Creamy Sausage Cabbage Pumpkin Soup

It's hard not to be able to find pumpkin (more formally known as calabasa squash) here in Grenada.  It's dirt cheap, versatile, and it's nutritious.

One day, I had left over breakfast sausage, left over cabbage, left over wonton wrappers, and a bit of cream cheese in my fridge.  I decided to have a left over party in my kitchen and slapped them all together.  Out came the creamy sausage wonton....  I fried (dipped in sweet n sour sauce) several and froze some for later use.  

Another day, I made pumpkin soup.  I wondered if there was a way to jazz up this soup and I immediately thought about the wontons I had froze from a week prior.  I decided to toss some in my pumpkin soup... an idea I was forever thankful towards my brain for thinking.  The combination was so great.  The second time around making pumpkin soup (this recipe), I didn't have wonton wrappers, but I did have all of the ingredients within. I added all of the fillings of the wontons straight into the soup.  Same great taste from when I first made it.  I hope you enjoy it! It's one of my own that I'm very proud of.

Ingredients:

5 cups water

2lbs pumpkin cubed 1''

1 tsp (or to taste)

black pepper to taste

2'' sausage or 1/3 a log

1 bunch chives chopped

3 garlic cloves

1'' slice ginger grated

1/2 cabbage chopped

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

dashes of cayenne pepper (for heat)

1 tsp sugar

2 tbsp sour cream + 2 tbsp cream cheese (or just 4 tbsp sour cream)

Directions

1.  Bring water, salt, black pepper, and pumpkin up to a boil.  Once boiling, turn heat down to medium high and cover.  Cook until tender (~30min) and after, mash pumpkin. After mashed, leave heat on medium low while cooking sausage.

2.  in a heated fry pan under medium high heat, add chunks of sausage. fry until golden brown.  

2.  add ginger, garlic, and chives and cook until tender ~ 5min. be careful not to burn garlic.

3.  add cabbage, cayenne pepper, chili pepper, and cumin. Cook until tender. ~ 5min

4. add cabbage mixture into pumpkin soup plus sugar. bring to a boil ~ 5-8min. or until well incorporated.

5. turn heat off and stir in cream cheese and sour cream mixture.

Real Crab, Crab Rangoons

Take some cream cheese ~8ec, a can of real crab meat ~11ec, and wonton wrappers ~6ec, and you got yourself a piece of what I call heaven.

I was so eager to eat them that I didn't bother with making them look pretty before I took a picture of them hahaha. 

One day I got sucked into trying the food from the Chinese lady in the Gazebos at SGU.  Who could resist her charm? I wanted to sample over and over again just to see her smile and say "very good, very nice."  Haha.  As expected, I got hit with loads of Umami goodness (a taste in my book that screams out MSG).  Being a firm believer of the dangers of MSG, I decided not to eat there again.   Well, that eliminates one of the only few sources of crab rangoons in Grenada (if they had them at Flag, they probably would've been made with imitation crab meat and msg... double whammy).  So I took it upon myself to get out there and make them myself. 

Being good as they are, I was hoping that me and my friend Laura could cut straight to the chase and just do the eating part (we talked about making them when we first met).  Since one of the two sources I had known about, failed, I decided to spare me and Laura the trouble and made them at home instead.  Me and Laura had so much fun wrapping them and even more fun eating them.

Serve with sweet n sour sauce or better yet, eat them on their own!  You can also toss them in soups (at the end when they're almost cooked to prevent sogginess) without frying them.   To store, lay them out in a single layer apart from one another on a piece of foil, place in a ziplock bag, and freeze.

~15min; ~45 servings

Ingredients:

1 pack wonton wrappers (foodfair)

1 8oz container chive and onion cream cheese (IGA)

1 6.5oz can real crab meat (IGA)

1/4 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

dash of cayenne pepper for heat (optional)

dash of black pepper

splash soy sauce

generous pinch of sugar

splash of lemon juice

1 tbsp butter

1 garlic clove minced

3 stalks chives chopped (just the green parts)

sweet n sour for dipping sauce

Directions

1.  In a large bowl, add crab meat, cream cheese, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, soy sauce, sugar, and lemon juice.

