It has become somewhat of a tradition for us to spend a warm Thanksgiving in St Croix and a cold Christmas in New Jersey.
Perhaps because we were not originally American, being raised in England and Australia, we have been able to experiment more than some families can do. After all, we don’t have any recipes that have been passed down through the generations, and which are demanded year after year because they are someone’s favorite and Thanksgiving would not be the same without them.
So how do we spend Thanksgiving Day at Sugar Bay House, St Croix…..
Well always with our boys, some great friends and a good meal.
We will usually relax around the pool most of the day with some great old calypso playing. Harry’s Bar swings into action at about 11am (for some reason we always feel like a frozen margarita about an hour earlier than when we are back in the mainland.. why is that?)
By about 2pm various delicious appetizers start to appear. Examples might include:
Grilled marinated shrimp
Ceviche
Guacamole ( made with local avocados if available)
Tropical fruit bruschetta
And the margaritas or maybe a mojito ( Harry’s Bar head barman, Harry, makes the best!) continue.
At about 4pm we all assemble in the shade of the dining pavilion and attack the main meal. This is the perfect setting as we can watch the comings and goings of the sailboats and kayaks in the bay below. The view is magnificent and the tradewinds cool us gently.
The meal always involves a traditional turkey.. sometimes rotisseried and sometimes just oven roasted, however, it is with the side dishes that we experiment. Somehow the traditional sides seem too heavy in the warm climate and so we might have:
Chilled green beans with red pepper strips
Rice and beans
Mango infused stuffing
Pineapple salsa
Dessert is almost always an apple crisp with a tropical ice cream sprinkled with rum or a liqueur.
By now the sun has set and the stars are shining brightly. If we are really lucky there is a full moon which shines a path across the bay below to Sugar Bay House.
The wine and the conversation flows. We laugh a lot and give thanks for all our blessings as we spend another glorious Thanksgiving in paradise. How lucky we are! You too could enjoy Thanksgiving or any other festive occasion at Sugar Bay House. Check it out at www.sugarbayhouse.com
