Closing down my blog...

Due to personal issues I am closing my blog.  

I have been lucky to have met some wonderful people & I wish you all the best.

Thanks for following along with me this past year.

Watermelon fun...Mosaic Monday...Outdoor Wednesday...

 
"On your mark, get set, go!"

Those were the words of the judges at the watermelon eating contest on the 4th of July here on Hilton Head Island, S.C.

Each child was given a 1/4 of a watermelon to consume. 

After a few minutes some of the children were holding their stomachs while others kept up a frantic pace of eating their juicy watermelon, pits and all!

I have a feeling some of these children will never want to take a bite of watermelon for the remainder of the summer season.

(click on photo to enlarge)

 Do you have fun memories of  participating in a juicy and refreshing watermelon eating contest when you were a child on a hot summers day?

Inquiring minds want to know.

For more Mosaic Monday please visit our hostess Mary @ dear little red house HERE.

Please visit our hostess  Susan @ asoutherndaydreamer  Here for more Outdoor Wednesday fun.

Attention Izod your mascot is missing...

Last night I was on the phone with Sue @ RueMouffetard and I glanced out of my front door and this is what caught my eye.

A baby alligator complete with razor sharp teeth.

 

I told Sue to hang on because I wanted to get my camera and take a photo. Don't all good bloggers stop and grab their camera in a mini crisis?    Then it occurred to me that perhaps the Mama or Papa alligator could be hanging around teaching their little offspring how to terrorize the neighborhood.  I quickly hot tailed it back into the house and locked the door. Like a gator can really open a door?

A few minutes later I see my neighbor just sashaying down the block ever so slowly.  I bravely opened my door and told her there was an alligator headed in her direction.  She took off like a streak of lightening screaming in a high pitched voice with her brand new Hover-Round.  I think she burned the motor out on that one as it was smoking and she left burnt tire tracks on the pavement.  That alligator achieved in a few seconds what her physical therapist was trying to achieve in years. She jumped out of her chair and was not only walking but she was running .  I witnessed a true miracle*( see note below)  Hallelujah! 

Needless to say I am kicking myself this morning for not capturing that alligator. I could have made a beautiful pair of shoes (think he was only big enough for one shoe).

  Or a purse.

I should  have soaked that alligator in some buttermilk and dipped him ever so lightly  in FLOUR and fried him for dinner. Rumor has it alligator tastes like chicken so who would be the wiser when I served him/her at a blog luncheon.  You are all invited.
 

I could have become a millionaire with an alligator food stand on every corner in every major city across gator territory.    I could have made fried gator, baked gator, marinara gator, gator casserole, gator creole, gator grits, gator pickled claws, gator tots and last but not least gator cupcakes.  I could have had my own Alligator segment on the Cooking Network and become fat and famous.   To quote from a famous movie, "I could have become a contender" competing with my hero Bobby Flay doing an allligator throw down.

Who needs an alligator cupcake mold when I have real alligators to pull apart here on Hilton Head Island.

If you would like to purchase an alligator pull apart baking pan go here.

Don't you just want to whip up a batch of alligator cupcakes to scare the heck out of the grands to get back at the parents by having the kids stay up all night saying there are gators in the closets and under the beds?

Do you have any tried and true ALLIGATOR cupcake recipes?

Inquiring minds want to know.


Lemon Raspberry Angel Food Cupcakes

cupcake ingredients

• 1  (16-oz.) package DUNCAN HINES Angel Food Cake Mix
• 24  paper baking cups
• 3/4  cup  seedless raspberry jam
•  
• CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
• 1 1/2  (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/4  cup  butter, softened
• 1/4  cup  fresh lemon juice
• 1  (16-oz.) package powdered sugar, sifted
• 2  teaspoons  lemon zest
• GARNISH
• Fresh raspberries

Preparation

Prepare Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 325°. Prepare angel food cake batter according to package directions. Place paper baking cups into 2 (12-cup) muffin pans. Spoon batter into cups.
Bake at 325° for 22 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely (about 30 minutes).
Make a small hole in tops of cupcakes with a knife or end of a wooden spoon. Pipe or spoon about 1 tsp. raspberry jam into centers of cupcakes.
Prepare Frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; add lemon juice, beating just until blended. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended; stir in lemon zest.
Spread Cream Cheese Frosting on tops of cupcakes. Garnish, if desired.

Please visit our hostess Michele at Foodie Friday here for more recipes.

