This Weekend!
May 7, 2012 by Nature Isle
Are you young enough to remember the Tom Jones classic “Memories don’t live like people do – they always stay with you, whether they be good or bad….”
The memories evoked this coming weekend will be that of a fun-filled times growing up in the Caribbean.
The welcoming and natural beckoning of the Caribbean sea, Victoria falls, North East trade winds and the warmth of familiar faces, with special mention for the food; roti, jerk, pelau, broth, fish tea, manish water, ting, sorrel, ginger beer and much more …
Of course the versatility and diversity of Caribbean music is like no other…the rhythmic drum and baseline from a reggae tune of Bob or Dennis, the heavenly tone of good steel pan music, the melodic guitar riffs from the cadence lypso of Chubby; calypso, the beautiful Caribbean infoparty, as presented by the likes of Sparrow and Rudder; the upbeat tempo of Billy Ocean and of course the compa and zouk from Tambo Combo and Kassav bring back memories of pure enjoyment!... [Click Here To Continue Reading]
The Caribbean – Now!
April 30, 2012 by Nature Isle
Some things are! Don’t ask me why. Today, I want to be in the Caribbean and that is just how it is. Does anyone feel that way?
I want to have Caribbean options now…lay down on the beach, dive in the clear blue waters, hike to the mountain tops, listen to some calypso, steel pan, reggae, bouyon, or zouk! I want to be enveloped by the Caribbean lingua, enjoy the waterfalls, the fauna and flora. I want to take in the bars tucked away in remote villages and the camaraderie that is uniquely Caribbean. I want some jerk fish and rice and peas, roti, pelau, kubuli, carib, red stripe, mojito or daiquiri, even sorrel, mauby or ginger beer. I need that island sunshine – the one that is cooled by the breeze across the Caribbean Sea or atop the mountaintops. I want to be in the Caribbean – now!
I don’t want to fly… these iron birds won’t get me here on time. Flight is too long…by the time I get to Bim, hours will have elapsed. I want the instant gratification of... [Click Here To Continue Reading]
Fruits; The Banana
March 27, 2012 by Nature Isle
Bananas are America’s #1 fruit and the world’s best-selling fruit, outranking the apple and orange. If you are like most people, you probably do not give a second thought to the sweet banana, one of the few fruits available year-round. If you’re ever stranded on a desert island, just hope and pray it contains a banana tree bearing the world’s most perfect fruit. Here are a few of the benefits of eating bananas;
Providing Energy; containing three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes.
Mood enhancers or mild sedatives: Bananas contain tryptophan (although it’s not one of the major sources, a medium still contains about 10.6 mg of tryptophan). Tryptophan is one of the 20 amino... [Click Here To Continue Reading]
Guess the Score Super Bowl Contest
February 4, 2012 by Nature Isle
Nature Isle fans, are you planning to follow the Super Bowl this Sunday? Think you know which team will come out on top? Want to win some cool Nature Isle products?
All you have to do is post your comment on Facebook predicting the following scores between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants.
Contest 1 – Score and teams at the end of the first quarter
Contest 2 – Score and teams at the half
Contest 3 – Score and teams at the end of the third quarter
Contest 4 – Score and teams at the end of the game.
The person who correctly guesses the closest to the final score in each quarter will win.
Your comments must be posted before kickoff, which begins about 6:29 p.m. EST
In the event of a tie, please also guess who the Most Valuable Player will be.
Contest Rules
- The entry period will go through kickoff of the Super Bowl, or about 6:29 p.m. EST on Sunday.
- In order to enter, you must leave a comment on Facebook with your prediction which team will have which score... [Click Here To Continue Reading]
Survey Shows What Your Favorite Condiment Reveals About You!
January 29, 2012 by Nature Isle
ATLANTA – A survey commissioned by The Association for Dressings and Sauces reveals some interesting facts about consumers and condiment sauces, including salsa, salad dressing and mayonnaise. In the recent survey of 1,000 Americans completed by Synovate, salsa and ketchup tied for the “favorite” condiment with mayonnaise, salad dressing and barbecue sauce close behind. Mustard was the most popular “second favorite” choice. Read on to learn what your favorite condiment sauce represented by The Association for Dressings and Sauces (Web site, www.dressings-sauces.org. ) says about you:
Salsa Fanciers
Salsa’s strength is in the West, where consumers are more likely to love salsa, be frequent users and to have some on hand at home. One in four of the people surveyed named salsa as their favorite condiment. Compared to consumers in general, those who prefer salsa to any other condiment sauce are more likely to be extroverts. It is not surprising, then, that they are more... [Click Here To Continue Reading]
Bequia: is this the perfect Caribbean island?
