Cozy Knit Sweaters

I know that warm wool sweaters are probably the last thing on anyone's mind right now. Apparently a heat wave is sweeping across the east coast. The temperature down here is about 85 degrees everyday. And the air conditioning works quite well in our room, so I typically try to stay warm in a hoodie and sweatpants. So knitting a couple sweaters made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

There are two patterns in particular that I've been anxious to try. And while visiting our friends in PA this summer, I found a beautiful red wool on sale at Michael's. This little cardigan used just a little more than one ball of yarn. So naturally, I will be making a little hat and shoes to complete the outfit.


One of my favorite prints is a classic argyle. So I was thrilled to find a pattern for this baby sweater vest. The only challenging part was keeping all the colors untangled, but the vest is knit in one piece so it was a very quick project. I used the same red wool from the previous sweater in the argyle pattern and a soft khaki as the accent color.


While I was home a few weeks ago, I bought a light-weight gray cardigan on clearance. It had the front half of a tank top built in. But, I wanted the sweater to be more versatile, so I cut out the tank top and decided to save the fabric. I'm in love with fabric flowers right now, and try to come up with any excuse to make them. I found some light gray yarn in my small stash, knit a little headband out of that, and added a flower from my recycled fabric.


You can stay updated on the latest additions to my shop by searching for Marigold Lane on Facebook or visiting the website.

Fresh Mango Salsa

This past Sunday at church, someone gave us a bag of fresh mangoes from their yard. Ryan loves to just eat a plain mango. But I think it's too much work to cut up the mango only to eat it a couple seconds later. So I decided to make a fresh mango salsa instead.


Salsa, especially if it is made with fruit, is one of my favorite things to make. It requires no cooking or exact measuring - just a lot of chopping. I really should make them more often now that I think about it. My sister makes a killer peach salsa, and I made a fruit salsa with strawberries and kiwis (served with cinnamon tortilla crisps) for a party a few years ago. But that's the extent of my salsa-making experience.

When Ryan and I were at the grocery store this afternoon, I was fortunate enough to find all the ingredients for the mango salsa, all grown here in Grenada. Back at home I got to work chopping the red onion, red bell pepper, and fresh cilantro. Then it was time to tackle the mangoes. I think they were a little too ripe because they were far more mushy than firm. But I salvaged as much as I could while managing to get mango juice on every inch of the counter.

After a squeeze of fresh lime juice and a dash of salt and pepper, I put the salsa in the refrigerator until dinner. I plan to use it with chicken breasts tonight, and hopefully we'll have enough left over for chips and salsa tomorrow. I will definitely be searching the internet for more salsa recipes to try over the next few months!

Edisto Beach Vacation

This afternoon, I spent a couple hours lounging and reading by the pool. As nice as it was to have a quiet, sunny afternoon to myself, it reminded me of the summer beach trips we took with our families last month. And that made me miss our families.

So, while I'm thinking of it, here is a little recap of the first trip we took to Edisto Beach (south of Charleston) with Ryan's family.

This vacation spot is especially meaningful because Mom Hudson spent many summers there as a child. A few more houses are on the island now, but not too much else has changed. Edisto is a quiet, relaxed island with all the charm of a small southern town. We buy fresh fish, fruits, and vegetables for a local farmer almost every day, and you'll see more bikes than cars on the roads. The Hudsons rent a house for a week each summer, and this was my third time to be there with them. The back of the house overlooks a little pond, which you can see in the background here. Once in a while we'll even see an alligator in the pond.


On our first morning there, Ryan and I went for a bike ride with Dad Hudson before heading back to the house for a delicious brunch. The bike rides were definitely a necessity throughout the week as we enjoyed many incredible meals. We spent that first afternoon relaxing on the beach and catching up on each other's lives from the past few months.

Speaking of meals (again), I discovered a new favorite recipe that week. On Tuesday evening, my brother-in-law, John, cooked a delicious dinner of mahi mahi for us. And one of the side items was broiled pineapple. I love fresh pineapple, and this recipe is absolutely heavenly! Simply cut a fresh pineapple into strips and brush each piece with a mixture of coconut milk, cinnamon, and a little sugar. You could do this a few hours before cooking, but we just let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Broil the pineapple in the oven until they are browned, then top with chopped fresh mint.

One of my favorite parts about vacationing in Edisto is spending a day in Charleston. We drove up there on Wednesday, and had a wonderful time walking around that beautiful city. I love looking at all the different shops in the market.


And of course, the streets are lined with picturesque restaurants, shops, and houses.


