Nutmeg Egg Custard - Stovetop Magic

Many of us in Grenada don't have access to ovens. Although I'm one of the few that do have access, I still favor making desserts by stove top- it's quick, simple, and uses less gas.  Custards are so delicious and can be made into a wide array of flavors.  You can make them as sweet and as rich as you'd like with no problem at all.  All you need is a fry pan, custard cups, milk, eggs, sugar, and flavoring of your liking.  Since I'm somewhat of a health conscious person, my custard is simple and relies mainly on spices to bring out flavor.  I will post another custard recipe in the future for the ones that like a richer, sweeter custard.

Looking for crust?  Try Crushing a couple of graham crackers, coconut cookies, or ginger bread cookies into crumbs and add in a little butter (and sugar if you please) to get them moist.  Press into the bottom of an extra custard cup and scoop custard right in.   

Ingredients:

• 1 cup full cream or 2% milk ( I used 2.7% fat boxed milk)
• 5 tbs white sugar
• 2 eggs
• a little under 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• a little under 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• dash salt
• nutmeg syrup for custard bottoms (you can make your own caramel using water and sugar. I use syrup for the sake of simplicity and it stores better in the fridge)

Directions
1.  Heat milk in a pot.  Medium low heat. Add sugar. Stir to dissolve.  Do not boil.  Turn off as soon as you see little foamy bubbles on the sides of the pot. ~3 min.
2. In a bowl, whisk egg in a circular motion without lifting whisk to prevent bubbles from forming.  This will help create a smooth texture.  Strain egg through a sieve to get egg blobs and bubbles out or you can take a large spoon and scoop them out (I like this method because I don't lose too much egg as I do when I use a strainer).
3.  Slowly add milk into eggs, gently stirring constantly to release heat (prevents scrambling of egg).
4. add nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla. mix well.  
5. lightly butter custard cups. Add ~1tsp nutmeg syrup into each cup. Pour custard mixture evenly amongst custard cups. Cover each with a small piece of foil.  Make sure not to make foil too long or else steam will get trapped and custard will get wet.  Press foil against edges of cup to seal well.
6.  In a fry pan, place a small piece of cloth in the middle (I used a bandana. you can use a hand towel).  Place custard cups in pan.  Pour water in to come up halfway up the custard cups to create a water bath, a technique used to help keep temp. down otherwise cooking the custard with high heat will result in an unevenly cooked custard.  Cover and bring up to heat.  Place heat to lowest setting.  Make sure to not boil. Simmer for ~12 min or until middle part wiggles a little.  To check if custard is finished, stab in the middle. knife should come out clean.

7. Eat warm or Cool and chill in fridge for a couple of hours (I like mine chilled because the flavors infuse better and texture becomes creamy).

*press butter knife all around against side of cup to help custard come out clean or give the cup a little tap on the counter to loosen it up.
*You can buy custard cups at Foodfair (4 for ~23 EC) or the Hardware store next door to IGA.

*Click HERE for a cooking dictionary.

SO Midterm Social at Grand Anse Beach

Grand Anse Boys Soccer Game

37 Productive Ways To Use Your Spare Time

Dear Significant Others,

Teach the Kids, Save the World

As soon as my family found out about my plan to live in Grenada for two years, their first concern was me and not my husband, Brian, the one they should be concerned over instead- destined to get eaten alive by textbooks.  "What will you do everyday while Brian is away studying? " I replied, snorkel?  As funny as that may sound, life really is about "snorkeling" everyday in Grenada.  On top of snorkeling, add sightseeing, trying new food, picture taking, learning an instrument, working on a blog, getting involved in the community, meeting new friends, working out, discovering a new culture, discovering a new island, learning a new language, and the list goes on.

As soon as you settle into your new routine, you'll find yourself with spare time.  My duties as a wife include laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, cooking, massaging, a little counseling here and there (for the poor med student), and tending to the needs of my dog. After completing my duties, I still have a lot of time to spare (a lot of which is dedicated to making this blog).  I look at this spare time as an opportunity to take advantage of the things that I've always wanted to do, but never had the chance to in the past (because of school or other constraints).

Angela, Me, and Grace- SO buddies

Soursop

You can't go to school in Grenada to pursue higher education (unless you become an SGU student yourself or do online education), but you can still learn on the side using other resources such as books and the internet.  I'm currently preparing for a test called the CSET- Science, a test needed to get into a teaching credential program.  I have the privilege of thoroughly learning the material, allowing for it to get into my long term memory.  When I get back to America, I'll be more than prepared to pursue my teaching credential.
                                                                                             This is my plan... Have you thought about yours?

Futbol Stadium in St. George's

Here's a short list of suggestions:

