Giving Thanks

If we were at home right now, we'd be participating in our church's annual Thanksgiving Praise Service. It's a special time dedicated to sharing with each other the specific ways the Lord has blessed us this year. I think this is the first one I've missed in 25 years. It's one of my favorite events of the year. I love hearing firsthand accounts of God's goodness. To me, this service is what Thanksgiving is really all about.

Every year around the holidays, we hear people remind us to remember the real meaning of Christmas. We're encouraged to look past the gifts and decorations and busyness of family gatherings and focus instead on the birth of Christ. I think that the same principle should apply to Thanksgiving as well. Sadly, on a holiday set aside specifically to count our blessings, most people are more concerned with honoring family traditions, creating and eating delicious food, spending time with friends and family, and watching football. None of those things are wrong, and can all be perfectly fine ways to celebrate the holiday. However, if that is all this day means, then you are missing the point.

Just as giving gifts at Christmas time is a way of remembering that God gave us the perfect Gift in Jesus Christ, so should our actions on Thanksgiving reflect a heart of gratitude. Spend time with your family. Enjoy a beautifully roasted turkey and Grandma's pumpkin pie. But more importantly, set aside time to thank the Lord for the blessings in your life. If this year, you were, for some reason, unable to be with friends or family, eat a typical Thanksgiving meal, or play a game of football in the backyard, you should still be content to celebrate Thanksgiving. Because it truly is simply a time to "give thanks." Of course, more than likely the Lord has blessed you with people you care about and you will be able to appreciate the well-loved traditions of the day.

This is our annual Thanksgiving Picture from a couple years ago (not to be confused with our annual Cousin Picture, which is taken on Christmas Day). These are my sisters, my cousins, and my brothers-in-law. And although we can't be with them this year, I am so incredibly thankful for each one of them!

Thanksgiving Week Plans

My simple Thanksgiving dinner for the two of us has transformed into a full-blown holiday with about 15 other people. Our friends asked if I would be willing to cook Thanksgiving dinner for all of us, and they'll pay for the groceries. We'll be celebrating on Saturday since Ryan and the others have class all day Thursday. I'm very excited to have a chance to cook a real Thanksgiving dinner. And I am immensely grateful that my parents have taught me well! Tomorrow I will be heading back to the grocery store for the third time this week, and I hope to have all the shopping done by then. Fortunately, our friends live in a big house with three separate kitchens, so I will not be lacking in oven space or refrigerator space.

This Thanksgiving, I am especially thankful to be living in a country where I can still buy the food we are used to eating. Although it's not home, there are so many places in the world where there is much, much less. God has been very good to us this year.

I'm not sure yet how I feel about spending the actual Thanksgiving Day alone. More than likely, I'll be at the pool with some friends for a couple hours which will make it seem even more unlike a holiday. But I do plan to watch football all afternoon. Ironically, this is one of the few years that my team is playing on Thanksgiving, and I'll miss watching it with my family.

We're also getting to the point where I need to start taking an inventory of our toiletries and make a list of what needs to be purchased over the break. Then starts the process of deciding what clothes to bring home. That will be especially easy this time seeing as how we'll be coming from 85 degree weather and heading towards 30 and 40 degrees. I am now starting to think about using up the food we have on hand and buying as little as possible. This always makes meal preparation interesting. But I know that if we can make it through the next two and a half weeks, we will be greeted with plates of Christmas cookies, amazing snacks, and delicious meals back at home. We're almost there!

More Crafted Items

It's been a little while since I've posted a knitting update. I think I'm coming to the end of my projects for the semester. It's too close to flying home for me to start something, but I feel a little lost without some yarn and needles sitting by my bed. Here's what I've completed recently (and no surprise, they are all baby hats):

First, a chunky brown beanie made of organic cotton. It was knit on large needles so it's extremely soft and stretchy. This little hat was a quick knit as the large needles required only a small number of stitches. I experimented with the look and ripped out a couple hats before coming up with this one.


I also made a pair of matching Mary Jane booties. I don't have a picture of those, but you might be seeing them a little later.

Next, we have a soft pink lacy hat. I think it will be cuter on a baby, because the picture on the pattern is absolutely precious. This was a free online pattern from Lion Brand Yarn.


Finally, I've been a little obsessed lately with baby earflap hats. I think they are just the cutest and can be for little boys or girls. I found a simple pattern on Ravelry and used a beautiful gray bamboo/wool blend with a couple cream stripes. (Sidenote: If you are interested in knit or crocheted projects, check out http://www.ravelry.com/. It is the best online resource for finding new patterns - a lot of which are free.)




If I make this hat again, I will start the stripes a little lower and probably make three instead of two.