We had an early dinner at Hyman's - a delicious seafood restaurant in Charleston. Our favorite dish of the meal was the shrimp and grits, made with a creamy alfredo sauce. It's a good thing we had more walking to do after dinner!



On Thursday morning, we planned to take a boat ride to Otter Island and look for shells. So Wednesday night, my brother-in-law, Andrew, and I packed a picnic lunch of homemade pimento cheese sandwiches to take with us. We had the beach to ourselves that morning, and we enjoyed a beautiful walk and lunch by the water.


The week came to an end much too quickly, as we had to leave on Friday morning to make it home for Ryan's 10-year high school reunion that night. But we're so thankful for the relaxing, beautiful vacation we enjoyed as a family.

Fourth of July

Yesterday, we celebrated our second 4th of July out of the country. And since Independence Day was not on a weekend, it was business as usual for Ryan. He had class from 8-12, lab from 1-2, and worked on his research papers until 11:00pm. Since that didn't leave much time for celebrating, I decided to make a typical 4th of July meal for our dinner. Ryan asked for hot dogs, and I happened to find some turkey franks that were cheaper than the beef hot dogs. They were delicious, low in fat, and I don't think Ryan knows they weren't beef. Baked beans, deviled eggs, and potato salad rounded out our American meal.


One of my favorite things about July 4th is watching the Boston Pops concert and fireworks display. I've watched it on TV almost every year for as long as I can remember. Ryan told me that in two years (when we're living in NJ) we can go to Boston for the 4th and see them live. I'm already counting down the days! But for this year, I enjoyed eating apple pie and watching the incredible show from our tropical paradise.

Travel Experiences

Once again, we are back in Grenada! And this time, we're gearing up for the start of Ryan's third term of medical school on Monday. We had the most wonderful time at home these past few weeks, and I can't wait to share pictures and details with you soon.

This past Wednesday, we left Greenville at 6:30 in the morning for our flight to Grenada. We flew to Dallas, and everything seemed to be on schedule until we boarded our flight to Miami. We sat on the plane for about an hour until the pilot told us there were mechanical problems and we would have to get on a different plane. About an hour and a half later, we were finally in the air. However, due to the delay, we missed our connection from Miami to Grenada by 9 minutes. We joined the line of people at the ticket counter trying to find the quickest route to our various destinations. The best they could offer us was a 7:45pm flight to Trinidad, a hotel for the night, and a 6:40am flight from Trinidad to Grenada. We booked those flights, and then used one of our meal vouchers for a nice dinner at the airport.

Our flight was again delayed by about an hour, so we didn't arrive in Port of Spain until after midnight. It took a little while for us to find an agent who could print out our hotel vouchers, but once that was completed, we took a short taxi ride to the same Holiday Inn that we stayed at in December. We finally crawled into bed about 2:00am, and woke up about 2 hours later to head back to the airport. Our flight to Grenada was uneventful, but when we landed, our checked bags had not come with us. No one knew where they were, but we were told there were several flights coming in the next few days, and we would receive a phone call when they arrived.

We made it to campus around 8:30 that morning - exhausted, hungry, and without a change of clothes or toiletries. I didn't want to unpack our closet or carry-on bags because our room needed a thorough cleaning. But I needed to go to the grocery store for cleaning supplies (and food). As it turns out, Thursday was a national holiday in Grenada, and often the grocery store is closed for holidays. We were too tired to drive all the way to the store just to see if it was open or not, so we bought a bagel sandwich from a shop on campus, and went to bed. We slept until about 4:30, when we decided to order a pizza for dinner and watch a movie together. That night, we heard that our luggage had arrived, so Ryan made plans to have a taxi pick him up and take him to the airport first thing in the morning.

Once Ryan brought home our suitcase (the other one should be coming in tonight), I was able to shower and head to the grocery store. For the rest of the day, we experienced several of our new RA responsibilities. Students that were leaving campus dropped off their keys, other picked up their keys for the new semester. I also sat at one of the storage rooms on campus for 2 hours in case someone wanted to pick up their containers. Just as I was about to leave, a girl came by to get three items she had left there almost a year ago. The storage room is a small, concrete room under one of the dorms. It has no windows or AC and is packed from floor to ceiling with boxes. Her items were in the back corner, so we proceeded to crawl over and around boxes to find her things. We heard a couple squeaks, and so we were careful not to step on the ground since it was dark, and we didn't want to step on any creatures. Somehow we managed to drag two heavy duffle bags and a box back across the other containers and outside again. Ryan came down to help us carry everything to her room. I think that counted as my workout for the day!

