Crawfish Season

Its crawfish season and we are quickly learning that is a really good thing. 

This little girl is even a fan.

Pop stopped in the other day for a quick visit. Since we had an extra pair of hands on deck we felt brave and decided to venture out and enjoy a meal outside of the home. Sammy's is our spot. A restaurant we take our family to for local flavors and Southern charm and its just loud enough for us to almost blend in.

Eating out is something we just don't do since we became a family of five. It's way too exhausting.  

But we took turns holding babies and peeling crawfish and ended up having a wonderful evening out with minimal damage to the restaurant. All in the name of hot, boiled crawfish.

Chinese Fest

Over the weekend, George got us all out of the house for the afternoon to attended the Indianapolis Chinese Festival.

The dragons were the biggest deal for us, along with the dancers, oh, and the food. Nyah kept trying to persuade us to just let her go get a costume on so she could dance on the stage with the other children. I didn't have the heart to break it to her that she is not Chinese though the masses of beautiful children in wonderfully intricate costumes was her total dream come true for her and no doubt tempting.

It was a much needed outing for us and it felt so good and normal to experience a little culture on a Saturday and to attend a festival-something our family does quite well. 

Corn Fed

If you haven't been to Indiana, you might not be aware of the fact that the corn is good here. Really good. And in case anyone was concerned, since being in Indiana, my kids (including he who remains in da womb) are being corn fed. Oh yes they are.

And they are loving every minute of it. Well, not quite on the level of their love of mangoes, but they are enjoying it.

Mango Madness

Oh no, not another mango post! Well, what can I say, we have been eating a lot of mangoes around here.  Can you believe I just learned how to cut the thing properly? Seriously, how did it take me so many years of island living to learn this important skill?  


Actually, I am not too surprised it took me so long to learn the cutting technique considering that prior to moving to St. Croix, I don't think I had ever eaten or maybe even seen a mango in the raw? Embarrassing, I know. I remember trying my first taste of the magical fruit here and not totally knowing if I should eat the skin or not, just kinda hung back and watched others before I dove in. 


Today I will share with you my newly acquired knowledge of how to cut a mango, for snacking. When cooking with mango, I cut it a completely different way. We do it two ways around here, the civilized (clean) way and then the other way, which is really messy, depending on the ripeness of the fruit.


So here is the first way we cut the mango, the way we do it at home when a knife is handy. I thought I knew how to do this and then yesterday I realized I was constantly cutting into the tough seed in the middle of the fruit. My knowledgeable island boy husband then revealed to me the key fact that I must cut along the long end of the oval of the mango, like so. Of course, wait to cut  the mango until its ripe or feels soft to touch, about the softness of a ripe avocado.

Repeat on the other side.

Then pick up the slices and scoop the delicious fruit out with your teeth, using the skin as a bowl and a way to keep fingers clean, but don't eat the skin.

Finally, peel the center and eat all the goodness left around the seed you wish.


The next way we eat mangos is how we do it when out in nature with no knife in sight. Simply start at the top and pull the peel down all around leaving the skin intact at the bottom of the fruit so there is a place to hold the fruit without getting your hands covered in mango juice.

Then devour. 

Be careful, your face might look like this after eating a mango this way (smile included). Trust me, its inevitable.

I am sure this is probably old news but to most of you but for some, hopefully, the lightbulb just went off as it did for me yesterday. 


Hope this helps so next time you are in the islands you will look like a professional and not embarrass yourself as I did by trying to eat the mango peel. And please don't think I am stingy, I would mail you all mangoes but the USDA doesn't think it's a good idea and if they got smashed en route, it might result in a huge mess by the time it arrives which really wouldn't be fun for anyone.


Sending mango love to everyone. 

Jackpot

We made a visit to the in laws house today and what can I say, we hit the mango jack pot. Their yard is plentiful in the food department to say the least where we pick stuff like this and this. 


If you can't tell by the numerous posts I've written about mangoes, I am pretty enthusiastic about these flavor packed fruits. I absolutely love them, not only for the joy they bring my little girl but because they are wonderfully tasty. Mother nature truly out did herself in the mango department. Sweet and juicy, like heaven for my taste buds. 


Being that I am not from the islands, like my husband, I am always in awe of these little treasures each season they bless us with their presence. I think George had his share of mangoes when he was young and had this perfect treat at his fingertips. Imagine, playing outside and rompin' with friends all day and then stopping in the backyard for a mango break. These island kids, spoiled I tell ya.  

Nyah eats a mango and then immediately asks for another. We are not sure how many mangoes one human girl can safely consume in a single sitting but we will soon find out. Her grandmother tells us, "Nyah a strong island woman, leave her alone and let her eat her mangoes." She hasn't got sick yet. This girl has nothing but love for her mangoes. I have actually never seen her adore a food more.


