Black Friday!

While thousands of others were out shopping on this "Black Friday", this was the view I was enjoying.  We took the girls and went to Harbor Walk where they had their faces painted, met with Santa Claus and just enjoyed a gorgeous Florida afternoon.

We will be going home tomorrow after breakfast, and once again a piece of my heart will remain in this blissful paradise.  The people here seem to have a different kind of lifestyle.  It is much more laid back and peaceful.  It must have something to do with the salt air!

The wildlife here is beautiful and the Gulf has a different mood every day.  Santa Claus bought me an early Christmas present today.  It is an incredible hand blown glass pendant which contains a tiny jellyfish within a solid droplet of blue glass.  It is made by a woman vet who calls herself "Dr. Meow."  Dr. Meow does beautiful hand formed Murano glass jewelry which is based on the beautiful wildlife and gulf.  It is absolutely fantastic!

Kevin and Aaron watched the LSU/Arkansas game at Poppy's while us girls did the Santa/face painting thing.  We all had such a wonderful time today ... our last day here at the Gulf Coast.

We came home and put together our low country boil consisting of stone crab claws, shrimp, tiny potatoes, andouille sausage and corn...it was great!  We had pieces of six different flavors of Tortuga Rum Cakes which Charles had sent me earlier...now we are all fat and happy!

Tomorrow we will be going to Big City American Bistro for their Brunch before we leave town.  Their weekend buffets are out of this world.  They have a patio which is pet friendly, so if the weather is nice Buddy will be able to enjoy the time too.  He has been the best little dog alive on this whole trip.  Honestly, he is as close to perfect as any dog could be.  Quiet, he never barks or whines, crate and house trained and never chews on anything...just a sweet, loving little puppy.

I will probably shed some tears as we leave here tomorrow.  It is my hope that at some time in the not to distant future this will be my permanent home...it feels like home already.  So for now, I the Okaloosa Girl will head back to Middle Georgia and my responsibilities there, but my heart will remain in Okaloosa!

I am so Thankful for the time we have shared here as a family.  This will be our yearly Thanksgiving trip from now on.

Youth and The Young At Heart

I remember hearing many times that "youth is wasted on the young." I don't know if that is necessarily true, but I do feel sometimes that we rush through our youth trying to get to the next "goal", not taking time to enjoy the small milestones and accomplishments.

Some of you may wonder why the name "Okaloosa Girl" or exactly what an Okaloosa is.
Okaloosa Island is a small strip of powder white sand along the beautiful emerald green waters of the Florida Gulf Coast. It is the place I go when I want to feel like a girl again.

My hubby had a tag made for me this Summer while we were on Okaloosa Island. It is a large ocean wave with "Okaloosa Girl" written across it. My daughter took one look at it and said, "Mom, you are not a girl! Why not Okaloosa Woman?"
I laughed and said, "Because when I am in Okaloosa, I feel like a girl!"

It's true. When I go stand by that beautiful emerald green water on that powder white sand, something magical happens to me. My husband noticed it the very first time we visited there. I take a few breaths of that salt air, and it is like my spirit is whisked back to the very first time I saw the Ocean and smelled the salt air. I was sixteen years old the first time I saw it.

My Aunt had invited my sister and I to join her at her vacation home in Ocean City, Maryland. I can vividly remember coming up over the rise of the bridge across the Bay and seeing the ocean spread in front of me. It was an amazing feeling! Suddenly I knew that this "ocean" would always be where I would feel most at home.

I had grown up on the banks of the Potomac River in Maryland and had always spent a lot of time on the water, but this....this magnificent ocean, was something like I had never experienced. I was instantly invigorated.

I was lucky enough to live in Ocean City for 15 years after I was married. I came to know the many moods of the ocean, and loved each and every one of them. The ocean always drew me to God...it was so like Him. It is so deep, so mysterious, so much is hidden below the surface. It can be smooth and calm one minute and raging the next minute, and you never know when it will change. It is always there!

Like I said, I have always loved the ocean but something truly magical happened the first time I crossed the bridge to Okaloosa Island. Suddenly I was transported back...back to being a girl again. Thus the name "Okaloosa Girl." When I am there on the Island, I am suddenly years younger. My creative side comes out again and I begin to paint and write and "live." My husband loves the "Okaloosa Girl." She rides wave runners and goes crabbing like a little girl. She laughs more.

