Ingredients

You will need the following ingredients to prepare 2 litres of sorrel:-

1 lb Sorrel sepals
1″ of ginger
5 tbsp sugar
2 litres of water
A splash of rum (ideally Jamaican white rum)

 Optional spices
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp ground pimento
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp orange peel
1 tbsp lemon peel
1 tsp mace

Optional alcohol
Wine
Sherry
Rum

Preparation

Grate the ginger.

Add the ginger, sorrel and water to a pot and rapidly bring to the boil.

Add a selection of optional ingredients to the mixture to personalise the drink. You will probably need to experiment with these ingredients until you find the combination which is perfect for you.

Allow the mixture to boil for 10 minutes.

Take the mixture off the heat. Once it has cooled, place in the fridge for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, take the mixture out of the fridge and strain.

Stir in the sugar and a dash of rum (the rum helps to preserve the drink). If you wish you can add some wine, sherry or additional rum at this stage.

Serve with ice.

Ingredients

Fruit Mix:
1/2 lb currant
1/2 lb raisins
1/2 lb prune
1/2 lb dried fig
1 (8 ounce) jar maraschino cherries, drained
1/4 lb mixed peel
2 ounces almonds, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Caramelised Sugar:
6 ounces brown sugar
1/4 cup boiling water

Cake Base:
1 teaspoon lime peel, grated
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 lb butter
1 1/8 cups sugar
5 eggs
Preparation

1. To prepare the fruit mix: Finely chop currants, raisins, prunes, figs and cherries.
2. Combine in a large bowl with mixed peel and almonds.

3. Mix vanilla and ground cloves with rum, and pour the rum mixture over the fruit mix.

4. Stir to combine.

5. Cover the bowl tightly, and let soak for a minimum of 24 hours and up to one month.

6. Prepare the caramelised sugar on the day you intend to bake the cake.

7. Put brown sugar in a heavy pot.

8. Carefully cook over low heat stirring constantly, until sugar liquefies and begins to turn darker. Be careful not to burn.

9. When sugar has turned dark, remove pot from heat and gradually stir in hot water. Mix well and then let mixture cool.

10. Preheat oven to 120 C (250 F).

11. Line a round cake tin with buttered parchment paper.

12. Stir lime peel and caramelised sugar into the fruit mixture then set aside.

13. Sift together flour and baking powder and then set aside.

14. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until blended. Add the flour mixture, stir to combine. Add the fruit mixture, stir to combine.

15. Pour batter into the prepared tin and place the pan in a larger shallow pan filled with hot water.

16. Cook in the preheated oven for 2 1/2- 3 hours or until cake tests done.

17. Cake should shrink from the sides of the pan.

18. Cool cake in the tin for 24 hours before removing.

19. Pour Rum and leave to soak in to the cake.

20. Trinidad (Christmas) Black Cake keeps well, but if you want to store it for a longer time, moisten it with additional rum from time to time.

You will need to spend time cooking the meat and adding the raisins, olives and capers. Getting the meat right will make all the difference to the final product. You can add some bolognese sauce or chopped tomato sauce to get the consistency and flavour right. Also you will need to make sure the meat is seasoned right with green seasoning, all purpose seasoning, salt and black pepper.

Pastelle making seems to turn any home into a production line with one person pressing and one person folding etc. Before you know it everyone gets a rhythm going and the pastelles are flying into the steamer. Banana leaves need to be boiled, wiped and cut to size and foil needs to be cut to the right size.

After all this and at 1am in the morning all the pastelles are cooked and ready for freezing in the morning. Just before tired family members drag themselves to bed a taste test is required accompanied by some homemade pepper sauce and tomato kethcup. Another year of Pastelle making is done and everyone can sigh with relieve.

So a couple could be forgiven for spending their entire heavenly Sandals vacation basking in the seductive warmth of the ever-present sunshine, while sipping exotic tropical drinks and gazing out at the endless expanse of aquamarine sea. But, truly, Sandals in Jamaica is so much more than just a beach, it’s the perfect couples only resort.

Stroll Montego Bay’s Gloucester Road and get a sense of Jamaica’s vibrant present as well as a picture of her colonial past. With quaint gingerbread architecture merging seamlessly with more modern structures, Montego Bay, Jamaica’s second-largest city, allows visitors to dive into the heart of a bustling, Caribbean town.

Pause to marvel at the Georgian buildings or linger the afternoon away in a crafts market. Vivid colors, activity and laughter abound everywhere you turn in Montego Bay inviting you to soak in the warmth and join in the fun.