1. Taste and get familiar with Grenada's tropical fruits and vegetables (if you stick with them, you can save some money because they're cheaper as compared to their imported counterparts).
2. Pursue a hobby you've been meaning to pursue - craft making, photography, start a collection of some sort, etc.
3. Learn a language- imagine what you can learn in two years
4. Educate yourself- read books
5. Download loads of TV series and watch your life away in Grenada hahaha.
6. Learn how to sew
7. Learn how to cook (You're more than likely going to cook whether you like it or not, for your significant other hahaha. Give them something to look forward to).
8. Visit Grenada's beaches, waterfalls, hikes, tourist attractions. Here's a great list to pursue.  I'm currently building my list up. Check back with this site a little later.
9. Learn how to snorkel
10. Get in touch with a loved one through email, phone, Facebook, video chat Skype and/or send them a postcard and something small from Grenada such as spices, or cocoa balls.
11. Learn how to scuba dive
12. Learn how to build sand castles
13. Lend a helping hand in the community. make life long friends with kids. teach a kid a lesson or two.
14. Start a journal or blog- can you remember what you've been doing all your life?  Keeping a blog or journal is a great way to help you remember.  What's life without memories?  It's called "The Notebook" hahaha
15. Have a skill or talent such as writing or tutoring?  free lance your skills. (you can write tutorial blogs and make money off of them or you can offer your expertise directly for a price)
16. Devise of list of goals you want to achieve (both personal and professional) if you haven't already done so. Take baby steps towards making these goals into reality.
17. Keep up with finances- notate how much is spent at grocery stores, pay credit cards, examine your budget.
18. Notate all of your ideas as they come in a little notebook or online document.
19. Exercise. we all need it, there's no doubt about it.  If you're not into exercise, start off with walking.  Before you know it, you'll be wanting to get involved with more vigorous activities
20. Create a special challenge (weight contest with friends, bake off, learn how to cook your favorite dishes, etc.)
21. Brush up on the skills you already have
22. Do simple math problems to sharpen up your brain. Play brain games online.
23. Learn the names and locations of each State
24. Write your own book, write poems
25. Do something special for your loved one (write him a poem, loved letter, cook him his favorite dessert or dish)
26. Share your favorite recipe at a recipe exchange
27. Have a movie night with your friends
28. Have a karaoke night with your friends
29. Watch tortoise or crab racing at The Owl
30. Organize your e-mail
31. Get in touch with old friends
32. prepare for tests you may be considering to take when getting back to America - CSET, CBEST, GRE, etc.
33. Brainstorm ideas on short quality dates with your husband. Remember, the living daylight is sucked out of them day by day, you'll want to engage in something short and sweet.  
34. If you have a pet, train him/her to be an ambassador for it's kind
35. Soccer, known as "futbol" here in Grenada, is the most popular sport. Even kids are good at it.  There's always games happening. Check one out with some friends. I'm not even into watching sports, but I had loads of fun watching a game with my friend Myra.
36. Take Underwater Pictures- Grenada water is perfect for underwater photos. Try shooting in a swimming pool or at a beach.
37. Take A walk outside and think about the things in life that you're appreciative of

Carib Sushi Review

Salmon Teriyaki

*Cuisine:  Japanese

*Location:  Le Marquis Mall, Grand Anse

*Hours:  M-F 11:30am-2pm; 6-9pm. Sa 12-2pm; 6-9pm. Su 6-9pm

*Phone:  (473) 439-5640

*Click HERE for Carib Sushi's Menu

Bazooka Roll (grilled salmon, veggie & flying fish roe)

I've been spoiled rotten with great tasting sushi at cheap prices my whole life in San Francisco.  Here in Grenada, it's a different story.  You have one sushi restaurant: Carib Sushi.  Good tasting sushi for prices I'm not used to paying, but hey, to have at least one Japanese restaurant in Grenada is all I really can ask for.  Since sushi is abundant (and therefore cheap) in San Francisco, I ate it all the time, but here, it's a luxury.  I ate at Carib Sushi 4 times so far and  have enjoyed every single roll I ordered.  They definitely come together well and the rice/meat/vegetable portions are great.  I definitely suggest for you to try out their rolls at least once.    I've also tasted their salmon fillet, which is tasty, but small in portion and big in price.  At IGA, you can get 5 times as much as you would get at Carib for the same price!  I always buy salmon from IGA and marinate and grill it so many different ways.  Definitely exciting and easier on the pocket.

If you come to Carib sushi, expect to pay a little extra to get a full meal, unless you're only looking for a snack.

My husband and I payed $191EC (~$70 USD) for three rolls and a salmon fillet.

Service is perfect and professional, there's an SGU bus stop right in front, and the restaurant is super cute and air conditioned.

Nice Chefs

Left: Sarah Special (tuna tartare & salmon inside, avocado and tuna outside), Right: Spicy Tuna (tuna, cucumber, and spicy mayo sauce)

Definitions to help you decode their menu:

*Usuzukuri- thinly sliced shashimi, onions, and olive oil
*Shashimi- A Japanese dish of bite-sized pieces of raw fish eaten with soy sauce and horseradish paste: "tuna sashimi".
*Hosomaki- Thinner, smaller, cylindrical rolls (up to three-quarters of an inch in diameter) consisting of a seaweed exterior and usually filled with rice and one ingredient, such as a fish or vegetable.
*Chirashi- This is a Sushi dish which is made of seafood, mushroom, vegetables and sushi rice.
*Ceviche- Raw fish or seafood pickled and "cooked" in the acidic juice of citrus fruit. Ceviches are often flavored with herbs, chiles and other ingredients.
*Nigiri- a piece of raw fish (or other topping) on top of a small oblong brick of sticky white rice.
*Uramaki- Rolls that have been created "inside-out" with rice on the exterior, and nori on the interior. Uramaki are typically sized in between futomaki and hosomaki, filled with two or more ingredients, and coated in sesame seeds or small fish roe.
*Temaki- Cones of nori (dried seaweed) filled with sushi rice, as well as fish and/or vegetables. Similar to maki, these are also known as hand rolls.
*Futomaki- Thick, large, oversize rice and seaweed rolls, up to an inch and a half in diameter, filled with fish or vegetables.

Philly Roll (tuna and cream cheese)