Chow and Chatter

Cous Cous and Lentil Salad

2026-05-12T10:03:00.000-04:00

I thought I would share a salad I made the other day. A simple cous cous and lentil salad

To make - cook the cous cous and let it cool, add tomatoes, cucumber, fresh herbs, I added chives, basil, and parsley from the garden, and some Italian mix with chipotle pepper and olive oil, and a little salt. I then mixed in some cooked brown lentils. Many stores sell these in little pouches now. This salad is colorful, flavorful, high in antioxidants, fiber, carbohydrates for energy, and protein.

In other news, our daughter starts college this year. She will be going to UNC-Chapel Hill. We are very proud of her! Can you believe I started this blog when she was a baby!

Our son starts High school and keeps us on our toes.

I continue to run my Nutrition practice- Anchored Nutrition Therapy, I have an office downtown Winston Salem, and see folks online with Berry Street. Would love to assist you on your journey.

Hugs

Rebecca

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Tuscan White Bean Stew

2026-01-09T10:34:00.004-05:00

Just wanted to share a simple and flavorful soup that's nourishing and perfect for any season!

Ingredients

- two diced celery stalks

- 2 cans of white beans

- 2 cloves of garlic, minced

- 1/2 cup of kale and 1/2 cup Swiss chard or spinach chopped

- 1/2 a yellow onion chopped

- 3 carrots chopped

- One box of vegetable or chicken stock

- A pinch of red chili flakes

- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste

Method

1. Sauté onion, garlic, and celery for 5-7 min, then add chili flakes

2. Then add carrots, greens, and tomato paste and reduce for about 7-10 min

3. Add the stock and two cans of white beans with salt to taste.

Tips for Visiting Kenya

2025-10-07T17:08:00.001-04:00

We had the privilege of visiting Kenya this summer to do a safari. We went with my Dad and also met my brother and sister in law and their kids there. It was truly amazing in so many ways seeing the animals in their natural habitat, trying Swahili food, and meeting Kenyans and learning about their culture was magical.

I thought I would share some tips. First, I would plan a good year in advance and find a great tour company to work with. We booked with Charlie Chapman of Ololo Safaris. He spoke many times on the phone, came up with a tour based on our preferences and budget, and was super knowledgeable. We stayed at his family's lodge for the first two nights and visited Nairobi National Park. This park has so many animals, and it's next to the city with the skyline in the background.

Here we witnessed two rhinos fighting and saw Lions and giraffes just after landing on the way to the lodge!

The lodge serves wonderful international food, but one evening I asked the chefs if they could share their home food with us, and they made Beef Stew, greens, and ugali (like a grit cake). It was wonderful. I will always remember how happy they were saying that this is our food. Kenya has about 42 tribes, each with their own food and culture, and as you chat to folks around the country, they are happy to share.

Superb Starlings were abundant around Ololo Lodge and had a lovely song. Be careful, they will join you for lunch and try and share your food!

Some of the lovely staff at the lodge, the lodge also has its own farm, my son loved visiting the animals and making jokes with the farmers.

Close to the lodge is the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, famous for looking after orphaned elephants and its conservation efforts; it's well worth a visit. Kenya, as a country, has done a great job reducing poaching and caring for its wild animals; in fact, moving many to the Maasai Mara to live and be protected. Tourism is a huge part of the economy. However, there are fears of late that the Maasai Mara could get overdeveloped with too many hotels. There is also a giraffe center in Nairobi, which we didn't visit, but it's highly recommended.

After visiting the Nairbori, we headed North to stay at Lake Nakuru and stopped at Lake Naivasha on the way so Jasmine and I could go horseback riding. We did this at Santuary farm. This was such a great experience; the animals are relaxed when you get close to them on a horse. The place has a restaurant, and literally Zebras roam around! The stables were caring for an orphaned Zebra, Zebie, that they hoped to introduce back to the wild herd.

Here you can also take a boat ride on Lake Navaisha and see Hippos and Sea eagles. Local fishermen fish by the shore, it's apparently not allowed, and sometimes they get killed by hippos.

We stayed in Lake Nakuru and met our family from California here, still with our safari guide from Ololo, and did some Game drives here. After a couple of days, we drove to the Masai Mara, which is a must, and actually, I really enjoyed the drive; it went south over a high plain that had a cooler climate and lots of agriculture.

In the Maasai Mara, we changed vehicles and had a new guide, Caleb, from the Maasai tribe, and stayed at Enkewa camp. This is a great option as it's small and every time we went out we never had many cars with us looking at wildlife, in fact sometimes we were the only ones. The tents are lovely, in fact, they are more like hotel rooms and have showers! The staff were great and learnt a lot about Maasai culture. They are one of the many tribes in Kenya and are traditionally nomadic or semi-nomadic shepherds, having goats and cows. They often have multiple wives and are catholic, they eat ugali for breakfast, lots of fresh milk, and beef. We got to visit a village, and my son loved this. These cultural experiences are so powerful in teaching us that there are many ways to live and to be grateful for what we have. In this village, there was no electricity or running water. In fact, many bathe and drink from local streams, and I learnt from Janet, who works at Enkewa camp, that polio is still an issue and other water-borne illnesses. She raises money to bring filters to her village.