A spot so enamored with nature’s bounty that its tallest building cannot reach higher than the ever-present palm trees, Negril embodies the ultimate relaxed lifestyle. Imagine seven miles of unimaginably silky white sand beach and five miles of cliffs dotted with eccentric watering holes and eating establishments.

Envision all of this overlooking some of the most marvelous turquoise water in creation. Add in some of the most spectacular sunsets you’re ever likely to witness, where the sun sinks into the sea from this westernmost tip of Jamaica.

Located roughly in the center of Jamaica’s North Coast, Ocho Rios lays claim to an incredible variety of natural and manmade bounty. Characterized by luxuriant greenery, mountains that soar down to meet stunning beaches, plus the world-renowned, Dunn’s River Falls, this town virtually pulsates with an energy all its own.

It even boasts Fern Gully, a winding five-mile shallow canyon carved out by a long-dried-up river, that now hosts over 500 species of ferns and some tropical flora that you would be hard-pressed to find outside of a rainforest.

Do you enjoy the thrill of being the first person to leave your footprints in the sand? If so, then Whitehouse is the destination you have always dreamt of. On Jamaica’s largely undeveloped South Coast, Whitehouse showcases gorgeous scenery in a setting undisturbed by crowds.

Rolling countryside and endless vistas of aquamarine sea stretching out beyond the horizon soothe the soul and let you know that your eyes are gazing at a long-kept secret. Whitehouse offers a window into a side of Jamaica seldom seen by visitors to the island.

We also have the other favourites like Carib Beer and Red Stripe Lager (Imported from Jamaica).

In warm tropical countries, where tender coconuts are easily available, doctors often recommend a minimum of one glass of coconut water a day for pregnant women. 

There are many essential nutrients in coconut water, and it has the same level of electrolytic balance that we have in our blood. Coconut water is also naturally sterile. In general, coconut water is very healthy but is even more beneficial during pregnancy. Coconut helps to maintain good health of the mother and the growing fetus. Listed below are the various health benefits of drinking coconut water during pregnancy.

Health Benefits of Drinking Coconut Water in Pregnancy

Tender coconut water is known as the richest source of electrolytes, and hence is greatly recommended for people who are suffering from any illness. It also contains high amounts of chlorides, potassium, and magnesium and moderate amounts of sugar, sodium and protein. Potassium from drinking coconut water can help to regulate blood pressure and heart function. It is also an excellent source of dietary fiber, manganese, calcium, riboflavin and Vitamin C.The following are some of the reasons why coconut water for a pregnant lady is advised:

• Coconut water is a natural isotonic beverage. It helps in replenishing fluid and natural salt loss that has occurred in the body. Coconut water, thus, can greatly prevent dehydration and exhaustion.
• It is essentially fat free and is known as a zero cholesterol beverage. Coconut water is also supposed to have a positive effect for raising the level of HDL, the good cholesterol level present in the body. This can together help to keep high cholesterol levels under check.

• Coconut water is greatly known for strengthening the immune system. As coconut water is rich in lauric acid, it can have anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. Such properties can greatly help to strengthen the immune system of the mother and the growing fetus, and greatly prevent infections of flu, HIV, herpes, etc.

• Another great health benefit of coconut water is that it helps to prevent and treat heartburn. Coconut water effectively helps in cleaning intestinal worms and the digestive tract. This can alleviate pregnant women from heartburn and constipation.

• Mostly women suffer from urinary tract infection (UTI). Being a natural diuretic, coconut water can help to increase the flow and frequency of the urine. Thus, coconut water benefits in flushing out toxins out of the body easily, thus preventing urinary tract infection.

• Coconut water is a natural and safe source to hydrate the body, and allows easy digestion, and it’s free of chemicals and contains high amount of electrolytes.

• Coconut water is light and can even help in weight loss. One cup of coconut water contains 46 calories only, as coconut water is 95% water.

Coconut water in general has many health benefits, and is a great source to be replenish the body’s electrolytic value, which is why it is recommended for the old and sick. However, apart from using coconut water as a cure for dehydration and problems like heartburn and low immunity, it can be used to prevent many health problems. Coconut water during pregnancy can be used to prevent all the health problems which occur during pregnancy like UTI and heartburn, and also replenish the body electrolytic level and boost immunity which will help to keep the baby and the mother healthy.

So, pregnant women should drink coconut water on a daily basis to gain all the above mentioned health benefits. Coconut water during pregnancy is also recommended to be mixed with sugar, saffron or turmeric. The white flesh of coconut can also be consumed, and is considered healthy for the mother and fetus as well.

