Living frugal in Suriname: January 2012

Friday, January 20, 2012

McDonald Suriname

I would like to thank you for taking the time to read this. Everyone that knows me knows that I like my good portion of junk food. So I would like to review my top pick junk food favorite thing/ place and I only go here for the fried chicken, you would not guess it but it is ‘maccy D!’ (Mac Donald). Everyone that comes here on vacation doesn’t really like to go to McDonald’s I know, but I always drag them here for the chicken. You must try it if you are staying here for a couple days.

The States doesn’t have it and the Netherlands doesn’t have it.

All my friends that have not tried it are pretty stoked when they eat it. Ahhh I feel like I deflowered their taste buds LOL :o).

The fried chicken here has hints of cumin, spice and curry. It is sooooo yummy.

But beware when you go, McDonald in Suriname is the ‘hot spot’ for the local teenagers. So on Friday afternoon after 1.30 pm and Saturday morning, this place can be jammed packed.

For their standards I feel that they are pretty high up there. The cleanliness of the bathrooms and floors are taken care of. Their personal is well trained to keep everything spot on looking at the amount of people they serve. For the locals they have a bin where you can dump your business card so they comp your mail if they draw your card. Well you can imagine I am a true frequent costumer that my card got pulled. Yay !!! Free food.

Here are some pics of the celebration:

So yeah if you are in Paramaribo, please stop their and try their fried Chicken. For a two piece meal (2 pieces of chix, fries and a drink) its about SRD 18,50 (U$ 5.53).

They have 2 locations one that is in downtown Paramaribo across from the ‘Spanhoek Hotel’, keizerstraat. You can’t miss it.

And they have another South of Paramaribo in the Hermitage mall right across from the movies (TBL Suriname).

Remember: Recycle, Reuse, Preserve Nature
Don’t waste be inventive and innovative

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Tak Yie

Today I am going to review in my opinion one of the best restaurants to buy tjauwmin/chowmein. In my opinion is the best tjauwmin in the south area (Uitvlugt, Zorg en Hoop) of Paramaribo. As you might notice the tjauwmin here is different compared to the States, because of the region where the Chinese come from. Most of the Chinese here speak hakka and Cantonese (I think), so they lived more towards the South.

So the food is very different, and my opinion has more hints of 5-spices, anise and soy.

Initially when you look at Tak Yie it looks very how do I put this lightly.....dirty. Lightening is bad, flooring looks old kind of rundown. You see a bar on the counter. I call this joint my ‘hole in the wall’. I usually get take out from here. For a tjauwmin with ‘moksi meti bingi nanga tjin meti’ (litteraly: mix meat big and small pieces), it will cost about SRD 20 (U$ 6.00). Depending on how much you eat, I would say that it could serve about 2 people maybe a small family consisting of 3.

I usually share it with my hubby. If you do not eat pork, you can also get it with only chicken.

When they serve it you get noodles with some kailan greens and then you get chicken with 3 kinds of fachong. One has a red rim; the other one is in like a sausage form I would like to say and the other one is in layers that has meat and fat. It is really good. Yummy !! They also serve it with sliced pickled cucumbers and pickled peppers. Beware of the peppers their heat I would compare to the scot bonet peppers or 5x the habanero.

There has been instances where I was not too happy with their food. But overall I am a regular costumer there. Out of let’s say the 20 serving’s one would be where I would say that I wasn’t too happy. But then again they make everything from scratch and nothing is pre-packaged and that can happen. So I forgive them when that happens.

Here is the info:

Tak Yie

Gemenelandsweg (right next Alupro/ across from Brahma drugstore)

Phone: 491254 (but you can also just drop buy it takes about 10-15 minutes)

p.s I forgot to add this place has no AMBIANCE I go there strictly for the food !!! (Only To Go).

Thanks for reading. I am thinking to also bring my own containers to put the food in. I will let you know how that works out. Want to be a little more green.

