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.

Four Days and Counting! Okaloosa Here We Come!

We are leaving for Okaloosa Island on Tuesday morning.  I don't know who is more excited, me or the grandkids!  We are making this an annual trip at Thanksgiving to my favorite place.  I feel like a different person every time I cross the bridge to the Island.

 

I am going to be adding Liv's handprints this year to our family Thanksgiving Tablecloth.  Every member of the family has added their handprints to this heirloom project.  Liv was too young when we first made it, and so there are her little footprints instead!  Too cute, and such a sweet memory.  The grandchildren are growing up entirely too fast and I want to hang on to all the precious memories I can.

All those little "turkeys" are the kids and grandkids handprints surrounded by colorful "leaves".  This is actually a fairly simple project, and such a treasure. 

Lucy is not going to be able to go with us this year after all, but I have made arrangements for someone to stay here with her, and have even ordered a Thanksgiving meal that will just have to be warmed and served.  I wish she were able to go, but with all the recent problems, it just isn't going to be possible.

I am satisfied and happy though that it doesn't seem to bother her, and she is pleased about the lady who is staying with her while we are gone.  That is quite a relief for me, as I have worried about this for quite some time now.

Now I can actually relax and look forward to the trip and the preparations for it.  We are going to do a Low Country Boil this year instead of the traditional turkey and fixings.  Somehow that seems to be so much more appropriate when we will be feasting while looking out over the emerald green waters of the Gulf, and the shrimp there is fantastic!

We will probably take the girls to see "Arthur Christmas" as it looks like a fun movie...and gives Granpa and me and excuse to see yet another "kids movie"!  We have such fun taking the girls.

I am hoping all of you have a great Holiday wherever you spend it and whomever you spent it with.  Make memories.  

Here is a wonderful and simple recipe we have every year instead of the usual "canned" cranberry sauce.  The adults and kids love it!

CRANBERRY ORANGE RELISH

1 Naval Orange cut into small pieces

1 Bag fresh cranberries

1 Cup granulated sugar (you can actually use artificial sweetener and it is still great)

(Optional - 1/2 cup pecans)

Place Orange pieces, cranberries and sugar into blender or food processor and pulse until all are well mixed and coarsely chopped.  Add pecans and chop (or you may just add chopped pecans).

This keeps really well, and goes with pork as  well as chicken and turkey.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING ALL!!!

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!