AMANI Retreat, Negril

12/23/2023

Finally scheduled to get out of Wi******er hospital this morning. Amen!

Thanks to all the staff especially the security guys for keeping me well fed well newspapered magazines and breakfast haha

12/02/2023

I have reached 100 followers! Thank you for your continued support. I could not have done it without each of you. 🙏🤗🎉

04/22/2019

OK FOLKS -

It's been a long, strange trip that Alex and I have been on.

Since the Hurricane took the roof off of the main farmhouse (leaving only ONE ROOM covered), we have both been so busy with our Mainland, USA projects that our Amani Jamaica Retreat has been neglected, save for a couple of gardeners who tend to the plants and workers who have been trying to get things going.

I have been working as Team Chef for the Detroit Tigers and just finished 2 months straight, working 14 hours EVERY SINGLE DAY, with no days off. Best 'job' I've ever had. Fine tuning the lifestyles of Professional Athletes is more of a life 'mission' than a job anyway. It took a fair bit of adjustment for my family - moving to Lakeland, Florida from Baltimore, but who wouldn't trade snow for sun? Plus, Lakeland is apparently THE #1 place to live in America now... I'm SO sure, it's not because WE live here now... however, rumour has it that Island Breeze (our other company) will be opening Island Breeze Fresh Market in July in Lakeland, with other locations to follow.... stay tuned.

Alex, my Full Joy partner in this Amani Retreat, has been busy doing what he does BEST - FARMING! He's got Lifegarden Farm and is also here in Lakeland, Florida! He's got 24 fish ponds and crops, ALL OF IT GROWN ORGANICALLY and with LOVE.

We are busy setting up an Amani USA site here in Lakeland too. If only because Jamaica is far and Lakeland is close...

Still, I long for the warmth of the Jamaican people, the tropical breezes of the ocean, (Lakeland is landlocked mid-state) and the food, music, sunsets and friends that we have come to know and live on deLand.

Soon friends... Soon we shall return. Riding that Island Breeze....

Check back - we hope to open Fall / Winter season 2019 - 2020.

Find me here: www.IslandBreezeSoups.com or Island Breeze Soups here on Facebook!

Find Alex at: Lifegarden Farm here on Facebook or at the numerous Farmer's Markets in the Greater Tampa Bay & St Pete locations.

Here are just some of the ideas we have coming.

04/10/2019

04/09/2019

Now that Detroit Tigers MLB Spring Training is Over, Chef Rocco is getting restless. He misses his MLB players and cooking their Special Diets for them... Heading to Jamaica is just the Ticket. Now it's time to get busy for Winter 2019!

We are gearing up for our Autumn / Winter Season Bookings! It has been a long road, rebuilding our Main HQ Farmhouse. A 4 room home that we use as our Offices, Sleeping Space and general 'everyday hangout space'. Tough to hear, 'you guys only have a roof on ONE room and need to come and fix soon mon'....

Well, things are finally re-booting and we are happy to say that we are digging in... It's going to be a long road to build our Jamaican 'Happy Place' back to the way it was....

Such is Life though hey? Full of Challenges, but NONE cannot be overcome with God's help. We seek our Creator and God of Our Own Understanding on a DAILY basis to keep us grounded and focused on a FULL JOY LIFE!

AMANI = Place of Peace in the Swahili Language. That just about sums up our little slice of Jamaican Heaven.

Be sure to visit our other Amani-Inspired businesses.

www.IslandBreezeSoups.com
(Our Amani Chef, Rocco Antonelli is also the Chef for the Detroit Tigers Major League Baseball Club. He does work, specializing in Lifestyle Changes, Diet Modification and Weight Goal Coaching. He works with Major League Players to help them with Inflammation Issues, using FOOD to help them recover FASTER.

We also have an Island Breeze Soups FB page... find us!

Please Visit our Partner's Site too:
https://www.facebook.com/lifegardenfarm/

Life Garden Farm, LLC, here in Lakeland, produces ALL of the Organic Greens and Vegetables that we can use. They SHIP FRESH, DIRECTLY TO YOU... For more information check their FB page or drop us a message here. We'd be happy to get Alex the message.