I can say I am organized when it comes to my home and things. But… and I mean I do have my limitations, next time, we need to hire someone to do some major physical work around the house. It’s not worth bending over for hours on hours in a given week (or day) to get things spic and span for the summer months to come, and have blood rushing to my head to the point of feeling like I got stuck upside down on a roller coaster. Nor is it worth the pressure of fluid running into my ears and neck, plus the tension that hurts so bad from bending over for hours on hours.

I learned my lesson, I scrubbed the balcony (which is huge) not to mention the exterior walls, too! I toiled as well by cleaning and scrubbing both of my fur babies. I practically scoured the bathrooms until I could eat off the floor. All of which had me bending over and upside down for hours. Need I elaborate on what those hours meant to my poor ravaged hands and body, and back!

Well, we recently sold our dream home, yep, that’s right! I hate to say it out loud, I’m angry, but at who? Mother Nature? I would have never have fathomed a Tsunami happening of the magnitude in which we experienced… BUT, being so close to the ocean was enough to put me on edge, the logical practicality of that happening was not paranoia, but I couldn’t see living in a home where I had to constantly live in fear. Constantly jumping at every jolt or tremor. ( We spent a few years planning and building process all started before the devastating Tsunami happened here in Japan).

After coming back to our home in Japan, after what I would call a very, long vacation of emotional cleansing, our tenants in our Tower Condo’s lease was up. It was time to downsize, and remodel (but it’s only four years old) and start the search all over again, buy land, make plans, or move into a larger Condo? We lost a lot of our time, but it’s worth it for peace of mind. We didn’t lose much money, thank god!!! So I may bore you with the details every now and then with re-building our dream home, yet, AGAIN.

Where was I? Oh, yes! Spring Cleaning, In conclusion, I gave the mister a very generous option…“the next time spring cleaning comes up, it’s either we hire a company to do it or YOU do it yourself!” It’s a pretty simple choice if you ask me.

Smoked Salmon Crostini

• 1 Loaf of French Bread (We grab something from our favorite bakery shop, in Japan, there is a Bakery on every corner, (not every corner, but if you live in town, or on the outskirts, you’ll find a gem in your neighborhood which reminds me of home in NYC!) We normally pick up something made of spelt flour or (Genmai: Brown Rice)
• 1 package of Smoked Salmon
• 1/2 package of cream cheese (I use no more than a tablespoon which is approximately 60 calories)
• 1 container of ricotta cheese (optional)
• 1 small container of sour cream (full fat)

Note: We mix three cheeses, and top it off with a sprig of rosemary, but basil tastes quite lovely as well. This is quick, it’s a nice powerhouse snack that will fill you up with the right amount of carbs and protein.

Photography Data:
Dušan Zidar
ApertureFNumber: f/4.0
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D300
ExposureTime: 1/160
FNumber: 4/1
ExposureProgram: 1
ISOSpeedRatings: 200
MaxApertureValue: 10/10
MeteringMode: 5
LightSource: 0
Flash: 0
FocalLength: 500/10

The notion of spring cleaning is pretty simple, it’s more like packing up all the winter things into boxes and preparing for spring! There are some people who are so organized they can practically reorganize their home and their wardrobe for a change in season on a whim. I, of course, count myself as one of those people. Okay, don’t get me wrong, I am not so OCD that every guest who enters my home has to be totally disinfected.

I can say I am organized when it comes to my home and things. But… and I mean I do have my limitations, next time, we need to hire someone to do some major physical work around the house. It’s not worth bending over for hours on hours in a given week (or day) to get things spic and span for the summer months to come, and have blood rushing to my head to the point of feeling like I got stuck upside down on a roller coaster. Nor is it worth the pressure of fluid running into my ears and neck, plus the tension that hurts so bad from bending over for hours on hours.

I learned my lesson, I scrubbed the balcony (which is huge) not to mention the exterior walls, too! I toiled as well by cleaning and scrubbing both of my fur babies. I practically scoured the bathrooms until I could eat off the floor. All of which had me bending over and upside down for hours. Need I elaborate on what those hours meant to my poor ravaged hands and body, and back!

Well, we recently sold our dream home, yep, that’s right! I hate to say it out loud, I’m angry, but at who? Mother Nature? I would have never have fathomed a Tsunami happening of the magnitude in which we experienced… BUT, being so close to the ocean was enough to put me on edge, the logical practicality of that happening was not paranoia, but I couldn’t see living in a home where I had to constantly live in fear. Constantly jumping at every jolt or tremor. ( We spent a few years planning and building process all started before the devastating Tsunami happened here in Japan).

