Lowcountry Living

shrimp

Shrimp, Shrimp, Shrimp!!

 

Shrimp and summertime are here and that means Tybee Island boats are out fishing right off our coast. We have two types of wild local shrimp that we harvest; white and brown. The brown shrimp are here now as they are only found in the summertime when the boats can work right offshore. They love the salt marsh and sea grass and are big, fat, and brownish. And Sweet! We wait all year for them to get here.

 

Mermaids In The Kitchen

Here is Head Mermaid Diane’s recipe she prepares for as many of her family and friends as possible. Easy, delicious, and showcases our wild Georgia Shrimp to their full advantage!
Roasted Tomatoes with Shrimp and Feta
Makes 6 servings
5-8 large tomatoes cut into eighths ( I buy from Davis Produce – their “killer tomatoes”)
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of fresh garlic
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 tablespoon of fresh ground pepper
2 pounds of medium shrimp ( buy with the heads on and then peel)
1 tall sprig of fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
1 cup crumbled Feta Cheese
1 package of whole wheat pasta ( any type of noodles are fine) cooked firm and drained.
Preheat oven to 450 F. Place tomatoes in a large baking dish. Pour olive oil and garlic over the tomatoes. Sprinkle salt and pepper and toss. Place a fresh sprig of rosemary on top Roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, take off the rosemary sprig, add shrimp, lemon juice, feta cheese, and toss. Back in the oven for 15 minutes until the shrimp are pink. Remove from oven.
Pour over pasta, add dried fresh rosemary, more fresh ground pepper to taste, and sprinkle more feta cheese on top. Serve hot and be prepared to share this recipe with everyone who enjoys it!
shrimp
Wild Georgia Shrimp! Of course, they’re always best enjoyed with your stay at Mermaid Cottages. We have Mini Mermaid Getaways available and even some longer stays, too. Reserve yours on our website or call/text us at 912.658.0714

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The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook is Almost Here!

If you live in the Savannah area, and you don’t know about The Back in the Day Bakery…WHAT are you waiting for? The Back in the Day Bakery sits at 2403 Bull Street in beautiful Savannah, Georgia and it’s only the best place ever for all things sweet, savory, and delicious. They say “Slow down and taste the sweet life,” and it isn’t just a tag line. Owners Griff and Cheryl Day believe “good food should nourish your body and soul.” When you visit Back in the Day Bakery, you enter a neighborhood bakeshop where everything is hand made in small batches. They put a real emphasis on quality and local ingredients, and you can taste the love in every bite!

The Back in the Day Bakery is known locally as well as nationally for their decadent, down-home desserts and scrumptious rustic breads. Now, we know everyone can’t make it to Savannah, so what’s the next best thing? A cookbook of course! That’s right! The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook is coming! We are super excited to see the finished product. Some of the cookbook was written right here on Tybee Island at our Mermaid Cottages! The cookbook celebrates the bakery’s tenth anniversary, and it’s packed with all the baking knowledge Griff and Cheryl have to share, right along with loads of amazing recipes to tempt your taste buds.

Just one yummy picture from the Back in the Day Bakery Facebook Page!

Back in the Day’s famous Buttermilk Biscones are in there as well as Old-Fashioned Cupcakes, Chocolate Bread, Cinnamon Sticky Buns, S’more Pie, Almond Crunchies, Drunk Blondies, Pinkies Chocolate Lunch-Box Treats, Rustic Cheddar Pecan Rounds, and the list goes on! The full-color photographs will make your tummy rumble. There are even behind-the-scenes bakery shots that will give you a peek into the day-to-day workings of  life at the bakery. This special cookbook celebrates family traditions, baking from scratch, and quality local ingredients. It’s basically a “down-home bake sale in a book!”

Where can you get yours? Well, the book will be available for purchase March 6, 2012, but you can pre-order a copy today! If you want to make sure to get your copy reserved before they hit the shelves, you can pre-order The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook at Amazon, Books-a-Million, Barnes and Noble, Indiebound, or Powell’s Books. So don’t wait! Order your copy today! We are so proud of Cheryl and Griff and want to send out a huge congratulations, happy ten years (and many more!), and a Thank You for every single smile we’ve had when we visit The Back in the Day Bakery! We can’t wait to pick up our copy of the cookbook!

