Vegan MoFo Day 20: Beautiful Barbados!

One of the best trips I ever took was in December 2005, when my hubby and I spent a week in Barbados. My parents and brother had both taken trips to Barbados, and everyone told me how awesome it was there - beautiful beaches, friendly people, yummy food, and uber-relaxing. I am not a big "beach person," but I was definitely intrigued. Then, I found an insanely cheap package deal (air + hotel) online at TNT Vacations, and I booked a trip on the spot (hello? $399 for an entire WEEK, with breakfast, for 2 adults, at a beach-front hotel?! Heck yeah!) We were off to sunny Barbados!

Greetings from sunny Barbados!

We stayed at this cute little hotel called Coconut Court Beach Hotel in Hastings, Christ Church. Actually, looking at the website, it appears they've done some major updating and upgrading since our visit. It was definitely more shabby-chic (emphasis on the shabby) when we visited! But we really didn't care. It was on the beach, had a clean bed, and terra-cotta tiled floors, so they didn't care if you tracked sand into the room.  Did I mention it was on the beach?

Of course, my hubby and I didn't realize how doggone hot it was in Barbados. I guess being that close to the Equator will do that ;-D We spent most of our beach time relaxing in the shade of a palm tree.

We also just sat on our balcony and enjoyed the view.

The best part, though, was catching the amazing sunsets each evening from the beach.

We also did some fun things, like taking Ted's Tour of the island and enjoying a Tiami lunch cruise. We got to swim with giant sea turtles and snorkel above a sunken shipwreck. It was awesome! I won't show you any pictures, though, since most of them include me in a bathing suit LOL But mostly, we just spent our days relaxing on the beach and taking in the gorgeous scenery.

Now, truth be told, when I was in Barbados, I wasn't vegan. I ate a lot of the traditional Bajan food, like flying fish, macaroni pie, and breadfruit (which could be vegan, but I'm sure it was prepared with butter). But I do know that Bajans use a lot of spices in their cooking, and beans, greens, and rice are commonly used. Therefore, I decided to make a meal that may not be traditionally Bajan, but it was definitely inspired by the flavors of the island.

First, I made Curried Chickpeas & Greens from Appetite for Reduction. At least, I made something very similar to Curried Chickpeas & Greens. I mean, I had to make a few bunch of substitutions, but I think the essence of the recipe was still honored. And it was delicious, regardless, even if I used different beans (black-eyed peas) and different greens (collards instead of kale). And changed up some of the spices. And used different tomatoes. Essence, people, essence!

While that was cooking, I also made Curried Cabbage & Peas, also out of AFR. This time I just switched up the type of cabbage (savoy instead of regular white) and reduced the amount of curry powder. I couldn't believe it when my 2-year-old scarfed this down. I mean, he was practically hoovering it. Very cool!

I piled the curry on top of some brown basmati rice and added the cabbage on the side. This was a meal that everyone enjoyed!

Of course, what's a good meal without a good dessert? It's Fried Plantains from Caribbean Vegan. Plantains + oil + skillet = YUM. Sweet, caramelized yum.

I know fried plantains are not really dessert, but it served our purposes just fine. It was sweet, warm, gooey, and delicious.

I hope you enjoyed our trip to Barbados! See you next time :)