* Just kidding. My neighbor was actually walking but I thought we could all use a little humor today but she was running like her pants were on fire!
*green gator photo on public photo site.

Hilton Head Island celebrates 4th of July with a parade...

(click on photo )

Kids of all ages celebrate the 4th of July here on Hilton Head by participating in the annual parade.  This year "Mr. Vundervants" was excited to decorate his bike.  Of course we had to hype the event up in our house with "Mr. Vundervants" for a full week.  We all crossed our fingers that he would actually participate when the big day arrived.

First we decorated his bike helmet with pipe cleaners and stars.

Next we took coffee filters and had "Mr. Vundervants" paint them with markers and spray them with water.  We took  pipe cleaners and some tape and made them into flowers and attached them to the bike.

The result was one happy "Mr. Vundervants" participating in his first parade!

 We will celebrate the 4th of July by spending the day on the beach and having a BBQ.  Later tonight we will  view the fireworks with "Mr. Vundervants" if we can keep him awake that long.  We have been experiencing temperatures in the mid 80s here all weekend with NO humidity so this 4th of July has been perfect.  I hope you all have a perfect 4th of July celebration with family and friends.

Please visit littleredhouse  HERE for more Mosaic Monday.

Please visit Susan @asoutherndaydreamer  HERE for more Outdoor Wednesday.

Ina scores again with Peach & Blueberry Crumbles...Foodie Friday...

When little Oliver came to visit I made Ina's Peach and Blueberry crumbles recipe.  I did not have any ramekins so I baked it in a 8x8 Pyrex pan.  As a thank you gift the following week I received 8 of these Martha Stewart ramekins from Oliver and his Mom.

These ramekins enhance the presentation of this recipe.  The best thing about this recipe is that you can make them in the morning, store them unbaked in your refrigerator, and bake them just before your guests arrive.  We enjoyed them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.   

The recipe can be found in BAREFOOT CONTESSA AT HOME cookbook or you can find this recipe HERE 

If you would like to find more tried and true recipes please visit our hostess Michele at Foodie Friday HERE.

* Reminder to myself:  don't even think
about getting on the scale the next day!

Dog Day Afternoon on Hilton Head Island, S.C...Wordless Wednesday...

Summer Solstice with "Mr. Vundervants"...

~Summer time and the living is easy~

Ina's Tri-berry Muffins...hide your scales...foodie friday

Since berries are so abundant this time of year

and I was given a box of fresh fruit from this little cutie pie

I decided to whip up some muffins from the Barefoot Contessa At Home cookbook.

These muffins are amazing. Why? When the recipe calls for 2 sticks of butter what's not to like.

These super moist muffins were gobbled up in record breaking time. Ina does not list the calories in her recipe book, but trust me when I say that these little gems can do some major damage to your scale. Life is short so splurge and eat one and give the rest to friends. If you are looking for a tried and true recipe give this sweet and tart muffin a try.

~AWESOME~

Ina's tri-berry muffins (adapted)

3 c flour all purpose flour

1 Tb baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 Tb ground cinnamon

1 1/4 c milk

2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

1 c fresh blueberries

1/2 c fresh raspberries

1/2 c diced fresh strawberries

1 1/2 c sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line or grease muffin cups.
Sift dry ingredients in a large bowl.
In another bowl combine milk, eggs and melted butter. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet mixture into the well, and stir until just combined. There will be lumps but don't overmix!
Now add the berries and sugar and stir gently. (yes, this is how it is written)
Fill muffin cups.
Bake for 20-25 min or until a toothpick comes out clean and tops are nicely browned.

Makes 12-12-6 muffins.

Be sure to visit Foodie Friday Here hosted by Michelle of designsbygollum.

THE VINTAGE TABLE...Tablescape Thursday...

I WON!

Thank you to the sunny side of the porch HERE for hosting this wonderful giveaway contest. Please go and take a peak at her wonderful blog. I was the lucky winner of a copy of THE VINTAGE TABLE Personal TREASURES and Standout SETTINGS by Jacqueline deMontravel and the Editors of ROMANTIC HOMES MAGAZINE.


Ladies let me tell you to start your holiday shopping now for your friends and family who love to tablescape. This book is amazing EYE CANDY. The photography will inspire you to create a table setting that is fun and unforgettable. Treat yourself to a copy because you deserve it. You all know that I prefer to read cookbooks but I honestly can't stop reading this book. Yes, it is that good!

