Saturday, July 13, 2013

Beach Party Lingo!



Nothing says summer like the beach. I may not get there this summer but I return often in my memories. I've learned beach vacations mean different things for different people.  Families have special places they return to each year.  They eat different food. Do different things. Read different books.  So many memories.   Here are some of mine:

Blueberry Pie

Ahem, I know what you are thinking. “Julie is a member of the Partridge family?” or “That is not a picture of blueberry pie.”  I was obsessed with Partridge Family books that went along with the TV program.  In one adventure, David and the rest of the family had a cookout in a New England cove.  Clam bake, corn and blueberry pie.  For some reason, the writer’s description has stayed in my memory until today.  If blueberry pie is on the menu, I get it. If it isn’t, I make it.

Chincoteague


My best beach memories from childhood involve Chincoteague, Virginia.  You may have heard of town, its famous pony roundup to benefit the fire department or the book Misty of Chincoteague.  I loved Chincoteague and its beach on Assateague Island. No development. Just ponies, miles of unadulterated beach, and dinners of Mom’s steamed seafood.  

Calabash Style

Calabash has more restaurants than people! More fried seafood than anywhere else it seems.

When I moved to North Carolina from Maryland, I had to get used to developed beaches and Calabash style seafood.  Man O and I compromised on the beach style by going to Kure Beach, located near Fort Fisher Park with undeveloped beachfront, an aquarium and Civil War fort to explore. But it also meant I had to eat seafood deep fried, served with hushpuppies and key lime pie. What makes Calabash style different from other fried seafood is using self-rising flour which makes it a lighter coating. Or so my research tells me. Sadly, with my allergies, I am back to steamed. Happily, there is Old Bay seasoning.      

Old Bay Seasoning


You can’t grow up in Maryland without knowing about this classic seasoning The history of Old Bay. Educate yourself. .  I know people who can’t get it where they live in the US so they stock up when they come back home to visit.  My mother would steam shrimp and crabs and sprinkle the Old Bay on with butter and gusto! 

Crab Cakes 
North Carolina has blue soft shell crabs that are eaten whole on the buns, not Maryland crab cakes. Just not the same.  I can’t think about my crab staring at me while I eat it.  Also, there’s a reason places call their crab cakes “Maryland style.”  Maryland has the best crab cakes hands down and that is my best summer memory.  The original recipe on the box includes breadcrumbs but the mark of a great crab cake is as little bread as possible in the patty. This is also a great way to fix tuna or salmon cakes. Crab is pricey but tuna doesn't hold the same memories!!!

So what are your beach memories or lake stories? 


40 comments:

  1. Oooh, I'm first!!

    I have pretty much no idea what you're talking about. Every summer my family would spend a few weeks at a beach place on the Oregon coast. This included beach combing and lots of ice cream and French fries and being very, very cold.
    I still have my original Misty book!! I love it so much!!
    Have never seen the Partridge Family shows or the books.

    Wondering about the whole crab on a bun. Aren't they in shells?? :O :O :O

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  2. My high school friend mentioned she didn't know there were Partridge Family books but at least she was my age. Oh, you youngster.

    Softserve ice cream is big here on the East Coast. That and sunburn.

    And yes, the crabs are "soft shell," after they molt, so you would eat the whole thing. Disgusting!

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  3. Hi Julie! I owned that exact copy of "Misty of Chincoteague" and read it many times. Beach memories . . . Having grown up in southern California, I spent many summer afternoons in the sand and waves. Good times!

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    1. The new copies just aren't the same, are they? I still love that cover the best.

      Growing up on the East Coast and going to Chincoteague, I always thought the book was a local thing. Little did I know!

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  4. Love this post! I had a crush on David Cassidy, but my older sister told me I was too young and he belonged to her. Whatever.

    We're taking our family vacation in Ocean City, MD, this year and Assateague is on the list of what we MUST do. I'm really looking forward to it! I was going to take my mom to Chincoteague last year, but Hurricane Sandy had other plans.

    And I'd never heard of Old Bay until I moved up here. Now it's a staple in the pantry.

    I was going to say I didn't take family trips to the beach because we lived 3 miles away and I just grew up ON the beach in SoCal (close to Victoria!). And I have a bajillion stories and memories about that. But that would be untrue because we camped as a family either on the central California Coast or down close to San Diego. And those trip all have great memories for me.

    Thanks for the trip, Julie!

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    1. I remember when I saw the West Coast for the first time. Where was all the sand?

      It was so much fun writing this post and remembering.

      Peace, Julie

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    2. I was a huge David Cassidy fan, too! Major crush. :)

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  5. Sigh -- nothing like summer memories, eh? We would go to the beach for two weeks every summer -- lake not ocean though. I loved it. Reading Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew books under the covers at night with a flashlight and then speculating on the nefarious lives of our fellow vacationers on the beach. I was sure I was surrounded by murderers, kidnappers and thieves. LOL.

    And this to die for spice cake that I've never been able to duplicate. It was made by a local lady and sold out of the back of her husband's truck. Honestly the holiday would have been worth it just for one piece of that cake. The icing was incredible, the cake so moist and sweet and spicy and...argh...now I'm craving it again.

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    1. You and me both! Something about memories makes everything taste better and so hard to replicate.

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  6. That was the same Misty book I read (you and I are close in age, I believe *wink*). I devoured all the horse books--fiction and non-fiction--in our elementary school library. *sigh*

    I never knew there were Partridge Family books. I was addicted to the show (Ginny, you are soooo young! And making me feel soooo old...especially when some of my grandkids are older than your youngest...) and read lots of the magazines that wrote about them and Bobby Sherman and... Okay, really showing my age now.