2. in a small sauce pan, heat butter.  add garlic and chives and cook on low heat ~4min or until tender.

3. add garlic and chives into crab and mix well.

4. take one wonton wrapper and place in a diamond shape.  place ~1tsp of crab in the center.  wet edges of wonton with finger to help seal wonton.  fold bottom half of diamond towards top to make a triangle. 

5. deep fry in a small sauce pan ~1 min on each side or until golden brown.  (if you don't have a small pan. you can use a big one and tilt the pan to one side frying one rangoon at a time so you can prevent having to fill the whole pan with oil.) Tongs will help flip the rangoons easily.

Le Marquis Shopping Center

An SGU bus stop is conveniently located in front on Le Marquis.

***Click on store name to view more details.

Stars Party Supplies

Carib Sushi

La Boulangerie - Italian Cuisine

Aquarium and Pet Supplies

House of Tobacco

Big Bamboo-  Beach Wear

Spice Isle Retreat - Hair Salon 

Categorized under "Business Directory"

Pool Days at the University club for SGU Significant Others and Their Immediate Family

The University Club welcomes SOs, and their immediate family, to use the pool facilities, kayaks, and beach area on Mondays and Thursdays from 8am - 6pm.  This beautiful hotel has gorgeous views you won't want to miss.

Note:  Outside customers who dine at the University Club are also entitled to use the pool. 

The University Club Restaurant has great food.  Have a great workout swimming and after enjoy a delicious meal. 

Details:
*Getting there: Take the L’ANCE AUX EPINES bus from the SGU bus terminal and stop at the University Club. The entrance of the club is labeled with a sign so it's hard to miss.  Check the bus schedule for departure times.  Bus isn't as frequent (~every hour) as the Grand Anse bus so plan accordingly. 
*From school, it takes about 10-15 min. to get to the pool.

*There's an open shower right next to the pool where you can rinse off.  
*Don't forget your camera!
*Click Here for more pictures 
*Click Here for the University Club Restaurant Menu

*Information below taken from the Significant Others of SGU website

In order to use this lovely facility, It is essential that all SOs adhere to the following RULES.

• SOs must show SO ID and sign in & out at the Reception Desk. We are allowed to bring only our direct family to th pool, with a maximum of 2 children per adult.  If you have more than 2 children, you must have another adult accompany you.

• Children must be closely supervised, as there is no lifeguard on duty.  The pool is shallow and diving is not permitted. Please restrict dangerous activities and disturbing behavior. (for example running, screaming, walking along pool ledge, etc).  Volume level of children using the pool should be kept at a respectable level considering there is a resturant and hotel accomidations surrounding the pool.

• Kayaks are available for adults (ages 16+). Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.  Kayaks only hold 2 people and should not pass towards the open sea beyond the Club jetty.  All kayak users are required to wear buoyancy vests which are available from Reception.

• While use of the pool is free of charge, SOs are required to make purchases from the bar or restaurant. (Food items cost about $30 EC, bottled water $3EC, and drinks about $10EC).  SOs are not allowed to bring outside food or drinks in to the University Club with the exception of baby bottles and baby food.

• Glassware must not be taken within 4 feet of the pool. Any breakages must be reported to staff members without delay.

• Please be clean and tidy, and courteous to all guests and staff. Place trash in the bins provided near the stairways and clean the table or chairs you've used. Enter and exit the pool area via the path and not through the restaurant itself.

White Coat Ceremony

White Coat Ceremony
This ceremony is held at the beginning of each term and marks the entry into the noble profession of medicine or veterinary medicine. Students should bring a shirt, tie, and trousers, or a sundress for this occasion (Girls, if you're planning on only bringing one pair of dress shoes, make sure they're closed toed as you'll be needing them for the mandatory OSPE exam). For Fall 2011, the ceremony took place the day before the start of the semester.

Program Length: 1:30-2hrs

1.  Welcome

2.  Remarks from Chancellor

3.  Keynote Address

4.  Individual presentation of White Coat

5. Professional Commitment-students recite oath aloud

6. Recessional

(Don't forget to pick up ceremony and reception tickets for your guests!  Otherwise, they will not be able to enter(especially into the reception).  The school will let you know where you need to go for tickets.