Mango salsa, mangoes from breakfast, mango smoothie, I even tried mango bread last year, its all wonderful. It's all wonderful. I am sure we will do it all again this season and the next and the next so stay tuned for many more mango posts, (or at least as long as we continue living the island dream). Oh yeah, and this reminds me, I want to try mango popsicles. Stay tuned.

The Lunch Situation

Each night after dinner as I put the left overs away and begin the meticulous process of cleaning the kitchen, I pack Nyah's lunch for school. George helps me clean the kitchen of course. He is the master of washing dishes and loves to remind me how much better he is at this task than me. I have to say, I totally agree with him. He can totally claim that one, spotless dishes every time. Remember dude, I grew up with this little invention called a dishwasher. Mind blowing, I know. I have told him on numerous occasions that since he is SO much better than me at washing that he can be totally, one hundred percent in charge of the task but he won't buy it. But I am thankful for whatever help I can get.


Since packing the lunch kit is such a part of my daily routine that I truly enjoy, and will probably be doing for a long, long time, (wow, I am really going to pack a lot of lunches in my life) I thought I would share what its all about.  So here's the lunch kit, in all of its glory:

We are highly discouraged from using plastic baggies, juice boxes and other disposable stuff at Nyah's school, in an attempt to keep waste to a minimum, something that has become habit in our daily lives. We are lucky that none of her classmates have any over the top peanut allergies so peanut butter sandwiches are a-okay. Nyah typically opens her lunch box to find a sandwich or left overs, always fruit, maybe pretzels and her all time favorite, yogurt. A serious treat for her. 

The containers are from some mega store, cold pack a gift given to Ny when she was a wee precious one from my dear friend Ashley, and the snack bag is courtesy of my sister and the rockin' toy store she works in.

Nyah stays hydrated through the school day and during lunch from a tiny glass full of water which she pours from a mini glass pitcher. Real glass? Three year olds? Really? Yes. All part of the process. Dropping and breaking glass and the reaction it elicits is all part of the process of learning to be careful, concentrate and handle things with care.

I pick Nyah up at twelve o'clock sharp each day and get the pleasure of spending some time with this little community of barefoot kids. 


Yesterday, one of the little cutties reached his tiny, short arms up to rub my belly and while peering at me from under my bump asked me so curiously, "Why is your belly so big?"


To which I replied, "Because there is a baby growing in there".


To which he bluntly blurted, with his best are you crazy lady look on his face, "AGAIN!?!".


I'm convinced picking Nyah up during lunch is the best part of Elsa's day. She gets such a kick out of making her grand entrance to meet the group of socializing children gathered and eating lunch at their chowkies on the open air porch of the beautiful school*, hoping to get a bite but always receiving a hug.  


Oh, a chowki is a little table which originates from India (where Nyah's teacher, Ms. Jill received her Montessori training). Ms. Jill describes how the guards used to sit on the little tables outside of homes during a long watch, so I guess this would make them more like stools. 


Here is a photo of the Indian God, Ganesha, sitting on a chowki. Obviously, the one Nyah uses daily is made of wood and not nearly as ornate, but you get the idea.

The kids at StarApple Montessori use the chowkies as tables to do their "work" (a very serious matter if you have had the pleasure to be around a Montessorian) and also to eat on. The students take wonderful care of their little chowkies, the perfect sized work station and portable table for them to eat on.


So there you have it, the whole lunch routine from start to finish.


*I would love to include some photos of Nyah's amazing preschool (yes, I am so inspired by a preschool) but just don't feel right snapping photos of others children but maybe someday I will find the school empty. Until then I will leave it up to your imagination.

She Eats

I finally discovered the culprit, the reason I have to make an extra trip to the over priced grocery store in the middle of the week. There she is, the full blown, extra mouth to feed in our house, and feeding she does. She just doesn't stop.

She eats her portions and then finishes her sisters meals. We have had to stop her on more than one occasion, afraid she would make herself sick from eating too much. We are still wondering where the petite fifteen month old puts it all. She has pretty much ditched the breastfeeding thing for the real stuff and hasn't looked back since. 


And, once again, I found myself way behind at dinner last night (as usual). I handed her a fork (just to get her warmed up to the idea) with a bowl of pasta. She proceeded to eat her whole bowl of pasta with the fork, stabbing the noodles with perfect precision and bringing them to her mouth with skilled eye hand coordination as if she has been doing it for years. Seriously, who teaches her this stuff and where was I? Watermelon is definitely one of her favorites.

