Happy Carnival 2015!

Carnival is upon us, quite early this year. Though I respect those who adore Trinidadian Carnival and partake in the mas, it's not really my thing. Old Mas I find a lot more interesting, as well as the pan and calypso music. I'm not a fan of soca or fetes though I have been to fetes before and enjoyed myself. My money is reserved for other things. So instead of indulging in the mas of Port of Spain, my friends and I headed to the North Coast and spend the weekend, Saturday to Tuesday, at the beach. We had a great time relaxing and enjoyed a lot of incredible homemade food. I would say that was a weekend well spent.

To those who do partake in the Carnival festivities, Happy Carnival 2015! Have fun and be safe out there!

Meatless Monday: Thai Chopped Salad

I'm not sure what inspired me here but I've been craving a Thai chopped salad for quite a while. No better way to satisfy that than to make it myself (it's also Monday ;-)). Salad is something that can tend to get boring, only because we're not adventurous enough with it. There are so many different types of salads and dressings, much more than caesar or basic lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber tossed salad. It's a light and healthy choice as long as you don't load it with too much bacon! 

I'm not writing a cookbook (right now, haha), so I'm also not recipe testing; I'm sharing with you my food adventures! My salad consisted of kale, red bell peppers, carrots, celery, edamame, cashews and portugal with a peanut-sesame dressing (grapeseed oil, peanut butter, light soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil & sesame seeds). As with most dishes, there's no one way to make it; substitute based on what you like and you surely won't be disappointed.

Have fun and get adventurous with your salad. There's more to salad than lettuce. Roasted vegetables, beans, grains, you name it... make a salad out of it!

Breakfast at Hyatt Trinidad

Happy Birthday Arista!!!
(Sorry waitress, I hope it's okay that you're in my photo.)

Tomorrow is the birthday of a dear friend of mine. Part of her celebrations included an overnight stay at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad, to sort of "get away". She invited me to breakfast with her (even though we are still recovering from sushi the night before), and being a breakfast lover, it was quite a treat.
I started with the hot chocolate and she had the fruit punch (she seriously loves their fruit punch). We both continued with an omelette from the live omelette station, then on to breads, cheeses and smoked salmon, pancakes, sausages and finally a little fruit to round it off. While the service was fantastic, it's Hyatt after all, the price is still a bit steep. However, if you're in the mood to splurge a little on a delicious (large) breakfast with a view, Hyatt is definitely the place to go. Or if you're a guest, breakfast is included in your stay!