Cecilia

As promised, there are a few more Grenada posts waiting in the wings. Today's is on a subject near and dear to many of your hearts:

FOOD!

About halfway through our stay at Lance aux Epines, we decided to take advantage of the opportunity to have an authentic Grenadian meal prepared for us right in our own cottage. We settled on a date with Cecilia, our housekeeper, so that she could do some shopping, and when the day came we headed off for a morning hike in the rainforest while she set up shop in our kitchen. Little did we imagine what would be waiting for us on our return.

Barracuda (purchased fresh at the fish market) with onions and gravy

Callaloo Soup

(L to R) Rice with Pigeon Peas and Breadfruit au gratin

(L to R) Bluggoe and Pumpkin

(L to R) Pumpkin (again) and Mixed Vegetables (Carrots, Green Beans, and Christophene)

The Table Set for Dinner

Phil's Plate

I don't think he's looking forward to this at all.

Cecilia

Not surprisingly, Cecilia's was one of the best meals we had while in Grenada. Actually, make that two of the best meals, because that's how much eating we got out of this spread, and then some. And the total cost, including the groceries as well as Cecilia's fee for shopping & cooking, was a little under $70. Try feeding a family of five two restaurant meals of that quality for that price anywhere in the U.S.!

By the way, Cecilia told me that callaloo and pumpkin are the two main staples of a Grenadian toddler's diet.

Cecilia's sister Elsa was our housekeeper on our first visit to Grenada. How we came to appreciate both of them on our visits, not only for their care while we were away from home, but also for their cheerful ways and friendly willingness to share insights about their country. When we left Grenada the first time, we wondered if we would ever return and see Elsa again. The answer turned out to be yes! We pray that in the same way we will some day return to see Cecilia and maybe--just maybe--eat another one of her home-cooked meals.

One can dream, right?