Nyah's Favorite Popscicles

I have to share on of Nyah's favorite treats which she is so enthusiastic about. So simple, so easy. So, why didn't I think of this on my own? Trying to shape my mind to think more creative in the baker/chef category but its comes as a challenge for me. 


This particular recipe is by Jessica Seinfeld from her cookbook Deceptively Delicious, a book I don't actually own but the pages my friend photo copies for me when she discovers a tasty recipe. 


I am not sure what Nyah enjoys more, making or eating these Frozen Yogurt Pops (which she calls popsicles but I am convinced thinks is ice cream at the rate she devours them).


Start by pouring 2 cups plain low fat yogurt or vanilla yogurt and 2 cups of frozen berries (let them thaw a little prior for easy blending) into food processor. 

I am sure a wonderful organic frozen berry would be great here but we use what we can get on this island and just remain thankful the store had a shipment of frozen berries on that particular grocery day. We will probably replace the berries with mangoes during mango season. I will let you now how that goes.

Next, add 1/2 to 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar. We leave the sugar out most of the time depending on how many tart berries are. 

Next pulse until smooth. This is Nyah's favorite step, obviously. 

Pour mixture into molds or whatever you have. We used to use small tupperware containers with toothpicks or ice cube trays before we found these fancy, legit popscicle molds at the over priced hardware store.

Add popsicle sticks.

Place creation in freeze and be patient and if you are like Nyah ask ever half hour on the hour if the popsicles are ready yet.


If there is any left over, enjoy in a cup as a smoothie or as Nyah calls it, "a moovie" no matter how many times I correct her. Cheers (from Nyah).

Please ignore the mess.  Elsa had just completed her daily pull all the toys of the shelf duty while Nyah and I were making "moovies".

Cheers

I must say, today has been a good day (so far).


Starting with fresh flowers picked for me by my sweet Nyah Amina as we walked to the truck before school.

Breakfast with fresh tomatoes given to us by George's mom, which taste like Indiana in the summer. The tomatoes perfectly accompanied my eggs for a delicious breakfast. 

I purged and organized Elsa's clothes, which seems to be an ongoing process at the rate she is growing and our lack of storage space. We have loads of girl clothes which I am holding onto for a possible third go around, depending on what is cooking in the oven. Elsa was a big help (actually she just pulled out all the clothes I would put in the drawers) but she discovered this pillow and wouldn't get off it all morning. We jammed to old school Lauryn Hill on Pandora and Elsa broke out some serious dance moves which I will try to post tomorrow.

We headed to the beach after school for a little mental health time for Momma and to attempt to get all of the snot out of Elsa's nose. A nice dip in the sea, the best remedy for a runny nose I have found thus far. Lets just say it pours out.

The girls are now fast asleep, yet another benefit of spending the afternoon at the beach.  


I am enjoying the silence and relaxing until dinner when Nyah will insist we have a family toast as we do before every meal we share, breakfast, lunch, or dinner. 


So cheers, here's to making this most of what life has to offer.

Conch Water

We bundled up Sunday and headed West to check out the Village, equivalent to the 4-H fair I would roam growing up and my father dominated as a child (minus the smell of manure and other agricultural treats). Just music, food, and jenky rides brought to St. Croix each year around Carnival. 


Nyah decided to stop her protest and break her hunger strike while we were there with of all foods in this world- conch water. I have tried everything to entice this girl's appetite, I even got serious and resorted to introducing her to the good life, the life of Nutella. I thought this was a sure new food obsession, but no, she simply took a few licks off her toast and went on with her business. 

George bought the conch water for himself, a kind of rare treat because I think we all know I have no clue how to make it, which Nyah happily consumed for him. Chewy conch and dumplings in a seafood fishy broth, interestingly tasty and delicious to Nyah. A true Cruzan she is, eating food with her Dad that even I haven't acquired a taste for. 

Nyah has made a habit of this, downing any food George has, no matter the rare or meaty contents.  I think she has figured out that Dad always eats flavorful food, not boring, raw veg like Momma. More power to my brave and adventurous girl.

Treasures

Nyah spent the morning in deep concentration balancing these beautiful limes on a spoon while carrying them from a bowl in the kitchen to the stove of her play kitchen. These are the most delicious limes so packed with juice and flavor. These tasty gifts were grown by George's parents, whose yard, in my opinion, holds some of the islands greatest treasures. 

These limes start out green then turn yellow but everyone still calls them limes. Whatever you want to call them, all I know is that I love them both for the wonderful flavor they give our food and for the endless fun they have provided Nyah this morning.

I love that Nyah, one of my hearts greatest treasures, is capable of making the simplest things in life so beautiful. Hope everyone is able to take some time and enjoy their greatest treasures today.