November 29, 2011 by Nature Isle
I have been fortunate enough to visit many Caribbean islands over the years, and every one has had a flaw. Much of Barbados, for example, is overdeveloped; parts of Jamaica can be scary; Cuba is hard work; St Lucia has few good beaches; Antigua’s hotels are mostly isolated; St Barts is too flashy; Anguilla’s interior is scruffy…
Finally, however, I have found an island that’s hard to fault. It’s called Bequia (pronounced bekway), a green and hilly S-shaped outpost of the Grenadines, nine miles south of St Vincent. Here’s why, in my opinion, it’s almost perfect.
A perfect harbour
Deep-set Admiralty Bay is one of the Caribbean’s most protected natural harbours. It’s surrounded by steep verdant hills, always full of yachts – I counted more than 120 – and, with doughty little ferries chugging in and out, it’s also a strong contender for the most beautiful.
At the back of the bay lies Port Elizabeth, Bequia’s villagey... [Click Here To Continue Reading]
Tropical Hashbrowns
November 21, 2011 by Nature Isle
Ingredients Vegetable oil 1/4 cup onions, diced ½ cup Fruit Chutney 1 clove garlic, diced 1 large potato, grated 1 carrot, grated dash Mango Pepper sauce pinch salt pinch pepper Hot sauce, to taste Directions In pan, add oil, onions, and garlic. Sauté . Mix together in a bowl the potato, carrot, chutney, pepper, and hot sauce. Add to the pan and heat until golden brown. Read More →
Peak of perfection!
November 11, 2011 by Nature Isle
Peak of perfection
by: Spirit of discovery: Adam McCulloch
WE start with an unscheduled stop. “The alternator broke,” explains my driver, Martin. He closes the bonnet and gives me a look of good-natured resignation. I roll down the window and look around. Below us lie verdant valleys, above us are precipitous mountains; and water, water everywhere.
The lush, mountainous flanks of Dominica, an island roughly the size of Manhattan, stream with water. It’s as if this section of the Lesser Antilles — a speck in the West Indies closer to Venezuela than Florida — just recently burst forth from the sea. (As one of the youngest islands in the Caribbean, at a youthful 26 million years, that’s pretty much true.)
There’s an ominous antediluvian undercurrent to the landscape, with its dark forests inhabited by strange creatures that slither and crawl, and steaming fissures that penetrate deep into the earth’s core. I’ve only just arrived, but... [Click Here To Continue Reading]
Why do Sandwiches Taste Better When Someone Else Makes Them?
November 9, 2011 by Nature Isle
When you make your own sandwich, you anticipate its taste as you are working on it. And when you think of a particular food for a while, you become less hungry for it later. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, for example, found that imaging eating M&Ms makes you eat fewer of them. It’s a kind of specific satiation, just as most people find room for dessert when they couldn’t have another bite of their steak. The sandwich that another person prepares is not “pre-consumed” in the same way. Read More →
Coconut Water or Other Sports Drinks?
November 8, 2011 by Nature Isle
Proliferation of Coconut Water
While growing up in the islands, every time I went to the doctor with any ailment, he always advised my parents to get me lots of coconut water. It seems that my doctor’s advice has resonated with people all over North America because coconut water is everywhere on the shelves in stores and supermarkets.
What is coconut water, exactly?
Coconut water is the liquid that is found inside young coconuts before they mature, at which point the water solidifies to form the flesh of the coconut. Native to the tropics, coconut water can be drunk directly from freshly harvested fruit. The commercial coconut water that you find in the U.S., often sold in bottles and tetra packs, is pasteurized and may have added pulp.
What’s in it?
Nutrient content varies slightly from brand to brand, but coconut water is naturally low in calories and fat-free. A serving has about the same amount of potassium as a banana and it is low in sodium. It also has a small amount of calcium,... [Click Here To Continue Reading]
