Pink Sands Hotel Full Moon Foodie!

I'm always down for some good food and good music! It doesn't hurt that it was on a beautiful full moon night.

Our beach here on Harbour Island is stunning during the day but if you want an experience, try walking our gorgeous beach on a night when the beach is completely lit by the full moon. An even more amazing sight can be seen if you are fortunate enough to get to the beach while the full moon is rising.  I'm not very good with this photography thing but fortunately I have awesome friends who happen to also be great photographers.  Thank you Donna DeCosta for these great moon shots!

On this night the Pink Sands Resort had a nice lounge area set up. It was located down at the Blue Bar, where the Brilanders created a mellow atmosphere with their calypso covers.

The food for the night was a Bahamian style buffet and they had a mouthwatering spread.  

Grilled Grouper

Barbecue Ribs

Grilled Lobster Tails

Bahamian Style Macaroni & Cheese

Caribbean Jerk Chicken

Peas and Rice & More

The Pink Sand Resort recently hired a new Executive Chef. Ed Boncich came to Harbour Island from the Bimini Bay Resort, so he's no stranger to the Bahamas or Bahamian Cuisine. I can't wait to see what he can do with conch!

This was my plate! I'm such a pig!

Pink Sands and a Cherry Aphrodisiac!

A little tip when you love to socialize, you don't have to eat a heavy meal every single time you go out!  I don't.  Here's what I do with my version of high-end hangin out!

I heard that Da Brilanders, a local live band, was going to be playing at the Pink Sands Resort.

 I grabbed Lucile and Bish and headed over.

Bish loves her Goombay Smashes!

While Lucile went for the night's special, the Cherry Aphrodisiac. 

The beverage seemed like it would be a sweet one but it wasn't and had a pleasant subtle cherry aftertaste.

The menu for the night looked awesome! Since I tend to misbehave, often, I went straight for a chocolate dessert. That's my trick! Just grab a dessert and a drink.  I choose the flour-less chocolate cake. There was a thin layer of a chocolate cake like crust on the top with a cup full of chocolate molten magma underneath! Yummerific! They served it with a nice crisp vanilla ice cream and a sliced strawberry which I politely cleaned the bottom of my cup with! Strawberry and chocolate, yes please.

I'd have to say that if you'd like to grab a large group of friends and meet somewhere, on Harbour Island, for a few drinks the Pink Sands Bar is perfect! Lots of space and great ambiance.

I love where I live!

Guinness and Chocolate on Valentine's day!

Love was in the air on Valentine's day. Everyone was either giving or receiving gifts of chocolate, flowers and more. Bish and I realized pretty early on that most people would be caught up in the chocolates and lunch dates and wouldn't be ordering much from Briland Soul Catering, we deliver gourmet sandwiches daily, so why not have some fun instead. We knew we wanted something with chocolate and Bish remembered this recipe she'd seen for a chocolate Guiness Cake from the Hummingbird Bakery. We figured instead of a cake we would make mini cupcakes for our loyal customers and distribute them.

We used Guinness Draught since we couldn't find it in the bottle. I'd never realized that there is some kind of thingy in the can! Apparently, it's a widget that creates nitrogen release...I'm sure it serves some flavoring or preserving purpose.

Moving right along...the recipe called for cocoa powder, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract...you know the usual. Stir, mix, pour...The full recipe can be found at http://www.stylist.co.uk/life/recipes/chocolate-guinness-cake

As I mentioned, we went with mini cupcakes instead, so we cut the baking time in half.

Bish whipped up her amazing butter cream icing and I got the brilliant idea to cut out hearts and decorate the tops with little cocoa powder hearts! It didn't work...we resorted instead to a variety of topping designs...white chocolate, cocoa powder dusting and chocolate hearts.

There ya have it. They were perfectly moist and an obvious hit because we barely made it down Bay Street before they were gone! You are most welcome my island family...love yaself!

Kiddie party planning, Island style.

The thing about planning a birthday party worthy of little Ms. Ayden, is making sure you take note of all the little details without robbing the bank! I know her birthday isn't until August but when living on an island, there are a ton of things that are simply not here. Also, having a theme in advance allows you to pick up little things along the way at great prices. I love planning her parties so much I couldn't resist giving you the run down on at least the last two years.

Ayden's 5th Birthday party was the first party she had when we moved here. This was a big party because there is something special about that 5th year. You know, big girl now...first day of school etc., so we decided 15 kids would be the number allowed. We went with an Alice in Wonderland Theme. 

I ordered a few items from Oriental Trading Company, like the flamingos, the large playing cards and a mad hatter hat and turned the back yard into a mini wonderland.

Ayden and I had fun weekend projects leading up to the party. We made giant keys out of card board and sprayed them gold. We also made the giant clock with Alice in the middle. For munchies we had fluffernutter sandwiches, marshmallow fruit kebabs and chicken nuggets. 

I always try to have something different for the kids to do every 15 minutes at the party and it usually goes something like this; Arrival, craft 1, craft 2, game 1, game 2, food, cake cutting, gifts and goodbyes! I squeeze in photos along the way. This way the party lasts 2 hours and then the kids are gone!  At this party, we had a mad hatter table for craft 1 and a tea cup painting table for craft 2. 

I also found an Alice dress, long after Halloween, for the face painter to wear. Ayden wore the mini version, beats trying to find the right party outfit!

This time I ordered a cupcake suite from one of my favorite bakeries in Nassau called Something's Different. I sent them photos in advance of Wonderland cake ideas and they created a masterpiece! The mushroom cupcakes were my idea!

Nana always get's Ayden's cake for her.  Thanks Nana!

Ayden's 6th was a Pink Spa Day party. I got my inspiration for the party from two rolls of duct tape I found at Walmart. I had them stashed in my party bin and had no real use for them until then. On Habour Island, we get around by golf cart so I covered the whole thing in the duct tape, streamers and balloons! Ayden got all dolled up courtesy of a Children's Place online sale and we were off to pick up the 6 guests for her 6th birthday spa day.

We headed over to Toya's Beauty Salon where the girls had a mini makeover! They got hair and nails done.

I grabbed a bottle of apple cider, 6 champagne flutes and some fruit. Voila! We continued on with the pink theme and headed over to the Pink Sands Hotel where we had lunch, and a little birthday cake compliments of Nana!

This year Ayden turns 7 on the 7th and wants to be a rock star! Let's see what I can pull out of my magic mommy bag for that one.