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A Tybee Saturday night, Champagne , Mink and Teva’s

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We started the New Year off great with our now annual Mermaid Cottages January Celebration. ( we decided after last night this needs to be annual AND in January!) We included everyone who works with Mermaid Cottages, helps with Mermaid Cottages , stays at Mermaid Cottages , members of our Mermaid Cottages Facebook group and just other dear Tybee people and friends! Dutton Waller was the host cottage and people showed up! In droves! We had guests ranging from in age from the 80’s ( Mrs. Williams, Curly and Dee) to the single digits ( Nevon and Fallon.) The weather was perfect, cool, but not too cold, full moon and white lights all over the wrap around screened porch and as requested- positive attitudes only. No grouches! I decided that despite all the bad economic news, we’re going to treat our world as one full of abundance and we have what we need to not only survive, but to be very happy! And we were happy Saturday night!

The food served was munchies- there will be a completely separate blog on the Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding…. lots of good stuff including Back in the Day cupcakes, Mary Lou’s Gooey Butter Cake, Castaway Coconut Cake and Tiara Miso courtesy of Fio and Michael who are staying at Flip Flop Cottage. Champagne, beer and wine added to our cheerful attitudes!

I asked people to wear sparkles and many complied. Our favorite was the home owner of Fiddler on the Creek. Katie wore her mom’s 1950’s sparkly jacket with mink cuffs. Katie is a huge animal person but we all agreed your mom’s vintage jacket was ok to wear . She topped off her stunning jacket in true Tybee Style…. Teva Sandals.

Lots and lots of fun, so much so the party that ended at 11Pm didn’t end until after midnight. I literally was going around turning off the lights saying goodnight. Nevon and Fallon, our single digit aged guests actually found a bed to crawl in and fall asleep. Smart girls!

Now we’re on to planning our very first Mermaid Cottages parade entry …. stay tuned!

These pictures are courtesy of Sherri Simmons who takes pictures for Savannah Now. You can see all the party pictures by going to http://www.spotted.savannahnow.com/ Thank you Sherri!
Lastly, here is an excerpt from an email my very talented artist friend, Pam Martin sent describing the party that I’d like to share:
“I have to tell you that what I will remember most, is as I was leaving for the evening I looked back up at the home and actually paused in the driveway – the home was warmly uplighted, and the incredibly fat full moon was gazing at herself on the river, and you could hear the wonderful conversations and laughter carried on the Atlantic breeze. I actually thought to myself that the original owners of this home must have been very satisfied this night to know that their home was once again so loved by someone special like you and that happiness and life was flowing back into it. What a wonderful gift, indeed!”
Thank you Pam, I agree, Blanche Waller is smiling knowing that her beach house is full of happiness and love still!

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Coconuts from the Beaches of Miami to the Mountains of West Virginia

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I’ve left Miami, headed home to Tybee and had a few friends over for a little holiday dinner and wanted to try a new shrimp recipe. When you live on an island where shrimp live, I always want to cook shrimp! I came across a wonderful blog recently http://www.plumbushcottage.blogspot.com/ and saw this delicious recipe! It’s meant to be a marinade for grilling shrimp, but I took the recipe and stir fried and then poured over popcorn brown rice. The juices soaked up into the rice and it was just incredible! Of course buying shrimp from Lazeretto Creek Seafood right off Capt. Roy’s shrimp boats added to the flavor..

 

I’ve now left Tybee to be home with my family for Christmas and wanted to make dinner tonight. The Coconut Peach Shrimp was such a hit, I decided to recreate the dinner. With an added bonus- Joanne Tompkins- co owner of Castaway Cottage- makes an incredible Coconut Cake. We’ve been lucky enough to enough the cake a few times and since my mom loves coconut and since it’s way below freezing here, I thought it would be the ideal desert!

 

Here are the recipes to try for yourself and enjoy. We can’t always be on our little sea island, but we can always make dinners that bring comfort and joy and remind us of the beach!