I also am almost done with an adorable cardigan hooded sweater. The only problem is I ran out of yarn. I know, I know - one of the first lessons any knitter learns is to buy enough yarn to complete the whole project. Technically, I did have enough yarn, but I used some of it to make the blue slouchy hat and honestly thought I had another ball of yarn in my bag. I'm hoping that A.C. Moore still has that yarn in stock while I'm home, or else I guess I'm ripping out the hat! A hoodie with no hood and only one arm probably wouldn't be much use for anyone!

Everyday Inspiration

I've recently been watching old episodes of various cooking shows on my computer. If I could have only one TV station, I would choose Food Network. The chefs are so creative and concoct the most decadent, luxurious, complicated foods I can imagine. I always think, "I could do that!" Then as soon as the show ends, it becomes, "Yeah, that's not going to happen." Suddenly, it doesn't seem so impressive that I substituted rosemary for parsley on roasted potatoes. My dream is to one day take a cooking class from a famous chef. I'm thinking that since we'll be living in New York City for a couple years, that would be the place to make that happen! Ryan said he would do take a class if it was one where Bobby Flay teaches guys how to grill. I'd better start saving for that now. Although, I'm sure there will be more pressing needs for our money in the meantime. You know, little things like groceries, gas, and airline tickets.

So tonight, I was online researching said airline tickets, and couldn't help wishing for a sweet dessert. We finished off the batch of chocolate chip cookies days ago. I made, and ate, vanilla pudding earlier in the week, and we now have nothing resembling dessert anywhere in our 2 cabinets. But on my third trip to the refrigerator, where I open the door and hope something delicious will magically appear, I noticed a half container of fat-free plain yogurt. This was our "sour cream" last week in our chili and nacho dip since IGA was out of real sour cream. I was hoping to make something with chocolate, but due to my new-found cooking shows, I wanted to also add an unexpected flavor to try out my Iron Chef skills.

I combined the yogurt with unsweetened cocoa powder I had on hand. I sweetened it with pure Grenadian honey and added a splash of lime juice. Some heavy cream would have been nice, but all I had was 1% milk. Thanks to google, I learned that adding melted butter to milk was a quick substitute for cream, if you don't mind the extra fat. Since I'm never opposed to adding a little butter to food, I gave it a try. As it turns out, it cut the tartness of the yogurt just fine. I poured the mixture into small glasses, put them in the freezer for about a half hour, and then topped them with blackberries before serving.


It probably would have also worked to add the berries to the mixture and put the whole thing in the blender before freezing it. But, for using only ingredients I had on hand, and also satisfying my sweet tooth (for the time being), I would have to say it was a success. And if I can do this, anybody can!

One Month Away

This semester is absolutely flying by for some reason. We'll be home in just 4 short weeks. Ryan has much to accomplish in that short amount of time. The material continues to be piled on each day, and finals are quickly approaching. I'm getting close to the time where I have to be careful about how much food I buy at the grocery store so we don't end up with extra groceries when we are ready to leave. Before that time comes, though, we'll be enjoying a traditional, if somewhat quiet, Thanksgiving dinner. I've already been stocking up on things like pumpkin pie filling and cranberries as I see them in IGA. Hopefully, I can find a turkey that will fit in my little toaster oven.

This past week was busy and full of new and exciting things. On Monday morning, I went with a couple friends to renew my visa. Each time we come to Grenada, I'm granted a visa that allows me to stay in the country for 3 months since I am not the one in school. That means that if we are on the island for longer than that amount of time, I have to renew my visa. No one is exactly sure what happens if you don't get it renewed. I asked if I would be deported (free trip home!) but was told we'd probably have to pay a hefty fine at the airport instead. Or they wouldn't let me leave the country. That seems counter intuitive to me, but I'd rather not take my chances.

So, armed with my passport, a letter from the school stating that Ryan was currently a student, and a book to read, we made the trip to the Immigration office close to downtown St. George's. When we arrived, I filled out my application and handed it, along with my passport and letter, to the officer. I thought everything was going smoothly, until I was told that my name was not on the letter. Apparently, they need the school to specifically ask that I be allowed to stay on the island for the duration of the semester. The school must have someone new writing the letters, because this has been a standard letter they've issued hundreds of times a year. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything I could do except head back home, get a new letter, and make the trip back up there before my visa expired on Friday. At least I knew where to go now.

Once I made it back to our apartment, I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and spend the afternoon at the pool. As it turns out, I met a really nice girl who lives in the building next to us. We talked for a couple hours at the pool and had a great time together. Ironically, Ryan and her husband met at the library that day as well. I've gotten to know her better this past week and she and her husband have recruited us to join their kick ball team next semester. Ryan has already informed me that we will be practicing over our break.