Here are some photos I snapped of the book to entice you all to buy a copy today!

Brunch anyone?

Dishing on Summer!

Hot reds in the kitchen!

Dinnerware tools to create a table!

Summer past to present tablescaping!

Blues clues to mix and match!

History of Kitchen Collectibles!

For more tried and true TST this week please visit our hostess Susan betweennapsontheporch HERE.

Lost in translation...

I'm wilting on Hilton Head Island...

H E L P
Heat index possibly 110* today.
Don't send chocolate!

Mosaic Monday ... beach baby...

This past week my daughters friend joined us on Hilton Head with little Oliver for some sun, surf & sand. Oliver was not a big fan of the ocean but enjoyed playing with water in the beach bucket. As all babies do he had a few tastes of the yucky sand. Due to the heat index it was way too hot to keep a baby on the beach for a long period of time. As you can see in one of the collage photos little Oliver was quickly headed for a nap and we were all headed back to the air conditioned house for a nap ourselves.

For more Mosaic Monday photos please visit our hostess Mary at the little red house HERE.

I'm in dry dock ...Mystery of the Hives...

Just like this fishing vessel I am in dry dock here on Hilton Head, S.C. No playing in the water for me today.

For those of you who read my post about Cobia Fish I want to tell you what happened to me after I ate the fish. I ended up in the ER at 4AM with a case of Acute Hives that were so bad I could not sit down on my " buttocks" to quote Forest Gump. The itching was worse then watching a flea on a dog and I had the urge to howl at the moon! I even had hives on my ears and on the back of my head as well as most of my trunk and under my arms.. I was covered in a giant ball of red skin that seemed to pop out of nowhere and attach itself onto the next hive creating a giant blob. Not a pretty sight.

I called my Dr. who suggested the regular procedure of some benedryl. It seemed to take the itch away for about 2 hours but there were so many new hives there was no way I could keep up with this so I decided after 24 hours the ER was the best place for me as my hands were getting numb and my upper lip felt like it was swelling. It really scared me. Hubby said can you wait until morning? I told him to turn on the lights and take a look at me. The look on his face confirmed that I had indeed turned into a character in a horror movie.

The Dr. in the ER said he could not say for sure if it was the Cobia fish, a fish bite on my foot (not jelly most likely not sting ray as he could not see a barb), or the new flavor of sun chips I was eating , or an exposure to a chemical as I was playing in the garden or a bee bite. I am allergic to bees and would have blown up like a blow fish within 5 minutes so I know it was not a bee. It is a mystery?

Lots of meds in the ER and 4 prescriptions later I am feeling better. The hives are receding and thankfully less itching. As you can tell from writing this I can now sit on my Buttocks once again. Of course I am having a reaction to one of the meds as I awoke this AM with a beet red face. I not sure which med is causing this problem? It is a never ending battle. So here I sit in dry dock contemplating the great mysteries of life!

I am not sure if it is the Cobia fish but I wanted to say to those of you who have shell fish allergies you may not want to eat the Cobia even though it is Not a shell fish. I am allergic to crab and lobster but not to shrimp or other shell fish which is strange.

I was given an epi pen to carry with me at all times and was told to inject myself and go directly to the ER at the first sign of my next hive episode. I pray this is the last of the hives for me ever again!

Foodie Friday... Grilled Cobia Fish...

This week I wrote about buying local fish here on Hilton Head Island, S.C. HERE. I returned to the fish market and purchased a pound of Cobia fish which served three adults.

I grilled the Cobia and we agreed that the Cobia was meaty and delicious and had a nice mild flavor. It is not a flaky fish like Talapia, I would definitely purchase Cobia again when it is in season. Ask your local fish market if they carry Cobia and try it. You will not be disappointed.

Recipe can be found HERE.

For more Foodie Friday recipes please visit our host Michelle at designsbygollum HERE.

Fresh local seafood on Hilton Head Island...

It sure does not get any fresher then shrimp boats pulling up to the docks here on Hilton Head to unload their catch of the day. This is the beginning of shrimp season here in South Carolina. Shrimp season runs here until the water turns cold in the winter.

If you are visiting Hilton Head make a stop at Benny Hudsons Seafood and speak with Tanya (above photo) who will give you the heads up on what fish are running at the present time.

Right now Grouper and Snapper and Cobia are running (outside) off shore toward the golf shore.

