The Betty Black Blog

From I was the tiniest thing, I would follow behind my grandmother as she sprinkled her magic dust in the garden. My grandmother had ten green fingers and every plant she touched would thrive. I have inherited only a tiny bit of that special touch but all of the love. When [...]

Hibiscus Sabdariffa, roselle or tropical cranberry, is a herbaceous annual that grows between three and eight feet tall, though in tropical climates it is often a perennial. Originating in West Africa it is a member of the Malvaceae, or mallow family. This upright shrub bears three to five inch long narrow leaves near the top [...]

Thank you Dear Reader for making my Blog so popular in such a short time! I’ve created a special section of my online shop with discounts on my newest designs on dozens of items available just for you!

On the 28th of November 1800 the streets of Kingston and Spanish Town were bustling with excitement! The new bridge to be installed over the Rio Cobre has arrived in the Island. This marvel of modern technology, cast iron, was designed by Thomas Wilson and the parts cast in England by the Walker Ironworks Company. [...]

Well dear friends we’re entering that Mad Season again! And in fine tradition we’ve borrowed American Thanksgiving from our friends to the north and are already going crazy (if we aren’t in Miami shopping) despite the fact that we’re in the middle of one of the worst recessions in history!

Six years ago when I decided to start my online magazine I had to come up with a name. My website was to be a little bit of everything which when put together would be uniquely Jamaican. After some thought the idea hit me. Allspice tastes like a blend of different spices but it’s not, [...]

When last have you been to St Elizabeth for some of their famous Pepper Shrimps? Too busy? Too far away? Well, try making your own.

To the eastern end of Jamaica, straddling St Andrew, St Mary and Portland, lie the Blue Mountains, the tallest section of the Island’s hilly spine. Blue Mountain Peak soars a majestic 7402ft (2256m) into the air. Half way up this lush range something magical happens, for this is where the world famous Blue Mountain Coffee [...]

In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with [...]

On Friday last (6th Nov) one of the news items which caught our attention was that PetroJam is now producing only E10 and that it is virtually impossible to obtain any other type of gas at the pumps. On the surface our first reaction is to applaud PetroJam for this excellent move, as indeed our [...]