Buy yours now from Easy Caribbean Shop in the UK and Europe

The waters around Tobago support approximately 300 different species of coral, including staghorn, elkhorn, fire coral, giant tube sponges and starlet coral. There is also a broad range of reefs, rock pillars, wrecks and extravagant undersea gardens filled with giant sea fans, whips and plumes. Remarkable sites exist off Speyside, Little Tobago and Goat Island on the northeastern side of Tobago where you can drift dive along reefs with sponges the size of bathtubs and bushes of black coral. On the southeast coast are the exceptionally clear Nylon Pool and Buccoo Reef National Park.

During the months of March to July, Manta Reef is the place to see giant rays, although divers also encounter dolphins, marine turtles and sharks.
A one-tank dive starts at US$40 and you are welcome to bring your own gear. You must be a certified diver and present your C card to rent equipment and dive, although some shops offer a supervised resort course or professional instruction leading to PADI certification.

To learn more about diving in Tobago visit the Association of Tobago Dive Operators website.

Conservation Tips

Please help us to preserve Tobago’s reefs

• Do not walk on reefs – even if offered plastic shoes by reef tour operators.
• When snorkeling or scuba diving do not touch anything.
• Mind your fins – corals are very delicate.
• Some of Tobago’s sites are for experienced divers only – so dive with a registered operator who will know which area suits you best.
• Spear fishing is strongly discouraged
• Please do not drop anchor on coral reefs – anchor on sand or use a mooring.

Buccoo Reef

This is a protected marine park between Pigeon Point and Buccoo Point. Daily tours by glass-bottomed boats allow even non-swimmers to view the reef. When snorkeling, be careful not to step on, touch or break the coral formations.

Nylon Pool

The Nylon Pool is a warm shallow area in the middle of the reef lagoon and is ideal for swimming. Whole day tours to nearby No Mans Land – a sandy spit reaching into the lagoon – are available from licensed tour guides and reef tour operators. Reef tour boats leave from Buccoo Bay and Store Bay.

Speyside Reefs

The various reefs off Speyside vary in depth. The shallow reef areas are excellent for snorkeling while the deeper reefs are great for scuba diving. Glass-bottomed boats conduct snorkeling tours and scuba diving can be arranged through any Dive Shop on the island.

Right on the beach of Arena Gorda, Riu Palace Bavaro (all inclusive 24) is the new Riu hotel in Punta Cana, you can enjoy this resort and Riu service quality, the comfort of a Palace, beaches and sun of this wonderful Caribbean destination.

With its massive masquerade bands, spectacular costumes, pulsating music and unparalleled stamina for partying, Trinidad’s Carnival is often described as the greatest show on earth. It is a time for release and everyone is invited to join the party.

In 2011, the annual Carnival season climaxes on Monday, March 7 and Tuesday, March 8.

To learn more about Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival and find information on shows, music, activities and events, see the links below.

Trinidad & Tobago Music
Local music, primarily Soca and Calypso play a key role in Carnival Celebrations. Sample some of the rhythmic, pulsating flavours of Carnival and other types of music from Trinidad and Tobago.

National Carnival Commission
The National Carnival Commission is responsible for the development, management and coordination of Carnival events in Trinidad and Tobago.

Pan Trinbago
The world governing body for steelpan, Pan Trinbago organizes steelpan shows, competitions and festivals.

Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation (TUCO)
TUCO is charged with the promotion and development of calypso, one of Trinidad and Tobago’s many indigenous musical arts. The body also produces calypso shows and concerts.

The National Library and Information System Authority (NALIS)

J’Ouvert

Each year at 4 am on Monday, Carnival begins under a cloak of darkness. Fuelled by exhilaration and the energetic rhythms of soca music, revellers take to the streets for the predawn party of J’Ouvert.

J’Ouvert (from the French ‘jour ouvert’ or ‘day open’) is almost ritualistic in its celebration of the darker elements of the island’s folklore and history. Bathed in chocolate, mud, oil and paint, bands of revellers depict devils, demons, monsters and imps. Choose your medium of expression; J’Ouvert is a time for loosening of inhibitions.

Carnival Monday

Come daytime, the J’Ouvert revelry clears and massive costumed bands of “Pretty Mas” players flood the street with riotous colour. A cast of thousands take to the street “jumping up” and “wining” (gyrating of the hips) to the sound of soca blaring from speakers piled on music trucks. The excitement is at fever pitch, but Carnival Monday is only a “warm-up” for Carnival Tuesday.