*Tip:  This terms incoming class was bigger than usual and the lecture hall filled up fast.  If you want your guest to avoid ending up in the overflow room, make sure you tell them to arrive at least 20min early!  The school was also able to record the whole event for students to show to their family abroad, but I'm not sure if they will do the same for next term's class.

*Don't forget to bring your camera to capture this important milestone.  

Reception Menu: Samosas, Weiner Dogs, cupcakes, fresh fruit, savory tarteletts, Juice, corn bread balls on a toothpick, ham and cream cheese rolls. 

The first Term Crew. Brian (husband), Myra, and Mark (right)... great friends.

First Term Life

Everything you need to know for midterms.

*Course Breakdown and Advice 

*OSPE I Exam Information

*Supplemental Materials suggestions for 1st term:

-Anatomy- Gray’s Anatomy Review- written by course director. Good way to teach you how to apply what you learn.  Marios Loukas, 2011 Copyright

-BRS Anatomy

*Unified Exam- given to asses where you stand academically

Five weeks into school  you will take a unified exam. 25 questions per class (Histology, Biochemistry, Anatomy) for a total of 75 questions. That's 25 points per class.  Brian says to treat it like midterms.  Take advantage of it because it’s at the beginning of the term where the workload is not as dense.  It’s worth 6-8% of your overall grade for every class.  Don't slack off and not study for the unified.  25 points IS 25 points.

*Random Tips:

-You need to study everyday. It’s no joke here.

- Brian lives ~7 min away from campus and found no need for a car. His apartment is conveniently located on a main bus route (next to Texaco).

-On days you don’t have lab make sure you wake up and study in the morning. Try not to sleep in.

-The AC is  blasted in all classes. Make sure to bring a sweater.

*Decel if the workload is too much for you  

-You can decel without worrying about being charged extra tuition.  The only thing you have to worry about is living expenses.  Also, deceling will be placed on your transcript since they see when you start and finish the basic sciences.  You must finish basic sciences within 3 years.

A Typical Page of Notes for Brian- This is just half a page.

What to Consider Before Bringing your Dog To Grenada

Gunther checking out poisonous Mr. Frog

 I'm the wife of a med student and have all the time in the world to tend to my dog's needs.  He's very happy here despite the lack of doggie companions and hot weather.  I teach him tricks and do obedience training with him often to help stimulate his mind so he doesn't get bored.

If you're a student and are thinking of bringing your pet over, I highly recommend reading my list below prior to making your final decision.  I include what life is like for Gunther here in Grenada along with details on what it took to get him here (paperwork, airlines, kennel, restrictions, fees).

*Dogs Banned in Grenada-
"Dangerous Dogs"
1. Any dog of the type known as Pit Bull Terrier, that is to say Staffordshire
Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bull Terrier or any
mixed Breed dog which can be identified as partially of any of those breeds.
2. Any dog of the type knows as Fila Brasileiro.
3. Any dog of the type knows as Japanese Tosa.

*You will most likely be charged duty for your pet upon leaving the airport-
Here is the breakdown of what I paid for my dog:
How much I told them I paid for my dog- $280 US dollars
They charged me:
D-593.88
CSC- 74.24
VAT- 322.92
Total: 991.04 EC ---> 382.81 USD