Thursday morning, I went with another girl to try again to renew our visas. This time, it could not have gone any smoother. We were out of there in less than half an hour with no problems. They even extended us an extra month at no charge.

Last night we had a cook out with a few of our friends off campus. I spent most of the day watching my newly-discovered HGTV channel on the internet and making potato salad, pistachio fluff, and a red velvet cake. We had a great evening together and it was the perfect end to a busy week.

Chinese Cuisine

I meant to post this last week, but somehow I never got around to it. A few weeks ago, I made deviled eggs for a tailgating party. While I was boiling the eggs, I noticed one of the shells must have cracked because there were little ribbons of egg in the boiling water. It reminded me of egg drop soup, and I was curious to see if the recipe for egg drop soup was made in a similar way.

Egg drop soup is one of my favorite things to order at a Chinese restaurant. But I'm always disappointed that it comes in such a small bowl and with only a couple mushrooms (and green onions, if I'm lucky). I found a super easy recipe online and gave it a try last week. The only problem I had was that the grocery store had absolutely no chicken stock or broth. I had to use vegetable stock instead. It probably would have been better with chicken, but it was actually pretty tasty! I loaded it up with mushrooms and green onions. And I was fortunate enough to find white pepper at the store. Add that plus a little ginger and soy sauce and you have the perfect broth. Once the soup is simmering, pour in slightly beaten eggs and they immediately turn into the delicious little ribbons just like in a restaurant.


In addition to the egg drop soup, I made a quick chicken and vegetable stir fry. The vegetables would have been better in a Japanese stir fry rather than Chinese, but you use what you have down here! With a glaze made from combining soy sauce, local Grenadian honey, ginger, and garlic powder, the meal became one of our new favorites.

I'm hoping to find chicken stock sometime in the next few weeks so I can try the soup again, along with a new recipe I found for orange chicken.

How to Survive a Hurricane

Friday started out just like any other day. Ryan spent most of the day in class. I worked on some knitting projects, sent a few emails, went to the gym, and made my grocery list. We had planned to go out for dinner later that evening and then stop by IGA on the way home.

Sometime during the afternoon, I noticed a few friends here in Grenada started posting things on Facebook about a tropical cyclone heading our way. I had never heard of a tropical cyclone, much less that we were within a few hours of experiencing one. After a little research, I discovered that according to NHA, a tropical cyclone is the broader term for a storm that can be further classified as a hurricane, tropical storm, or tropical depression. I also saw that Tropical Storm Tomas was heading our direction and was scheduled to hit sometime on Saturday.

If you're like me, I had no idea where Grenada was located before we moved here. We are actually one of the southernmost countries in the Caribbean, just a couple hundred miles north of South America.


Typically, most hurricanes or tropical storms hit to the north of Grenada. One memorable exception is Hurricane Ivan which devastated Grenada in 2004.

Ivan passed directly over Grenada on September 7, 2004, killing 39 people. The capital, St. George, was severely damaged and several notable buildings were destroyed, including the residence of the prime minister. Ivan also caused extensive damage to a local prison, allowing most of the inmates to escape. The island, in the words of a Caribbean disaster official, suffered "total devastation." According to a member of the Grenadian parliament, at least 85% of the small island was devastated. Extensive looting was reported. In all, damage on the island totalled $815 million. - Wikipedia

Although Tomas was still catagorized as a Tropical Storm, the island was a little chaotic Friday evening. I heard someone outside our room say that businesses were closing at 4pm to allow employees time to make preparations. I immediately started doing laundry so we'd have clean clothes for a while if we lost our power and water during the storm. I also filled a gallon-sized pitcher with filtered water so we'd have some extra on hand. When Ryan got home from class around 5pm, we decided to leave for the grocery store immediately. At the bus stop, we saw that 50-60 other people had the same idea. We knew it would take a while to get on a bus, and began to call friends that we know have cars. As it turns out, one of those friends drove right past us as we were calling him. He was kind enough to pick us up and take us (along with a couple other friends) to the grocery store.

The usual 6-7 minute trip took over 20 minutes because of the traffic (and because there are no traffic laws in Grenada - you can drive wherever you can fit your car, pull out in front of people, pass on a two-lane road, and stop on the road to talk to someone on the sidewalk). As we pulled into the grocery store, huge rain drops started falling. We ran to the entrance, and saw that they closed at 5pm! I'm not sure if they ran out of food or if they just wanted to get home themselves. Either way, we piled back in the car and drove to Food Fair a couple minutes down the road. Fortunately, it was still open, but I'm quite sure they violated some fire code (if one exists down here) for the number of people in a building at one time.

