Great Food, Great Vacation!

One of the most important things about vacations . . . . GREAT FOOD. 

At Small Hope Bay Lodge, our all inclusive menu is always fresh, always homemade. We use local produce and locally caught fish. We bring a wide variety of cuisine for all tastes and have plenty of options, so everyone can enjoy delicious food!


Here are some of the reasons our guests can get enough of our tasty meals:

Our Breakfast Rocks!
We offer a great continental breakfast - Bagels and breads,with cream cheese and other spreads; fresh fruit; 5 fruit juices; 4 types of cereal and milk; yogurt; coffee and tea. And we offer a great hot breakfast to order too - eggs any style; omelets; french toast; pancakes; bacon; ham; sausage; and a different Bahamian style breakfast each morning which can be corned beef and grits, or chicken souse, or steamed conch and grits, etc.


Lunches are Awesome! Our lunches are almost all

served on our ocean-side dining patio. They include all kids of sandwich fixings - various types of bread, several cold cut meats, cheeses, lettuce, tomato, and onions; three different types of salad - a garden salad, a caesar salad, and a salad of the day which is always fresh and tasty; and a hot entrees and sides which change daily and can include pulled pork sandwiches, turkey pot pie, Bahamian pork and dumpling stew, chicken wings, and many more. And lunch wouldn't be complete without dessert! At least three different types of dessert, fresh out of the oven, like pies, cookies, cakes, parfaits, and many, many more!

Cocktail Hour is Amazing! At an all inclusive resort, cocktail hour can last all day if you want. But starting at 6 pm we start bringing out appetizers. We offer chips (pita or corn) and various dips like salsa, hummus, guacamole, or spinach dip. We have a fresh vegetable platter with all kinds of beautiful and colorful veggies and cheeses. And then (drumroll) . . . our mouth-watering conch fritters. Careful, they are addictive!

Dinner is Spectacular! Typically served on our seaside patio, our talented kitchen
staff offer an ever-changing menu with the freshest ingredients. Every night there are options for soup, three types of salads, a vegetable dish, a starch, a meat, and a seafood option. Menus can include things like bacon-wrapped shrimp, grilled mahi mahi, jerk ribs, cracked conch, grilled lobster, grilled steak, steamed broccoli, roasted peppers, orzo pasta salad, garlic roasted potatoes, eggplant Parmesan, roasted vegetable soup, cream of mushroom soup, or on those special nights . . . roasted suckling pig! And don't forget the desserts again! More sweets like key lime pie, bread pudding, creme brulee,  pineapple upside down cake, cheesecakes, or a Bahamian favorite guava duff

Check out more about All Inclusive Dining at Small Hope

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Thanksgiving at Small Hope Bay Lodge

Wow! Another incredible Thanksgiving here at Small Hope. Our kitchen staff did an amazing job of preparing the most delicious meal, as well as 32 scrumptious desserts.

Most of all we enjoyed a wonderful holiday with friends and family. Some things I am thankful for: living in a gorgeous location, working with funny and friendly people, Jeff Birch (a hilarious and sweet boss),  great food, great company!

Now to the food. Here is what we had:
 

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Another Wonderful Christmas at Small Hope!

Christmas is a very special time here. Couples, friends and families escape to Small Hope Hope for the holidays for several reasons - sunny and warm days; a great meeting place for many who would be traveling; lots of activities for everyone (diving, snorkeling, kids games, fishing); great, home-style food without the fuss of making it at home. 

Our Christmas traditions here include our typical daily activities such as dive and snorkel trips, as well as special things like making your own Christmas tree decorations and our HUGE and tasty feast. This year's menu included roasted turkey with gravy and cranberry sauce, Kahlua-glazed ham, mushroom stuffing, roasted sprouts, Waldorf salad, tomato pumpkin bisque, Mahi Mahi, sauteed shrimp, mashed sweet potatoes, and sauteed peppers. This, of course, was followed by dessert . . . 25 delicious homemade desserts in fact!

Our great staff followed dinner with a dance performance by our chef, Sherry, and a short demonstration of Bahamas-style Junkanoo!