Later that evening, one of our good friends arrived back on campus, and we went out for dinner with him and another friend. It's great to be back and see friends again! I spent most of today cleaning our room, caulking the cracks in the kitchen to stop the continuous flow of ants, and organizing our things into this new room. I'm looking forward to finally feeling settled in, and being able to enjoy life on the island for the next six months!

Time with Family

These past two weeks have been full of unexpected blessings! The Sunday before Mother's Day, Ryan and I decided to look at plane tickets for me to fly home that Thursday. My sister graduated from college on Saturday, and I was sad to be missing such a big event. I called the airline, and was told they could change my ticket at no extra cost! We decided that was the answer we needed. Ryan had final exams the next couple weeks, so I wouldn't have seen much of him anyway.

I spent the next three days preparing to leave. I made a chicken broccoli casserole and lasagna for Ryan's dinners, and bought plenty of food for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. In addition to packing my suitcases for the trip home, I also packed up as much of our room as I could so Ryan wouldn't have so much to do after I left.

My flight home was pleasant, despite my apprehensions about flying by myself, although, I used to fly all the time for my job a few years ago. I guess I've just become accustomed to having Ryan with me! As I walked into the airport in Grenada, I saw my friend, Karla, who was also flying home! We were on the same plane to Miami, and it was helpful to have someone with me while I navigated through customs and immigration and again through security. I had a short layover in Miami and then flew to Dallas. While I was waiting to board the plane home, I saw a friend from college whom I haven't seen in years! Our flight was delayed about an hour, but I was too busy talking and catching up with her to notice.

It's been almost two weeks that I've been home, and every day has been full of activity. I was able to help my family with the graduation party, and enjoyed the opportunity to see many friends and family. I love being able to have breakfast or lunch with friends and shop as much as I want to (more looking than buying, though). But the best part of any trip to Greenville is being at my church again. The fellowship with other believers and the ability to worship God in our gorgeous new building never gets old.

Today, we celebrated my grandmother's 80th birthday with my aunts and cousins. We had a lovely lunch together at Twigs, and I experimented with a special cake for Grandma. I made a four-layer white cake with raspberry filling and pink buttercream frosting. It was light and refreshing - the perfect end to a delicious lunch. I'm so glad I was able to be a part of this special family time.




Ryan will be home this Thursday, and once he gets here, the remainder of our vacation is jam-packed, so I'm thankful I had these extra weeks to relax and spend more time with my family.

Belmont Estates

A couple weeks ago, I toured Belmont Estates with a few girl friends. This 400-acre plantation is located on the northeast corner of the island. Although it's only about 22 miles from campus, it takes over an hour to get there due to the mountainous terrain. On the way up, we drove through Grand Etang, a rain forest in the center of the island. We stopped on the side of the road to feed the monkeys that live in the nearby trees.


Belmont Estate was established by the French in the 1700's. It has changed hands only a handful of times since then, and is currently owned by an Indian family. This bell has hung on the property for over 300 years.


Not only is there an organic chocolate factory on this estate, but the surrounding plantation provides fresh fruits and vegetables to most of the island. Several well-known chocolate companies, such as Lindt and Cadbury, buy some of their cocoa from Belmont Estates. Our morning began with a tour of the chocolate factory.


The cocoa bean comes from a large shell that looks like an oversized nutmeg:


There are several beans in each pod, and they are covered in a white, slimy film.


We actually tasted the beans by sucking on them until the film was gone. At first it tasted like a combination of a mango, banana, and apple. But within a couple seconds it started to taste like yeast, and the texture was a little overwhelming. For production, the beans are placed in wooden stalls inside a building, covered with banana leaves, and left to drain until all the liquid is gone.

Next, the beans are placed in large, shallow trays and dried in the sunshine for up to 7 days. Every 30 minutes, the beans are "stirred" by workers walking barefoot through the trays. The tour guide put us to work while we were there.




The best part of the tour was being able to sample some of the delicious chocolate. We were given dark chocolate pieces and an amazing cup of hot chocolate.



The hot chocolate is made by boiling cocoa balls (pressed cocoa powder) in water, straining the mixture, then combining it with milk, cinnamon, and bay leaves. I bought a small bag of cocoa balls at the gift store and can't wait to try it at home.

After our tour, we enjoyed a delicious buffet lunch at the lovely restaurant on the estate. The day ended by walking around the grounds, observing the many animals (monkeys, goats, parrots, and tortoises) and sampling different fresh fruits (wax apples and guava). We drove home along the eastern coast which afforded picturesque views of the water. It was a fun, interesting day spent with great friends!

Fresh Goat Cheese

Yesterday, I toured Belmont Estates with a few friends. It's actually a 400-acre plantation on the north side of the island that supplies most of the island's fresh fruits and vegetables and has an organic chocolate factory. More about that in another post.

