Happy New Year!!!! and hope you had a great holiday.
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“This is goooood”, ...one of the compliments I get from someone when I cook oxtail stew for dinner. I’m not sure if it’s directed to me or the oxtail stew, lol. Although I’ve made oxtail many times before, this time I added ingredients like ginger, basil, cilantro to my usual blended ingredients and herbs (thyme, onion, green pepper, red pepper, parsley, pimento) and a scotch bonnet pepper to the pot while the oxtail is cooking. Oxtail takes a long time to cook, about 4 hours, so plan accordingly and add water to your pot when needed. There’s no official recipe for my oxtail stew and I'm not a chef, lol.

OXTAIL STEW
Feel free to serve with rice and peas, collard greens or sautéed cabbage.
Serves 4.
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​Add seasoning to the oxtail (1 1/2 teaspoons each garlic salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, basil) along with 1/2 cup each chopped ingredients (onion, green pepper, red pepper) and 2 stems thyme. Then add your recaito mix of blended 1/2 green pepper, 1/2 red pepper, 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh ginger, 2 stem thyme, 5 pimento seeds, 2 stem cilantro, 2 stem parsley, 3 garlic cloves. Add the secret ingredients, 2 tablespoons ketchup and 1 tablespoon Gravy Master Browning.

In a large nonstick pot over high heat, add a little olive oil then oxtail and cook, stirring, for about 2 to 3 minutes, until they are dark browned. 

Lower heat to medium, add 3 cups of water and 1 whole scotch bonnet pepper, cook for 4 to 4 1/2 hours, adding water when needed.

P.S. Leave a comment below about how you make your oxtail stew. Stay healthy and be safe.

How did you celebrate your holidays this year? We were home for the holidays, playing games, eating and watching movies. I would like to thank you for stopping by and reading my posts this year and hope you continue to do so. This year has been challenging for all of us and your support and thoughtful comments means so much to me and my family. Here are some of my favorite holiday moments...

Asenath's BUTTERY POUND CAKE
😋

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We didn't stay long, Asenath wanted to check out Annie's Hot On D Spot Roti Shop about 8 minutes from the farm. Before we left, I purchased some of their amazing homemade apple cider donuts, a bottle of apple wine ($17) and Asenath got some fall flowers (2 table top - $5.95 each).   ​

Annie's Hot On D Spot Roti Shop. So we arrived at Annie's Hot On D Spot Roti Shop, you can smell the curry aromas in the air as we walked to the entrance. Asenath was super excited - she didn't let me open the door for her, lol. The front trays were stacked with current rolls, coconut rolls, tamarind candies and other pastries - the ladies in the back making the roti skins and doubles. ​

​We went to Virginia beach last week for a little adventure and to celebrate Asenath's birthday. AJ and Ailah didn't go with us, they're both in college studying hard, I think, lol. Here are our favorite moments... 

Sunnyside Café and Restaurant. Start off your visit to Virginia Beach with breakfast at Sunnyside Café and Restaurant, a cozy café about a 2 minute drive from the hotel. Excellent menu and service, with amazing coffee. I ordered their veggie omelet with home fries and Asenath had a pecan waffle.

King Neptune. After tropical storm Sally we ventured out to the boardwalk to check out the King Neptune statue. King Neptune is a large bronze statue sculpted by Paul DiPasquale - completed in 2005. A figure of Neptune design, 24/34 feet tall with a 12 foot tall rock base surrounded by various fish, dolphins, lobster, and octopuses.

​Virginia Aquarium. Where to hang on a rainy day? The Aquarium, about a 5 minute drive from our hotel. An experience we will never forget - animal habitats, interactive exhibits, education stations and shopping.

Rhythm Bar & Grill. An unexpected treat to our visit, Rhythm Bar & Grill, 1424 Atlantic Ave, Virginia Beach, VA. I ordered a side of jerk chicken and coleslaw, the meat literally fell off the bone. I couldn't eat all of it, but trust me, I tried. 

Cousins Maine Lobster food truck in Mount Laurel, New Jersey serves some of the best food I’ve ever had anywhere! I ordered their lobster tots today and it was delicious. The lobster was tender and the tots were tasty.

​Have you been told lately that you're not romantic? Well I've been told that by someone. At first I was like, where is she getting this from?, I'm romantic, LOL. Over the past few months being on lockdown and as the quarantine lifts, I've definitely put aside things that are everything to my relationship with my wife. Although we see each other more due to corona, you don't think about the impact. 

I'm not sure who came up with the idea, but we drove to Burlington, New Jersey and took a walk through town towards the river. As we approached the river she started to smile, it was an infectious smile because I was smiling too. We walked along the river-walkway and talked about nothing, took pictures and enjoyed the sunset. It felt good. 

​I'm not the one to give advice on how to keep that romance in a marriage or relationship, so it would be great to hear your thoughts below.

Ailah will be majoring in civil engineering and playing softball with the UPJ team. She would like to thank family, friends, teachers and coaches for all the amazing love and support.

I would like to thank my family and friends for the love and support that helped launch the catch90 store, a special thanks to my wife, Asenath. Revenue earned will allow us to run the blog site and continue to share our journey. Thank you for reading! Go to the Store...