Pan Fried Chicken+Tomato Sauce Reduction+ Bacon Bits served with a side of Potato Pancakes- Breakfast Dressed up for Dinner

Peanut Butter and Jelly is to Chicken and Bacon hahaha.  Then again, Bacon with anything is good period.

For an American, Breakfast is an integral part of life.  Ronald Mc Donald, Denny's, IHOP, and Aunt Jemima taught me this.  Even my non-English Speaking parents knew this fact of American life.  That being said, I've grown dependent on breakfast.  It's the fuel that get's me going in life.

Since I've grown up a bit and got a lot of exposure to the Food Network, I've been putting spins on my favorite foods left and right.  I took a look around my fridge-eggs, bacon, ketchup, and around my counter- potatoes and flour, and decided to put a spin on breakfast.

I made a real tomato and tomato ketchup combination sauce (ketchup packets) to top off my grilled chicken (Chicken Mc Nuggets) and fried a potato, flour, and egg mixture (hashbrowns). O, and of course, topped everything off with crispy bacon bits.

2-3 servings; 30-40min
Ingredients:
Potato Pancakes-
1 1/4cup packed shredded White Potato (I used Russet, 2 medium potatoes)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp four
dash cayenne pepper
dash cajun seasoning
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1 egg
oil for frying

Chicken-
4 strips bacon cut into 1/2'' strips (keep 2 tbs fat rendered from bacon)
1 lb chicken thighs thawed out, room temp.
2 garlic cloves minced
1tsp. minced ginger (~1/4'' slice)
salt/pepper/cajun seasoning for dusting chicken
2 medium tomatoes diced
1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots
juice of 1/2 medium lemon (1/4 cup)
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp ketchup
1/2 tsp cajun seasoning
pinch salt
1tsp bay leaf powder (can purchase at MNIB in excel plaza, one of my fav. spices)

Directions:
Potato Pancakes-
1. Peel Potatoes, Shred, rinse and drain 3-5 times until water runs somewhat clear.  Strain and squeeze out as much water as you can. Transfer to mixing bowl.
2. add salt, flour, cayenne pepper, cajun seasoning, parsley, and egg. Mix well.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and store in fridge for 20 min.
4. heat pan on medium high heat. add oil ~2tbsp.
5. Drop in 3 heaping spoons of potato mixture into pan and flatten out with back of spoon in an even layer (the smaller the scoops, the crispier the cakes will be).  Wait until one side browns, you can check by lifting with spatula.  Then flip and brown other side. Repeat until potato mixture is gone.


Chicken-
1. Dust chicken with a thin layer of salt, pepper, and cajun seasoning on both sides.
2. heat non stick pan medium high heat. add bacon bits and lay out in a layer (doesn't have to be even even) stir frequently constantly coating them in its own oil so they can cook evenly.  Once cooked to liking (I prefer Crispy), place aside in a bowl.
3.  Dump excess oil, leaving behind ~2tbps bacon fat.
4. Add chicken strips (they usually come packaged this way from Foodfair) in an even layer. Don't Stir! wait until chicken has cooked 3/4 of the way (~6min depending on your stove).  When you see just a little pink left at the top,flip and finish cooking.  Scoop out chicken and place to the side leaving fat and bits behind.
5. Add ginger and garlic. Cook ~2min. Add tomato, peas, and carrots. stir to cover in fat. cover and cook for ~4min or until tomato turns into mush and peas become tender.
6. in a bowl mix lemon juice, sugar, ketchup, cajun seasoning, salt, bay leaf powder.
7. add lemon mixture to tomatoes peas and carrots.cook without cover (reduce) for ~4min.

8. Top chicken with tomato sauce reduction and bacon bits. serve on top of white rice and a side of potato pancakes.  Enjoy!

*Click HERE for a cooking dictionary.

helpful links for prospective and current significant others

hanging out with my new buddies

The Adventure of A Lifetime
So your husband/wife/significant other dragged you by your wedding ring(or just dragged you) thousands of miles into a place you never thought you'd find yourself in- a lost episode of LOST or perhaps Jumanji?... I like to call it Grenada.

If you and your significant other (SO) are already completely exhausted from the plane ride (where everything that can possible go wrong went wrong), then you're right where you belong hahaa.

Next, you will find yourself at the grocery store face to face with items you're used paying half price for back at home and ask "Why" until you find yourself in the same situation again the next week.  Soon enough, you start exploring around yourself and hear from word of mouth or on the Facebook page of places where you can get a better bang for your buck.  You go here for this and there for that.

Pretty soon you start to wonder if the Significant Others were especially made for you and later find out that YES! Indeed they were hahaha.  They will have the answers to all your questions and then some.  Life starts showing a glimmer of hope and things aren't as bad as you thought they would be.

Later, you get together with other significant others and venture out on the island and pretty soon after, you feel like you're on a 24/7 vacation (meeting paradise everywhere you turn).  Of course you feel bad but hey, you do all you can for your husband (clean, massage, give your shoulder for him to cry on, do the laundry, and cook), so hey why not.  It's a once in a lifetime opportunity that anyone would take advantage of, including your significant other, if they had the opportunity to.

On top of vacationing, you want to be productive as well so you start volunteering to help out around the community or you start working on developing a skill or hobby like dancing, cooking, or blogging. Now you're at ease and feel lucky to be in a once in a lifetime opportunity to be living in a completely different culture, experiencing new sights, sounds, and tastes with time on your side.  You soon find out that the whole country is synonymous with "down to earth" and its persona starts rubbing off on you...you feel like a new person.  You think to yourself, "I'm in my true element," and wish for the whole journey to never end.  Welcome to life in Grenada as a significant other.     

Below you will find helpful links that will help you transition to life in Grenada.

