Celebrating Forty Years

Celebrating Forty Years at Small Hope Bay Lodge!

   2012 marks the 40th year that Irene, one of our beloved chefs, has been with Small Hope Bay. While now a days Irene can always be found in the kitchen whipping up Small Hope favorites such as her conch chowder or her famous kidney bean soup (recipe to come) that was not always the case. Irene first came to Small Hope as a babysitter. She made her transition into the kitchen after a desperate Dick Birch had a dining room full of guests and no chef to cook for them! So it was Irene to the rescue!  Cooking had always been her hobby but after that first dinner of white rice and steamed pork chops she made it her career, or rather Dick did as he refused to let her leave the kitchen claiming that her cooking was just too darn good!

Irene in her Chefs

When asked about some of her favorite memories she says "please, with all the memories I have I could write a book about Small Hope, and it'd be a good one too"! She laughs as she recalls a particular time years ago when she would watch Jeff Birch and his cousin ride home from school on Marquita, the family donkey. 

While picking the favorite of her memories would be impossible do, Irene says she loves working for the Birch family, first Dick and now Jeff. Small Hope Bay is her home and she couldn't imagine being anywhere else. This works out great for the rest of us here at Small Hope as Irene is an irreplaceable member of the family and Small Hope would not be the same without her! 

Thanks Irene for all that you do! 

Forty years and still going strong! 

We love you!

              

Irene and Shonnel

             

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Dolphin Dive

Amazing dive at Small Hope! Just days after having four dolphins play with the boat on its way out for our morning dives our guests were treated to a rare sight. Four dolphins came to greet them as they started their descent at the ocean Blue Hole. What a morning!

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Stargate!!!

We have had several divers doing some Specialty dives lately. Last week one of our guests, along with Jeff and Divemaster Fede took the short flight down to one of our most spectacular dive sites . . . Stargate. Stargate is an inland blue hole only accessible by plane. The dive is 120 feet deep and is one of the most incredible dives you will ever do!

 

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Easter at Small Hope Bay Lodge!

We celebrated another great Easter weekend here at Small Hope. There was a full house with friends and families of all ages. The kids played on the beach, made sand castles and of course - hunted for Easter eggs. The grown-ups went diving, fishing or just relaxed on the beach or in a hammock. And, like all holidays at Small Hope Bay Lodge, we celebrated with a HUGE feast. Renauldo outdid himself yet again with a spread of roast turkey, ham, tempura lobster, shrimp and more. After dinner guests had their choice of 26 desserts! It was a great day and we look forward to many more to come . . . 

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Turtle Time here at Small Hope!

Turtle Time here at Small Hope!

Fisherman's Wall is always a favourite among the dive staff here, but it is quickly becoming more and more so with the frequent turtle sightings there. This week our divers got treated to a fantastic dive where we saw not one, but two Hawksbill Turtles, a shy Puffer Fish, a Caribbean Reef Shark, our friendly Snapper Frank, and a Honeycomb Cowfish! 


All in all a fantastic morning diving here at Small Hope! Divemaster Kate managed to capture it all on video too......check out the edited footage below. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTo5s9T370E&list=UUJ1upPhTodTZRDQcZr6Hlbg&index=1&feature=plcp Pin It Now!

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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Special Offer for May/June! 

Here at Small Hope we have decided to offer another special to celebrate the start of Spring. Between May 1st and June 18th, we are offering 2 FREE snorkel trips or a half day land tour when you book a four night stay with us. Simply quote this ad and where you saw it during booking! Easy as that! 

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