“We had a spectacular stay at Mockingbird Hill.  Not only was the birding great, but the accommodations were the best of any birding destination we have visited.  Our room, had its own balcony with a view of the ocean and was  beautifully appointed.  Good linen, down pillows and comforters.  New elegant bathrooms, great showers etc.  One of the  two owners is a gourmet chef and prepares spectacular meals along with homemade bread, one of my weaknesses.  Best of all for me, the sprawling gardens are filled with birds and flowering plants. Shireen the other owner, and the hotel’s manager arranged for me to be with Lyndon Johnson, a superb guide who made it possible for me to see all 28 of the Island’s endemics. This is a superb destination for birders and you will not be disappointed. Attached are a few of the fabulous birds that I shot right on the property.”

We don’t just value but adore our guests ‘return visits, catching up and watching them relax as they unwind and unfurl each day, away from their normal routines, stresses.

To help the process along and assist those compressed shoulder muscles lengthen we’re giving all our return guests a free 20 minute welcome back massage.

Welcome back!

Port Antonio’s favourite restaurant, the intimate al fresco Mille Fleurs at Hotel Mocking Bird Hill, have a special chocolate offer this Mother’s Day.

We’re inviting families that want to give their mum a special treat to bring them to our rather special Mother’s Day lunch where, as an indulgent luxury, they can enjoy a free glass of Prosecco before the meal and Jamaica’s best home-made chocolates to end the meal.

Mums do hone their chocolate divining skills when bringing up their kids and although they may not always be a daily occurrence, our hand crafted chocolates made with local sustainable cocoa are a luxury treat that any mum will savour all week.

We love to promote Jamaica’s cocoa, not only is it wonderful but the plants are sustainable too. Prof. Robert J. Lancashire, at the University of the West Indies in Kingston recorded all the advantages to growing cocoa as a crop
• It is second only to forest in protecting the soil from erosion by the inter-locking of the foliage of adjacent trees.
• It will grow well on steep slopes which need protection.
• It is less subject to praedial larceny than other crops.
• It is easier to reap and sell than other crops.
• Animals find the husks from its pods attractive as feed.
• When planted under coconut trees, it suppresses weeds, thereby significantly reducing the cost of weeding.
• There is only one disease affecting Jamaican cocoa – Black Pod Rot. However this is only severe in areas with heavy rainfall and on the lower sides of narrow valleys.
• Cocoa costs less to maintain than other crops.
• Cocoa is the easiest tree crop to propagate.
• There are central fermentaries to process the Jamaican cocoa crop.
• A big advantage of cocoa as a crop is that even in a massive hurricane such as Gilbert (1988), only a small number of trees are totally uprooted and killed. Although foliage is lost from trees and they may be partially uprooted, the bulk of the trees do not perish.

Book your table today; only 7 tables left!

Herb trunks aren’t as strong as tree trunks and last winter following Hurricane Sandy our gardens’ bananas like so many small holders within the Port Antonio area took a battering. Thankfully the stalks grow underground and then push up, interweaving with one another to form their packed trunk; 6 months on from the hurricane, our gardens bananas are in flower again and we’re just waiting for that Jamaican luxury of ‘branch’ ripened bananas, no ripening factories or brown paper bags for us and yes you can really taste the difference.

Despite its lush Caribbean location, not all of Portland’s trees were so fortunate. On Earth Day, as a developing nation who directly feels the damage that the changing weather patterns bring through climate change, we’d like to call on banks to follow the 2013Unburnable Carbon Report:  Capital and Stranded Assets that advises companies to disclose their fossil fuel emissions and be rewarded /invested in accordingly.

We’re celebrating the world’s favourite fruit and Jamaica’s other herb by sharing our banana ice-cream recipe on Earth Day which, despite the gloom and burning of our planet, is also the perfect way to celebrate our most wonderful and beautiful of hosts.

Jamaican Banana Ice-Cream Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups  whole milk
3 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large ripe bananas
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 cups cream

Method

• Heat milk until it simmers in a double boiler, whisk egg yolk with sugar until pale yellow.
• Gradually whisk in milk, place on top of simmering (not boiling) water and cook stirring constantly until  it is the consistency of custard thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.
• Remove from heat.
• Add vanilla and cream, chill
• When the ice-cream is half frozen, crush the ice crystals and stir in the mashed banana with lemon juice and put back in the freezer to set.
• Serve  with chocolate wafers

In 2008 we began the conversion to solar energy resulting in a reduction in the total Kwh that we used and reduction of carbon emissions. The table below outlines the reductions achieved so far:

Year                                        KwH/Year        Reduction KwH          CO2 Kg/Year  ReductionCO2 Kg

2008 (pool pump solar)     62,659                                                         32,872

2009 (12 panels)                   50,128                   12,531                        26,298                    6,574

