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Dominica, an island of rich vegetation, mountains, the Caribbean Sea … and CHOCOLATE!!!!!! While Dominica may not be among the largest of the world’s chocolate producers, it is certainly developing a reputation as a great producer of high-quality organic chocolate.
**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links which help to keep this blog running.**
I took this tour as a cruise ship excursion while on the Carnival Glory. We didn’t quite know what to expect but we’re very interested to learn about the history of the estate and of course make and sample chocolate! You know how I love chocolate.
Bois Cotlette Estate
Making Organic Chocolate at Bois Cotlette Estate
The Bois Cotlette Estate is 53 acres of volcanic soil. It is self sufficient where they grow their own food, capture water, and generate green energy. It was name after a tree and has a 290 year history – making it the oldest surviving estate in Dominica — producing cocoa, coffee, and sugar cane.
The estate itself is beautiful. You are greeted by very knowledgeable guides and the owners wife who is also the chocolatier. They take us on a brief tour explaining the history of estate.
We saw ruins of a windmill.
Then we followed the path of chocolate from breaking open the cocoa shell, to harvesting the raw beans, through the drying and grinding the beans into cocoa powder.
You also get to taste the fresh cacao fruit, right off a tree, and taste the cacao in different stages of production. You’ll taste the raw cacao nibs after they’ve been roasted and get the chance to grind the cacao down into powder.
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Then you’ll visit the test kitchen to see the entire process of how large chocolate blocks are tempered and turned in chocolate chocolate delights. When they asked for volunteers to help temper the chocolate, I immediately raised my hand.
We were each given a Candy Melting Pot and we had to stir the chocolate until it reached a certain temperature (yes, my arm did hurt a bit after all that vigorous stirring) and then pour the chocolate into molds.
While we volunteers finished up with tempering our chocolate and pouring them into molds, the rest of the group went into an enclosed open-air facility where we tasted various chocolate rum drinks (fruited-punch, tea, coffee), and several different types of bon bons. By the time I got to there I was a bit sick of chocolate — what did you say? — let’s just say that after we poured the chocolate into the molds, there was some left in the pot that we got to eat. It was delicious going down, but then I got a chocolate/caffeine high. I ended up saving my bon bon samples and took them back on the ship for later.
You’ll get a chance to buy some of the chocolate and coffee! I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Dominica!! I thought this was the best tour of this cruise.
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This quick and easy French toast is made with healthier swaps but still packed with flavor, you won't even miss the heavy cream and butter. Ready in about 15 minutes, it's the perfect sweet breakfast recipe for birthdays, holidays such as Mother’s Day or Christmas, busy mornings, or just an easy Sunday morning,  **This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links which help to keep this blog running.** Healthy Gluten Free Almond and Orange French Toast Yields 4 servings Ingredients: 8 slices thick slices of gluten free bread (perferrably slightly stale) 4 eggs, room temperature 1 cup unsweetened almond milk 1 tsp almond extract 1 tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp ground nutmeg zest of 1 orange 1 Tbsp maple syrup or honey 2 tsp coconut oil Optional Toppings: Fresh berries orange or mandarin Monkfruit Maple syrup or Honey Monkfruit powdered sugar whipped cream or Greek yogurt Slivered almonds Directions: Whisk all ingredients from eggs to maple syrup/honey in a medium mixing bowl until well combined. Pour the egg mixture into a flat, shallow dish. Place 4 slices of bread into the egg mixture and allow to soak for 2 minutes before turning over and soaking again for another 1 minute. While the bread is soaking, melt 1 tsp of coconut oil in a large skillet over a medium or medium low heat to avoid burning. Remove the bread from the egg mixture and cook two to three minutes on each side until golden brown. Repeat with 3 bread slices. Then repeat: melt 1 tsp coconut oil in a large skillet again, and use that to cook the remaining 4 bread slices. Serve with berries, toasted almonds, whipped cream, mint, and maple syrup or your favorite toppings!   Vegan Option: To make this heart healthy french toast vegan, use a flax egg and a little bit of cornstarch instead of the regular eggs. Also be sure to use maple syrup and not honey for the sweetener. Sugar Free Option: Making sugar free or low sugar french toast is super easy! All you have to do is substitute the maple syrup for a sugar free maple syrup (I like the Lakanto Monkfruit Maple Syrup), and make sure to use sugar free toppings. For a low sugar version, use half the amount of maple syrup. Storing Leftovers To Store In The Fridge: Let the leftovers cool completely. Transfer the toast to an airtight storage container. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the toaster oven or on a warm skillet until heated through. To Freeze: To freeze this recipe, transfer the cooked french toast to a freezer safe airtight container or freezer bag and separate the individual slices using parchment paper. Place in the freezer for up to three to four months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, and then heat the frozen french toast slices on a skillet on the stovetop or in the oven until warmed through. Recommended Posts
Easter is just over a week away! Are you prepared? In this recipe round-up post, I'm sharing some delicious dessert recipes from my recipes as well as some other food blogs...just in case you need some ideas.  Triple Coconut Cream Pie from Living Linda This Triple Coconut Cream Pie recipe has elements of coconut from the crust, to the custard and ending with the cream, toasted coconut and caramel and is the perfect dessert any time of year. Click here for the recipe Mixed Berry Cheesecake from Cinnamon & Sage Company  With a beautiful medley of fresh blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries, this delicious cheesecake will soon become your family’s favorite dessert. Pair that with a delectable graham cracker crust and rich creamy cheesecake and you have yourself quite a treat! Click here for the recipe.  Gluten Free Easter Thumbprint Cookies by Wheat by the Wayside These Gluten-free Easter Thumbprint Cookies are so adorable! A buttery shortbread cookie is rolled in coconut, topped with delicious buttercream frosting and a Cadbury mini egg. Get the recipe here.  Individual Pear and Blueberry Clafoutis from Living Linda For this classic French dessert that is somewhere between custard and cake, I swapped pears and blueberries for the traditional cherries. Click here for the recipe.  Gluten Fee Carrot Cake by Well Plated by Erin This moist, fluffy Gluten Free Carrot Cake is made with almond flour, slathered in cream cheese frosting, and has the perfect classic taste. Get the recipe here.  Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake (No Bake) from Living Linda This creamy cheesecake is made even more decadent with chocolate-hazelnut spread. Click here for the recipe.  Gluten Free Creme Egg Brownies by Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary A deliciously moist super chocolatey brownie baked with Creme Egg Easter eggs and drizzled with milk and white chocolates. The perfect Easter treat! Here's the recipe.  Pistachio Cookies with Pomegranate Icing from Living LindaThese Pistachio Cookies are made with pistachio and almond flours are not only gluten free but so delicious and beautiful! Get the recipe here.  Recommended Posts (Click on the photo to be taken to the blog post)
Easter is March 31st this year. Did you know that the exact date is the Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal (spring) equinox?  Industry-wide, an estimated 40 million Easter cards are exchanged annually, making Easter the fifth largest card-sending holiday in the US. In the past few years (especially since moving to Portugal), I've opted for e-greetings. So this year, I thought I would share some of my designs with you for you to send to your family and friends. To download, simply right click on the photo you desire and click "save as"
Coloring Pages Here are some coloring pages you can download and have the kids (or adults) do when (and if they) get bored. Just right click on the image to download to your computer to print.
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Linda RoisumTraveller, chief taste-tester and food finder and retired expat living in Lisbon, Portugal. Archives
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