You can learn more below and donate!

https://youtube.com/shorts/fntJ0hq2nSo?si=60yBtiR1BDvtFq91

Donation link https://newco-pro.com/donate

Janets instagram https://www.instagram.com/janet.nasieku?igsh=bW5ja3YxbmZxa3Jq

In the mornings, you get up before sunrise and head out to look for animals. One morning, we saw a wildebeest crossing over the Mara River and had breakfast. It was amazing! Below us were hippos and crocodiles.

Dinner by candlelight with my Dad.

Wildebest crossing! We saw so many of them, and they make a funny sound; they like to hang out with zebras as they have better eyesight for spotting predators. These sounds will always be in my memory, and the Lion roaring at night from the camp. It was hard to sleep the first night, but Maasai folks are watching, and they are not scared of lions at all!

After our 3 nights in the Maasai Mara, we headed back to Nairobi, and we flew. I actually was a little nervous in these tiny planes, but it was fun and only 45 minutes! compared to 4-5 hours.

Once we reached Nairobi, we headed to Westlands, where we were planning to stay; it's a cool up-and-coming area with modern apartments. But there had been protests the week before in the city center, so we decided not to. But I really wanted to have more local food, so we went to Nana Swahili Restaurant. I so enjoyed the fried fish and ugali; we were lucky that Ololo Lodge let their driver, James, drive us, and he is from a lake, and this was his favorite meal. Again, the exchange of food and culture is so special.

We stayed the last night in an Airbnb in Karen, a green and wealthy area of the city with cafes and a nice mall. Of course, Kenya also has struggles and has a large slum, Kibera you can see close to the city. It still has rural to urban migration of folks moving to the capital to find work. Kenya has a great vibe with wonderful people. Reading between the lines, a better government is needed. China is also heavily investing in building railways and buildings, but again mixed feelings on this from the people.

I truly have a heart for this country and know it will find a great future.

To contact Charley - https://olololodge.com/

If you can, please visit Kenya, you will love it!

Cooking Class in Tuscany

2025-06-20T17:39:00.001-04:00

We recently returned from Italy, and we stayed the night at Podere Vergianoni a family-run villa with guest rooms. Here are some details "Vergianoni Tuscany Experiences is our original and local family-run tour operator, dedicated to sharing the local lifestyle, old traditions, and hidden gems of Tuscany through personalized and authentic experiences with us and our family!

This idea was born from our deep love and passion for this special region in Italy that has always been home for us: two brothers, Niccolò and Mattia, born and raised in Tuscany, who, after playing basketball around Italy for many years, decided to return home and make their dream come true — to give life to our unique and original family-run tour operator with all our family in our ancient tuscan home built in 1600 located in Chianti organizing personalized and private experiences, in maximum comfort, to live authentic and traditional moments together with us and make your stay in Tuscany unique and special!

We will share with you the true local traditions, places, and food culture that have always been passed down through our family generations."

My husband stayed at the Airbnb a couple of years ago with his friends. They arrived late at night after an accident in the hire car and were towed to another town. Niccolo made quite the impression, giving them wine and pizza late at night and driving them to Florence the next day to catch a train. He wanted to return with us to experience the place, and we all wanted to take a cooking class.

The setting was magical, overlooking vineyards and the sunset.

The kids really enjoyed making pasta with Niccolò's Mom; she was lovely. The family is from the area and has a love for Tuscany, its land, food, and traditions.

The tagliatelle, it wasn't so hard to make, but I am not sure it will be as good here, it needs semolina flour from Italy, I feel.

After we made the Pasta, they set up appetizers on the table outside our room, you can see bruschetta and pesto, also cream cheese and truffles. The Dad had found this that morning with their dog!

Lots of cheese and meats, with fruit.

Then the pasta and homemade pesto that we had helped make, with wine and tiramisu for dessert!

The attention to detail, with lovely place settings and a slow, relaxed experience to savor the food, was wonderful. Please do consider visiting this family; you will love it.

They are also local tour operators and can arrange many more activities for you!

https://vergianonituscanyexperiences.com/

Strada Noce, 2
50028 Noce (FI)
Email: info@vergianoniexperiencestuscany.com
Telefono: +39 3349796819

Roasted Cauliflower and Squash

2025-06-20T16:21:00.005-04:00

Just popping to to share a super easy recipe.

Roasted cauliflower and squash with lentils - so easy slice veggies and add shallots, ras el hanout (a lovely Morrocan spice blend) olive oil, salt, chives, and parsley and roast at 425 for about 20 min flipping 1/2 way through. At the end mix in cooked brown lentils.

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Laksa

2025-04-15T10:09:00.002-04:00

I love trying new recipes and new ingredients. The other day, I was in a local Asian store, browsing the aisles and reading all the instructions on the jars, wondering what I could try and make. I settled on Laksa.

I also got some fish balls, which looked like boba and were fun, some bok choi, and enoki mushrooms.

I found a recipe online, Basically, I heated 1/2 of the jar of Laksa paste in a pan, then added a can of coconut milk and 4 cups of water, then added the fish balls, bok choi, and enoki and cooked for 15-20 min. It was super easy. I then cooked udon noodles, added them to a bowl, poured the soup over them, and topped them with cilantro. I enjoyed this; my daughter did too, but the fish balls were not popular with anyone.

I wanted to share this as this is what cooking is all about: experimenting, having fun, and trying World cuisine. Sometimes it won't go well, but that's ok; it's part of the fun. Even if something isn't loved by your family, you tried, and the next recipe may be adored, never give up.