1. Significant Others of Saint George's University website -
I can't describe how helpful this organization has been in helping me settle and transition to life in Grenada.  They know their way around and are more than happy to help guide you through your quests.  Their website contains everything you need to know and more-

• how to get your pet here from another country
• where to enroll your students for school
• what to do while your SO is busy at school
• calendar of scheduled events and activities on and off campus (for kids too)
• passport information, how to obtain an SO ID card, visa extensions and renewals
• transportation information
• volunteer information
• housing information 
• immigration, customs, when you arrive
• SGU Bus Routes, Schedules, and Rules

2.  Links to Other SO Blogs

3.  Once you fill out the "New Significant Other" form, you will be assigned a footsteps buddy who you can contact should you have any questions.  You can fill it out while you're still in your hometown and let them know when you're scheduled to arrive.

4.  Once you've been assigned a buddy, send in a request to be added to the SO's Facebook group.  Here you will find other SOs post updates on events, questions about any and everything, tips, and so on.  Feel free to post any questions you may have (even if you're not here yet).  There's always someone ready and willing to help. They always respond lightning speed with helpful information.

Of course, you can always contact me if you have any questions at all.

5. Once you've Arrived Checklist
6. Tips and Money Saving Ideas for the Kitchen
7. Fruit and Vegetable Guide 
8. 32 Productive Ways to Use Your Spare Time
9. YouTube Videos, Movies and TV Show Suggestions
10. Cooking Dictionary 
11. Ingredient Dictionary
12. Emergency Ingredient Substitutions for baking  
13. Common Ingredient Substitutions
14.  There is an SO recipe swap group where SOs post their favorite recipes, tailored to what is available here in Grenada.  Add me on Facebook and let me know if you would like for me to add you into it.  You can also ask me any questions you may have about any other issues and I will definitely hunt the answers down for you.   
15. Click HERE for a map of Grenada
16. Click HERE for a map of St. George's
17. Do It Yourself Christmas Decorations 
18. What to consider before bringing your pet to Grenada 
19. My Grenadian Photo Albums
20. Pool Day Info at the University Club 
21. Visa Renewal Process
22. Mail Information
23. Where to go for ____? (where to go for everything + general advice)
24. Sample Budgets- cost of living everywhere in Grenada

Grand Etang National Forest and Annandale Falls

Entrance to Annandale Fall

During orientation week you will have the option of attending an SGU organized tour to Annandale Falls (30ft drop with swimming pool at the bottom for a refreshing swim) and Grand Etang National Forest.  At registration, make sure to reserve a spot for you and your significant other (if you have one) before all of the slots fill up.  I highly suggest for you to attend the tour- the ride and costs are covered, it's a perfect time to mingle and make friends, and you get to see what in part, makes Grenada special- its lush and beautiful tropical forests.  If you're lucky, you may even run into monkeys (up close and personal) and drink coconut juice straight from a freshly picked coconut.

Length of tour:  ~2- 2.5 hr
1. 4-5 big school buses load up at SGU campus
2. Bus ride to falls- long and windy on narrow roads. no hike involved. students watch local divers (they take donations) and have a little fun in the water. Jumping off cliffs is not permitted for safety reasons (~20-25 min).
3.  If you're lucky, you will catch the coconut man at the entrance. These young coconuts are delicious.  Try one out! You can also take a picture with the Banana lady for 2-3ec.
4.  Leave the falls and head to Grand Etang Forest (~10 min).
5. Hike up to point of destination. It took our crowd 1hr there and back due to the muddy conditions.  Be sure to wear hiking shoes (no flip flops!) unless you want to mud skate all day hahaa. Wear bug spray and bring water, and don't forget to wear sunscreen.  You can also pay to use the washroom next to Grand Etang House to rinse your shoes. I think it's 5-10ec.
6. Ride back to campus.
7. campus bbq

*These two sites are easily accessible by car or public transportation.
1.  Grand Etang- from Saint George's University, take the Grand Anse bus. Stop at Texaco. Walk up the corner towards IGA and you will find a local bus stop. Take #1 to St. George's. Ride until the last stop at the bus terminal. 2.50ec. walk towards other buses and find #6-5ec. this will take you to your stop right in front of "Grandetang House." Entrance fee ~5ec/person if you're going separately from school.
2.  Annandale Falls - from SGU, take the Grand Anse bus. Get off at Texaco. Hail a #1 bus or walk up around the corner to the local bus stop.  Ride to the last stop to the bus terminal.  Transfer to a #7 bus to Annandale Falls.  

Getting there on your own:   from St. George's turn L, continue downhill past yellow Methodist church for 0.7mi.

Price -free.  Visitor center hours: Mon-Fri 08:00-16:00.

Main Attractions at Annandale Falls (busy days will prompt more action):

• Listen to Guitar Man
• Take a picture with lady balancing a big bunch of fruit on her head
• get up close and personal with a monkey and his man
• buy fresh coconut from the coconut man with a machete
• watch divers dive from great heights above waterfall (donations appreciated but not forced)
• swim (no diving allowed). Also, no wet cloths allowed on bus. Don't forget to bring extra clothes.
• Reviews on Trip Advisor 

Main Attractions at Grand Etang:

• mud
• insect bites
• flip flop suction action in mud (under wet conditions)
• razor sharp plants
• Grand Etang House- they sell beverages and sandwiches
• monkeys (if you're lucky)
• view of beautiful Grand Etang Lake
• view of Grand Etang Lake from end of hike (on top of a hill)
• Reviews on Trip Advisor 

*for more pictures visit my Flickr album here

Annandale Falls

coconut man in front of Annandale MmmMm...

beginning of hike at Grand Etang

View of Grand Etang Lake at end of hike