 

 

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Diabetes in a New Light

In case you missed it, Paula Deen announced that she has Type 2 diabetes Tuesday on the TODAY Show. We are so proud of Paula’s brave announcement, it took a lot of guts! Here’s the video, if you didn’t catch her appearance this morning. All the best to you and yours, Paula, and thank you for sharing your story to help others dealing with the same disease!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Follow this link to a personal message from Paula. If you are interested in learning more about Type 2 Diabetes and even getting some lighter recipes from Paula herself, make sure to check out Diabetes in a New Light. Diabetes can be scary, but it is manageable. Best of luck and health, Paula! We love you!

 

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Cooking Class at the North Beach Bar and Grill!

Have you ever wanted to grow you cooking skills? Ever think about taking a cooking class, or two? Well, you’re in luck! If you happen to be on Tybee, you can learn some fun new things in the kitchen from The North Beach Bar & Grill! Designed for cooking enthusiasts of all skills levels, these classes are perfect for individuals, couples, and friends.  Even you accomplished chefs out there can learn some new cooking methods!

You eat a variety of meals in a day, so why not learn a variety of new meals to make at home? The classes range from appetizers through to dinner entrees and dessert, so there’s something for everyone. In addition to hands on training guided by Executive Chef Mir Ali, each class will last about two hours and will end with food and wine. You can attend a single class for $80, or reserve a spot in three classes for $200. Please book at least 24 hours in advance to reserve your spot. Book a class for yourself, or give one as a gift. Heck, do both!

Classes started January 10th. at 6:00pm, but you haven’t missed your chance! Classes run through February 28th, so grab your spot now!

Here’s the Winter Schedule of classes:

January 10     Appetizers

January 17    Soups and Salads

January 31    Entrees and Desserts

February 7     Appetizers

February 21  Soups and Salads

February 28  Entrees and Desserts

A maximum of 12 reserved spots will be available for each class and a minimum of five reservations will be required for each class to take place. If this is not met the class will be canceled and rescheduled for another day. Please call Chef Mir for detailed information pertaining to each class schedule at 912-704-6542. You can email Chef Mir at Mirali1@live.com for information as well.

Don’t wait! Call and reserve your spot in class today! You won’t regret it!

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Mermaids Make a Difference: We Love to be Green!

Around here, “being green” is about more than a pretty color! It’s so very important to Mermaid Cottages that we do our very best to take care of our environment, and we do everything we can to bring on the green. Being green isn’t as difficult as it seems. It is really just a lot of little actions that add up to big benefits when they become habits. We do a lot of those little things to reap the green benefits around here!

There are literally loads of ways to be a better steward of our Earth. What does Mermaid Cottages do to stay green? Well install Compact Fluorescent light bulbs in all of our homes to save on electricity and use Lo-flow water-saving devices in all bathrooms and outdoor showers. We keep all our cleaning products eco-friendly, which is better for you and your for legged family, too. We even conduct energy audits for all our homes to see where we might be able to save more energy. Mermaid Cottages even takes pride in making our outdoor living spaces as green as possible by planting drought resistant and local plants to help conserve water!

We invite our guests to join our green efforts during their stay, and maybe even take the good habits home with them! Here are just a few ways you can make your stay with Mermaid Cottages a little greener:

It's easier than you think!

Save Electricity
– Slay “Vampire Power” by turning off all lights, TVs, DVDs & computers when not in use
– Use the outdoor clothesline to dry your clothes (they smell good too!)
– Open the windows turn on the ceiling fans and enjoy the ocean breezes!
– Use Cold water, not Hot, in the washing machine
– Draw your curtains/blinds during the heat of the day

Save Fuel and Drive Less
– Walk, ride bikes, rent scooters or electric cars!
– Save gas and have more fun – Tybee is better enjoyed moving SLOW!

Recycle
– Glass, plastic, cans, newspapers: use the home’s green recycling container

Reduce, Reuse
– Take reusable bags during your trip to the grocery store
– Use Dish Cloths and cloth napkins and less paper products

Conserve Water
– While brushing teeth, turn water off, and use a cup of water to cleanse mouth of
toothpaste
– Use dishwasher only when completely full with dirty dishes
– Take shorter showers with tepid water

Make being green part of your every day routine, Y'all!

And that’s just getting started! It’s not just Earth friendly to be green…it’s even fun! Once you start thinking of ways to conserve, reduce, reuse, and recycle, the ideas just start flowing. So we invite you to join Mermaid Cottages in our efforts to be a little greener. Maybe even take the habits home as a way of keeping your Tybee State-of-Mind!

 

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