Jost van dyke

Yes, I STILL Wanna Be an Island Girl!

November 19, 2017 by wannabeislandgirls, posted in Jost van dyke, Kenny Chesney, St John, USVI

People ask me, “with all the devastation caused by Irma and Maria, do you still want to be an island girl”? “HELL yeah!”, I respond every time. Now more than ever.

Yes, it will be hard. I know that. But the islands hit by these Cat 5 hurricanes need us more than ever.

We’ll be heading down to Jost later this season to help our friends where we can. This little island of roughly 300 people was devastated. Completely. And they still struggle to get the materials they need to rebuild. But these are strong and spirited (and amazing) people. They’ll make it.

The USVI and BVI islands have really pulled together to help one another. The weekly “flotillas” to Jost show this amazing spirit. Each Sunday, boats from all over merge to visit and support the beach bars of Jost. Coco Locos, Soggy Dollar, One Love, Ivan’s, and the BeeLine have all had flotillas. Tarps replace roofs, fire grills replace kitchens. But beer and painkillers are floating as freely as the smiles of the people there.

I’m writing this blog as we’re driving across Florida to Tallahassee for the ‘Trying to Reason Hurricane Relief’ Concert. Yes it’s selfishly an amazing way me to see all my favorite artists on one stage – Kenny Chesney, Jimmy Buffett, Toby Keith and Jake Owen. Plus the Coral Reefer Band. But it also is a fundraiser to support the islands. There have been some amazing and selfless work done by Kenny Chesney and others. Warms my heart and soul.

So, if you happen to be seeing live feed of the concert, watch for me. I’ll be the one screaming “I’m a WANNABEISLANDGIRL!!”

#islandstrong #jvdstrong #loveforlovecity #kennychesney #bluechairbay #jimmybuffett #margaritaville

She Comes From Boston…

August 28, 2017 by wannabeislandgirls, posted in Jost van dyke, Kenny Chesney, St John, USVI

So this Wannabeislandgirl is still recovering from the back-to-back Kenny Chesney concerts at Gillette Stadium this past weekend. And, truth be known, this Wannabeislandgirl really IS from Boston. No lie!

Now, who WASN’T at the show?!?! We couldn’t believe the distances people traveled to see Kenny. People came from all over the country! The lovely Connie and Michelle from “Welcome to the Sandbar” were there and they even hosted a fun pre-party on Thursday night in Boston.

St John and Jost Van Dyke were also well represented at the show! We met the amazing Jenn from “News of St John”. And the world famous Foxy from Foxy’s Tamarind Bar was also there enjoying both nights with friends and family. All Kenny Chesney fans know who Foxy is….just in case you don’t, here’s a hint:

Oh I wish I was there tonight on Jost Van Dyke
Sipping on some Foxy’s Firewater rum
Or kickin’ back with Ivan
With all my friends down in the islands
Wouldn’t take much for me to up and run
To another life somewhere in the sun

We spotted so many t-shirts from all of our favorite island haunts….Foxy’s (JVD)….The Soggy Dollar Bar (JVD)…Corsairs (JVD)…The Beach Bar (STJ)…The Barefoot Cowboy (STJ)….Joe’s Rum Hut (STJ)….Coco Loco’s (JVD)…The One Love Bar (JVD)…Ivan’s (JVD). And that’s just a few!! It was so special to see the Virgin Islands so well represented.

The shows were totally amazing. We went both nights (yes, lucky us!) and each show was different, but equally special. Special guest star Uncle Kracker joined the stage for an added treat on Saturday night.

And, like all shows at Gillette Stadium, he sang our beloved “She Comes from Boston”. Do ya think he was singing to ME??!? 🙂

Until next year, my fellow Kenny Chesney fans…

Cheers! #wannabeislandgirl

Spicy Balls (Tamarind, of course)!