The scene was chaotic! People were filling their carts with anything they could get their hands on. Apparently, they thought they wouldn't have access to a grocery store for a couple months. One person had 3 or 4 bags of flour and sugar in their cart. I'm not sure that's going to be much use if the island loses power, though! The five of us filled a couple small baskets with cereal, crackers, peanut butter, boxed milk, bottles of water, and juice. Then the fun began. The line for each cash register was literally to the back of the store. We probably waited in line for almost an hour and a half. A couple of our friends went next door to Rick's and ordered a few pizzas for dinner. We snacked on our crackers while we waited in line.

Finally, we made it through the craziness, and enjoyed a delicious dinner. By this time, the rain had stopped, and things looked relatively calm again. But we still expected the majority of the storm to hit on Saturday. That evening, we called my family, watched a movie, and went to bed praying that the storm would pass quickly.

The next morning, we woke up to gray skies and a very light rain. We checked the weather online, and we were no longer in the path of the storm! Tomas had moved north of us during the night. It was still expected to become a hurricane as it continued on it's path, but we were so thankful to be spared from it this time! I called my family again to let them know we were fine, and Ryan headed back to the library for the rest of the day.

We actually experienced a little more of the storm during church on Sunday morning. Heavier rains and wind came through the area, but nothing dangerous at all. So our first experience with a hurricane in the Caribbean was a little anti-climactic. Not that anyone is complaining, though! I'll be heading to the grocery store again this afternoon to get some real food for the week as we can't live on peanut butter crackers for very much longer.

Little Ones

If you know me at all, you know that I absolutely love kids - of all ages. Growing up, I couldn't wait until I was old enough to babysit, and was thrilled to death when a young mother would let me hold their new baby. I've worked in the nursery at church as long as I can remember. In fact, I beg our nursery director to put me on the rotation during the few weeks we're home each year. And Ryan and I loved helping with our children's church program for a couple years. Since we moved down to Grenada, I've missed my regular interaction with little kids. Not to mention that several of my close friends have had babies while I've been gone. (Don't worry, I require regular picture updates from them.)

A few days ago, I found out that I will have the opportunity to spend time several days a week with a beautiful 12-week old baby girl! One of Ryan's MPH professors saw him on campus last week and asked if I'd be interested in babysitting her daughter. Not only will I get to love on a little one again, but this is extra special because I was able to help with her baby shower back in June. This will also provide a little extra income for us which will help with our grocery bill and other expenses. The Lord has provided for us above what I could have imagined!

Speaking of kids, Ryan and I met the funniest little boy at the grocery store this morning. We were standing at the entrance to the shopping center where we could wait for the bus in the air conditioning. It's always good when the milk hasn't spoiled by the time we get home just from sitting out in the sun. The bus schedule is apparently just a suggestion for the drivers, as the bus may or may not show up on time.

While we were waiting, this little 6 or 7 year old boy came up to the window and mouthed to me that the bus was coming. I smiled and told him thank you, and Ryan and I gathered our bags and started walking towards the door. Before we could get there, though, he came running in and said, "The bus isn't coming - I tricked you! I'm a good tricker!" Of course, he loved the attention and the fact that we thought he was funny and proceeded to repeat the "trick" several more times. He was so engaging and friendly. He told me all about first grade and how he likes it, but would rather not have to go to school. I wish I had had my camera with me today! When the bus eventually came, he opened the door for us and waved good-bye. I love how just talking to a child for a couple minutes can brighten your whole day!

Roasted Pear-Honey Salad

I have to share with you this amazing recipe I found for a roasted pear salad. It comes from a salad cookbook given to me last year as a Christmas gift by one of my sisters. I happened to find bleu cheese at the grocery store this weekend, and had the other ingredients on hand. Pears have not traditionally been one of my favorite fruits. But I am now in love with roasted pears! In fact, there are quite a few fruits and vegetables that taste infinitely better after being roasted.

Begin by peeling and coring the pears. Cut them in half, and place them cut-side down on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Roast them in the oven for about 25 minutes. Then, turn them over, and drizzle with a little honey. Put them back in the oven for about 5 more minutes.

I combined balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper and tossed the vinaigrette with baby spinach. After topping the greens with a roasted pear half, I sprinkled the salad with bleu cheese crumbles and toasted walnuts.


I would never have thought to combine those ingredients together, but I sure am glad someone else did! The flavors were perfectly matched. Not only will I be making this again, but I am also searching for more recipes to try with roasted ingredients.