Carnival Tuesday

Carnival Tuesday begins promptly at 8 a.m. Thousands of masqueraders are in full costume, ready and impatiently awaiting their chance to strut in front of the television cameras as bands cross the main judging points. Each band has its own historical, mythological or tropical concept with various sections depicting aspects of the main theme.

Bands are judged in three categories: small, medium and large and winners are announced after all the bands have crossed the stage. The Champion Band is crowned Masquerade Band of the Year.

Pre-Carnival Celebrations

Officially Carnival is the Monday and Tuesday preceding Ash Wednesday but celebrations begin right after Christmas.

From Boxing Day it is non-stop partying until Carnival Sunday.

It is during this post Christmas period that calypso tents open their doors to the public and cultural shows, from Limbo competitions to massive soca concerts, begin.

Radio stations begin to play the latest soca hits and many masquerade bands launch their new themes.

Steelbands begin intense preparations for Panorama, the annual competition for steel pan bands. Preliminary contests are hosted at panyards throughout the country during the six weeks leading up to Carnival. Panorama finals are the ultimate test of musical skill. Representing the best of the best, selected bands compete before judges and thousands of spectators the Saturday night before Carnival officially begins.

Origins of Carnival

Like the cosmopolitan mix of peoples and cultures that shaped the island, Trinidad’s Carnival has many influences. The Spanish and English colonial powers, French planters, African slaves, Indian indentured labourers, and the many other ethnic groups that settled here have all left an indelible mark on the festival.

In 1783 the French brought their culture, customs and Carnival, in the form of elaborate masquerade balls, to Trinidad along with African slaves. The period stretching between Christmas and the start of Lent was a time for feasting, fancy dress balls and celebration for both the French and British.

Banned from the festivities, slaves in the barrack yards would hold their own celebrations mimicking their masters’ behaviour while incorporating rituals and folklore.

Once slavery was abolished in 1838, the freed Africans took their Carnival to the streets and, as each new immigrant population entered Trinidad, a new flavour was added to the festivities. Today, our diverse culture has influenced the music, food and traditions of Carnival.

Thanks to Go Trinidad and Tobago

Thanks to www.trinidadcarnivaldiary.com here is a schedule of events for Carnival 2011:

 
JANUARY 2011

Saturday 8th January 2011
* TRIBE ICE (Insane Cooler Experience) – Jenny’s Carpark, Cipriani Avenue.

Sunday 23rd January 2011
* Trinity College’s Soka In Moka – Trinity College, Maraval – 4pm

Friday 28th January 2011
* St Francois Girls College Annual All-Inclusive – St John’s Hall, Wrightson Rd, POS – 4pm

Saturday 29th January 2011
* Blazin’ Soca (Fire Services Fete) – Wrightson Rd, POS – $125 TTD
* Hysteria “D Crazy Cook-out” – Chaguaramas
* Outta De Blue – QRC All-Inclusive – QRC Grounds – St Clair, POS
* Chutney Soca Monarch Prelims

Sunday 30th January 2011
* Island People Amnesia

FEBRUARY 2011

Fri. 4th Feb. 2011
*Anchorage Street Party (10pm to 4am) – Anchorage, Chaguaramas

Saturday 5th February 2011
*Fire Fete (10pm to 4am) – Hasley Crawford Stadium Car Park
* Dunhill ONE Fete All-Inclusive – QP Oval
* Bishop Anstey All-Inclusive – Bishop Anstey Grounds, POS – 4pm
* Chutney Soca Monarch Semi’s

Sunday 6th February 2011
* UWI Annual All-Inclusive Carnival Fete- UWI Grounds (St Augustine) – 2pm

Friday 11th February 2011
* Bacchanal Factory (Bazodee Friday) – Pier 1, Chaguaramas – 9pm

Saturday 12th February 2011
* Blue Flame All-Inclusive – Blue Range Courts
* “Fete With The Saints” -All-Inclusive – St. Mary’s College ( POS) www.cicpsu.org
* Chutney Glow

Sunday13th February 2011
* Yorke All-Inclusive – UWI
* Bel Air All-Inclusive – La Romain
* Soca Monarch (Semi-Finals)

Wednesday 16th February 2011
* Carnival Under The Trees – The Normandie

Friday 18th February 2011
* Central Bank All-Inclusive – Central bank – 8pm
* Ladies First – Pier 1, Chaguaramas – 9pm

Saturday 19th February 2011
* Wicked in White – QP Oval
* Licensing Fete -
* WASA Fete – St Joseph
* Gal Farm – Venue T.B.A.
* Chutney Soca Monarch – Skinner Park