Thirty8, Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur

2025-01-04T16:31:00.006-05:00

This summer, we spent 24 hours in Kuala Lumpur after visiting Thailand, we came here for fun and then took a flight to Scotland. This is a city we will return to one day, it is vibrant with many cultures, clean and modern, and truly cities in Asia are the future. It was a rainy afternoon and a leisurely high tea was a perfect way to enjoy ourselves before a long flight.

We went to Thirty8 at the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur with amazing views across the city.

What I adored about this tea was how creative it was and how it showcased Malaysian flavors. It was also great value for money it has so much food and wonderful service for around 30 USD ( MYR 128).

This was a chicken salad sandwich

This was white fish with a wonderful sauce—so soft and flavorful. We also ordered fried rice.

Just wow the cakes, one was a mango mouse, one a little cupcake that looked like a garden, one was flavored with tea and the one below was grapefruit.

there we so many we even took some to the airport with us!

The weather had cleared a little here and you can see the iconic Petronas Twin Towers.

Here you can see them the day before.

We also visited the famous Batu Cave Temple in the morning, there is a Tamil population in Kuala Lumpur that has lived in Malaysia for generations, and this is significant to them. My husband is Tamil and enjoys this place as it is Lord Muruga Temple and thats who is named after!

Please do put this amazing city on your to-do list you will not be disappointed, it has amazing modern malls and wonderful food also.

Details for the hotel for high tea -

Located in: Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur

Address: Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, 12, Jalan Pinang, Kuala Lumpur, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Phone: +60 3-2203 9188

ORZO, SMOKED SALMON AND VEGGIES

2025-01-04T14:14:00.003-05:00

This is a lovely simple and quick meal that also makes a great packed lunch,

Ingredients:

- one pack of smoked salmon

- 1/2 a red onion

- 3 cloves of garlic

- one cup of orzo

- one squash and one zucchini

- 2 diced tomatoes

- 1 diced carrot

- a few handfuls of chopped spinach

- 1/2 teaspoon Italian herbs and salt to taste

Method:

1. Cook orzo for about 12 min til al dente

2. Sauté onions and garlic 3-4 min in olive oil

3. Add squash and sauté on medium heat for 5 min

4. Add carrot and spinach then tomato with herbs and salt and let it reduce to 10 min near the end add salmon

This is a nutrient-rich meal with omega-3 from salmon, vitamins, and minerals from vegetables

Happy New Year

Love

Rebecca

Mumbai Sandwich

2024-10-21T09:42:00.003-04:00

On a recent trip to India, I enjoyed a wonderful Mumbai/Bombay sandwich at a friend's house. It was tasty and a fun change from your regular sandwich.

Ingredients:

2 slices of bread
a generous spread of Bombay sandwich spread made from mint and coriander with a little kick it can be found in Indian grocery stores or online
one sliced tomato
sliced cooked potato, about 1/2 per sandwich
cucumber slices
a few pieces of red onion
a slice of cheese - I used Swiss
about a teaspoon of chaat masala

Method:

slice and cook the potatoes and keep to one side
then spread the Bombay spread on each slice of the bread, layer the tomato, cucumber, onion, potato, and cheese, and sprinkle chaat masala on it add the cheese and put on a panini press for about 3 minutes until done
enjoy warm

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Kuan Nom Saow Restaurant and Viewpoint

2024-09-09T20:35:00.002-04:00

If you ever visit Krabi in Thailand a lovely coastal area and gateway to the beautiful islands with the famous emerald green waters. Near the town of Ao Nang about 20-30 minutes away is a wonderful hill top cafe, if you are hiring a driver as is common in Thailand be sure to ask for a four wheel drive as the road is a dirt road and best to visit on a sunny day. At the top you are treated to beautiful flowers, views and friendlly cats. The restaurant features wonderful made to order fresh food with local produce.

another thing I loved about Krabi is all the mosques its a muslim area and at certain times of the day you will hear the call to prayer.

This pad Thai with Tofu was so good.

Address: Khao Thong, Mueang Krabi District, Krabi 81000, Thailand

Phone: +66 61 932 5628

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Pineapple Salsa

2024-07-15T13:56:00.001-04:00

This is fun for summer and super easy to make -

Ingredients:

- add about a cup of chopped pineapple

- 2 cloves of crushed garlic

- 2 tomatoes chopped

- 1/2 red onion chopped

- Salt to taste

- Cilantro a handful of fresh

- A pinch of cumin

- One - two green chilies or jalapeno

- A pinch of sugar

- Two green onions chopped

Method

- chop the ingredients and blend a little but leave it in large pieces.

and enjoy!

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Hibiscus and Ginger tea

2024-07-11T14:43:00.002-04:00

This is a fun summer drink, reminds me of Sorrel a Caribbean drink enjoyed at Christmas it's made from hibiscus flowers and spices and sweetened.

Ingredients:

2 packets of hibiscus tea
one packet of ginger tea (found this in Publix it is basically granulated ginger)
sugar to taste

Method:

1. boil the water then steep the tea and ginger for a few hours with any desired sugar, I added enough to fill a small jug.

2. allow to cool and place in the fridge,

3. enjoy over ice.

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Wagashi Tea House, Canmore

2024-07-10T17:43:00.001-04:00

I just had to share this amazing Japanese tea house with you, it's located inside a garden center in Canmore, Alberta, Canada with lovely views of the Rockies. The owner is from Osaka and runs it with her family. It's wise to make reservations. I will be honest I only know a little about Japanese teas, but they are lovely at helping you pick, and if you would like to try a tea flight that's a fun way to sample a few. They also have a sake flight which is so good.