Newly Knit

As much as I am loving my new hobby, I realized today that I haven't picked up a pair of knitting needles in over a week! Looking back, I'm not sure what has kept me so busy. It's probably due to the fact that after I complete something, it takes me several days (and several tries) to find a new pattern and the corresponding yarn for my next project. Originally, this was because I wanted to be sure I made something that I loved and not waste my yarn on an item I wouldn't use. However, I am quickly coming to terms with the fact that it's okay to rip out a project if it doesn't turn out correctly. My biggest problem recently has been finding yarn in my small collection that matches the patterns I want to make. I'm getting better at adjusting the pattern to work with certain yarns, but I have also come to the realization that some yarns are just not meant to work with certain patterns and am better at giving up the fight rather than forcing the issue.

In spite of all that, I have completed a couple projects recently - 2 pairs of baby shoes and an adult-sized hat. Obviously, I have a thing for baby shoes. The first pair was a simple gray shoe with cross-over straps. It is meant to match the gray beret I made a couple months ago. I love this pattern because there are so many variations possible - single strap, no strap, flower on top, coordinating color on the sole - I think I may have just decided on my next project!



Next, I had found a pattern months ago for these adorable baby loafers. I kept postponing the project because the pattern called for several techniques that I had not yet learned. Eventually, I decided to give it a try. After watching quite a few online tutorials, I began. As it turns out, this was an extremely quick pattern to knit. And I'm looking forward to applying my new-found skills to some other projects I had put on hold. I used a super soft yarn in a deep denim heather color.





I used the same dark blue yarn for a slouchy hat with an interesting eyelet rib pattern. The hat was very easy to knit and is quite soft. Unfortunately, it's a little too big for me. Ryan said he thinks my head might be on the small side. So I'm hoping that it fits one of my sisters or cousins who have long, thick hair.




I am now inspired to create a few more projects that are adult-sized. Maybe some scarves or hats or even a sweater will follow. Either way, I look forward to learning and creating new items in the weeks ahead.

Kitchen Improvisations

This week I was determined to find a new recipe I could make since I haven't done that in a little while. My good friend, Karen, sent me a recipe a few days ago for Mahi Mahi wrapped in bacon with lemon mayonnaise. Hard to imagine anything tasting better than that! I didn't have any fish or bacon on hand, but I was fortunate enough to have some fresh chicken breasts in the refrigerator. Using Karen's recipe for inspiration and with other ingredients I had on hand, here is the result.

I breaded the chicken breasts in seasoned bread crumbs, garlic powder, and basil mixed with a little melted butter. While the chicken baked in the oven, I peeled and boiled potatoes and made a salad of fresh spinach, grapes, green onions, and caramelized walnuts - one of our favorites! After the potatoes were cooked, I mashed them with a little bit of sour cream, Colby and Monterrey Jack cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Next, I made a sauce for the chicken by combining a couple spoonfuls of mayonnaise, a splash of lemon juice, ground pepper, garlic powder, and a pinch of dill. We had a couple pieces of cornbread leftover from earlier in the week to complete the meal. I loved the zesty mayonnaise combined with the chicken and garlic mashed potatoes. It was a light, but flavorful dinner, and Ryan asked that it be put on the regular rotation - always a good sign!

The Perfect Weekend

Today I had a flashback to the days when I was in school or working 50 hours a week. During those times, the weekend was a welcome break - a respite from the busyness and monotony of the week. But since I quit my job in January and moved to the Caribbean less than a month later, I have trouble keeping track of the days because each one is an opportunity to visit the beach, watch a movie, read a book, experiment with a new recipe, or take a nap if I so choose. I guess you could say every day is a weekend for me!

Unfortunately, the opposite is true for Ryan. The weekend provides little relief from the constant studying for him. Apart from Sunday church (which is never optional for our family), you will find him in the library every day of the week. Except for this weekend. For two perfect days, we have felt like we were on vacation. Ryan completed his midterm exams last week. So until classes start again on Monday morning, he is able to enjoy a real weekend with me.

The fun started Friday evening when we met some of our friends and enjoyed delicious Thai cuisine at a fabulous resort near the airport. Neither of us knew that place existed, but it's definitely a new favorite! A couple guys volunteered to pick us up, so this is us waiting on campus for our ride:


Earlier in the day, I baked a chocolate cake for Ryan to celebrate the end of midterms. We ended the evening by enjoying a (perfectly-sized) piece of cake and watching a baseball playoff game.