Remember: Recycle, Reuse, Preserve Nature
Don’t waste be inventive and innovative

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Ariel laundry soap

Remember: Recycle, Reuse, Preserve Nature
Don’t waste be inventive and innovative

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Popeye's Chicken and Biscuits in Paramaribo, Suriname

I would like to highlight one of my favorite junk food places in Suriname: Popeye's chicken and biscuits. When we lived in Auburn we had a chain of this Restaurant, but they closed because I guess their revenue was not that good there. Mainly because Auburnites do not like 'spicy foods'. So when we got here this was one of my must stops.
I have very fond memories as a young adult going to school (Lyceum 2) with my friends going to town and whatnot. However I recall it being very expensive. It was a bit of a luxury to eat there. But I guess when you look at let say a 2 piece chix meal is about SRD 23, that's about U$ 7 when you think going through customs and taxes. The price should be around there.
Oh well, they have some sort of collaboration with 'Kirpalani' at the moment, shop and eat, where when you spend SRD 50 you get a SRD 5 coupon that you can reimburse at Popeye's, Pizza boys and Rituals.
So if you go on a Saturday it is jammed packed.

My stud and I (LOL) usually go on a Saturday/ Sunday at about 3 pm I would say... Then you have peace and quiet. Before they were located upstairs at Krasnapolsky building, but they moved downstairs. Although I enjoyed being upstairs more when its quiet you get to enjoy the scenery.
One of the managers was very cute and polite. He was singing his favorite song that was projected on the tv. (hey you are in Suriname !!!). Overall I enjoy this branch more than the one in Wilhelmina straat.
For a 2-top you will shed about SRD 50. So yeah...
The other draw back would be that you have to pay to go use the restroom (SRD 1.00= U$ 0.35).

Hope this helps guys :o).
love you and thank you for reading

Remember: Recycle, Reuse, Preserve Nature
Don’t waste be inventive and innovative

Aloe Vera

I would like to start by saying:
By all means I am not a professional and not intending on being one. So if you have a problem with my blog just hit the x-button on the upper right of your page.
Also that the reviews I am giving are of my own opinion and I do no get paid by these companies (or anyone) to do so.

Hello everyone !!! (like you are reading right?).
I would like to give a review of a personal favorite product of mine...Aloe Vera. As a teenager growing up I was self conscious, but I guess it comes with everyone I guess. I tried make up but always had the problem that I would break out big time. Now I realized that I might have been allergic to some of the elements in the products.
Also if I would put up eye shadow blush or powder, it would get off my face in a matter of seconds. So I didn't fit much of the popular girl profile. As an uhmmm... adult in my twenties living in Cali I started to experiment with it again. So maybe this will help someone out there. I love putting on make up, but those who know me know that I usually look like a rag, but if I get the chance to have an hour to myself, I can look picture perfect (but hey married and who do I need to impress now).

I picked my Aloe Vera gel at Dio Drogisterij the one at the Hermitage mall. It was about SRD 25.95 (less than in the States) for a 340 gr (about 350 ml). The brand is 'Fruit of the Earth' and it does not contain any alcohol. I think they stopped carrying this product, but am sure if you email them that they might start displaying it again in their stores.
I use this as a makeup primer, what a primer pretty much does it makes your make up last longer on your face, so you do need to go the ladies room and touch up. I am not sure if this works with every type of skin. My skin is very oily and I have put it before starting work, go on a hour ride, brushing, bathing the horses and be done at say 6.30-ish and it was still on my face. No joke.

So what you do is pretty much wash your face with your favorite facial cleaner pat dry. Put your favorite moisturizer mine is Dr.Tadlea (it is expensive, but it's natural animal cruelty free anything to save animals!!). Wait for it to be adsorb by your skin. Now put a thin layer of the aloe on your skin. You will feel the pores kind of getting tight like mask. After that you put your concealer, powder, eye make up and blush whatever you like. And viola !!!

I also use this for bruises (NO OPEN WOUNDS) that is already scabbing. It tends to heal it. I have put it on my dog who had a cysts 3 times a day and it was gone after a week. Also on sunburn.
So yeah here you go guys another product I can not live without. There is also Aloe Vera from 'Forever Living' where you can find a seller nearby. But it is more expensive.
So yeah hopefully I have helped you out
Love you guys !!!