2010 (18 panels in Aug.)   49,833                        295                         26,143                         155

2011                                          43,609                     6,224                        22,878                     3,265

2012                                          35,851                     7,758                        18,808                     4,070

Total reduction                                                 26,808                                                                14,064

We remain committed to sustainability and we will continue to find innovative ways to reduce our carbon footprint. In fact sometimes the changes are so easy and cost nothing. For example, changing the time we do our laundry. Our housekeepers would put on the washing machine when they came to work at 6.30 a.m. This would require using the electrical backup to heat the water. So now we have changed the time and no laundry is done before 10.30 a.m. by which time the sun has heated the water in our solar water heating system to the perfect temperature for doing the laundry and eliminates the need to use the electrical back up. Every little reduction helps along the way to becoming more energy efficient. We will continue to work at improving our energy efficiency. It is important for the planet and we think, particularly in these tough economic times, that it is important to pay less for electricity and keep the jobs of our really good team.

The rest of the world may have stopped free lunches but we at Hotel Mocking Bird Hill are giving away just that AND a complimentary Jamaican cookery lesson to celebrate 20 years of being Jamaica’s No. 1 eco-hotel for those that enjoy our summer ’7 nights for the price of 6′ special offer.

From May – 19th December guests are invited to learn the very best of Jamaican traditional cuisine with our Chef Barbara.  Spice mixtures and three courses that will be eaten by the guests for their lunch on the terraced restaurant will be prepared.  All participants will receive a jar of home-made Jerk sauce, the recipes and an apron so that they can practice and relive a little of their Jamaican holiday as soon as they fly north and get back home.

For our guests who book 14 nights and only have to pay for 12 in addition to your lunch and honed cookery skills you’ll receive a light complimentary breakfast that will be changed daily.  One day it could be fluffy banana pancakes, the next a legendary Jamaican breakfast of ackee, saltfish dumplings.  For those that prefer a leaner start, platters of sweet as honey Jamaican fruits and homemade cereals or a breakfast sundae,  accompanied by plenty of freshly brewed Blue Mountain Coffee and freshly squeezed juices, are the Mockingbirdees’ leisurely wake up call.

This offer is valid for all holidays taken between May 1st & 19th December 2013. If would like further details about this offer please  email us with your room preferences with ‘A Jamaican Style Free Lunch’ Offer in the subject header.

Black billed-streamer tail hummingbird with two chicks in her nest in the “Birds of the West Indies” favourite gardens. Enjoy one of our birding packages http://www.hotelmockingbirdhill.com/experiences/birdwatching-jamaica/

Tap into your inner Jamaican spirit with the island’s Get Happy in Jamaica Free Night Offer

Mocking Bird Hill guests will receive their 4th NIGHT FREE for travel between April 1-June 30 2013!

With an extra night, you’ll have extra time to explore one of the happiest countries in the world and its most beautiful north east coastline.

Book before March 15th to receive your free night. Enter code ”GetHappy” on checkout.

If you’re considering a 2-centre Jamaica vacation these hotels are also participating in the Get Happy offer

View the Get Happy Game Day video created by VW for the Superbowl

]]> http://www.hotelmockingbirdhill.com/get-happy-4th-night-free-jamaica/feed/ 0 http://www.hotelmockingbirdhill.com/a-valentines-day-dinner-makes-for-a-fine-romance/ http://www.hotelmockingbirdhill.com/a-valentines-day-dinner-makes-for-a-fine-romance/#comments Tue, 15 Jan 2013 12:19:26 +0000 Barbara Walker http://hotelmockingbirdhill.com/?p=4357 Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, the day when expectations of great romance mean you simply must pass go, the day when excuses don’t wash!  Are you ready, if not it’s time to book dinner  at Jamaica’s best kept secret restaurant, Mille Fleurs  for it’s annual Valentine’s Day love feast.

Entrees

Rosy Sorrel Cocktail
Amuse Bouche: Love Apple Basil Granita

Starters, a choice of

- Love Apple Soup with Vodka Cream
- Shrimp & Papaya Salad with warm Coconut Dressing
- Polenta Love Apple Tartlets with Basil Mayonnaise

Main Course, a choice of

- Passionate Lobster Medallions
- Passion Roasted Chicken
- Zucchini Wrapped Fish Fillet on Sweet Pea Purée & Love Apple au Gratin
- 5 Spice and Jamaican Chocolate Rubbed Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb
- Otaheiti Apple, Celery Salad with Passion Fruit Dressing, Baked Potatoes
- Spicy Pan Fried Eggplant with Love Apples and Yogurt
- Braised Vegetables with Green Goddess Sauce and a Fried Egg

Dessert, a choice of
- Chocolate Brownie Sundae
- Indulgent Chocolate Truffle with Sorrel Sauce
- Passionate Dessert Variation