a lil something about sweet nothings

i've always wondered what sweet nothings were and why one would whisper them into an ear. well one saturday morning, i got the best explanation to date. sweet nothings is the name of a fantastic little business that produces eye catching edible arrangements in tacarigua. seems like they've really been whispering, because i never heard anything about this operation before. and i've been in a few situations in which a fresh fruit arrangement would have been an easy and timely solution.



i guess i'm not the only one with that need, because when marklan and melissa moseley did a few arrangements for some friends and relatives, the responses were very positive. the question "so how much yuh will charge for one of these?" took it to another level. soon the business was born.



so what's different about sweet nothings? off the top, the location. not talking about the area. i'm talking about the fact that they literally have a store. this translates into a lot of consumer benefits like the ability to make same day orders for pick up or delivery. yes! they deliver!




but on to the sweet stuff. they actually started doing candy arrangements like the ones we got. (thanks again folks!)



but their main focus now is fruit arrangements. fresh fruits worked up into attractive designs.




great for birthdays, anniversaries or just to say "i'm thinking about you". people are even using them as center pieces on tables at wedding receptions and functions. they're much tastier than flowers, but just as eye catching.




and with what seems to be an ever changing list of containers to select from, you can customize your order to suit virtually anything. you might have a problem if you want to send an arrangement for bachak day, but if you're celebrating bachak day, you might have bigger issues than finding an appropriate gift.




the deal maker for me though... the chocolate covered strawberries. milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate and white chocolate. dat iz what we talkin about! just ask dawi. it was his first time eating a strawberry. i guess there are few places better to have a first experience like that.




another spot i was pleased to find. i still don't think i'll be whispering any sweet nothings soon, but i'm more than sure i would be eating some sweet nothings in the near future. check them out online right here


leh we bubble.

wrappers delight

i've been doing a little healthy eating these days. no doctor's orders or anything like that. i just thought that it was time to pay some more attention to how i treat my body. so i decided that from time to time i'll make some quick little snacks like these cabbage wraps that my friend ellese put me on to (remember the name, it will come back up in a post soon to come) and share them with you all. they're quite easy to make, tasty and a lot more filling than they might look. not to mention the appreciation some of my fellow bloggers like debfit and happiness is a size 6 might have for items more like these.



lets season up some minced meat shall we? a very basic seasoning process... nothing too fancy. a little onion and garlic.

a little salt. i put some salt in a bottle that had some all purpose seasoning in it... was just a thought.

then a proper shaking of ginger, black pepper, paprika and italian seasoning. i usually season meat the day or night before i use it. this time, it did an overnight in the fridge, and it went on the fire the next morning.

While the meat took a little last minute soak, i put some water in a small pot and brought it to a boil. why?

to blanch a cabbage dear henry, dear henry, dear henry. there was a time when i thought that taking cabbage leaves off the core was simply a job of patience. not really the case. you HAVE to blanch it. it's impossible! fuh real! blanching the leaves makes them wilt a bit, then they come right off and become way more manageable. you should get a big pot and cover the cabbage with water though. do as i say... not as i do.

while the leaves are peeling off from the core is a good time to start cooking the meat. i've always been concerned about the amount of oil minced beef releases. for that reason, i don't use oil or even cooking spray when cooking it. just drop it in a pan and let it spring its own juices. it tastes fine just like that anyway.

by the time the meat is cooked, the leaves would have been blanched and ready to be filled. and there it is. pack in the beef, then drizzle some pepper sauce and honey mustard on it. and top it off with some cheddar cheese. next time i think i'll try a few pickle slices or maybe some tangy pico de gallo or some salsa.

leh we bubble healthy.

A SOUPREME DISCOVERY (re-heated)

anyone that really knows me will know that i love me some soup. i'm a fan of pretty much any kind of soup. i mean, what's not to like about something you can drink and eat at the same time? that's good stuff if you ask me. so it would only follow logically that a place dedicated to making soup would get a mention on my blog. hence this entry about a little establishment i discovered a few months ago called SOUP SUPREME. I found it in el socorro on william street. actually, half a block away from the "roti factory" i talked about in a previous entry. i went to this soup haven a few times. enough times to be convinced that they can produce a consistently tasty soup.



on this particular occasion, i had the cow heel soup. having only sampled the cow heel and the fish broth before, i think i was wrong for neglecting to explore the other menu offerings in favour of enjoying one of my favourites. (i'm a cow heel man by day and a fish broth man by night.) their range is decent, presenting cow heel soup as pictured above, fish broth as mentioned before, ox tail soup, beef soup, vegetable soup, corn soup, calaloo soup, chicken soup and the house special. (i won't take away the joy of you going and asking what the house special is for yourself.)



i tried my best to capture how well seasoned this soup is with my less-than-professional camera skills for you all. but trust me, it's all about loads of fresh seasoning including generous amounts of the famous shadon beni. i inquired about their ingredients and was quite pleased when they told me they use very little oil and didn't use any golden ray, sugar, maggi or split peas powder in an effort to make a commercially viable soup. instead they use real, fresh ingredients and cook them right so you get justice. i think them there words are pretty darn reassuring.



as for value, this large cow heel soup ran me $35. now i usually take my soup sans provision and dumplings. just my preference, but they have all the bells and whistles. actually, they dropped in two little pieces of corn for me this time just for so. however, look at the generous portion of cow heel that ends up in your bowl. this is not the first or second bowl i've purchased, and it's been the same heaping helping every time. add provision to the mix and i do believe you'll have a real challenge on your hands.



i took mine away and enjoyed it the way i prefer to enjoy meals... at home in comfort. but they actually have a nice, clean space with tables and chairs where you can sit and enjoy your meal. and though i've never seen a thick crowd there as opposed to a steady flow of customers, the place is big enough that even with a line, your dining experience shouldn't be compromised.

i'd say, if you're in the area, or you're in the mood for a nice soup, SOUP SUPREME is definitely worth a try.



STOP THE PRESS!!!
new addition to the menu. lamb soup.



yes... lamb. as in mary had a little one. call me uninformed, but that's the first time i've heard about lamb on a soup menu. i guess you can make a soup with anything, but lamb soup is not something you would see for sale very often. if you like lamb, this is your soup. if you're baidawi, it's not. it's my new fav though. they don't have it all the time, so you have to ask for it and keep your fingers crossed.



the lamb is properly well pressure cooked, so it is tender (as all the other meats at this joint are), and the broth has the trademark seasoned taste that makes it difficult to go to the patraj around the corner, even for a roti lover like me. and yeah, yuh know the portions that we dealin with.

one more reason to check out this spot.