Happy Monday! Carnival is Woman! Had a fantastic crew. Thankful for them.
Back to work! Have a great, productive week Suga Fam!
By: Gabrielle Burgess (CEO, Suga Lifestyle; Certified Personal Trainer & Sports Nutritionist)
If you liked this Blog, follow Suga Lifestyle Online, on Instagram (@sugalifestyle); (@fithappenswithgabby), Twitter (@sugalifestyleja) or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.
If you liked this Blog, follow Suga Lifestyle Online, on Instagram (@sugalifestyle), Twitter & TikTok (@sugalifestyleja) or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.
Want to Enjoy Easter, but stay on your Fitness Mission?
Easter Brunch or Dinner can feel just as special at home as they would at a restaurant with a little planning and prep.
Try these Dishes in the Kitchen:
1. DEVILED EGGS An Easter classic. Great brunch side or appetizer.
Use hot or mild pepper sauce, try dill or a sweet pickle relish, use fat-dree mayo and add a sprinkle of fresh Chives for more flavor.
2. Not a Deviled eggs fan? Try SPINACH AND MUSHROOM QUICHE or one of my faves, a CALLALOO FRITTATA.
Ensure you use unsweetened Almond milk and a low fat cheese such as a part skim mozzarella.
3. VEGGIE SIDES
Take advantage of seasonal flavors and root vegetables to add colour nutritional value to your Easter table. Root vegetables include carrots, parsnips, beets, red onion and sweet potato.
4. CORIANDER AND LEMON CRUSTED SALMON with Asparagus Salad and Poached Egg
5. CARROT CAKE OR YOUR OWN VEGETARIAN EASTER BUN!
Use whole-wheat or spelt flour (hulled, purer wheat), Unsweetened Almond milk, Cinnamon and Agave to sweeten instead of sugar.
If you aren’t Vegetarian, please also cook or bake with Olive oil or Vegetable oil, not Coconut oil. We will leave that debate for after Easter. 🙂
Have a Happy, Holy and Restful Easter. Remember Balance is key.
Check out Things to Do In Kingston this Weekend here:
XoXo, Suga
By: Gabrielle Burgess (CEO, Suga Lifestyle)
If you liked this Blog, follow Suga Lifestyle Online, on Instagram (@sugalifestyle), Twitter & TikTok (@sugalifestyleja) or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.
If you are visiting Kingston, Jamaica this week, here are Suga Endorsed Places to Go! Suga knows the BEST
FIRST STOP FROM THE AIRPORT IF THERE IS TIME: GLORIA’S Restaurant by Port Royal For our Best Seafood Experience
*Have snacks in case of a wait, but they’ve been doing better 🙂
TO THE HILLS, JAMAICA BLUE MOUNTAINS (~45 – 60 mins from Papine): All quite Scenic
Everyone goes to Cafe Blue. You can still go there, but to be different, check out MIDDLETON CAFE!
MIDDLETON CAFE – Go early and call ahead for a good Jamaican breakfast. They make their own coffee from their farmed beans. (@middleton_cafe_bar) (Past Strawberry Hill, Past Red Light – town after Strawberry Hill, then past EITS)
RAFJAM BED AND BREAKFAST (+1 (876) 426-3667)
A hidden Oasis (Quite a trek down, even if you are in a SUV or if there is rain. You can park at the top and hike down or call them to come for you at the top in their Jeep) Chill out by the river. Also good for Jamaican Breakfast and Lunch! The biggest, best Frittas!
STRAWBERRY HILL Scenic and high end. Decent international food with Jamaican items too for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner. The Oxtail Shepherd’s Pie is fire. Has a great spa. Find your inner Bob! *Only guests can use the pool. *Deposits and reservations have to be made for dining
CAFE BLUE (Award-winning Best Cafe!): Hot and Cold Coffee Blends, Pastries, Jamaican Chocolates
ON THE FLATS:
BOB MARLEY MUSEUM Tour at 56 Hope Road
Make sure you watch the Movie!
AC HOTEL KINGSTON Modern, newest hotel in Corporate (uptown ha haaa), Kingston Great for a Bar/Lounge night out Award-winning for their Cocktails! Decent menu and Seafood bowl!