But while we were there, I purchased a log of fresh goat cheese for about $3.45. It's quite a bit more expensive in the grocery store, so I haven't bought any since we've been down here. But it's one of my favorite cheeses, and I was so excited to find it so cheap! I didn't wait long before putting it to good use. We used it tonight in a salad to accompany homemade lasagna.


Ryan and I made a quick trip to the grocery store to buy milk since they were out of it when we went on Monday. I wanted to find some nice greens to make a salad, and I happened to see fresh arugula and watercress. I bought a large bunch of each for a total of $3.

I cut the goat cheese into rounds, sprinkled them with pepper, and dipped them in olive oil. Next, I coated them in a thin layer of seasoned bread crumbs and baked them at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes (watching to be sure they don't actually melt). For a quick and easy dressing, I combined vinegar (I would have used a cider vinegar or balsamic if I had it on hand), mustard, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil and drizzled it on the greens. I topped the salad with a couple goat cheese rounds and some chopped green onions.

The salad was rich, tangy, and filling - definitely a new favorite, although we might have to wait until we're back in the US to have goat cheese more regularly.

Our New Job

This afternoon, Ryan and I found out that we will be the Resident Assistants for the married housing dorms on campus this next year. We applied for the job back in February, and interviewed last Friday. So beginning in June, we will have free housing for our last year in Grenada. It will mean that our vacations will be somewhat shorter, as we have to stay on campus a few days after each semester ends, and arrive on campus earlier than most students to prepare the dorms. But that is a small sacrifice to make. We'll be spending some time with the current RA's (who are also good friends of ours) in these next few weeks to learn about some of our new responsibilities. I'm sure we'll have some interesting stories to share during this next year! The Lord has provided so graciously for us, and we are very thankful for this opportunity.

Surprise Dinner Date

Well, I should have waited another couple days before posting about our anniversary, because I was in for one more surprise last night! Throughout the day, Ryan and I had our typical conversations about dinner:
"Do you want pancakes and eggs or spaghetti?"
"Um, pancakes sound good."
"What time do you want to eat?"
"How about we eat around 6:00pm. I want to go for a run before dinner."

But around 4:30, he skyped me and sent me a link to an article about Gary Rhodes. Apparently, he's a famous chef from Britain. I skimmed the article, and noticed at the bottom of the page that he owns a restaurant at the Calabash Hotel in Grenada. Ryan told me that was a hint, and to be dressed to go out around 7pm.

A few minutes before 7:00, we walked towards the bus stop on campus. I commented on the fact that it would be nice to have a car for nights like this so we don't have to wait for a bus and ride it while we're all dressed up. As we passed a parking lot, Ryan said he needed to check something, and proceeded to unlock the car closest to us! I was completely surprised, and told him he didn't have a Grenadian license and he can't drive without one. So of course, he pulled a Grenadian license out of his pocket. He had arranged to borrow a friend's car for the evening, and another friend drove him to the police station earlier that afternoon to get his license (a simple process that involves filling out a form and paying $30). I guess great minds think alike! And what a wonderful treat that was to be able to drive ourselves to dinner. We felt like normal people again.

The restaurant was fantastic - very classy and in the most beautiful setting. The dining area was under an ivy-covered roof and the room opened up into a lovely little garden.


Whenever we eat at nice restaurants, we try to order something that either we've never had before, or something we are not likely to eat at home. And last night was no exception. As an appetizer, we enjoyed a beetroot, fig, and onion tart topped with creamy goat cheese. It was so flavorful and unique, and it left me wondering if I could indeed recreate it at home one of these days.


For the main course, I ordered a buttery lobster with tangy lemon mayonnaise, and Ryan tried the mahi mahi with tiger prawns in a sweet pineapple sauce. Both were fantastic choices!


The best part of the evening was having a couple quiet hours to ourselves. We ended the evening by watching a movie and going to bed early - a true luxury these days. I couldn't have asked for a better anniversary celebration.

Three Years

Today is our third wedding anniversary! It's hard to believe the time has gone by that quickly. You can read more about our wedding on this post that I wrote last year. I am so thankful for my hard-working, loving husband.

This year, we weren't able to have a nice dinner or anything on our anniversary because Ryan is teaching a class this evening, and I'm babysitting for a few hours. We'll probably go out for dinner this weekend when we have a little more time.

This afternoon, I came home from the gym and assumed Ryan was still in class. But a few minutes later, he came home with the most gorgeous bouquet of exotic, tropical flowers, and several special treats for me. I was completely surprised!