I got a salmon bento box, hubby got steak and the kids got poke bowls everything was fabulous.

Canmore is also a wonderful mountain town with nice restaurants, lovely places to stay, amazing trails, and a lovely river running through the city, we had the best time renting bikes and cycling along the river. It is a wonderful base to explore Kananaskis and Banff National Park. The hiking trails, abundance of wildlife, and wow the lakes in the area are breathtaking!

I really loved the tea cups and letting the tea settle into the little groves along the bottom like a little swirl a mindful moment.

They also had mochi freshly made, lovely and chewy.

The majestic rocky Mountains.

Wagashi Tea House

60 Lincoln Park (inside of Garden Centre)

Canmore

Alberta

Canada

https://www.wagashiteahouse.com/

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Easy Shrimp Bisque Pasta

2024-06-20T17:53:00.000-04:00

I just had to share this as it's oh-so-easy to make, it was inspired by a reel of Trader Joe's recipes. You get a container of lobster bisque and some shrimp or langoustine, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and a smile as you will be amazed at the speed of making this and its taste!

Ingredients:

- one container of lobster bisque (I only used 1/2)

- a handful of cherry tomatoes

- a handful of fresh chopped basil

- a package of defrosted cooked shrimp or langoustine

method-

1. heat a little olive oil and add the basil and cherry tomatoes for about 5 min

2. add the shrimp and then the bisque

3. add any desired cooked pasta I think linguine works really well,

Enjoy!

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Citrus cupcakes

2024-06-02T16:38:00.000-04:00

It has been years since I have made cupcakes these are easy and so lovely -

Ingredients:

4oz butter
4oz sugar
2 eggs
4 oz self-raising flour
one teaspoon of orange and lime rind
Juice from one lime and one mandarin orange
1/4 cup icing sugar
another 1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind.

Method:

cream the butter and sugar, beat in the eggs one at a time
then slowly fold in flour orange, lime juice and grated rind.
half fill the cupcake cases and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes until firm, or a knife comes out clean.
mix the icing sugar with water and make icing add to cupcakes and sprinkle with grated chocolate and lime and orange rind

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Roasted Cabbage and Chickpea salad

2024-04-24T12:03:00.005-04:00

Sometimes as a vegetable cabbage doesn't get used enough, but it's cheap and very versatile and fabulous roasted. This is a fun and tasty recipe using one of my new favorite spice blends from Morocco Ras El Hanout.

Roasted cabbage and chickpea salad

Ingredients-

- one can of chickpeas

- 1/2 a green cabbage thinly sliced

- 1/4 red onion thinly sliced with 2 cloves of chopped garlic

- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle pepper

- 1 teaspoon Ras El Hanout

- salt to taste

- a few dashes of olive oil

- 1/4 of a green pepper thinly sliced

Method

1. Heat the oven to 425 and add parchment paper to two baking sheets

2. Chop the onion, pepper, garlic and cabbage and add to baking sheet with Ras El Hanout, salt, and olive oil

3. Add chickpeas to the other sheet with chipotle pepper, salt and olive oil

4. Bake both at 425 for 20-30 until slightly charred and crispy combine with a sprinkle of sesame seeds

Enjoy

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Vietnamese Inspired Chicken Bowl

2024-04-24T11:52:00.000-04:00

This makes a great weeknight dinner. It's flavorful and fast.

Ingredients:

- one pack of chicken tenders

- 1/2 jar of lemongrass paste

- 1/6 of a cabbage thinly sliced

- 2 carrots thinly sliced

- 1/4 of a red onion

- salt to taste and 1/2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste

- 1/4 of a green pepper sliced

- one pack of vermicelli rice noodles

- a few handfuls of freshly chopped cilantro

For the sauce -

- ¼ cup fish sauce

- ¼ cup sugar

- ⅓ cup water

- 2 Tablespoons lime juice - - freshly squeezed (about half a lime)

- 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar - - see Note 3

- 1 clove chopped garlic

- 1 small Thai chili pepper - - finely diced or in a hot sauce I used 1 teaspoon of peri-peri

- 1 Tablespoon shredded carrot

- 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce - - (optional)

Mix the sauce ingredients and later pour this over the food.

Method

1. slice all the vegetables and sauté in a little oil for about 5-10 in a wok until cooked and keep aside

2. marinate the chicken in the lemongrass paste for about 1-2 hours and bake at 400 for about 20 minutes until it reaches 160F then slice

3. cook the noodles and make the sauce

4. add the ingredients to the bowl pour over the sauce and garnish with cilantro

5. enjoy

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Sweet and Spicy Salmon Bites

2024-03-14T13:31:00.003-04:00

Recently I have been having fun making random recipes from Instagram reels, this was a winner I slightly modified it by using peri peri sauce for a little bit more spice. It's super easy to make and perfect as a rice bowl with added vegetables.

Sweet and spicy roast salmon bites

Ingredients

- 1/2 a big piece of salmon (Costco size) cut into cubes

- 1/4 cup of soy sauce

- one teaspoon of rice vinegar

- 2 teaspoons peri peri sauce

- 2 teaspoon of honey

- sesame seeds

- sliced spring onions

Method

1. Cut salmon, make the marinade, and let it marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours

2. Bake at 425 for 15-20 min

3. Serve with rice, veggies and avocado

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Tips for a Few Days in St. Lucia

2024-03-01T20:54:00.002-05:00

We recently visited St. Lucia for a long weekend, the kids had a couple of days off and the flights were much more affordable than at Christmas. This amazing view was coming into land!

