Belize Kriol Council commissions Bible translation in Kriol

This is absolutely amazing! I'm not sure I agree with changing actual words in the Bible around but I definitely agree that there is meaning that can be lost without translating into vernacular. Also a very interesting point that the King James Version of the Bible was written for the common people to gain access to God's word, as only educated people spoke or read in Latin or Greek.

5 Types of Belizean Women on YouTube

LOL!

Flavors of Belize cookbook!

Ok, I am so, so, so excited about this! For years I have been scouring the internet for good Belizean recipes for my favorite foods. There have been a few posts here and there but the reality is that the conversion on many of the ingredients lists was a nightmare with Belize being on the metric system and all. So a lot of my best intentions at cooking and baking have, well, flopped. Well, the wait is over because the new Flavors of Belize cookbook is finally here! All the best and yummiest recipes right there in full-color, glossy pages. I could not be more excited about this!

Visit: http://www.flavorsofbelize.com to get your copy! I promise you will not be sorry once you try a Belizean dish!

Tamales "Throw-Down", Colombia vs. Belize

So for the holidays last year my in-laws were in town and we had the bright idea to embark upon the herculean task of making traditional tamales. The huge kind wrapped in large banana leaves. My MIL is from Colombia and that is how they are made there. Belizean tamales are the same large, banana leaf kind but depending on the region where they are made, the innards can contain different things. My childhood favorite happen to be the chicken tamales, but these are not just any chicken tamales, they contain a bone-in, hearty piece of chicken. Some people don't like theirs with the bone in. The jury is out on which is better, but I happen to love the bone-in kind. So much flavor to be found there! Anyway, the in-laws and I embarked on this journey and even found a Mexican market that carried all our necessary supplies: banana leaves (from the Philippines?!, corn Masa mix, and vital to making a real Belizean tamale- red annato paste. This paste is essential to Belizean cooking because it gives our savory dishes their color and flavor. In Belize we call it "recado" and it is a special blend made only in that region, but Mexican markets carry annato paste which is the closest comparison. So, on to the throwdown. Well, perfecting the consistency of the masa dough is by far the most difficult task. Not enough softness and you end up with one tough tamale. Not good. Somehow, someway, we got it right. In the process I decided to make my tamales my way, Belizean style, and another batch my MIL way, Colombian. What we ended up with was an impromptu Belizean vs. Colombian tamales throwdown! (Shout out to Bobby Flay!) The Colombian style tamales were pale with shredded chicken and vegetables inside. Pretty tasty. Mine were plump, reddish in color and full of juicy bone-in chicken. But I can't end this post without revealing the secret ingredient: the cull (col). This is a special sauce created by the Mayans that is used in the best Belizean tamales. I have to say that this sauce is a game changer in this dish and truly gives the Belizean tamales the edge over any others. Needless to say the Belizean tamales won and I can say that with confidence because my father-in-law gave them the seal of approval over his wife's! As big as they are, he went in for second's! That says it all.

Reggae Hut - Houston, TX

So the worst part about living away from your country is not having access to the food. This is especially true of Belize! I've seen so many food critics and bloggers sing the praises of Belizean food as some of the best on the planet. Belizean food is so rich and flavorful that just the thought of it makes my mouth water! Well, living in Houston means that I don't have access to a Little Belize restaurant like they have in L.A. but there is a little place called the Reggae Hut that sells some of the best Caribbean food around. With dishes like Jerk Chicken, Ox Tails and Curry Goat, there is a little piece of home in every bite. Now if they only carried Marie Sharp's Belizean Heat hot sauce....

Belize Jaguars at Concacaf Copa Oro

So last night our own Belize team, nicknamed, the "Jaguars," played non other than the U.S. at their world debut in the Concacaf Copa Oro or "Gold Cup." Needless to say they were smashed 6-1 by the U.S. Team but what was most noteworthy was not the loss but the presence itself. The Belize team earned its rightful place to play in the competition by beating both Honduras and Guatemala. Also inspiring is the fact that the Belizeans were able to score a goal at all against a seasoned team like to U.S. I am reminded of the game between Spain and Tahiti at last month's Confederations Cup in which Spain, the currently reigning World Cup Champions, demolished Tahiti 10-0. Of course the U.S. could have equally shamed the tiny nation of Belize accordingly but a lone goal on the part of the Belize team against a super power like the U.S. speaks volumes of our tenacity and perseverance and scores major points on the world stage. Belize plays their fellow Central American nation of Costa Rica on 7/13, at 5pm.
Go Belize!

So cool to see this I HAD to take a picture of the TV screen!

Navarre, FL

Welcome to my blog! I'm so excited to share my thoughts/musings/experiences here! This post is all about our family road trip to Navarre, FL. This sleepy little beach town is just outside Pensacola and what beauty it is! I have to say that this has to be the best beach I have ever been to in the United States. Oh, I've been to Miami Beach, Rehoboth Beach, DE and the like but this was the most remote, white sand beach and the closest to *home* that I have experienced thus far. The beautiful beach was located just over a magnificent causeway separating the resort hotels from the beach itself. We stayed at the wonderful Best Western, you can never go wrong with a Best Western! The service was friendly and the accommodations were excellent! There was even Zumba on the beach at Juana's Pagoda, a local bar and grill on Thursday mornings! There was snorkeling, gliding, surfing, everything! What a perfect stay at the beach!!!