VernetteOutLoud

Kissing Frogs

A Prince you say?

I got up this morning, had my usual breakfast smoothie and then headed to the shower. As I was finishing up, there in the corner of my bath was *scream* a frog!

HEART ATTACK!!!

I think we noticed each other’s existence at the same time. I almost broke my neck trying to get away from him and in his bid to get away, the frog jumped towards me for what, the Lord alone knows.

I know I didn’t get all the soap rinsed away but that was ok because no way was I going back in there. How that frog got into the bathroom is still a mystery to me. He must have been hiding under the shower curtain and when he heard the water got curious about what was happening. *bletch*

Disney's Princess and the Frog

To kiss or not to kiss?

If Mr. Frog was my Prince Charming…ah well…he will learn never to surprise a woman in the shower like that again if he wants a happily ever after. Fortunately, I do not believe in that crap fairy tales. Hmmm okay…so that is not entirely true. I believe that other people get the fairytale ending…just not me.

Other people like my brother and sister. My sister got hers last year and now my brother is getting married too. My baby brother is getting married tomorrow! I am ecstatic and happy that he has found a love that satisfies his soul and I’m a little sad too. Mum is not here to experience this, we are truly saying goodbye to childish things and entering a new phase of adulthood – the baby is getting married and well….I am still single.

Being around all this wedding stuff again, has me doing some self-appraisal. That little frog episode could not have happened at a more appropriate time…if there is ever an appropriate time for a frog to squat in your shower WHILE you are showering that is.

What happens when you’re the frog?

Egads! Vernette, is that you?

My self-appraisal brought enough clarity for me to deduce that, while I may think I’ve been kissing royally challenged frogs (see what I did there?) the croaker is actually me. After all…who is the common denominator in all these equations?

ME!

And guess what ladies and gentlemen? I’m learning that there is nothing wrong with being a frog. We need love too. And in the interim…kisses. Lots and lots of kisses.

Damn! Kissing can cause tied tongues.

So…if you happen to kiss a frog or three and you don’t get the “fairy tale” ending, does it make the love less real? If it does not end with a ring, does it mean that it was not a strong, earth-shattering, changed-forever kinda love?

I don’t believe in fairy tales…but I do believe that if the love is real, you are changed forever. Not into a prince or princess…but a better you, warts and all.

Ribbit! Ribbet!

*******
This post was originally published on October 26th, 2012.
Vernette is still kissing frogs on an island in the sun…
somewhere in the Caribbean.

Let’s Read!

i like bigHello Loves!

Today is National Reading Day and in celebration of this annual event I’m sharing with you my current read: Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi.

My favourite quote from the book thus far is:
“I believe that every conversation you have is an invitation to risk revealing the real you.”

BOOM!!

In celebration of National Reading Day…what are you reading? Feel free to share below.

And if you’re looking for some inspiration, here are some “unexpected titles” that celebrate the glorious-ness that is reading for you to consider.

Love Note: Tablespoon Coffee & Dessert House

Exams hit me hard this week. The first one on Monday morning was kinda bad. Not kinda…it was very bad. I will have to take it again in June next year. Fortunately for me, on my way to the exam center I noticed a sign that said, “Tablespoon Coffee & Dessert House” and after that horrendous exam…I needed a pick me up. Plus I was I saw ‘dessert’ and was curious to find out if they had tiramisu. Becasuse, tiramisu! My ultimate pick-me-up!

While they didn’t have tiramisu (but they carry it sometimes…so I will be back if only to try it) they served up some extra special yumminess that totally made up for the lack of my absolute favourite dessert and the memory of my crap exam.

Tablespoon is located in Curepe, heading east, just before Massy Stores formerly HiLo Food Stores on the Eastern Main Road. It’s been around for a while but has been under new management for the last six months or so. What was amazing to me is that even though it is located right on the main road, traffic noise inside the coffee-house is non-existent. I sat facing the road, but had I turned my back on it, I would not have known that the traffic was right outside the door. The owners did a good job in creating the right ambiance.

The menu is simple and offers both hot and cold drinks, great coffee and tea, as well salads, sandwiches and some yummilicious desserts. I ordered the salmon burger and was informed that it was indeed a House menu favourite. After biting into mine…I knew why. It is simply delicious! Down to the caper sauce drizzled on my plate – which quite frankly tasted like Christmas in a sauce, was so good I broke off a piece of bread to sop it all up lest even a tiny bit go to waste. Happy tummy indeed.

Tablespoon Coffee & Dessert House: 221-8504, 79 Eastern Main Rd, Curepe.

Stand outs: My entire meal – The Salmon Burger and that caper sauce. My coffee was also really good. It was the House brew, which was a decadent, whipped cream, cinnamon dusted bit of heaven. Life is way too short not to get the whipped cream…but if that’s not your thing, Tablespoon has a plethora of options for you to try.

I bought a triple chocolate buttercream cupcake to have at home and I’m glad I did…because it would have been embarrassing for anyone to witness the enjoyment a single cupcake can bring a person.

I will be back for: The Shinta, this is a House Special, which unfortunately I couldn’t try because the coffee machine was not working properly and while I was down for trying it anyway without the trappings, the lovely ladies behind the counter: Samantha and Christiane insisted that I would be short-changing myself and offered to make me something else. And of course the Tiramisu!

I would like to take a moment to mention Christiane here, she was friendly and attentive, in fact I was able to interact with three members of staff and the service is excellent at Tablespoon. Truly a rustic but cozy little Coffee House, certainly raising the bar for coffee houses in the East if not all of Trinidad.

Things to note: WiFi is free and they open on Sundays from 2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. So if you are in need of little coffee and dessert on a Sunday afternoon (which I am always down for) it’s worth the visit.

Tablespoon Coffee & Dessert House

What I'm loving: Avocado

Do you remember that scene in Forrest Gump where “Bubba” names all the different ways you can prepare shrimp? That’s how I feel about Avocado or zaboca as they are called here in Trinidad.

You can have avocado in a soup or a smoothie or a million other yummy ways.

Today I’m sharing one more way you can enjoy this so-good-for-you green and yellow yumminess.

You can check out the original gluten-free, vegan recipe here.

Gather
1 cup baker’s flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 mashed avocado
3 tbsp. coconut oil, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. maple syrup (pancake syrup)
A handful of chocolate chips
A dash of Angostura Bitters

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees and grease a baking sheet. I used parchment paper, so no extra grease was required.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: Flour, baking soda and salt.

In a small bowl, mix together the avocado, coconut oil, vanilla extract, maple syrup and bitters. Add the wet ingredients to the large bowl and stir until thoroughly mixed. Then add the chocolate chips. I found my batter texture to be a little on the dry side so I added another tbsp of coconut oil.

Wet hands then form your batter into 1″ balls. Place on a baking sheet and then gently flatten with the palm of your hand. This batter yields 12-14 cookies, so you can tweak the ingredient amounts if you would like more.

Bake for 11 minutes until the edges are firm. I used a timer and the cookies were perfectly cooked in 11 minutes. I kid you not. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before enjoying. This is the really hard part. The waiting.

But oh so worth the wait. These are ho-ly shit good!

IMG_20140824_134206Seriously no eggs. Yummy soft, cakey texture. Who ever thought avocados and chocolate chips could be so yummy together??

This recipe is easy to prepare. I’m not even kidding here. 10 mins prep time, 11 mins bake time, about 5 mins give or take a min if you put a fan directly on them to hasten the cooling process.

And you have a healthy (there is avocado in it), absolutely delicious, guilt-free chocolate chip dessert.