The International airport is in the South of the island so we decided to stay in this area as we had so little time. The capital Castries is in the North. But the famous Pitons are in the South.

We stayed in an Airbnb in Laborie a fishing village in the South. This is a typical local village a little rough around the edges but we wanted a local vibe. Many come and stay in the resorts. By law, all can access the beaches including the famous ones like Sugar Beach home to Sugar Beach, a Viceroy Resort although the local part of the beaches including Anse Chastanet Beach are very small. But you can swim where you like!

We hired a fun 4-wheel drive car a Suzuki Jimmy this car was perfect for taking the smaller local mountain drives, be warned some of these roads are not in great shape, but they are stunning. The landscape of St. Lucia is beautiful - green and lush. The few days we were there sadly it rained a lot and was very overcast off and on. The locals stated it was unusual for January as it's not the rainy season that is in summer.

This sunset was in Laborie so beautiful. The village had a bakery and a few restaurants our favorite was Cafe en Ville next to the church, it was a pretty old building with a veranda and next to a stream. The staff were friendly and proud of the local produce they used and the health benefits the locals love fresh juice with lots of ginger. We ate breakfast here and an evening meal. Lovely pancakes, juices, omelets and curries, and local fish in the evening. On Sunday I enjoyed listening to folks singing in the church, next door.

St. Lucia is famous for its chocolate and we visited Hotel Chocolat

Address: Hotel Chocolat Estates Ltd., Soufriere, St. Lucia

This is a large British chocolate producer and they have lots of stores around the UK. They have a hotel and a program where you can make chocolate. At $100 a person we decided not to do this but it would be a fun experience. As so much on the island depends on Tourism prices for tours can be expensive. But you are welcome to drive onto the estate and visit the restaurant that features items made with chocolate and buy chocolate. It is so good.

Of course, any trip to the Caribbean means roadside fruit and vegetable stands and my Indian husband loves fresh coconut juice. In Chennai, they sell this close to my in-laws house.

A great way to see the Pitons is the Tet Paul Nature Trail Chateau Belaire, St. Lucia

Again it's much more affordable when you have a car and visit these places, it was 10 dollars each with a guide. I found the guide interesting we learnt that Soufriere, the local town is famous for its sweet potatoes. In fact, root vegetables grow very well here, they have cassava, sweet potato, yam, dasheen, and more collectively these are called ground provisions. Breadfruit a cool-looking fruit that grows on trees that is eaten as a starch is also well worth trying. The guide also mentioned that she didn't feel the local government took great care of the people but a foreign country invests a lot. I just googled and found this fascinating article - In a Caribbean Paradise China and Taiwan Tussle for recognition

"Alexander hopes to attend one of the many workshops that Taiwan’s technical mission holds to introduce new crops and farming methods to St. Lucians. A typical workshop gives farmers seeds, planting and growing instructions, and recipe ideas. Among some of the new crops that Taiwan has introduced are wax apples, dragon fruit, Taiwanese bananas, and Chinese cabbage. Alexander said she’s especially interested in learning more about Chinese cabbage, given its high retail value.

It’s not a one-sided relationship. St. Lucia and other Taiwanese allies lobby on Taipei’s behalf, and regularly call for its inclusion in international bodies that exclude Taipei, such as the World Health Organization.

But some St. Lucians wonder how long Taiwan’s development projects will continue, should Taiwan no longer require such support in international organizations. Eugene, the former scholarship student, sees Taiwan’s need for international support as the entire reason behind its efforts in St. Lucia. “If one day Taiwan can stand on its own, I think these projects will disappear,” she said."

she stated that the investments have greatly helped the country both the Taiwanese and the Chinese ones it would appear.

A wonderful local restaurant in Soufriere is Fedos new venture this was wonderful like eating in someone's home, we tried curry chicken and roti, goat curry, ground provisions, and fish so tasty.

The views from the trail are lovely wear sneakers or hiking sandals and if it's rainy be prepared to get muddy.

Not sure what our boy was doing here!

The little piton is spectacular, you can actually hike the pitons but it takes a few hours and you would need a guide.

Another place to visit is Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens & Mineral Baths also close by this is a stunning botanical garden with a waterfall. You can also bath in baths that the French used in the 1700s. The Island is now independent but it was ruled by the French and the British who fought over it.

Diamond falls

The Beaches close to the airport like Anse Des Sables Beach, are beautiful, there is a restaurant called the Reef right on the beach which I highly recommend, again local fish and curry roti. We ate here when we landed and just before leaving! I would recommend ordering a baguette to go as most flights are long back to the States with no food on board.

The other beaches just north of here are lovely on the Atlantic side but seem rough and not safe to swim. Often resorts always take the best swimming beaches.

The church in Laborie.

This horse was cute

Traditional homes in Laborie the Village where we stayed. I loved this one. I will be honest though this may not be for everyone some homes were huts and on the weekends there is plenty of drinking and not so many foreigners. Most stay in resorts. I didn't feel unsafe though we did in Jamaica in places and even parts of the Dominican Republic and it was a nice local experience.

Local market in the village. I asked about the oranges she said it was for juicing. Locals speak English and Saint Lucian French Creole (Kwéyòl), which is colloquially referred to as Patois ("Patwa").

This cute pregnant cat liked to sit with us at meals.