Cobia is served grilled or poached. Chefs Jaimie Oliver and Mario Batali once had the "Battle of the Cobia" on Iron Chef America in Januray 2008.

Local bass are running inside the perimeter but I really want to try the Cobia this week.

Anyone have a tired and true Cobia recipe to share with me?

Please remember to buy locally whenever you can to support your local fishermen.

I am linking to Watery Wednesday HERE
&
I am linking to Outdoor Wednesday HERE

Color magic on a hot summers day!

My friend Annie once gave me some words to live by:

"There is not that much in life you can really control,
but you sure can control the color or your hair."

To view more Mosaic Mondays please visit Mary at the little red house here.

TRAGEDY coming to your area soon thanks to BP...

I am so upset at what is happening on the coast with the oil. Today the CEO of BP put out a commercial on TV saying that this would not cost taxpayers a nickle. Is he willing to buy our homes that are on the coast surrounded by oil or pay the fishermen who now have no jobs etc.?

Why doesn't BP fire this CEO and also make him say publicly that he was wrong. Not to have a solution to this problem before they started drilling?

My bet would be he walks away with a golden parachute and lives on a beautiful beach that is not surrounded with oil and we are left using our parachutes to clean up the BP mess for generations to come.

Vote Vets has a wonderful commercial on TV now that you may want to take a peak at HERE

Outdoor Wednesday...bird watching...

Nothing like a pair of homemade binoculars (working on the pronunciation)
to keep "Mr. Vundervants" busy.

Waiting patiently for a blue bird or a robin to appear.

Not a bird in sight on this sun filled 70* day.

"Mr. Vundervants" is not impressed and thinks all this bird watching is definitely for the birds!

For more Outdoor Wednesday please visit our hostess Susan HERE.
asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com

A bit of humor to make you SMILE...

Here is a joke my husband passed onto me and I would like to share it with all my blogging friends because everyone can use a bit of humor to make them SMILE.

Last night, my kids and I were sitting in the living room and I said to them,

"I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine and fluids from a bottle.

If that ever happens, just pull the plug."

They got up, unplugged the Computer, and threw out my wine .

They are SO on my s*** list!

I'm back...Hilton Head...Outdoor Wednesday...Watery Wednesday...

I am back to blogging again on the my new computer. I was able to save some files and some photos thankfully. It is amazing how we all have come to depend upon our computers.

We took a quick trip down to the beach house to get it ready for the summer months. We had some friends come down to join us for the weekend and the weather was glorious. I had my first walk of the 2010 season to wiggle my toes in the warm sand and to dip my toes in the blue waters of the Atlantic ocean. Lots of folks in the water but it was a bit too cold for me to take the full body plunge just yet. Our little area of the beach was quiet and calm before the tourist season officially begins on Memorial day.



There are many trees along the dock draped with Spanish moss that twist and turn toward the ocean as they grow. I love to ride my bike to the docks after dinner and enjoy the sunset views.


Here I am with my friend Joyce this weekend. Yes we are the "Two Joyce's". It gets very confusing when our husbands call out our names. It sounds like stereo with both of us answering. We met a few years ago on a tour to Italy with our husbands. Joyce is a fun and easy house guest and loves the beach as much as I do. I think that Joyce was a mermaid in a previous life as she jumps right into the ocean no matter what the temperature. She makes the most delicious chocolate covered pretzels but we ate them all before I remembered to take a photo.

I invite you to follow along with me this summer as I share more Hilton Head Island, S.C. photos as well as the surrounding areas of this magical island.

I am linking HERE at a southerndaydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday.

I am linking up to Watery Wednesday HERE

Where have I been...Computer Crash...

FYI:

My computer has been on life support for a few days.

The computer doctors are having a conference to determine if and when to pull the plug.

Waiting to see who is having a computer sale this week in case the computer has to go to computer

HEAVEN .

Borrowing hubby's computer at the moment.

Daughter F I N A L L Y moved into her new home so I have been helping out with the move and taking care of Mr. Vundervants.

Lot's of before and after photos of the house to share when my computer is up and about.

Miss y'all!

Big Wheels turning...Mosaic Monday...

I hope you enjoy all these vintage wheels and steering wheels in the above mosaic.

If you missed my previous post of the The Allure of the Automobile at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta please go HERE.

To view more Mosaic posts please visit our hostess Mary HERE.

Join me for a quick spin at the High Museum of Art...