Remember: Recycle, Reuse, Preserve Nature

Don’t waste be inventive and innovative

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Chicken Parmigiano

I would like to start by saying:
By all means I am not a professional and not intending on being one. So if you have a problem with my blog just hit the x-button on the upper right of your page.
Also that the reviews I am giving are of my own opinion and I do no get paid by these companies (or anyone) to do so.
I am bored, home alone with BeBe, so yeah here I am writing a blog/ note again.
Alrighty let's start. We will need:
*Can of 'Hunt'-mushroom sauce or whatever you wish to use (Choi's SRD 12 I think. It was cheapest and you need to look up, because they do alot of good stacking (the more expensive things they put on eye level... pretty smart. Just ask someone for help)
*Chicken breasts (regular store I dunno what the brand is, will post a pic SRD 14 for 8 small chicken breasts)
*Sliced cheese (regular) gouda jonge kaas (small pack SRD 8)
*1/2 pack of butter (SRD 10)
*Bread crmubs big pack (Paneer meel SRD 4)
*Also: salt, black pepper, dried rosemary, oregano, 2 cloves of garlic (peeled and diced) and an egg
We will commence on taking the chicken breasts (remember to be carefull, cross contamination, salmonella blah blah). Take a piece of plastic wrap put it over the chix, take a dough roller (deegroller) or what you would like to use and hammer the breasts not too hard, just to flatten it. Both sides. After that season with some salt, black pepper and a bit of the rosemary.
Mix the dry ingredients: Breadcrumbs, garlic, rosemary (1tablespoon) and oregano (1 tbs).
Crack the egg wisk and put on a flat plate ( so you can submerge the chix in it). Set up the sauce pan where you wil fry the chix with butter.
Okido take a breasts and put in the egg. Make it get coated properly.
Now put it with the dry ingredients. Coat it on both sides, let it look nice and breaded. In the saucepan melt de butter, put the breaded chix in en bake both sides until they are 'golden brown'. Because we thinned the breasts out it will take a shorter time to be done. :o)
Ok now we have all the breasts done. In a large wok (that is what I use) put the Hunt sauce in wait till it cooks a bit then take piece of cheese (cut it only to cover one end of the chix) and put in the sauce. Let it simmer for about 3-5 minutes. Turn of the stove ----> Voila !!!
Put the Chicken on a plate with some sauce and a side with penne alfredo and garlic bread. You are done !!! One side red sauce one side white (alfredo) a la Romana ;)
SRD 60 for eight pieces of goodness (SRD 7.50 per person)
Hey Thanks for reading. Leave me a comment and let me know how it turns out.
Much love to you
Remember: Recycle, Reuse, Preserve Nature
Don’t waste be inventive and innovative

Penne Alfredo with a Surinamese twist

I would like to start by saying:
By all means I am not a professional and not intending on being one. So if you have a problem with my blog just hit the x-button on the upper right of your page.
Also that the reviews I am giving are of my own opinion and I do no get paid by these companies (or anyone) to do so.
Today I had a very wonderful day and felt like blogging :o)
So I have eaten at D'Optometrist one time (Gemenelandsweg, my father in law brought me there). I was kind of dissapointed because I was craving Italian food. I have worked for real Italian-Americans for five years and nothing can be measured to that level (Thanks to Michelle, Terry and her late husband who was a chef). So every so often here I crave Italian and being inspired by my fb-friend Romy her photo of her linguini scampi the only thought of it was awakening my craving. So I decided to prepare 'penne alfredo with parmegiano chicken'. (The Chicken Parmegiano recipe I will probably put up tomorrow cause hubby is working and I have a lot of time on my hands having a free day). Girls this baby has a lot of calories but OMG it is so worth it.
Alright I went to Choi's and bought the following (will have pics too):
* Ragu-brand: Roasted Garlic Creamy Parmesan (SRD 14)
*Barilla-brand: Penne (this very good brand pasta! SRD 10)
*Optional you don't really need this, because it's already cheese overload 'kraft-parmesan cheese' (SRD 9)
At the regular (good itemized store):
*Local 'Mary Gold'-butter (SRD 10). You will probably need 1/4th of that pack
*Local 'Melk Centrale"-volle melk (SRD 4). The milk we will use to make more sauce.
Also (hopefully this will be in your pantry): some cornstarch (maizena) about a table spoon and some dried parsley.
Okido!!! let's start. Prepare the penne as the box describes it. I think it takes about 10-12 minutes. When the water cooks, put a bit salt in it. While that is going wisk about a cup of cold milk with some cornstarch (maizena).
When the penne is done sift it and put a big sauce pan and start putting about 1/4th of the butter. Let it melt and then put the mixed milk and stir.After that put the 'Ragu' sauce in en keep stirring with prefferably a whisk or wooden spoon. There will be some sauce left with inside the 'Ragu'-bottle put about a 1/4th of a cup of mlik, close the lid and shake that untill it mixes and pour that in the saucepan. This should happen at low/medium heat. After that you put (the still warm cooked) penne pasta in and stir.
When you put this on a plate you could garnish it with some parmesan or dried parsley to give it some color. OMG !!!
This is not a pasta dish made from scratch, but a little of both worlds: partical and easy with less hassle.
Everything adds up to SRD 40 and this would feed about 4. A plate at optometrist will stack up to SRD 35. So you are already saving about SRD 100. You can go and tank gas for the week.
Thanks everyone for reading. Have a wonderful day tomorrow and will post the Chicken Parmesan recipe.
Remember: Recycle, Reuse, Preserve Nature