I would highly recommend a visit to St. Lucia we would love to return and explore more of the island and visit the North. The landscape and plants are so pretty and it is so much fun driving around.

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Vegetable, Bean and Sausage Soup

2023-12-19T19:39:00.000-05:00

This is a tasty and easy soup to make, perfect for cooler days.

Veggie, bean, and sausage soup.

Ingredients

- one can of cannellini beans

- 2 cloves of garlic

- one small onion

- 1/2 a crown of broccoli chopped

- 2 carrots chopped

- a handful of kale chopped

- one sweet potato chopped

-3 white potatoes chopped

- a carton of vegetable stock

-4 small breakfast sausages chopped

- 1/2 cup frozen corn

- one teaspoon Greek herbs, 1/4 teaspoon chipotle pepper and 1/4 cayenne pepper, salt to taste

-one chopped tomato

Method -

1. Saute the onion and garlic for 7 minutes add veggies and tomato cook for another 10

Min

2. Add stock and a little more water, herbs and spices, beans, and sausages, and simmer for 20-25 min

3. Enjoy

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Tips for Visiting South Korea

2023-09-29T12:13:00.000-04:00

We recently visited South Korea for 2 weeks. I was very impressed with this country and would highly recommend it.

We went at the end of July into August and were fortunate that the monsoon season just ended as there was flooding a week before we went. Unfortunately, it was very hot and this hindered our ability to visit many places. I would suggest visiting in the Spring for the Cherry blossoms or the fall for the best weather.

We started our trip with 4 days in Seoul the capital we stayed in a Hanok which is a traditional Korean home with a courtyard in the center. This was in Jegi Dong, a neighborhood far from popular places like Gangnam. It has a subway and buses though. I enjoyed the market around the train station and the feel of an older local neighborhood.

In the morning, a little shop sold fresh Gimbap pictured below. This looks like sushi but has a different taste, it is stuffed with sausage, egg, fish stick, carrot, radish, cucumber and seaweed. Later on the trip in Busan me and our daughter took a cooking class and we made this. It looks easy but it's actually quite a process to make. The Teacher Yegene said they mostly make for picnics or they buy them.

Here are a few pictures of the market around the Metro Station.

The first tip I would give would be to get travel cards that are rechargeable and can be used on both buses and the metro. Convenience stores sell them or the train stations. We found people to be very helpful and the girl at the station was lovely in helping us get these, learning how to use them, and giving us tips for taking the bus to Gangnam. Yes, the Gangnam from the famous song!

One of the special things we did was visit the Kukkiwon Taekwondo Center, both my Husband and the kids do TaeKwondo and are all black belts. My husband is testing for third degree soon and my son is second degree. We got to meet one of the demo teams and a friend of Master Kim in Clemmons such a lovely experience.

Then we saw the demo team showing their skills outside Gangnam station!

Of Course you must visit the palaces when in Seoul we went to Gyeongbokgung Palace, it's wonderful to see Koreans dressed in traditional Hanbok and taking pictures. South Koreans are very proud of their culture and one thing really stuck with me as we toured the country and visited historic sites is just how resilient they are. At various points throughout history and most recently 1910-1945 Japan invaded and ruled Korea. Often destroying palaces and temples and trying to take Korean culture away from the people.

This Palace was later restored under the leadership of Heungseondaewongun during the reign of King Gojong (1852-1919).

Close to the Palace is a lovely Hanok village with a traditional tearoom I highly recommend this it features Korean teas and deserts, you sit on the floor with lovely views of the mountains, and its in an old Hanok.

Cha Seul Tea House

Address: 26 Bukchon-ro 11na-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea

This desert was fresh fruit, with red bean paste wrapped in rice flour like Mochi.

This was shaved ice with a slightly sour syrup and condensed milk so good.

Magical place

Of Course you must also visit a traditional food market in South Korea in Seoul be sure to check out Gwangjang Market -Address: 88 Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea, opened in 1905. This bustling market is vibrant and so fun and the food was delicious.

Here is a link to see the market on You Tube.

There are a lot of churches in Korea and Christianity has been around for a few hundred years, along with Buddhism and ancient temples.

The local buses are wonderful. Google Maps worked well for this, although it must be noted that Google Maps or Apple didn't work all the time Kakao is better.

Another important tip is that Uber doesn't work so download Kakeo T to get local taxis. It is useful to have a phone on roaming to be able to use Google Translate there. Also, many older folks can't often read in English so show the text in Korean to them.

We visited a fair few malls as it was so hot this is the Starfield COEX Mall and its amazing library, blame TikTok for bringing us here!

How cute are these kids with their shoes off. It also made me smile seeing folks with their shoes off in restaurants relaxed and enjoying their meals.

This was a tasty barley salad I had in the mall.

Gangnam a hip area for shopping and cool cafes.

I also really enjoyed the hilly neighborhood leading up to Naksan Park, this park has wonderful views over the city especially at night. You can walk along the old city wall.

41 Naksan-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea.

It has pretty homes and nice boutiques and cafes and places to eat. Another tip I would give is to eat early. Restaurants seem to close by 9 pm and there doesn't seem to be a late-night eating culture. We were in Greece this summer and it's different there.

the inside of the Hanok house.

After Seoul, we had planned to hire a car and had a whole itinerary planned driving from place to place but we made the mistake of not getting an international license. So were unable to hire a car. Apparently, all you need to do is go to AAA and get one in the States. So we changed plans got rail passes and headed to our next destination which was Jeonju.

