I am a lucky girl!  Scott and Nicci asked me to pay a visit to the St. Thomas Blog’s newest advertiser, VI Desserts, to talk to Stacy Nicastro about her sweet business and to sample some of her homemade desserts.  As you know, the St. Thomas Blog is all about dishing honest opinions, even of its advertisers, so a treats tasting was mandatory.  As a dessert lover this project was right up my alley.

VI Desserts is located in Red Hook, tucked away in a warehouse building on the way to Compass Point.  I might have missed the small industrial kitchen had the VI Desserts sign and the aroma of baked goods not led the way. 

As I arrived to the small kitchen a petite woman wearing a colorful bandanna over her hair emerged to greet me.  I had met Stacy, the bandana’ed baker, a few days earlier while she was delivering desserts to Shipwreck Tavern, one of the many restaurants on St. Thomas that feature VI Desserts delicacies on its menu.  Restaurant patrons, myself included, ooh’ed and ah’ed as a decadent chocolate dessert was lifted out of the bakery box and carefully placed in the display case.  The waitress told me that VI Desserts makes the best desserts on the island, and I was eager to find out for myself.

Stacy led me into her “office”, a tiny, well-organized industrial kitchen, featuring a Kitchen Aid mixer, a walk-in refrigerator and matching walk-in freezer, tall ovens, and a Hobart mixer.  It’s hard to believe that only two women, Stacy and Jessica Gabelhausen, are able to create magical desserts in such a small space. 

I immediately spotted a platter of sweets artfully arranged on the counter, and, as much as I wanted to grab a fork and dig in, I contained myself long enough to ask Stacy a few questions about her background and her business. 

A self-taught baker, pastry chef, and cook, Stacy moved to St. Thomas from Wisconsin in March 1996 to join her parents who were already on the island.  She worked as a bartender at Romano’s and then at Marina Market, where her homemade desserts became a hit.  As she grew more familiar with the restaurant industry, she knew that she was ready to venture out on her own.  Being a savvy business woman, Stacy decided to reduce her overhead costs and operate VI Desserts as a wholesale bakery available to the public on a made-to-order basis. 

At VI Desserts most recipes has been adapted to fit the Caribbean favor and available ingredients.  Stacy “wanted to bring something new to St. Thomas.  To introduce the island locals to new flavors and to satisfy stateside residents with a taste of home.”  She created a fun menu featuring such unique sweets as Peanut Butter and Jelly cake, Elvis Impersonation cake, Mint Meltdown cake, Red White and Blue Velvet cake, as well as more traditional treats like Ginger Snap cookies and Chocolate Chip cookies.  The focal point of the business is wedding and special occasion cakes, but Stacy and Jessica bake local favorites daily to be featured at establishments such as Buddha Sushi, Current Cut, Lattes in Paradise, Wikked, Fat Turtle, Badass Coffee, and Marina Market.  All VI Desserts are made to order and everything is made fresh from scratch.  To see the full VI Desserts menu, visit www.videsserts.com.

Now, to the fun part.  Tasting.

I don’t know about you, but there have been plenty of times that I have salivated over a gorgeous cake, cookie, or pastry only to find that the presentation was far more appetizing that the actual baked good.  VI Desserts has a knack for creating beautiful treats, but would the flavor and texture match the presentation?  Fork in hand, I decided to start with the Mint Meltdown cake, as Stacy had told me it is one of her favorites.  My fork slide through the moist devil’s food chocolate cake, white chocolate mint butter cream filling, and chocolate ganache.  One bite and I was hooked.  The cake was rich and smooth.  All the flavors mixed for a minty taste explosion.  And, a little sugar rush…the sign of a perfect dessert.