He also bought me a beautiful bracelet with carved wooden beads made here in Grenada. . .


And lots of my favorite types of chocolate! Oreos, Cadbury Creme Eggs, and the best ice cream bars in the world - Magnum Bars. My dad and I ate quite a few of them in Europe, but I haven't seen them since then. I don't know if they have them in the US by now. I saw them here at the grocery store a few weeks ago and introduced Ryan to them.


And finally, he picked up a few household supplies that he knew I needed, like a lightbulb and a new can opener. Maybe those are a little less romantic than chocolate and flowers, but they are just as sweet, and I appreciate the fact that he took notice of those things and thought to get them for me on his own. Could I be any more spoiled?

Married life just keeps getting better and better, and I couldn't ask for a more wonderful guy with whom to share the rest of my life.

Midweek Update

After a somewhat lengthy blogging absence, I thought I should take a few minutes to update you on our lives. But I'm not sure how long this will last because I found out today that my computer battery is on its last leg. When it finally dies, I will be relegated to using Ryan's computer during the couple hours he is at lab each week (or when he comes home at 12am, but blogging probably won't be a priority at that time of day). So while I still can, here is what we've been up to recently.

Most importantly, Ryan had another round of exams last week, so his time has been spent studying diligently. His hard work paid off once again. On his midterm exam, he scored a 99%, missing just one question. That should put him in a good position to make an A in that class even though the final will be quite difficult. He also had a final exam in another class, and he made an A on that as well! So his 4.0 GPA continues, and I could not be more proud of him. Once exams were completed, he spent a few days writing his first paper for the research society. He finished his rough draft last night, and now it's back to regular studying for the rest of the semester. He enjoyed the change of pace, and looks forward to more research in the months ahead. Not only did I marry a (soon-to-be) doctor, but a published author as well!

I have kept very busy with cooking meals for Ryan, spending sunny afternoons at the pool with friends, and knitting all kinds of fun items. Last week, Ryan and I went out for dinner to celebrate the completion of his exams. We tried a new place called Umbrellas. It is right on the beach and has the most beautiful views of the island. We sat on the balcony and enjoyed a delicious (American-style) meal. The prices are very reasonable, the service is excellent, and the food is amazing. Ryan had a juicy burger with grilled pineapple, and I had the buffalo wings. We split a decadent brownie sundae for dessert. It's probably our new favorite place (for the one time we eat out each semester).




The next night, we celebrated a friend's birthday by going to KFC (his favorite restaurant) with some friends. His wife, a good friend of mine, had to stay home and work this semester, so we wanted to make his day special even though she couldn't be there with him. I baked a chocolate cake that we brought with us. The lady at KFC was hesitant to let us eat it, but eventually agreed . . . until her boss came in and she made me hide the cake pan in my bag. But we enjoyed a fun evening and good food.


I've started taking a kickboxing class two nights a week. And as I quickly learned, running 30 minutes a day does not in any way prepare you for an hour-long kickboxing class. I'm sore for days afterwards, but it's good for me, and I actually do enjoy it.

Last Friday, I joined some other spouses for a recipe exchange. I made my mom's Peanut Butter Crunch Cake, and it was a huge hit. I came home with an empty pan, but some delicious recipes from friends that I can't wait to try (crab salad or rosemary bread, anyone?). This Sunday night, our friend wants to surprise his girlfriend for her birthday, and asked me to make her a red velvet cake. Fortunately, the grocery store cooperated this week and I was able to find birthday candles as well (and for less than $1!). We really don't eat that much dessert on a normal basis, but I guess it's a good thing I'm taking a kickboxing class with all this cake I've been eating recently!

It's hard to believe we'll be home in just 6 weeks! I know the time will go by quickly, but I am getting more and more anxious to see my family and friends again. We have a busy summer planned, so I should probably take these next few weeks and rest up before our vacation!

Classic Colors

I recently added a few new designs to my shop at Marigold Lane and wanted to share them with you as well. First, I made a brown, tan, and pink striped hat with pom poms. It would be perfect for a newborn photo session. I loved this yarn because the stripes are built into the yarn itself. You just knit away, and it creates this adorable pattern.


Next, I tried a new craft in the creation of this classic red and white striped headband. The fabric flower was made using a nifty tool I bought in Greenville. My mom let me peruse her stash of fabric scraps, and I can't wait to create more adorable flowers!


Finally, I found this pattern for a hat that looks like it was actually crocheted. I've been looking for a use for a lovely yellow cotton yarn and my navy and white ribbon. A few weeks later, I found a pattern for the shoes that matches the hat perfectly! I'm in love with the tiny bows on the shoes.