next day, drain off the water, pour peas into a pot, cover with cold water, add garlic and salt to taste and put to boil. (If you’re unable to soak peas overnight, wash, add enough cold water to cover and put to boil.)
  2. Cook for about an hour or until peas are soft.
  3. Add seasonings – pimento, scallion, Scotch Bonnet, black pepper, and coconut milk.
  4. Peel, chop and add potato and carrots.
  5. Add thyme, and Bay leaves (tie together with kitchen twine or put in cheesecloth). Cover and let simmer for about an hour or until you have a nice, thick stew.
  6. Remove Bay leaves, thyme and pimento berries before serving.
InsideJourneys https://insidejourneys.com/

Stewed peas is really an abbreviated version of red pea soup. It is always served with white rice but it’s just as great with brown rice, and greens – steamed callaloo, spinach or broccoli, or a garden salad.

How to Join the FoodieTuesday Linkup

Join the FoodieTuesday linkup by –

  • Posting a foodie photo on your blog
  • Adding the link to your foodie post in the link tool at the bottom of this post
  • Leaving a comment
  • Tweeting this post using the hashtag #FoodieTuesday

Hope to see you at FoodieTuesday!

 Loading InLinkz ...


Discover Dalaman

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

There’s plenty to love about Dalaman holidays. From the climate to the culture, from those glorious long, sandy beaches to its cheerful holiday resorts and well-equipped hotels, it’s certainly worth taking a bite out of this Turkish delight.

Mountain and Sea
Marmaris

Based on the aptly-named Turquoise Coast, Dalaman is a cracking holiday destination with a wide range of fantastic resorts on offer. If you’re after a lively stay with pubs and clubs at every turn, Marmaris could be right up your street. This energetic nightspot pulses with life and really comes alive once the sun goes down, with a long list of venues to keep you dancing ’til the early hours. The beach scene is suitably upbeat too, with plenty of local activities and watersports on offer for the more active types, and endless rows of sunbeds for those who want to kick back and take it easy.

In resorts like Fethiye and Atakoy, you’ll find a slower pace of life with a more authentic Turkish vibe. And for knock-out beaches and cracking coastal scenery, Olu Deniz is the place to be. You’ve probably seen the photos of the beach at Olu Deniz – there’s a magnificent lagoon and a dazzling sweep of pale silky sand, which makes the perfect backdrop for your holiday snaps.

Olu Deniz
Olu Deniz

If you’ve got Dalaman holidays in mind this summer or next, you’ll find a wide range of holidays on offer here. Check out some of the package breaks on offer and search for late deals or early booking discounts to enjoy additional savings on your trip. After all, the more you save now, the more you’ll have to play with once you get there!

So whether you’re after a laidback break in stunning surroundings, or a non-stop clubbing holiday to remember, Dalaman is one Turkish delight that ticks all the right boxes.