Saturday morning we had planned to go out for breakfast and then head to the beach. But when we woke up, we were greeted by a cool, rainy morning. So we left our beach towels and sunscreen at home and took a bus to a little breakfast place we've been wanting to try. The restaurant is just down the street from IGA and a block away from the beach. When we walked in the door, we were greeted by the smell of freshly-made coffee. The little diner felt very cozy with no more than 5 tables in the main area, and the cheerful decor, brightly painted walls, and friendly waiter immediately made us feel at home. We sipped hot coffee while we perused the extensive breakfast menu in front of us. Finally, we ordered a veggie omelette, cream cheese-stuffed French toast with strawberries, hash browns, and pancakes. The food was simple but flavorful, and we enjoyed a couple hours of uninterrupted time together.


Back at home, we spent the rest of the afternoon watching college football together. Around 7pm, we went to the gym and biked for over 30 minutes. We decided it's a good thing we don't work out together every day because we are both a little competitive. After a quick shower, I was able to talk to my mom and sister for quite a while before making nacho dip for our late-night snack.

This evening, Ryan took some pictures around the island while I relaxed at home and watched football. He surprised me and brought KFC home for dinner! For some reason, I had been craving fried chicken and biscuits for a few weeks now. KFC is one of only 2 American restaurants on the island. The food was as yummy as I had hoped, and I will work out extra hard at the gym this week to make up for it.

Monday is back to our normal routine. I am very aware of the fact that I haven't tried a new recipe for the last couple weeks, and I'm hoping to remedy that very shortly. With Ryan's study schedule, I usually run to the grocery store by myself. I definitely don't mind that, but I can't carry as much home with me as I would like when that happens. Friday morning, I pushed the limit and you can see the mark on my shoulder where the grocery bag rubbed it raw. (I bought a large, reusable shopping bag at Marshall's when I was home and use this to carry the majority of my groceries home.)

I completed a couple more knitting projects recently and look forward to sharing those with you this week. On Monday morning, Ryan starts another couple months of intense studying. As our weekend draws to a close, I am thankful for the fun, relaxing couple days Ryan and I enjoyed with each other. But I'm just as grateful for the regular weekdays because each one brings us one day closer to Christmas break, and ultimately the completion of medical school.

Pancakes and Orange Mittens

When I was growing up, pancakes were not one of my favorite meals, for some reason. Now, I love them, especially when they've been perked up with apples or pumpkin or other yummy add-ins. Tonight I decided to make pancakes for supper. I had some leftover chocolate chips and walnuts from the cookies I made a couple weeks ago. So I added those to the batter along with a few sprinkles of cinnamon. They were delicious, and the perfect fall meal.


This week I completed a couple more knitting projects. First, I wanted to make something to match the orange hat. I found a pattern for little newborn mittens and gave them a try. I added a cream stripe around the cuff and then decided to add a cream pom pom to the hat to make a coordinating set. Ryan liked the mittens so much, he asked me to make him a pair. I'll probably make his with thumbs, though.


I tried my first sweater this week. It's an adorable pattern for a baby cardigan with a v-neck. The first time I started it, I miscounted the stitches about a quarter of the way into it. So I ripped it out. While I did that, though, I noticed that the sweater seemed to be extremely small - as in maybe it would fit a doll. I checked my yarn and needles and everything matched the pattern. But for some reason when I knit it, it comes out much smaller. Sometimes you can adjust for that by increasing the needle size, but with the particular yarn I had chosen, it made the fabric too loose. So I gave up on the sweater until I can find different yarn.

Instead, I made a cute pair of gray shoes to match the beret from a few weeks ago. I'll post a picture once I sew on the buttons. I've also started a pair of lacy pink booties, so we'll see how those turn out as well.

I think having such a fun hobby really does make the time go by faster. We'll be home for Christmas in just a little over 2 months! I'm looking forward to stocking up on yarn and buttons and all kinds of fun things while we're there.

The Life of a Medical Student

So maybe you've been wondering how Ryan is doing in his first semester of medical school. Aside from putting up with my cooking experiments and giving me advice on what I should knit next, he keeps himself quite busy with his studies. He spends more hours in class or the library than he ever thought possible.

He has four classes this semester - Anatomy (8 credits), Biochemistry (5 credits), Histology (4 credits), and Bioethics (1 credit). Anatomy probably comes the easiest for him. Although, with his biology degree, he does well in any science class. Histology and Anatomy both require many hours in the lab, either looking at disected cadavers or slides of microscopic cells.

On a typical day, he begins by having class from 8am-12pm. He'll come back home for lunch and a quick nap shortly after 12:00, but leaves again around 12:45. The next round of classes are from 1-5. I try to have dinner ready for him right at 5:00. After dinner he either goes for a run or works out. Then it's off to the library to study until at least 11:00pm (usually closer to 12am). On the weekends, he spends most of his time in the library. Now that college football has started, he picks one game a week (usually Clemson) that he'll watch. But other than that, it's study, study, study! Here's a picture of the library on campus. At least he has a nice view while he's memorizing every muscle and nerve in the body!