Next, I sampled the Red White and Blue Velvet cake.  Again, the cake was moist and the strawberry filling was incredible.  But, what struck me most was the smooth, creamy butter cream frosting that melted in my mouth.  As a butter cream frosting lover (I will confess that I would eat Crisco out of the can as a toddler), I can honestly write that this is the best butter cream frosting I have ever tasted.  So good, in fact, that I had to ask Stacy her secret.  Italian Butter Cream.  It’s lighter than traditional, made with fresh butter and meringue (whipped egg whites and sugar).  No shortening or artificial flavors here.  It’s the only butter cream recipe used at VI Desserts.  And, it’s sensational.

Sugar pumping through my system, I took a bite of the lemon coconut cake with white chocolate butter cream frosting.  Heaven.  I next sampled a piece of the Turtle Bar, a rich chocolate butter pecan treat that is sure to cure even the grandest chocolate craving.  If you’re in need of a chocolate fix, head over to Fat Turtle, which features the Turtle Bar on its dessert menu.  Stacy pointed to the “Chewy” Macadamia Bar, a local favorite since her days at Marina Market, where her macadamia bars are still sold.  I can understand why this treat is a favorite.  This tropical bar blends coconut and macadamia nuts into a perfect, rich, gooey delight.  I finished my morning tasting with a bite of Ginger Snap cookie, which features three different types of ginger.  Sweet, crisp, and distinct.  This cookie rocks.

Stacy sent me away from VI Desserts with a tray of dessert heaven, to continue my sampling and indulging on Coconut bread, Orange Pumpkin bread, Oatmeal “Crazy” cookies, and, of course, the remainder of all my morning tasting treats.  Yum!  I arrived at the office and was “attacked” by two men, forks in hand, ready for their own mid-morning sugar rush.  “Oh WOW!” “SO Good!” “Delicious!” were some of the comments they made between mouthfuls of cake, cookies, and bread.  Within an hour, the homemade desserts were gone, polished off by two men who are now very big fans of VI Desserts. 

 VI Desserts specializes in wedding and special occassion made-to-order cakes as well as servicing the dessert needs of many St. Thomas dining establishments, but you can get your hands on some tasty treats even if you don’t have a special occassion.  Stacy and Jessica bake homemade goodies everyday for the public.  If you have a hankering for some homemade delicacies, call VI Desserts at (340) 643-3763 to place your order.  Just be prepared to become a VI Desserts addict!

Full Disclosure: VI Desserts is a paid advertiser on the St. Thomas Blog. But trust us when we say it had no bearing on how good their desserts are!

Hey guys it’s Nicci’s birthday today so free rum punch for everyone tommorrow!

The V.I. Water and Power Authority (WAPA) is to choose one or more of the 14 companies who want to supply non-oil-based power to the territory.  This is the second time WAPA has put out an RFP for alternative-energy production. In 2004 negotiations with a wind turbine company broke down.

A wide array of proposals, including coal, biomass, ocean thermal, geothermal, solar and wind to generate power have been offered by companies from the U.S., Caribbean and Europe

WAPA issued a request for proposal in December searching for alternative-energy generators able to produce up to 20 megawatts during peak hours and up to eight megawatts during off-peak hours.

This week St. Croix Environmental Association urged WAPA to go with renewable fuels instead of any use of fossil fuel. SEA’s statement can be read by going to VI Energy.

Okay, so check out this kooky website: Public Defenestration League. Got an email from Marty Fredericks who posts regularly over at the VI Now message boards. He dared me (I think to post his site) so presto, here it is Marty!

Here are the Founding Fathers (Mothers?) of the VI Chapter 420
From left: Fi Fi L., Joan S. & Marty F.

Hop over and check their site out they seem like some cool cats.

Give us your opinion on the event and Project 80′s Band. Don’t be shy! We hear the event was packed, packed, packed. Thumbs up or down? If you have pictures email them to me at scott@stthomasblog.com.

Here’s Project 80′s

Are you missing the days of Aqua Net hairspray and spandex?

Our favorite station, The Buzz, is ready to take you down memory lane with a Flashback Concert at Hooters. How choice!