After coming back to our home in Japan, after what I would call a very, long vacation of emotional cleansing, our tenants in our Tower Condo’s lease was up. It was time to downsize, and remodel (but it’s only four years old) and start the search all over again, buy land, make plans, or move into a larger Condo? We lost a lot of our time, but it’s worth it for peace of mind. We didn’t lose much money, thank god!!! So I may bore you with the details every now and then with re-building our dream home, yet, AGAIN.

Where was I? Oh, yes! Spring Cleaning, In conclusion, I gave the mister a very generous option…“the next time spring cleaning comes up, it’s either we hire a company to do it or YOU do it yourself!” It’s a pretty simple choice if you ask me.

Smoked Salmon Crostini

1 Loaf of French Bread (We grab something from our favorite bakery shop, in Japan, there is a Bakery on every corner, (not every corner, but if you live in town, or on the outskirts, you’ll find a gem in your neighborhood which reminds me of home in NYC!) We normally pick up something made of spelt flour or (Genmai: Brown Rice)
1 package of Smoked Salmon
1/2 package of cream cheese (I use no more than a tablespoon which is approximately 60 calories)
1 container of ricotta cheese (optional)
1 small container of sour cream (full fat)

Note: We mix three cheeses, and top it off with a sprig of rosemary, but basil tastes quite lovely as well. This is quick, it’s a nice powerhouse snack that will fill you up with the right amount of carbs and protein.

Photography Data:
Dušan Zidar
ApertureFNumber: f/4.0
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D300
ExposureTime: 1/160
FNumber: 4/1
ExposureProgram: 1
ISOSpeedRatings: 200
MaxApertureValue: 10/10
MeteringMode: 5
LightSource: 0
Flash: 0
FocalLength: 500/10

Having researched a few Caribbean Islands since we began Tastily Touring (previously Worldly Wednesday) we have discovered that the Arawak Indians were the original inhabitants of many Caribbean Islands. Around 1200 the Caribs, coming from Venezuela, conquered the Arawak population on the island of Barbados. By the 1500’s the island of Barbados would be uninhabited due to frequent slave trading raids led by the Spanish. The Caribs were either taken as slaves or fled to other islands.

The island of Barbados is located most easterly of the Caribbean Island chain, northeast of Venezuela. Barbados gets its name from the Portuguese as they sailed to Brazil. Los Barbados, or bearded-ones, was chosen by the Portuguese explorer Pedro a Campos. The island had many fig trees, which had a beard-like appearance.

Despite the frequent visits by the Spanish, Barbados was first settled by the British in 1627. On May 14th 1625 Captain John Powell landed on Barbados and claimed the uninhabited island for England. Two years later, on February 17th 1627, his brother Captain Henry Powell landed with a party of 80 settlers and 10 slaves. The group established the island’s first European settlement, Jamestown.

The British settlers relied on cash crops such as cotton, then tobacco and finally sugar, being the most profitable under the large plantation/slave labor model. The slaves worked the sugar plantations until slavery was abolished in 1834. Barbados remained a British colony until it was granted autonomy in 1961 and full independence in 1966

When looking at Barbados culture, there are two very distinct influences; one is English and the other cultural influence is African from the days of the slave trade. The African influence is demonstrated in the music, dance and food of the island. The British influence is seen in the many churches, architecture, sports and food of the island.

The recipe we chose to represent Barbados is salted cod fish cakes. Salted cod has been eaten for hundreds of years in the Caribbean. During the period of slavery salted fish became a part of the slave’s diet. Today, salted cod fish is no longer inexpensive or easily available. However, it remains an important part of Bajan cuisine and salted cod fish cakes are readily available.

Salted Cod Fish Cakes (Traditional Bajan Recipes)

Ingredients

2 tbsp oil
1 cup onions, finely chopped
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
Salt to your taste
1 egg lightly beaten
¾ cup milk
1 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp shallots (finely chopped)
½ lb, salted cod fish, cooked and flaked
1 large fresh hot pepper such as a jalapeno (chopped)

Directions

1. In a heavy frying pan, heat the oil and sauté the onions until they are just wilted.
2. Place flour, baking powder and salt in bowl. Make a well in center and pour egg, butter and milk.
3. Mix together lightly, and then add the onions, shallot, salted cod fish, salt and pepper.
4. Stir well. Drop by tablespoon full into hot oil, but do not crowd them in the pan. Cook for about 3-4 minutes until they are golden brown on both sides.
5. Remove from pan and drain on absorbent paper. Serve very hot.

How to get this shot:
Photography Tip: use 100 ISO taking advantage of metering.
Svetlana Kolpakova
ApertureFNumber: f/5.6
Make: Canon
Model: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
ExposureTime: 1/13
FNumber: 56/10
ExposureProgram: 1
ISOSpeedRatings: 100
MaxApertureValue: 3/1
MeteringMode: 5
Flash: 16
FocalLength: 100/1