Someday, we will retire to Okaloosa Island. I look forward to those days with great anticipation. I will never grow older there, just better. Some might tell me it is unwise to move to the ocean when you are growing "older" and might need a little help at times. But I have a feeling that there, on that beautiful island, I won't actually grow older, but better.

RECIPE OF THE DAY

Here's a nice light meal that will make you feel like you are at the beach even in the middle of Winter!

You may use a hot dog roll or a flour tortilla for this "roll".

1 Small Lemon
1/4 cup mayonnaise (may use light mayo if you like)
2 TBSP chopped green onion tops
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
3/4 pound chopped cooked shrimp (get your grocer to steam them for you
at the store, and save time!)
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
4 white/wheat hot dog buns (or tortillas)
4 Boston lettuce leaves

1. Grate 1/2 teaspoon lemon rind from lemon.
Squeeze lemon to measure 1 1/2 tablespoons of juice. Combine lemon rind
juice, Old Bay, mayo and green onions in large bowl. Add shrimp and celery,and
toss gently.
2. Top each bun with 1 lettuce leaf. Spoon shrimp mixture evenly onto lettuce
leaves...Serve immediately. By the way they have GREAT SHRIMP on the Gulf Coast!

Yield 4 Servings....Calories 220

It's The Company That Counts

It isn't so much what's on the table that matters as what's on the chairs. W. S. Gilbert
I don't know about you, but I have never been a fan of dining alone. Somehow the food just always tastes better when shared with friends or family.

I listened to a Food Network Survey the other day where they presented the exact same food to two groups of people and asked each group to rate the taste and value.

To one group, they presented the food using simple names like broiled fish and potato casserole with spinach. The food was presented in a cafeteria like environment.

The other group was told the fish was "Parmesan Crusted Filet of Sole, Potatoes Diane, and Spinach souffle. The food was served on white linen tablecloths with flowers on the table and fine china.

Remember, this was exactly the same food! The groups were asked to rate the food on a scale of 1 to 10 and what price they would be willing to pay for it. The first group universally rated the food a 2-4 and priced it at less than $10.00. The second group rated the food as 8-10 and priced it at $28-$35!

Although this was about presentation, the same is true of food served in good company. It always tastes better! Laughter and good conversation is good for the digestion and the soul! So, let's find a good recipe for company and call a few good friends to share it.

One of our family favorites is Low Country Boil...fun, one pot and great for sharing.

RECIPE OF THE DAY

Once called Frogmore Stew, this one-pot wonder was created by a National Guardsman when he needed to cook a meal for 100 soldiers. Richard Gay, who learned the recipe from his family, had everyone remembering his stew. The dish was later named Frogmore, where Richard was from, by the guards who teased him about home. The postal service eliminated the name Frogmore, which changed this popular dish to Low Country boil.

This seafood dish is a combination of shrimp, sausage, corn, and potatoes. Great for relaxing trips to the beach, it is also easy to create for a crowd. Low Country boil can be served on newspaper for easy clean up. Crab, onion, and butter are frequent additions to the pot, and having a removable drain basket only makes cooking easier. The rule of thumb here is the bigger the crowd, the bigger the pot.


LOW COUNTRY BOIL

4 pounds small red potatoes (or small creamers)
1 large onion (quartered)
5 quarts water
1 (3-ounce) bag of crab boil seasoning
4 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
2 pounds kielbasa or hot smoked link sausage, cut into 1½-inch pieces
6 ears of corn, halved
4 pounds large fresh shrimp

Cocktail sauce

Add potatoes to large pot, then add 5 quarts water and seasonings. Cover pot and heat to a rolling boil; cook 5 minutes. Add sausage and corn, and return to a boil. Cook 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Add shrimp to stockpot; cook 3 to 4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Drain. Serve with cocktail sauce. Serves 12.

No one will go away hungry, and people can pick out their favorite parts...you may also add Blue Crabs or Crawfish to this dish if you like!

Call some friends and eat up!