Here’s, like, the details-o-rama:

THE FIRST 104 PEOPLE TO WALK IN THE DOOR GET A FREE PINT OF ICE COLD MILLER DRAUGHT. A RAFFLE FOR A FULL KEG OF BEER AND FIFTY WINGS!!! Live Music by Project 80′s, No Cover and Free Beer. Tired of the same old place and the same old bands? This is the place to party and we are giving it to ya’ free! Thursday, June 26, come out with your 80′s finest, tease up your hair and come and party with The Buzz and The Hooters Girls.

Sounds totally tubular!

VI Water and Power Authority is in  big time trouble as Standard & Poor’s rating service issued a negative outlook on WAPA’s $197 million in outstanding bonds – a clear indication that the utility’s chronic financial problems are battering its credit rating.

The BBB- rating is considered lower middle grade and are just one step above junk bonds, which are considered very high risk.

This could cause major problems for all of us in St. Thomas!

Read more here

We wrote a post on the financial difficulties at Yacht Haven Grande on June 20th here. Check out Bloomberg’s report here.

Looks like we could be seeing a very early demise of Yacht Haven Grande? We’ll keep an eye on this story.

We’d like to give a big St. Thomas warm welcome to Karen Korsgren (Island K)! We just completed a new St. Thomas Real Estate Blog design for her called BuySellVI.com.

Click here to check out Karen’s new shiny blog

So if you need some Virgin Islands Real Estate give her a jingle…

We received an email from the VI Energy Department and added them to our e-newsletter list not realizing that the email went out to people that were not signed up. This was an honest mistake and we feel horrible about it. So sorry for the confusion!

Rest assured that I have found that darn “blast” email address and permanently removed it. Please don’t hold this mistake against us.

We sure hope you’ll visit us on your own in the future!

Be honest, you’ve missed the award recaps posts right? Hmm? Don’t fret, there’s more St. Thomas winners to tell you about!

Let’s start with St. Thomas’ most popular beach, Magens Bay. When you think of Magens you’re probably dreaming of the hot sun, soft sand…that gorgeous Caribbean ocean gently lapping on the beach…lulling you to sleep…

You know what else you should be thinking? PIZZA!

Yes, I’m serious.

There’s a reason Magens Bay Concessions won Best Pizza; it’s wicked good! Steaming hot, melty cheese and tangy sauce – YUM. It’s a common sight to see people strolling along the water line carrying a pizza box as they head back to their group. It’s also common to hear calls of ‘Stop right here! Is that my pepperoni? I’ll have two slices! Ah, my pizza has arrived!‘ as the pizza-carrier smiles and keeps going. It never gets old.

Along with pizza you can also grab burgers, hot dogs, cold/hot sandwiches, wraps, fries, onion rings, grilled cheese (also tasty), chips, salads and gyros. A peek of the menu is below, this was taken in the spring – so the prices may have changed.

They have a full bar next to concession stand ready to make your head freeze with pina coladas, Bushwackers – or any other cocktail you desire.

They have beer, of course, but only in cans – no bottles allowed on the beach. Beers are $4.50 and up.  

If you get to the beach and decide you hate your bathing suit you can do a little shopping at the boutique right next to the concessions.

Along with suits they sell pretty much everything else vacation-related: t-shirts, clothes (adult/kid), souvenirs, cover-ups, shades, hats, bags, toys, floaties, books, sunscreen, towels, sandals, flip-flops, etc. It’s a great place to pick up some trinkets before heading back to the ship.

Next to the boutique and concessions is a hut with chairs and other items for rent, the prices are below (as with the food they may have changed).

So let’s recap – you’ve arrived at the beach, rented a couple of lounge chairs for comfort and a raft for floating, grabbed a pizza and some drinks, purchased some forgotten suntan lotion – looks like there’s nothing left to do but take your daiquiri and floaty into the water and idle away the day. Don’t worry if you run out of daiquiri, that’s what the beach waitresses are for.