We stayed in a Hanok again this one was even more traditional in a village surrounded by countryside and no chairs, sleeping on the floor with a rice pillow. The lady was lovely and again we used Airbnb to message as it translates or Google Translate. At this point, we couldn't get the Kakao T app to work as there was a function you could scroll to pay in the cab but we couldn't figure this out!

The kind Airbnb host often drove us to the store or the Hanok village!

Isn't this stunning!

The bed wasn't the most comfortable, to be honest but a good experience.

Jeonju is an ancient city with an old Hanok village and museums like Old Salem to my NC readers. The village had stores and restaurants, it was a little too touristy for me.

If you walk out of the Hanok village towards the local town you will come across another amazing local market and there's a fab Chinese restaurant inside also. Of course you will see plenty of chilis as Korean food is spicy. In fact the food was so good.

Jeonju also has a beautiful park with a lotus pond and a stunning library pictured below only built a couple of years ago.

Deokjin Park -

Address: 390 Gwonsamdeuk-ro, Deokjin-dong 1(il)-ga, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea

The lotus were in bloom in July.

I will be honest the area around this park was so so restaurant wise.

the pictures below are of the village where the Hanok was and the first one is a nursing home.

Here is a link to book the Hanok in the village

Yeok Hanok·

Daeseong-dong, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si, North Jeolla Province, South Korea

The next place we visited was Busan for 3 nights, another easy train ride. The KTX bullet trains are fast and fun to ride with great train stations with food and coffee.

We stayed in an apartment in Haeundae Beach just a few stops from places in Busan on train or bus. We could walk to the beach sadly it was so very hot even at 9 am so didn't really spend much time outside.

It gave Miami vibes, with lots of modern high rises, great coffee, and places to eat. It really is a cool place and one of the places to be in the Busan area.

My daughter and myself took a cooking class here it was really fun again here is a link. It was lovely to chat in English with the host as many in Korea don't speak English which is fair enough, but it was nice to hear about growing up in Korea and views from a young person.

The young kids go to academys in the summer to learn English and study and get very little time off, its a competitive and hard education system for young folks and sadly as a country also has a high suicide rate. Definitely needs to find more of a work, life balance...

Korean Homemade Cooking Experience with Local Host

Another amazing mall apparently it was the biggest department store in Asia. My favorite thing about the malls is the food courts just wow especially the cakes!

A tasty meal in Busan I loved the pancakes with scallions and fresh seafood.

A temple close to Busan to visit is Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, it's an easy bus ride and sits along the coast the sound of the waves is so soothing.

86 Yonggung-gil, Gijang-gun, Busan, South Korea

This temple was also restored in the 1920s.

While in Busan a visit to Gamcheon Culture Village is a good idea, it's a great enterprise using the skills of residents of the area to create art. Here is a little more information -

"Gamcheon was one of many declining neighborhoods in Busan. However, the Gamcheon Culture Village Project took the unique elements of the town and turned them to valuable tourism assets. Gamcheon eventually was transformed into a vibrant village that attracts tourists all year round. The living environment has been improved for residents and jobs were created. As the local economy has been reinvigorated, the village has now become a livable neighborhood. The whole process engaged residents, which in turn led to the natural formation of a true residents’ community. " and a link.

I think places in Columbia and Brazil have done similar projects. I enjoyed this village and its street art also it gives a glimpse of a neighborhood of the past as now most of Busan and many South Korean cities are high rises.

This BBQ restaurant in Busan was amazing with friendly staff who taught us how to grill the meats and vegetables and how to eat it.

안가 숯불구이 해운대구 좌동순환로 494-1 Jwadongsunhwan-Ro Haeundae.

The next place we visited was Gyeongju, this beautiful and ancient city is only 25 min by Train from Busan. It has old temples and amazing tombs (the little green hills) it is the home of the Silla Kingdom, which ruled Korea from the 7th to the 9th Century.

This is an ancient observatory.

I truly loved this city, it has a bigger Hanok Village than Jeonju and it was less touristy feeling. The town had fields of flowers, lots of sunflowers, and lotus ponds that were lit up at night. It also had great botanical gardens, we accidentally visited here as the taxi driver didn't understand where we asked to go and we got dropped off there. Using Google Translate with the ladies in the gardens they recommended local places to eat I can remember trying to match up the Korean text on the piece of paper they wrote on with the front of the restaurants. Hot pots were popular in this town.

I confess I am not really into Starbucks in the US but in Korea they are wonderful, and each area has cakes and drinks that reflect that area.

This amazing dessert was modeled off the tombs it even came with a shovel!

Because we didn't have a car we changed plans and decided to take a flight to Jeju Island from Busan for a few days. We stayed in Hyeopjae Beach a lovely little town with a great beach, gift shops and restaurants. The Airbnb was a cute coastal cottage literally across the street from the beach.

Here is the link. It has the best coffee shop next door with an amazing view.

It fascinated me how cautious folks were of the ocean there were lifeguards and everyone was kept in pretty shallow waters and they also truly respect the sun very much. It's also a fairly conservative society so dress modestly in my humble opinion.

This was another stella restaurant just love all the many side dishes in Korea.

협재리식당

22 Hyeopjae 1-gil, Hallim-eup, Jeju-si, Jeju-do, South Korea

Jeju is a Volcanic island with mountains the highest being Mount Hallasan in the center, one day by luck my husband found a taxi driver who listed a WhatsApp number and spoke some English he drove us here and a lovely waterfall in the South of the Island. Jeju is also famous for growing oranges and has an ancient breed of Horses brought to the Island 100's of years ago by Genghis Khan!