August 16, 2017 by wannabeislandgirls, posted in caribbean foods, Jost van dyke, Recipes

‘Would you like to try a little treat?’, asks our friend Casilda this morning at breakfast. Of course I didn’t hesitate to grab one of the little donut-hole shaped balls. To my surprise…instead of the sweet donut-like confection I imagined … was this amazing spicy burst of flavor. Casilda pointed to the tree behind where we sat, and explained they were Tamarind balls made from the Tamarind pods. The flavor is amazing – a burst of Island spices matched with the sour-yet-sweet Tamarind pulp.

We then went on a short little hike to see the Tamarind tree. Casilda removed a few of the Tamarind pods and showed us how to clean and remove the pulp from the pod.

The nerd in me had to learn more, so here’s what I learned about the Tamarind. The tamarind tree produces a pod-like fruit which contain an edible (and tasty!) pulp. One other use of the pulp includes as a traditional medicine – great if you have an upset tummy. (Tried and tested after too many Painkillers last night!). The Tamarind wood can be used for woodworking, and Tamarind seed oil can be extracted from the seeds. Because of the tamarind’s many uses, you can find Tamarind around the world in tropical and subtropical areas. Who knew!

Nothing beats the flavor of the Tamarind straight off the tree in Jost Van Dyke, but if you’d like to try making these Island treats, here’s the recipe using Tamarind paste. And if you have fresh Tamarind – all the better. Please note that this Recipe is minus Casilda’s secret ingredients, of course! Some secrets have to stay a secret. 😉

TROPICAL TAMARIND BALLS

1-1/4 cups sugar

1 (7-ounce) package tamarind paste (or fresh Tamarind of course!)

1 tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce

Pinch salt, to taste

Directions:

Put 1/4 cup sugar in a shallow plate. In a bowl, combine the tamarind, hot sauce, salt, and remaining sugar. Using your hands, mix the ingredients together. Divide the tamarind mixture into bite-size portions, and shape into balls.

Add the tamarind balls to the sugar, and roll to coat evenly.

ENJOY!! #wannabeislandgirl

Do You ‘Sea Grapes’?

July 5, 2017 by wannabeislandgirls, posted in caribbean foods, Jost van dyke, Recipes, Travel Tips

Lounging on my favorite beach chair in front of the One Love in Jost Van Dyke, I notice tons and tons of these green fruity bunches hanging from the tree above me. Sure, I’ve seen them before but I’d never seen the bountiful bunches of grapes quite like this — since we usually don’t travel to the islands in the summer.

Curious to learn more about them, I began doing a little research and learned a lot. The fancy name for the sea grape is Coccoloba Uvifera and is a species of flowering plant that is native to coastal beaches throughout tropical America and the Caribbean.

In the summer months, the sea grape bears green fruit in large, grape-like clusters. The fruit gradually ripens to a purplish color. Each contains a large pit that constitutes most of the fruit. They’re wind resistant and moderately tolerant of shade. They’re highly tolerant to salt, so they’re often planted to stabilize beach edges. When ripened to a deep purple color, the fruit is very tasty, and can be used for jam or even eaten directly from the tree. It can also be fermented for a tasty fermented wine. (I love wine, so this makes me happy!).

I haven’t tried making this yet, but here is a yummy sea grape jelly recipe from the folks at Edible Palm Beach.

SEA GRAPE JELLY

2 cups sea grapes

1 cup water

2 lemons or limes (preferably Key limes)

Pectin

4. 5 cups of sugar

Wash and then boil the sea grapes in a ratio of 2 cups sea grapes to 1 cup water for 25-30 minutes, crushing occasionally, until they are soft and palatable. Drain the juice through a jelly bag into a container (without squeezing).

Pour the juice into a pot and stir in the lemon or lime juice with a wooden spoon, and then add the pectin. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and add the sugar. After it returns to a boil, let it remain boiling for one minute, always stirring.

After removing from heat, skim foam if necessary. Sterilize jars in a 5-minute boil bath. Pour juice into the jars, leaving a quarter-inch of space at the top of the jar.

Chill, and enjoy!

A note of caution, sea grapes may look tempting at the beach, but don’t harvest them there. Sea grapes are often protected because their purpose is to help prevent sand erosion and give protection to native birds and sea turtles.