SPANISH COURT HOTEL Newest Restaurant at a Hotel Strings & Stones (Never Been! Let us know!) Sky Pool Bar
DEVON HOUSE BAKERY for the BEST PATTIES! For Ice Cream, DO NOT JOIN THEIR LINE UNLESS YOU WISH TO FOR THE EXPERIENCE because *Devon House Ice Cream is also sold up the road in Sovereign North, Barbican
THE NATIONAL STADIUM Issa/Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls Championships are this week! March 19-23
DANYA’S CAFE by Grace Kennedy – Cosy Cafe Tasty pastries, good coffee and Ackee! *Only Open Mon-Fri, last Saturdays
THE PALATE by ROK Hotel Kingston Newest Hotel in Kingston View of the harbour from The ROKstone Pool Bar and Grill- Have some drinks there Award-Winning Restaurant & Chef Ask for Chef Volae, tell him Suga sent you!
SHOPPING HIGH QUALITY, UNIQUE SOUVENIRS We do not just have Rasta Coloured Beaded Bracelets and Tye and Dye Dresses! LOCALE JAMAICA 10AM – 6PM. 4 Holborn Road. *Closed on Sundays
For Future Visits, Suga Lifestyle hosts Pop-Ups and Expos featuring the Best of Jamaican Handcrafted, Handmade and Local Businesses. Our Calendar is almost complete for your Curated Jamaican Shopping Experience!
If you liked this Blog, follow Suga Lifestyle Online, on Instagram (@sugalifestyle), Twitter & TikTok (@sugalifestyleja) or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.
Fun Memories and Experience at Jamaica Coffee Festival Rain or Shine! Perfect outing for my friend Jody who was doing a quick visit to her JA from DC.
What’s in Your Cup this Morning?
We sipped both Hot and Cold Mountain Pride in edible, Vegan Cupffee Jamaica Cups, Sampled lactose-free Smith’s Rum Creams, had a big boost with Cold Coffee our way from Cafe Blue by the winning Barista that day, Romell! Then we warmed up the richest, best and most authentic way, having our JBMCoffee Black by PerkUp Coffee and JABLUM Coffee!
Big up to all the other Coffee Makers on the Day too! #sipthegreatness
XoXo, Suga
By: Gabrielle Burgess (CEO, Suga Lifestyle)
If you liked this Blog, follow Suga Lifestyle Online, on Instagram (@sugalifestyle), Twitter & TikTok (@sugalifestyleja) or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.
Word has it that the JDF forces should be assisting to make it a smooth experience getting up and down the Hills tomorrow with more buses and larger buses than last year… plus an experience at the pick up point, UTECH too.
So whether you have been or not, Suga advises that if you go, go Early and Enjoy the Best Coffee, Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee.
#sipthegreatness
XoXo, Suga
By: Gabrielle Burgess (CEO, Suga Lifestyle)
If you liked this Blog, follow Suga Lifestyle Online, on Instagram (@sugalifestyle), Twitter & TikTok (@sugalifestyleja) or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.
If you liked this Blog, follow Suga Lifestyle Online, on Instagram (@sugalifestyle), Twitter & TikTok (@sugalifestyleja) or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.
Coffee producers and baristas were out in their numbers last Saturday at the Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Festival Marketplace in Newcastle, St. Andrew.
Many booths had hot coffee to keep patrons warm in the fog, such as Cafe Blue, Stoneleigh (Mavis Bank 100% Blue Mountain Coffee), Toyota Coffee House, Starbucks, Perk Up and Country Traders Limited (Coffee Roasters Blue Mountain Coffee).
Cafe Blue also had their Milk and White Chocolate covered Coffee beans that I enjoy.
My husband enjoyed the smooth, hot brew offered by Perk up, from Flamstead Estate. Perk Up had a soft launch at the Coffee Festival, as they are planning to enter the market more competitively. They are currently at a few cafe outlets, including Shelly’s Cafe at U.T.E.C.H.
Deaf Can Coffee Baristas were there, brewing at 3 different tents including Cannonball Cafe and Jamaica Toyota Coffee House.
I was impressed with Cannonball Cafe that uses Jablum Coffee. They were the only ones I saw that offered Frappes and Coffee Martinis. I had the Caramel Crunch Cafe Frappe for just $300JMD. They had Paint and Sip for $1500JMD along with a free Espresso Martini overseeing a picturesque view too! There were cold brews from Cafe Blue and Stoneleigh, but I prefer Frappes. Even though it was a cool atmosphere being up so high, the sun was still fully out and I warmed up after walking around the venue.