Sunday 20th February 2011
* PANORAMA SEMIS!!!!!
*Arthur Lok Jack’s “Fiesta del Sol” – (4pm – 10pm) Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business Campus Compound (Mt.Hope)
* Friends of Blood Bank Fete – All-Inclusive
* University School – All-Inclusive

Friday 25th February 2011
* Misty Ridge – All-Inclusive – Hadeed Ranch
* Wild Meat – All-Inclusive –Tunapuna
* Army Fete – QP Savannah

Saturday 26th February 2011
* Campus Carnival – All over UWI!!!
* Fatima College All-Inclusive -
* Karma Sutra 9 – Country Club, Maraval – 10pm
* Chutney Brass

Sunday 27th February 2011
* Friends to the Max All-Inclusive (form. CAREC– All-Inclusive) – 2pm
* St George’s College All-Inclusive – School Grounds
* T&TEC Soca Shoka– St John’s Complex
* Kari People All Inclusive – YWCA, St Clair, POS

Monday 28th February 2011
* (PNM) Fete – POS – 9pm
* Mardi Gras- 10pm

MARCH 2011

Tuesday 1st March 2011
* Eyes Wide Shut – Queens Park Oval – 9pm
* Zante – Macqueripe Rd, Chaguaramas – 4pm

Wednesday 2nd March 2011
*Ronnie and Caro’s Home Sweet Home ( 11pm-till) – Venue TBA
* S.O.S. -Dutch Inclusive (La Flor)– The Anchorage
* Bacchanal Wednesday

Thursday 3rd March 2011
* Beach House – All-Inclusive – 2pm -8pm
* Escape to the Sanctuary – All-Inclusive Salybia – 11am
* TRIBE Ignite – Venue to be announced – 9pm
* UWI Splash – Chaguaramas
* New night time fete – more info soon

Friday 4th March 2011
* Hilton Carnival Events (9pm – 3am)- Hilton Trinidad & Conference Centre Poolside
* Island People Girl Power – 9pm
* Privilege ‘RISE’ – All-Inclusive – Moka, Maraval – 9pm
* Blue Range Cooler Fete – Diego Martin – 9pm
* Break Biche -2pm
* Soca Monarch Finals

Saturday 5th March 2011
* Hilton Carnival Events (9pm – 3am)- Hilton Trinidad & Conference Centre Poolside
* PANORAMA FINALS – 7pm (steelband competition finals)
* Ravi B Children’s Show (2 pm – 6 pm) -Manny Ramjohn Stadium
* Trini Posse Fete – Bowen Marine Hanger, Chaguaramas
* Island Style INSOMNIA – Midnight
* Dawn, Sunrise In The City – Jenny’s Car Park – 2am
* Lions – All-Inclusive – Lions Civic Centre (Port of Spain)
*Saturday 5th March 2011: We Fete – Soca Junction- TTGPA Carpark, Cost TTD$300, 10 pm, Drinks inclusive.

Sunday 6th March 2011
* Hilton Carnival Events (9pm – 3am)- Hilton Trinidad & Conference Centre Poolside
* D’Original Breakfast Party – Diamond Vale, Diego Martin – 3am
* Mania 2010 – Free Drinks – Country Club – 10pm
* Sunny Side Up Breakfast Party – Palm Avenue West, Petit Valley – 4am
* Dancing In the Sanctuary – All-Inclusive – Windsor Road, Valsayn – 11am
* Brian Lara – All-Inclusive – Chancellor Hill, Queen’s Park West – 2pm
* Harvard Club All-Inclusive Fete – Harvard Club, St. James – 4pm
* Is Just A Fete (TASA) – Queen’s Hall, Port-of-Spain
* Cotton Tree Foundation – All-Inclusive – Spanish Acres
* DIMANCHE GRAS – calypso finals, king & queen of bands costume finals

CARNIVAL MONDAY 7th MARCH 2011
*Various pre-J’ouvert fetes – 2am
* J’Ouvert (4am)
* Parade of the Bands – bands meet at various locations at approximately 11am
Major Viewing areas & Judging points: Adam Smith Square, Downtown –South Quay, Piccadilly on the Greens, Queen’s Park South.
* Monday Night Mas – St James & Woodbrook (8pm)

CARNIVAL TUESDAY 8th MARCH 2011
* Parade of the Bands- bands meet at various locations at approximately 7:00am
Major Viewing areas &  Judging points: Adam Smith Square, Downtown –South Quay, Piccadilly on the Greens, Queen’s Park South.
* Pan Trinbago Pan on the Road – Victoria Square and Downtown Port of Spain
* Pan Trinbago Las’ Lap – Western Main Rd, St James
* Various Las Lap fetes/events