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We Be Jammin’ (and some drink recipes!)

Saturday night,
while the kids and I were reminiscing about the Caribbean,
we found some great Apps on my IPhone!

I downloaded the
“tune in” App
which gives you access to radio stations all over the world!
We chose some Caribbean stations of course!


It was wild hearing Reggae

straight from the Caribbean

on a January night in New Jersey.

Then we went to the computer and
viewed some webcams from the Caribbean.
Since it was night, it was hard to see
but we found a great one to watch during the day:

Viceroyanguillaresidences.com
(Meads Bay in Anguilla is one of my favorite beaches!)

We even checked out this Disney Cam.

http://www.wdwlive.com/web-cam.html

It is actually a “simulated live web cam”
because it was previously recorded
but they change it from daytime to nighttime

so you can really imagine being there.
It was fun to see the castle all lit up!

 

 

All this virtual globe traveling
got me thinking
about one cold, snowy January night

back in – wow…probably 1995 or so.

I was at my boyfriend’s (future husband’s) condo

and we were wishing we were in the Caribbean.

We had traveled to St. Martin together
the previous year.

We then got the bright idea

to call St. Martin to find out how to make a

BBC (a banana drink we had there).

After much research, we were able to secure the phone number to the hotel where we stayed.  The hotel was called La Belle Creole  (and was completely destroyed years later in a hurricane and never rebuilt).  Anyway, we got a hold of the bartender and we were practically jumping off the furniture with excitement.  My boyfriend (future Mr. C.) told the bartender we were calling from New Jersey and would like the recipe for the BBC.  The bartender then proceeded to announce to the guests at the bar that he had someone from New Jersey on the phone calling for a drink recipe.  There were cheers and commotion in the background as the bartender read us the recipe:

One Banana
1 oz Bailey’s Irish Cream

1 oz Cream de Coconut (Coco Lopez)

Mix in a blender with ice

photo from myrecipes.com

When we hung up we were so excited!  We dashed out and purchased the ingredients, then stopped off at the video store and rented the video cassette of Cool Runnings.  (The movie about the Jamaican Bobsled team).  We rushed home, pulled out the blender, and with Bob Marley playing on the stereo, we mixed up some delicious BBCs!  I think I even went overboard and wore sunglasses and shorts!  We enjoyed the movie and laughed all evening about how funny it was to actually call the bar in St. Martin!

Cool Runnings via Amazon.com

Over the years, we have modified the BBC recipe
and have made it as follows:

1 oz Baileys
1 oz Dark Rum
1 oz Banana Liquor
1 Banana
3 oz Coco Lopez (Creme de Coconut)
1 cup of ice

Mix well in blender.
(This version is a bit stronger!)

But if the kids want to join in,
you can make a non-alcoholic version:

1 Banana
1 cup of Vanilla Ice Cream
3 oz Cream de Coconut
Splash of Pineapple juice
Blend with 1 cup ice and enjoy!

You can play around with the quantities to get the right taste.
I am sure there are also plenty of versions online
with and without alcohol.
And you won’t even have to call a Caribbean Island for the recipe!
(Unless you want to!)

So the kids enjoyed scanning the globe for webcams and music

but the funny thing is,
this is almost normal for them.

In the days where we can go to their school’s website

and watch a school assembly
from that afternoon,

or rewind a TV show as they are watching it,

or Skype friends who live far away…

Nothing is unbelievable to them!

I couldn’t help think about when
we had to actually work to find out something.
We are so spoiled now,

with practically every single thing we want
on demand.

But I am not complaining.
After all, I wouldn’t be blogging with you
if it were still 1995!
But sometimes I wish things were a little simpler.
(Yes, I am getting old!)

Anyway,
if you are in the mood for a little escape,
check out some of the Apps or island webcams…
or forget all your worries and throw together a fun tropical drink!
Of course, a frozen drink in the middle of winter
may not be the best idea in the world,
so you might want to turn up the heat!

How do you escape on a cold, winter night?
And if it is warm where you live – I am so jealous!

 

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6 Comments

  1. YUM! I'm pinning this so that I don't forget about it. We honeymooned in St. Lucia and this sounds just like our favorite drink there 🙂

  2. The kids' version recipe sounds delish to me! It is amazing how technology has so far advanced that my kids just look at me strange when I tell them I didn't have a computer or cell phone growing up. We are definitely spoiled. You can be jealous of me b/c it's supposed to be 70 degrees here today. I'm actually dying to drink hot cocoa but just doesn't seem right in the warm sunshine!

  3. That sounds like so much fun! A little tropical escape in your own living room. That is too funny about calling the bar, I love it! I will have to try this recipe.At least the sun is shining this morning and all the snow is melting…come on Spring!!! :)xoxo

  4. Dixie(Amanda) – you should do a post about St. Lucia! I would love to hear about it since I have never been there!Tammy – yes I am jealous of the 70 degrees…but it actually hit 60 here today!!Michelle – Our snow from a couple weeks ago melted pretty fast…I shouldn't complain because we have had a pretty mild winter compared to previous years…but I want spring!

  5. Amazing that you were able to get that recipe!!!Here in GA, we have not had any cold weather to speak of yet this winter. I do love hot cocoa by the fire.

  6. Shelley, this drink recipe has me wising for a warm vaca or summertime so badly! I think I need to bring a little calypso to February – thanks for sharing that recipe!

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