*The process of transporting your dog as cargo can turn out to be disastrous even if you've prepared everything before hand.  In my case, my flight was canceled so naturally, we canceled our dog's flight (with Amerijet).  This company doesn't frequently ship animals out to Grenada so I had to wait for the next available flight (one week after) that resonated with my new American Airlines flight.  Luckily, I decided to leave the island one month in advance just in case something like this were to happen so I'd have plenty of time to work out a new schedule.
*Just in case- if your dog makes it to Grenada before you do, have a student or friend on the island standby to receive your animal at the airport (Yes, you guessed again. This is what happened to me. My landlady was kind enough to fetch him for us. She provided duty receipts and all and I gave her a fat tip).
*I have never seen any dogs in any indoor places including stores, malls, restaurants, facilities, govt. buildings.  Grenada isn't as "pet friendly" as many places are in America (such as San Francisco where there are dog parks everywhere you turn).
*You can bring your dog to campus but it must be on leash at all times. 
*Make sure your dogs don't play with Grenadian frogs. There are two main types (one thumb sized and the other big (as seen in picture above).  The big ones are poisonous!
*I leave the AC on 24/7 so my dog won't over heat while at home. I pay ~$230 USD (~600 EC) a month.  Room is about 10'x15' with a high ceiling.
* Avoid flights that layover in Barbados at all cost.  They will euthanize your pet if they feel like they have to.  You will have no power to fight their decision.  Different country, different rules.
*There are no dog parks here.
*I apologize to those who have been offended by my advice in not picking up dog poop. Though there are large uncontrolled/unregulated/not vaccinated amount of dogs roaming around, leaving their poop behind as they please, there is no excuse to not pick up after your animal yourself.  Not picking up after your dog will definitely make contamination problems worse. As you may know, feces that get left behind, get into earth's water sources and contaminate water.  I just hope that Grenada has a proper waste facility in which waste is unable to penetrate into the earth.  This way, your poop picking up efforts will not be for nothing.  Of course, initially when I advised to not pick up poop, I never allowed for my dog to defecate in main areas and only in my private garden so if you're one of those people who don't pick up after your dog after all, make sure you do have common decency to not leave any surprises for pedestrians.
*Most dogs found in Grenada are either stray or guard dogs
*Locals will either love or be scared of your dog (a lot of the older adults tend to tense up when they pass by me and my dog). 
*Call your airlines to double check if your dog is permitted to fly (I think bull dogs aren't on some airlines because they have trouble breathing in certain conditions)
*Always keep your dog on a leash when in public as stray dogs can be feisty and locals will feel more secured.
*Most people that walk their dogs in public are foreigners.
*There are dog sitting services on the island where you can leave your dog when you leave the country for vacation. Though I'm pretty sure you'll make friends you can trust that would be glad to watch over your dog during break.
*The dog food available on the island sucks (made with a lot of corn meal and fillers) and on top of that, it's pricey.  It's equally as pricey, if not more, to ship food from your country or origin.
*I walk my dog very early in the morning when there's virtually no one in sight just so I can let him off the leash and play catch with him.  We always play on the soccer field in front of the main grocery store, IGA.
*My dog overheats easily so I never walk him from 8am-5pm.
*Bring some of your pet's favorite toys to keep him busy.  I brought a Kong over that I always stuff with goodies and freeze.  I leave it to my dog for him to chew on to keep him busy while he's alone at home.  It also stimulates his brain.  I also bought tug toys, balls, and a couple of Frisbees. 
*As a med student, you'll most likely have little to no free time.  Will you have enough time to take your dog out for walks, play with him, bathe him, socialize him, and buy him food?  Most students I know that brought their dogs over also have a significant other to help take care of dog responsibilities.  It's definitely a great idea to being your dog companion over but make sure you'll have the time to tend to his needs. Otherwise, you'll end up with a deprived dog.
*Try making friends with other students that also own dogs when you arrive to the island.  They will be your only source for socialization.
*If your pet is flying, make sure you buy a kennel that's airplane approved.
*Dogs are not permitted on SGU school buses. You may want to consider buying a car if you plan on taking your furry friends around with you (I just walk him everywhere).
*Dogs are not allowed to live on campus.  There are many pet friendly apartments nearby. Make sure you inquire about all pet policy details (deposit, pet rent, etc.)
*If you decide to bring you pet here, try tiring him out the day before so he'll most likely knock out during the trip instead of stress out.  

 Important Links:
*All you need to know- Information from the Significant Others Club of SGU- Paperwork Requirements
*If you're pet is unable to fly with you due to heat embargo regulations (weather is too hot and unsafe for your pet to be stored in cargo), you can chose to transport him using Amerijet (I used this method and it was very reliable).  They only ship one way to Grenada.
*U.S. Pet Air Travel Regulations
*Traveling with Pets- American Airlines Regulations (I flew with them)
*Pet services and Supplies in Grenada

Airline Approved Kennel. Check with your airline for details.