Don’t waste be inventive and innovative

Monday, January 9, 2012

Apple Cider Vinegar (must have house hold staple)

So it’s been a while. I just bought my first bottle of apple cider vinegar in Suriname. I would say this a staple for my household. By all means I am not a professional and not intending on being one. So if you have a problem with my blog just hit the x-button on the upper right of your page.
I want to start by saying that the reviews I am giving are of my own opinion and I do no get paid by these companies to do so.
Having said that, I know I will raise some eye brows as I do when I talk to people on what I use this for.
I am a very frugal person and now times are hard so I will share this with you. Also because this is a pretty inexpensive holistic treatment to use.
You can google the different uses of this vinegar if you would like more information. I bought mine at ‘Choi’s supermarket’, but Tulip should have it. For 32fl.oz (946 ml) was SRD 7.85.
I have 3 uses for this:

Living in the States I did not have any access to medical insurance, it was just plain to expensive and I couldn’t afford it (I lucked out because God kept me save). But every now and then I would get a bladder infection (blaas ontsteking). This was such a life saver. What you do is you take a tall glass put about 2 tablespoons of ACV and fill the remaining with water. You should do this 2-3 times a day for about 5 days straight. The bacteria can not handle the acidic environment from the vinegar. It is a very good holistic medicine, and you don’t need to take (anti-biotic) pills (which prescribe for everything here it seems).
The above solution also helps to deter mosquitoes, because it changes the ph of you blood
I have a dandruff problem and that requires me to buy dandruff shampoo mainly ‘head and shoulders’. But using it often will make your scalp somewhat resistant to it, which results in making using it more. The main reason why I use this was because I got some regular shampoo from someone as a gift and I didn’t want to waste it (I know me being cheapo).So what you so get an old shower- or shampoo bottle (yay reuse). You fill it half way with ACV and the remaining with water. Shake it up. Put this mix on your hair scalp (NOT hair) and sit for 15 minutes (with your shower cap). Well ladies it will be very vinegar-y, let’s just say Andre didn’t like that the ‘new’ bathroom odor. After the 15 minutes we get smell out wash you hair twice with regular shampoo and continue your normal hair washing routine.I would suggest doing this 1-2 times a week.
Fly Spray. I discovered another recipe if you have horses to help them deter flies. You will need: a bottle of original 'dawn' the blue kind (Choi's Supermarket it was about SRD 15.50) about 1/3 cup, 1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar and 1 cup water. Get a spray bottle (bought mine at Kirpalani). Put in the spray bottle and mix. You would be quite surprise how it works.
For horses also if they have wound just dap it onto it. It heals it with minimal scarring.