It was such a great night - full of laughter, smiles, and friends, both old and new - that I can't wait for next year!

Like one of our guests said the other night - "It's just like home, but better!" Pin It Now!

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Pie

In the past week I've had the pleasure to feast on the Reese's Peanut Butter Pie several times for dessert (several times in a week! wow!! I feel so spoiled). And as promised to Spencer and co., here's the recipe to make back home with your famous chocolate sauce.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie Makes 8-16 portions
Crust:
1 ½ cups Graham Cracker crumbs
2 tbsp Sugar ¼ cup cocoa powder
3 tbsp. Butter, melted
Filling:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 egg yolk
1 ½ cup Whipped topping
1 packages instant chocolate pudding 4 serving size (or any flavor)
2 cups milk

1. Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cocoa powder and butter.
2. Mix well and press into pan.
3. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes.
4. Cool completely.
5. Blend peanut butter, and powdered sugar, until smooth; blend in egg yolk.
6. Fold in whipped topping.
7. Spread this mixture into crust.
8. Mix the milk with the pudding and blend until it thickens and of proper consistency.
9. Spread evenly on peanut butter mixture.
10. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours or until set.

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Laura's Delicious Brownies

With Small Hope being closed for annual renovations and maintenance the live-on staff have been taking turns getting creative and making delicious dinners for everyone to enjoy. One of our divemasters Laura has been honing her baking skills to the delight of all the staff who have been testing her cakes, cookies and most recently her brownies! Now we are sharing the recipe so you can enjoy them as well.

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Bake Time : 30-35 minutes

Ingredients:

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
11 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
5 eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9×13-inch glass or light-colored baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and cocoa powder together.

3. Put the chocolate, butter and instant espresso powder in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be room temperature.

4. Add the eggs one at a time and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. You do not want to over-beat the batter here or the brownies will turn out more cake like. 

5. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a rubber spatula (not a whisk), fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Let the brownies cool completely, then lift them out of the pan using the parchment paper. Cut into squares and serve.

7. Store at room temperature in an airtight container or wrap with plastic wrap for up to 4 days.

Frosting: 

1/2 cup butter, softened 
2 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/3 cup half-and-half cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 cocoa powder

Directions:

1. Cream the butter in a small bowl.
2. Blend in the cocoa powder (the amount desired for a light, medium or dark flavor), vanilla, confectioners sugar, alternately with the cream.
3. Beat with an electric mixer, until the desired texture is achieved.

Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

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Ole Style Guava Duff with Butter Rum Sauce

Dough

Flour – 4 cups

Brown Sugar – 1 cup

White Granulated Sugar – ¼ cup

Baking Powder – 4 teaspoons

Cinnamon – 2 teaspoons

Nutmeg – 2 teaspoons

Ginger – 2 teaspoons

Shortening – 1 cup

Milk – ¾ cup

Filling

Guava Shells, canned or fresh

(reserve liquid if canned) – 16 ounces

Brown Sugar – ¼ cup

Vanilla Extract – 2 teaspoons

Cinnamon – ¼ teaspoon or to taste

Nutmeg – ¼ teaspoon or to taste

Ground Ginger – ¼ teaspoon or to taste

Utensils: What's important for this style of guava duff is that you have a cast iron pot or any shape smaller pot of good height that you can place inside another pot of boiling water.  That smaller shaped pot is what the dessert will be layered in bare and then sealed tightly and placed in the other pot with water.

   1. Mix dry ingredients for dough together.  Mix in shortening until fully incorporated and flour mixture looks like cornmeal.

  2. Add milk bit by bit and mix until mixture comes together into a ball enough to be kneaded.

  3. Knead dough 20 to 25 times until smooth and elastic.  Divide in half, and set aside.

  4. Grease and flour cast iron pot or small high pot. Set aside

  5. Fill the other bigger pot with enough water so that when other pot rests inside it hits the top but does not overflow, then put on the fire on high heat.

  6. For filling dice guava shells into small pieces, mix brown sugar and spices and set aside.

  7. Layer in greased pot first half of dough, make a well in the center with edges built up then place fruit filling in the well.  Place other half of dough on the top of filling making sure no filling is showing.