 

Peach Coconut Shrimp
Serves 4
  • 1 lb. shrimp, peeled
  • 3/4 cup peach marmalade ( or you can just use peach preserves)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp. Coconut Rum ( make the extra effort to find coconut rum- Cruzan Rum is ideal!)
  • 1 small vidalia or sweet onion, finely minced
  • 1 clove garlic, finely minced
  • Sea Salt and pepper, to taste
I mixed everything together and let marinade for about an hour in the refrig. Then I poured everything into a very hot frying pan and sauteed until the shrimp turned pink. I poured the entire mixture over the brown cooked rice. I used popcorn rice because it’s so delicious and has a very buttery taste, but any kind would be fine I’m sure.

 

Castaway Coconut Cake
  • 1 box Duncan Hines Golden Butter Cake Mix ( or you can make your own yellow cake from scratch- but this cake mix is quite good. Be sure you buy the golden butter mix)
  • 2 Cups White Sugar

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  • 2 Cups Sour Cream ( or use 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup plain yogurt)

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  • 2 packages of coconut

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  • 1 1/2 Cups of Cool whip ( or you whip your own heavy cream instead)

Bake the cake according to directions using two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans . Split each cake in half. Combine the sugar, sour cream and coconut. Chill. Set aside 1 cup of the coconut mixture. Spread the remaining coconut mixture in between each of the cake layers and stack. Take the 1 cup coconut mixture and add the cool whip (or the whipped heavy cream.) Frost the top and sides and toss with coconut on top. Chill. Ideally you’re supposed to seal this in an air tight container and serve 3 days later… but we can’t wait that long! You do need to keep the cake refrigerated.

Big, big hit both these recipes!!!!

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The surprise that was a surprise that was a surprise!

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We love a party here on Tybee. Doesn’t matter what the occassion, we just love to gather together, eat good food and visit! One of the joys of small town living. So a group of my very dear friends decided to surprise me with a gathering for my upcoming birthday! The only problem is, I’m a moving target during this time of the year and they took a risk and picked a date. Sue Bentley, one of our favorite realtors here on Tybee and a part time mermaid, took on the coordination of the surprise party. E invites went out, rsvp’s collected, food prepared but guess what- the birthday girl- me- already had accepted another invitiation for the same night that I couldn’t back out of! Poor Sue and then Mary Lou, Judy, Teresa, etc etc, when they called me to tell me they had planned this surprise party, I had to tell them I couldn’t be there!
But Tybee being Tybee decided to have the surprise party without me! As Fallon and Nevin said- it’s a “because party” as in, we want to have a party just because! Life being life, my dinner date was delayed due to traffic, so I hopped on my bike and surprised my birthday surprise party by showing up! Yeah! Delicious food, great friends and a birthday cake that was the winning cake receipe at the recent Baptist Church bake off here on the island!
Thank you to everyone who had a hand in the planning and attended. Look for the receipe in a future blog. And a very special thank you to Joyce and Gary for hosting the event at their terrific Tybee home!

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Old Fashioned Fun Thursday Night July 31st.. A Drive-In Movie!

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Just in time for “Shark Week” on the Discovery Channel…… JAWS will be the summer movie kicking off our first Drive -In of the season! Da Da…. Da Da… da da da da da da ( do you remember the first time you heard that movie sound track???

Here are the details. See you there!

For Residents and Visitors!
Thursday Evening, JULY 31st

Tybee “DRIVE-IN”
Films, Food and Fun at Tybee’s North Beach!
Load up the entire family for an old fashioned,
“summertime experience” in the comfort of your vehicle!
(or just walk or bicycle over to North Beach
with your lawn chair, bug spray and radio!)

SHOWING THURSDAY, JULY 31st:

PETER BENCHLEY’S BEACHSIDE THRILLER

“JAWS”

Admission: $10 per vehicle, or $5 per individual
Main parking lot gate opens for movie going vehicles at 7:00 PM.
Walkers and bikers may enter at North Beach Grill gate,
at beach crossovers, or main parking lot gate.

Come early to grab a good spot, get a bite to eat and take a walk on the beach.
Optional movie Concession sales will be provided by North Beach Grill
including popcorn, snacks & soft drinks.

Movie starts at sundown (No later than 9:00 PM).
FOR MORE INFO CALL: 912-323-7727 or 912-655-0144

“Jaws” is the first of three films being sponsored by *Friends of the Tybee Theater Productions
with help from the Lucas Theater, StageFront Presentations and the City of Tybee Island.
Films are showing on Thursdays this season at North Beach Parking Lot, and will feature
Big Screen Projection and Low Frequency FM Radio Broadcasting.