This semester has made us even more thankful to be living on campus. Ryan can walk from our apartment to his classroom in about 5 minutes. This allows him to make the most of his time without having to wait for a bus to take him home or waste time traveling. The Lord has been so good in giving us such a convenient place to live that also gives Ryan the best chance of doing well in his classes.

A couple weeks ago, he had the first quiz of the semester. It was a combined quiz for Anatomy, Biochemistry, and Histology. There were 25 questions for each subject, and it is worth only about 5% of his overall grade. The purpose of this quiz is to give the students an opportunity to see if their current study habits are effective. You can actually fail the quiz, and still make an A in the class, so it's not too important grade-wise. It is helpful to see if you have an understanding of the information so far, though. Just a few days ago, Ryan found out his grade for the quiz; Anatomy - B+, Biochemistry - A, Histology - B+. We were extremely pleased with those results, especially considering a lot of his friends were just happy they passed. He is definitely on the right track for the rest of the semester!

On Monday, he had his final exam for Bioethics. Since it was just a 1-credit class, the final exam came early in the semester, and now he is finished with that class. Historically, this class has been somewhat difficult. Not only because of the subjective material, but also because the professor feels that students don't take her class seriously. Many students that have gone on to make all A's in medical school get a B or C in this class. Ryan spent most of the weekend studying for the test, and this evening the grades were posted. The average for the class was an 82%, but Ryan made a 97%!

In less than two weeks, Ryan will have his midterm exams for his three main classes. This will be about 50% of his overall grade and cover about 30 lectures-worth of material for each class. I know he'd appreciate your prayers October 4-8.

I am so proud of him and glad to see his hard work paying off in a big way! It's definitely clear that this is what he was meant to do, and the Lord has gifted him in this area. Ryan is just happy to be doing something he loves!

Grandma's Pineapple Casserole

For as long as I can remember, my mom, aunts, and Grandma have all made this amazing pineapple casserole at family dinners. It's always been one of my favorites. So while I was home this past August, I collected several of our family recipes to try down here in Grenada. I doubt I'll ever come close to duplicating the perfection of the wonderful cooks in my family, but I figured I should start practicing so I can pass some of these recipes down to my kids some day.

The casserole was surprisingly quick to assemble and used items I already had on hand. I cut the recipe in half, and it made just the right amount for the two of us. Of course, ham and pineapple is a match made in heaven, so I bought a ham for the first time down here. It wasn't actually a whole ham like I'm used to, but rather a large slice of ham in a package. I didn't even know you could buy ham like that. Following the instructions on the package, I cooked it in a large pan on the stove for about 4 minutes on each side. It actually turned out okay, and was a nice complement to the pineapple casserole. I had some feta cheese left over from earlier in the week, so I also made a salad with romaine lettuce, pear slices, celery, feta cheese, toasted walnuts, and balsamic vinegar.




Grandma's Pineapple Casserole
2 cans (20 oz.) pineapple chunks, drained (save juice)
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons flour
3 Tablespoons pineapple juice
1 stick butter, melted
1 stack Ritz cracker crumbs
2 cups grated mild cheddar cheese

Place pineapple in baking dish. Combine sugar, flour, and pineapple juice. Pour over pineapples. Top with cheese and then cracker crumbs. Pour melted butter evenly over crumbs. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes, or until bubbly and brown.

Recipe: Feta Zucchini Pancakes

This was scheduled to be my new recipe for last week, but the grocery store did not cooperate. For some reason, they didn't have zucchini for the last three weeks. So I have two new recipes to try this week. Last night was feta zucchini pancakes. I've always loved zucchini pancakes, but this jazzed-up version is something special. After the first bite, Ryan proclaimed it a winner and asked that it be put on the regular schedule. They are full of flavor and definitely one of my new favorite ways to cook zucchini!

The recipe was super simple and very quick to make. I paired it with a couple sirloin steaks, roasted potatoes, and corn for a dinner to celebrate the completion of Ryan's first big quiz of the semester.


Feta Zucchini Pancakes
1 cup shredded zucchini
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
2 green onions, chopped
1 egg
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
olive oil

In a sieve or colandar, drain zucchini to remove excess liquid. Pat dry. In a small bowl, combine the zucchini, bread crumbs, onions, egg, parsley, dill, and cheese. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Drop batter by heaping tablespoons into hot oil; press lightly to flatten. Fry in batches until golden brown on both sides.