Sadly the day we hiked up the mountain it was foggy and we couldn't enjoy the view it was beautiful nonetheless.

The sunsets were particularly beautiful here with the black lava and the turquoise waters.

All in all, I would highly recommend a visit to South Korea, it's fairly easy to navigate especially using Google Translate it is super clean and I mean you won't see litter. You feel safe and people are friendly and helpful. It's a small country so you can see a lot between the big, modern cities of Seoul in the North and Busan in the south. It has lovely countryside, mountains and nature and ancient cities rich in history. Jeju Island is also a fun visit with lovely countryside and affordable very frequent flights.

I would love to go back someday and also visit many more East Asian countries.

I leave you will a cute picture of a robot you could take a picture with at the airport. I miss the food so much, from great cafes, bakeries, and just high-quality foods in airports, malls, and everywhere.

Lefkada, Greece

2023-08-25T10:40:00.002-04:00

This June we visited a wonderful Island on the West Coast of Greece. It sits in the Ionian Sea with its beautiful blue waters. The island has a bridge so you can drive to it, has a small town and various villages and ports. It has been developed in a lovely way with small hotels and mostly Airbnbs dotted along the hillsides many with lovely views. It has mountains, beaches, farms, abundant flowers, butterflies, plant life, and biodiversity.

The Island is best visited in June before the crowds in August, I would say it would be beautiful in all seasons but the warmer weather is best for swimming, you can also do windsurfing in Vasiliki.

Being an island seafood is abundant, We went with my friend from university a fellow dietitian and a local so had lovely insight on where to eat. This restaurant was particularly great with local fish, greens, and desserts; you can sit right by the water.

Giannis Tavern Λυγιά 311 00, Greece.

One aspect that makes Lefkada very special is how Green it is compared to other Greece Islands in the Aegean sea which tend to be dryer, It has waterfalls and great hiking also. We visited Nydri Falls close to the town of Nydri a port (where you can take boat rides from). It also has a great cafe at the start of the trailhead with wonderful fresh orange juice, we enjoyed this after the hike. It was full of butterflies also and really magical.

I enjoyed walking along the country roads in the morning seeing horses, chickens and farms.

The town of Lefkada is delightful with alleys and great restaurants.

The best sunsets are on the West side of the Island as you drive along the coast there is a lovely lookout near Paralia Kathisma and Deck Beachside Cafe at Paralia Pefkoulia is great had one last frappe here before leaving the Island.

As we had the Greek yogurt and honey with the frappe overlooking the water before starting our 3-4 drive back to Athens I felt a little teary this truly is a special Island in its beauty and charm. We hope to return one day.

We drove there and back but I think there is an airport close by with many flights from Europe.

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Photo Tour of Kifisia ( Athens, Greece)

2023-07-22T15:54:00.006-04:00

We were recently in Greece, it has been 20 years since I had been, and even got to meet up with a dear college friend there. We started our trip in Athens and walked in Plaka and around the Acropolis. Then the next day drove to Patras my friend's home town and then spend a few days in Lefkada an amazing island, expect a post soon!

But on the way back before flying out we decided to stroll around Kifisia a beautiful northern suburb of Athens and one to put on your radar.

It has lovely tree-lined streets and parks, high-end international stores, and great places to eat. It also has a wide range of cool architecture and lots of beautiful homes.

It feels cooler than other parts of Athens and many big companies have their headquarters in this area.

The pictures below give you a feel for the area.

How interesting is this building?

A beautiful hotel.

If you are in Athens be sure to put this neighborhood on the list of places to visit, my friend used to live here and can you believe she got married in January in the snow and rode to the church on a horse.

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Kefir and Radish Yogurt Salad

2023-07-18T09:15:00.001-04:00

This tasty salad is inspired by my friend's recipe. I had a radish and dill salad at her house and wanted to re-create it, not sure about you but I often get inspired to try new recipes this way.

Also, I wanted a recipe that used Kefir as it's a lovely source of probiotics, Kefir is a fermented milk that is made from kefir grains, a specific type of mesophilic symbiotic culture. It is prepared by inoculating the milk of cows, goats, or sheep with kefir grains.

It is also lower in lactose than regular yogurt.

Kefir and Radish Yogurt Salad

Ingredients -

- kefir about 2 cups

- Radish or cucumber - I used about 4 small radishes - grated and 1 small cucumber

- Dill - a handful of fresh dill finely chopped

- Garlic -one clove chopped

- Cilantro a handful finely chopped

- Salt to taste

- Paprika a sprinkle

- 1/4 of a red onion chopped

Method -

1. chop and prepare all the ingredients and mix together,

2. enjoy as a snack or a vegetable side with a meal.

Some other ways to use kefir may include

Trying it

with fruit
mixed into yogurt
in a smoothie
with oats
in salad dressings

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Roasted Vegetable and Lentil Salad

2023-05-28T20:04:00.002-04:00

This was a super easy salad, and so good served over labneh with pita bread.

Lentils with roasted vegetables- I simply roasted cubed eggplant, red pepper, and zucchini with Za’atar, salt, and olive oil for 15-20 min at 425, then mixed it with fresh cilantro, parsley, and chives from the garden and a package of cooked lentils. I served over labneh to make this I simply stained Greek yogurt.

Easy recipes are simply the best.

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