* All proceeds go to benefit the Tybee Post Theater

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Birthday Dinner at The Old Fort Bakery with the Mary Kay Andrews Family & Friends

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The Mary Kay Andrews Family is in town to start the process of renovating their Tybee Island Dream House, The Breeze Inn. Our regulars readers will of course know who the NY Times Best Seller Author is- Mary Kay has written a number of terrific books, including a trilogy about two southern women and their life’s adventures in Savannah and Tybee. The book she’s currently working on is called “The Fixer Upper”, very appropiate as they start to create their very own beach house out of a very neglected old house…. If you haven’t already become a regular reader of Mary Kay’s Blog- you need to start! http://www.marykayandrews.com/ ( be sure to read about her recent junking adventure and the discovery of the a Bomb Fuse Case which now proudly resides in SeaSide Sisters and the Tybee Bomb Shell booth ……)
Kathy and Family ( her real name- remember Mary Kay Andrews is a combination of her two children’s names ) invited me over to dinner to help celebrate her birthday, catch up on the good news of her daughter Katie and experience the incredible old Fort Screven Bakery.

Katie’s good news is she’s now working with my very dear Marriott friend, Libby Gooden handling the details and arrangements of a series of customer events for Marriott’s key business segments. Talk about a flashback in my life, hearing about Katie’s first week working with Libby brought such a smile to my face. Events that I had helped created for Marriott, people I’ve known and worked with for years- both hotel friends and customers and travel to places that I knew like the back of my hand- all are part of her wonderful new business life. This is a match made in heaven, Libby has grown so much she needs a very strong assistent and Katie has the skill set, ambition and desire to jump right in and make everything happen that’s needed. And to make the circle even more complete- our other dear friend Susan Jacobs who had been helping Libby with the project work, just took on a brand new assignment managing an incredible small resort in South Carolina ( her dream job!) which cleared the path for Katie to come on board. I’m so happy for Susan, Libby and Katie and happiest for myself because I get to stay on my little island, managing my wonderful homes and cottages and getting around on my old beach bike or island car ( vs the jets, limos and taxis of my former career.) Amazing how perfect this is for all of us!
The Bakery is just glorious. The Smith Family took on this renovation project several years ago and turned the old bakery into a welcoming family beach house. Some of the details that make this home so special are the soaring ceilings, wide open spaces , family touches that are everywhere ( this is a home where the children are allowed to make this their home as well) and proud display of the building’s former life as a bakery. The porch is dedicated to the former owner ” Miss Edith who loved Tybee, loved her porch and loved to welcome people to her home. Again, the Smith Family in a very special touch, had a plaque mounted to remind everyone who came to the home about Miss Edith.
Dinner- Shrimp boats made from shrimp fresh off the boat from our local favorite seafood stand, Bowie Seafood, salad with produce from Davis’s Produce on Whitmarsh Island and…… Crab Pie and hot Crab dip! Tacky Jacky (a dear friend of Kathy who has made appearances in the Savannah Breeze and Savannah Blues books) lives here on the island , has her own dock and CRABS FOR HER OWN CRABS! And then creates incredible receipes!!! She brought not only one but two dishes for dinner both filled with hand picked fresh blue crab meat. Thank you Jackie!
Mr. Mary Kay made the shrimp dish- Shrimp boats- a receipe from a cookbook I’ve never seen before but will be purchasing before the week is over. “Screened Doors and Sweet Tea”. I spent part of the evening going thru the pictures and receipes, making mental notes about which receipe to try when. Not only is the food perfect southern delights, but the pictures and text just as special to read and absorb. The book will be for sale later this summer at SeaSide Sisters Coastal Cottage Shop. More to come on this book as I start to make receipes from the book..
Thank you Kathy, Tom and family for including me in your family gathering! Note this picture of Kathy sporting her birthday present- a bright pink foldable sun visor hat. Ideal for traveling… Can’t wait to be part of the celebration party for The Breeze Inn! ( And for Mary Kay fans- we’ll be taking reservations for the cottage for next spring and summer later this year….. the family has graciously agreed to add their newly restored home to the Mermaid Cottage Collection next year!!)
And note the mermaid sighting! I think she is from Thailand- she has a very south asia flair to her.

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