A Tribute to Fall

Sunny skies, beautiful beaches, 80 degree weather . . . reminds you of fall, right? I think out of all the seasons, I miss being home for fall the most. Here in the Caribbean, it just isn't the same. Although, today it rained all day which made it rather cool outside. I guess that's the closest I'll get to autumnal weather. And even though it's technically not fall for another 11 days, in our house football season = fall!

So today I made a large pot of chili and a pan of homemade cornbread for dinner. And even though I'll be watching the football game alone while my diligent husband studies biochemistry and anatomy, it now feels like fall. I even decorated my blog for the season!




If you are lucky enough to be celebrating fall this year, wear a warm sweater and drink a pumpkin spice latte for me!

Meeting New Friends

On Friday night, Ryan and I went out for dinner with a couple we met over the internet! They are from Chicago and spent Labor Day weekend vacationing here in Grenada. She found my blog while searching for things to do in the area, so we emailed back and forth for a couple weeks prior to their visit. I shared with her some of our favorite restaurants, beaches, and excursions on the island. I knew immediately that we would get along well as we had a lot in common. They were kind enough to take an evening out of their vacation and meet us at Rick's for pizza and ice cream.


We had so much fun that night getting to know them and ended up talking for a couple hours. I'm just sad they live so far away! But Ryan and I have always wanted to visit Chicago, and now we have a little extra motivation to take a trip up that way.

It's funny how living in Grenada gave us the chance to meet someone from "back home." You never know where you'll meet a new friend!

In the Dark

Today has provided several new experiences for me. This afternoon, we had one of the worst thunderstorms I've ever experienced. The rain was coming down in sheets, the wind whipped through the trees, and the thunder was so strong that our doors shook. As the storm was ending, I heard a siren going off somewhere on campus. I had no idea what it was signaling (and still don't) but as I didn't see people running down the street or hear anything else alarming, I ignored it, and eventually it stopped.

A couple minutes later I noticed a lizard climbing up the wall next to our kitchen window. As Ryan was still in class, and I wasn't about to touch it, I decided to keep an eye on the little creature so I could point him out to Ryan when he got home. I watched it for a few minutes before it disappeared into a crack between the top of the wall and the ceiling. At first I was just glad it was gone. Then it occurred to me that if it could disappear in that direction, it could just as easily reappear at any time. Not a comforting thought! But so far I haven't seen him or any other members of his family.

Not that I would be able to see anything right now anyway, because we've been without power and water for about half an hour now. Our room is pitch black, although the little candle I lit provides a small glow in the center of the room. I turned down the brightness on my computer screen where I'm watching the Patriots game to make it last as long as possible. And I just realized how warm it is at 8:00 at night without air conditioning!

Hopefully they'll fix the problem soon so we can sleep comfortably, and I can see if we have any more lizard visitors! But in the meantime, I'm just thankful that this is temporary, and that the Lord provides not only our needs, but also the "extras" we take for granted, like electricity, running water, and air conditioning. We are very blessed!

Weekly Recipe Challenge

In the few weeks that we've been back in Grenada, I can already tell I'm in a cooking rut. We have a few meals that we really like, and tend to have them over and over. Some of this is attributed to our small selection of food items. But mostly, it's my lack of creativity. As I've said before, though, I'm blessed with a husband who is extremely easy to please, loves leftovers, and will eat anything. He still asks for spaghetti every other night. So yesterday I made him lasagna, because when you make a whole lasagna for 2 people, you get about 3 meals out of it!

But I realized that I need to branch out a little bit with my food choices. So I've decided to make one new recipe a week. That may not sound like a lot, and in a perfect world, I'd concoct elaborate, gourmet meals every day of the week. However, our budget (and my limited kitchen space and utensils) will not allow for that. I have a few recipes in the queue already. Some are family recipes that I've been eating for years, but never made myself. Others are recipes from magazines, friends, or online that looked yummy. I think this will be a fun way for me to broaden my experiences and get out of our meal-time rut.

The recipe for this week was Strawberry Cream-Filled Crepes. I've always thought crepes were the epitome of classy brunch-fare, so elegant and light. And I was a little intimidated at the thought of making them myself. Come to find out, they are basically a very thin pancake, and just about as easy to make! Thanks to my blender, I whipped up the batter in no time. The filling was simple as well: Whip 1 cup heavy cream until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, beat 8 oz. softened cream cheese, 1 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until smooth. Fold in the whipped cream. (On a side note, my new favorite utensil is the electric hand mixer we bought at Wal-Mart while we were home for just $6! I think I've used it 4-5 times already since we've been back.) I filled the crepes with the cream cheese mixture and topped them with fresh sliced strawberries. Now that I know how easy it is to make crepes, I can't wait to explore the many variations that are possible.