  8. Wrap top tightly with foil, and place in the other pot with water and cover that pot with top securely so little or no steam escapes.

  9. Reduce heat to medium and cook until dough is done 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  Check periodically water level and replenish if necessary.  Serve with rum sauce and enjoy.

Rum Sauce

Butter – 8 ounces

Powdered Sugar, sifted – 2 cups

1 Egg

Evaporated Milk – 1/8 cup

Condensed Sweet Milk – ¼ cup

Rum (bourbon and dark rum) – ½ cup to ¾ cup

Blend butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy, color will change light white.  Add egg while still blending scrape the sides.  Add slowly, the milk and sweet milk and gradually blend in the rum.  Do not over mix as to curdle the mixture but blend until well incorporated.  Serve over warm piece of guava duff.

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Happy New Year!!!

Another New Year was rung in at Small Hope and what a sweet party it was! Our evening started around the outside bar where we had a pleasant breeze keeping us cool. Not only did we have a full lodge but many of the Birch family was here to celebrate with us as well, not to mention other Andros Island friends who stopped by for some cocktails.

At 7pm, Michelle and Renauldo announced dinner and WOW, a huge feast including ham, turkey, stuffing, coconut shrimp and spinach and artichoke bisque was served. That was followed by 42 (yes 42!!!!) desserts - a new Small Hope Bay Lodge record. Among them - chocolate chip cookies, key lime pie, New Orleans style cheesecake, double chocolate decadence cheesecake, sweet potato pie, homemade eggnog, and sex in the pan.

After dinner guests were treated to cocktails inside and outside as well as Alec's traditional New Years Bang Bangs - shots of tequila mixed with Sprite and banged on the counter for extra fizz. We all made our hats in the Games Room. Some made more simple hats while some left no glitter or rhinestone untouched.

We took down the Christmas tree and started the bonfire down the beach. At the countdown, the tree was tossed in and our newly made hats too. We could see fireworks displays from Nassau but decided to add some fireworks of our own for good measure.

All in all, it was an amazing night and the only sad thing is that we have to wait a whole year to do it again . . .

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Everyone likes cookies......

Oatmeal Cookies

 

Ingredients

¾ cup shortening
½ cup brown sugar (packed)
½ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon soda
½ teaspoon cloves
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped nuts
3 cups quick-cooking oats

Method

Heat oven to 350˚.  Mix thoroughly shortening, sugars, egg, water and vanilla.  Stir in remaining ingredients.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 1 inch apart onto greased baking sheet.  Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until almost no imprint remains when touched with finger.  Immediately remove from baking sheet.

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Lemon Meringue Pie..................

Ingredients

 

10 inch baked pie shell

2 cups sugar

½ cup cornstarch

2 cups water

4 egg yolks, slightly beaten (save the whites for meringue)

¼ cup butter or margarine

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

2/3 cup lemon juice

2 drops yellow food color, if desired

Meringue for 9-inch Pie

Method

 

1.      Bake pie shell.

2.      Heat oven to 400°.

3.      Mix sugar and cornstarch in medium saucepan.

4.      Gradually stir in water.

5.      Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils.

6.      Boil and stir 1 minute.

7.      Gradually stir at least half the hot mixture into egg yolks.

8.      Blend into hot mixture in pan.

9.      Boil and stir 1 minute (2 minutes for 10-inch pie).

10.  Remove from heat; stir in butter, lemon peel, lemon juice, and food color.

11.  Pour into baked pie shell.

12.  Heap meringue onto hot pie filling; spread over filling, carefully sealing meringue to edge of crust to prevent shrinking or weeping.

13.  Bake about 10 minutes or until a delicate brown.

14.  Cool away from draft.

Meringue

4 egg whites

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

½ cup sugar

¾ teaspoon vanilla

1.      Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy.

2.      Beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time; continue beating until stiff and glossy.  Do not under beat.

3.      Beat in vanilla.

Enjoy with some ice-cream or whipped cream or by itself

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