Small calculation 100 ml= SRD 0.83 fill with water (200 ml solution). Cheap shampoo is SRD 15.
Total SRD 16 (one person uses a bottle shampoo six months, I do at least). Which comes down to SRD 2.67 per month for dandruff shampoo.Compare to ‘head and shoulder’ SRD 33, That’s SRD 5.50 per month.Savings SRD 5.50- SRD 2.67= SRD 2.83. Per year 12 x SRD 2.83= SRD 33.96 minimum that’s the monthly waterbill saved. I know I go to the extreme, but that is just one item that you can save if you have 10 items it add up to SRD 340 !!! But far most important this is very natural. Thanks guys for reading this love ya :o)
Remember: Recycle, Reuse, Preserve Nature

Don’t waste be inventive and innovative

Discount cards in Suriname

Hi everyone !!!
I want to start by saying that the reviews I am giving are of my own opinion and I do no get paid by these companies to do so.
Being frugal and all. I have been trying to save money in different aspects in my life. Unfortunately Suriname does not have any coupon system. There is one with 'Kirpalani' when you buy a certain amount, but overall I have not found anything yet that made me excited. However the main things are cheaper than the States, but then again the annual gross income of everyone is also very low. So yeah we need to find a balance.
Since I lived here I discovered two cards that have the same thing what credit companies in America use to accredit 'points'. These points can then be redeemed at certain stores for valuable goods like food,pots and sometimes even jewelry.
The one I am talking about is the 'Surismiles card'. I just bought mine at 'Big Fung. Johannes Mungrat straat' for SRD 20. The card expires at January 2013, So yeah it is for about 2 years. Good good.
I bought the card, because my family was raving about it especially my sister she goes and shops to preferably only Surismiles stores. When it comes to that I will probably put a review as well on how my experience is with Surismiles. So yeah. Feel free to give me some tips and stores and activities.
The other card I have is from a store that reminds me of Longs/ CVS/Wallgreens, but a mini version. These cards are very hard to obtain. When they opened one near my neighborhood I ran and ask for one.
So yeah these cards are very cool. When you buy things here you get certain points. When you get I think about 500 points. You get SRD 10 off your next purchase. I do want to add that Dio is more on the expensive side. You pay about SRD 0.50 to SRD 2 more than a local (Chinese) grocery store. But overall I like the store, because they sell maybelinne make up products, soap, aloe and nicknacks.
So yeah these are my two best picks when it comes to cards in Suriname.

Cold/Flu griep? Neti pot !!!

Hmm,

This is my first, but hopefully not my last. I have been sick for almost 2 weeks now, the longest ever in 5 years. But ohw well being a hippy and all I refused to go to the doctor. Dr.Sairras office is so jammed pack that I was just lazy waiting there 2 hours instead of working.

But ok going on with my story. I just realized that I brought with me a neti pot from the States. So I started to look for it. I felt so sick that my right ear was plugged and was looking like it might get infected.

Well didn't find the neti pot so now I was kinda getting desperate I was making comments like 'ehhh' because I couldn't hear I am 28 and acting like a grandma.

So I went to my mom and I asked if she had a big syringe (spuitje) but she gave me one of those plastic bottles which hair dresses use to do hair(a clean one never used). I guess you can find it at Ket Mien/ Jingles where they sell hair supplies.

So out of desperation I made a solution of:

teaspoon of non iodized salt/ sea salt(jodium vrije zout)
luke warm water
in my bottle with a pointy tip (which I had to cut off so I can drain my nasal passage)
cloth/ tissue to snot
do this over the faucet (wasbak)

Ok people if you are reading this do it with caution that is one. Secondly it will kinda feel weird the first time.

So now we get going.

Put the tip in one nostril and put you head down with your mouth slightly open. The idea is that gravity/ zwaartekracht will make the saline solution go from one side of the nostril to the other one. After a 10 seconds or so put your head normal and bend over the faucet and snot everything out. You will be surprised how much (snot) comes out, then with a tissue paper snot the remaining out. Repeat for the other side.

They say to do this 2-3 times a week to prevent allergies, cold and hay fever. But I dunno about that.

But when I did it soon after my ear started sissing and I slept better because my nose didn't get plugged. It did to relief some pressure on my sinus. And after 2 days of doing it. My right ear finally 'popped'. So yeah it did work for me.

I hope that maybe I helped someone out there.

I will put a pic for you what the pot looks like, but I think buying a Desha drink and then using that has in my opinion the same effect. Also when you buy the bottle it's long term. Yay saving money !!!