Rough life, I know.

Congratulations to Magens Bay Concessions! Save us a bar stool!

St. Thomas will be the first to see the largest cruise ship in the world:

When completed, Oasis of the Seas will begin her inaugural season with 19 consecutive seven-night sailings to the Eastern Caribbean, with ports of call at Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; and Nassau, Bahamas.

When she launches in late 2009, Oasis of the Seas will be the largest and most revolutionary cruise ship in the world. An architectural marvel at sea, she will span 16 decks, encompass 220,000 gross registered tons (GRT), carry 5,400 guests at double occupancy, and feature 2,700 staterooms. Oasis of the Seas will be the first ship to tout the cruise line’s new neighborhood concept of seven distinct themed areas, which includes Central Park, Boardwalk, and the Royal Promenade. The ship will sail from her home port of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Wow, that looks spectacular!

John P. deJongh, Jr. was inaugurated as the seventh Governor of the United States Virgin Islands on January 1, 2007.

John Percy deJongh, Jr., was born on November 13, 1957, is the eldest of three sons of John P. de Jongh, Sr., and Delores Webb de Jongh. John also has two sisters, Judy McCoy and Mary Frate. 

Read more here

We’d love to talk to you Governor! Even Obama is talking to bloggers…we’re kind of hip ya know.

We’ve had tremendous success with the new St. Thomas Blog and I’m happy to say we have over 700 sun starved visitors per day! Cruzan Rum for everyone (it’s all free tomorrow). We just expanded the blog design (hope you like the new look) so we can offer more ways to learn about St. Thomas.

We are lucky enough to have Jenn (Island Newbie) posting and we already have some great advertisers:

1. Remax

2. Craig and Sally’s

3. VI Desserts

4. Ashley Photography

But ultimately we want your opinions and interaction. Please comment if you have time. If there is something you want us to discuss just ask. We want this to be a great blog for St. Thomas. Don’t be shy folks. Come on in, the sun is warm in here.

When applying for a drivers license you give them your IP address.

HA HA!

I know, I’m hysterical.

One of the first things we had to figure out before moving to the islands was the internet…namely can we get it, and how fast will it be? The internet is everything to us, and it’s not just so I can play Bingo on Facebook, oh no, that’s just a small part of it. In all seriousness the internet is where the Big Kahuna lives, it’s where his business is and without the ‘net he’d be lost.

With our let’s-jet-off-to-the-islands! plan in place Scott started scouring the web for all things ‘St. Thomas’ and ‘internet connection’. We knew the connection would be much slower than the high speeds we enjoy in Boston; we just wanted to make sure it wouldn’t be painfully slow. As in, let’s Google this, and while we wait I’ll whip up a lasagna while you watch a movie. That kind of slow can make a person charge headfirst into a wall. Repeatedly.

St. Thomas, while a mecca for jewelrey and booze, is not similar to a mainland city, where technology assistance is just a step away, like New York IT Services, for example. We finally found our computer help on St. Croix, and flew the likeable geek over on the sea plane to hook us up.

Having never met him we both knew immediately when we saw Jeff Sutton  (jeff@jnrhome.com) step off the plane. As we waited just outside the fence we both locked in on a dude, with hair down to his waist, trudging along in jeans with a small bag, glasses and an amiable expression on his face. He was walking alone, and we just knew this was our guy. To further endear himself to us he shared a love of 80′s hair metal. Sweet!

Jeff worked his magic at our house, the whole place is wireless and secure, and the connection – while not as fast as mainland speeds – is much faster than we hoped for. He’s available when we need him, and can tweak our system from his St. Croix house, through the ability of the virtual world. Way cool.

New York IT Consulting has a location in Boston, should we need help when we’re home. But I have to say, we’re pretty happy with our island techie!

Of course no geek can help you when the power flicks on and off, as it often does on an island. For that, my friends, you’re going to need a generator.

But that’s a post for another day.