Cannonball’s coffee infused desserts were a treat too! My nieces and I enjoyed their Coffee and Chocolate Brownies for a steal of $100JMD, Mini Eclairs with Coffee infused cream ($300JMD) and Coffee Bread Pudding with Coffee glaze ($300JMD).
Cannonball Cafe can be found in Barbican (Loshusan Centre), New Kingston (Barbados Ave.), Manor Park (Lower Manor Park Plaza) and Sovereign North Plaza.
Restaurants other than Cafe Blue that are on the Blue Mountain Culinary trail were out, such as Belcour Lodge with their line of Preserves and Blue Ridge Restaurant and Cottages. Blue Ridge had a tasty Coffee Cake for $300JMD.
The experienced and poised hostess, Emprezz kept the patrons well-informed throughout the day and presented prizes and surprises, hosted short interviews and more.
The suits of Tourism came out, shook hands and spoke to the patrons. Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlet along with his entourage, as well as Adam Stewart, Chairman of The Tourism Linkages Council were there. The council has been making great strides, developing projects to increase our influx of visitors to Jamaica via the Gastronomy network, Shopping, Health and Wellness, Sports and Entertainment and Knowledge. The Jamaica Coffee Festival Marketplace branched out across all these networks, with major focus on the Gastronomic Network. Key initiatives and Projects such as development of a Blue Mountain Coffee experience, strategic partnerships with other networks and the promotion of food festivals were all achieved. Kudos to them and the great turn out of patrons to support such an important initiative. Tickets were sold out!
If the endless amount of coffee wasn’t enough, Tarrus Riley entertained the crowd for over an hour!
CB Chicken, Copperwood Pork and Best Dressed Chicken were out to feed the masses. The Best Dressed Booth was quite popular with their Gourmet Hot dogs, loaded fries and more. I enjoyed their Jerked Chicken.
Island Blue, which you normally see in our hotels, displayed and sold their Jamaica Coffee Liqueurs from Baronhall Estate, Coffee Beans, Branded mugs and more.
Kande’s Delights had long lines for ice cream including coffee flavours of course.
Various Arts & Crafts exhibitors were about, but one of the Skin Care exhibitors, I Love Sweetness Coffee Scrubs grabbed my attention with their body scrubs, scented soaps and skin tonics. Their representatives were quite knowledgeable about their products and marketed them well.
There were representatives and Informative pamphlets from Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA) and Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) on the story of Jamaican Coffee. Jamaican Coffee Recipes were available too.
Hollywell provided information on tours and events, signing persons up to receive information on events in the future too. They also had persons chatting up a storm about their Coffee Rice and Peas cooked by ‘Natural by Nature’ in their community.
Congratulations to the Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Festival Team. Great initiative, efficient use of space and well executed event. #SugaEndorsed
By: Gabrielle Burgess
If you liked this Article, follow Suga Lifestyle or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.
TGIF! Remember that the Jamaica Blue Mountain Festival starts today!
Today
The Coffee Industry Players in association with JACRA and RADA will be busy hosting workshops.
Tomorrow
Do not miss The Festival Marketplace! It should be a cultural experience showcasing not only our local coffee and coffee-induced products, but our talented crafty artisans, dancers, singers and more, headlined by Tarrus Riley!
The shuttle departs hourly from UTECH starting at 9am and Tickets cost $1000JMD for Adults and $500JMD for Children under 12 and Students with ID. The Festival ends at 6pm.
Ticket Outlets:
> Cafe Blue (Sovereign & Irish Town)
> Cannonball Cafe (New Kgn, Sovereign North, Manor Park)
> Toyota Coffee House: 93 Hope Road
Sunday
Take a drive along the Blue Mountain Culinary trail. It has some cosy spots with spectacular views and food. See the list with numbers on the flyer below, call and make your reservations today!
They are all quite a treat, but if you like local cuisine, Crystal Edge is the place. If you have a sweet tooth, Cafe Blue is just next door with exquisite desserts by award-winning baker, Nadine Burie.
Blue Ridge is far up, but worth the trek. Savoury food and good service. Their presentation is also one of a kind.
Support Brand Jamaica and our flagship Blue Mountain Coffee this weekend in Newcastle, St. Andrew!