    The only time we ever vacationed at the beach was when we visited my aunt and uncle for a few days one summer on the Atlantic. My biggest memories? Stepping on something that kept me out of the water the rest of the time (I didn't know how to swim anyway; I just waded), and watching my beach ball sail off into the horizon.

    We live about 10-15 minutes from Lake Ontario, but I don't go to the beach. I'm not into crowds or the sun, so I prefer to go in the off-season (went there in March and sat in the parking lot and watched the waves hit the sand and pier leading to the newer lighthouse; I'd run out of church before it started because I was having a bad morning and couldn't come home yet).

    And we are not seafood people. Just give me the horse books, LOL! ;-)

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    1. Bobby Sherman was my fave truly.

      Even with the beach here, we prefer the fall. So beautiful and no hurricanes.

      Do love the horse books!

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    2. Actually, Bobby held my heart for longer than David. :)

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    3. I agree, Missy and Julie! To this day I sometimes Google Bobby to see what he's up to... *blush*

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  7. My daughter-in-law was signed in to my computer last night and never signed back out, so Random Heart is actually me, Melanie. *sigh*

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    1. And here I thought you were some exotic out of lurkdom writer ;-)

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    2. Oh, good. I was wondering who on EARTH knew I was called Ginny!! I thought I had a stalker, hahaha!

      Kidding. :)

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    3. "Exotic out of lurkdom writer" -- exotic would never ever in a million years describe me, LOL. :)

      Yep, a stalker from 3,000 miles away. "I'll get you, my pretty!"

      Okay, I need to stop commenting on other people's comments this evening... Seriously.

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  8. My favorite vacation memories as a child are going to my grandparents' and cousins' house. Favorite as an adult are beach memories--the Gulf Coast. Panama City and Orange Beach.

    I'm so ready for a vacation.

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    1. I really want to visit the Gulf Coast and the Keys.

      Can't wait to see you next week, Missy!

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  9. Davy Jones of the Monkees was my beloved. WHAT WAS I THINKING????????

    HOLD THE PRESSES, JHS!!!!

    People eat soft-shell crabs with the soft shell on?????

    Is this really true?

    Please say no.

    No is an EASY WORD. EASY PEASY. I cannot imagine it, cringing!!!

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  10. YES. It is true. Someone pull out the fainting couch!

    http://www.mackenzieltd.com/soft-shell-crabs?gclid=CNTRleegrbgCFY2e4AodJA8Akg

    Davy Jones. Be still my heart.

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  11. I love all of these things in your post Julie. Great job.

    Dh and ds still enjoy watching the Partridge Family together. Those guys are something else.

    In the July/August issue of Food Network magazine, there is a recipe for soft shell crab sandwiches with up close pictures! Truly disgusting!

    Piper

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    1. I just remember trying one a loooong time ago and not being able to get past the eyes staring at me.

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    2. Wait, men watch Partridge family too?

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  12. I can see this is going to be a multi-part response.

    JULIE!!!!!! How did I not know there were books that accompanied The Partridge Family??? My mother is going to have some explaining to do!

    Chincoteague. I was trying to get hubby to go there on vacation with me. I've never been but always wanted to go. He says no, too hot. Hmmmm, Julie. Road trip? I'll bring blueberry pie. :)

    Ohhh, and we can eat crab cakes along the way. Nothing says summer to me like a Friday dinner with seafood and chilled white wine.

    My summer memories have a weird twist. I grew up on Long Island less than 5 miles from the the ocean.
    I LOVE the ocean. Nothing fills me with peace the way the sound of waves do. The feel of sand and salt water - pure bliss.

    So what did my parents do?

    They bought a lake house in the Poconos. So every summer I was dragged AWAY from my beloved ocean to go sit on a dock by a lake where you swam and things slithered against your legs.

    I know. Pity me. Okay, it was a summer house, but why didn't they buy it by the ocean. Yeah, price. Sometimes I think the only reason I want to sell books is to be able to afford to summer by the ocean.



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    1. Mary Curry, after seeing Cape Cod, I'm with you. Although living on the shores of a Great Lake is similar. Huge, crashing surf some days, tranquil waters on others. And you can see for scores of miles, with nothing between you and the horizon, so that's nice.

      And I love my farm. I love my big old farmhouse.

      But I miss water.

      We should all POOL OUR FUNDS for an oceanside place.

      Whaddya think?

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    2. I am in. LOVE the idea of a writer retreat on Cape Code. Or even Maine. I love Maine.

      I agree about lakes. They can be mysterious ala Loch Ness but can just be slimy!

      But we could all at least meet at Chincoteague if nothing else.

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    3. Doesn't that sound perfect?

      I was always so jealous of our nuns because they had a house at the shore for retreats.

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  13. Okay, Julie, I should have read comments first. Bobby Sherman. Be still my heart. My husband knows Bobby was his only real competition.
    And he's grown into such a nice, generous man.

    Did I ever tell you my daughter bought be Here Come the Brides on DVD for Christmas a few years ago?

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    1. Ohhhhh, I am so jealous. Loved that show. I didn't realized I could get it on DVD.

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    2. Does our hotel have a DVD player? LOL HCTB party.

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  14. I used to watch the Partridge Family faithfully, and can't understand why I didn't know they also had books out! I read Cherry Ames and Nancy Drew, and all the dog stories of Albert Payson Terhune.

    I don't remember doing much of excitement as a child on holidays. My parents took me camping and into a wilderness area where later they bought property on a lake for a cabin. It was my early years of marriage where we spent every July on an island in the PNW... sometimes we staying in a rough wee cabin, but most times parking our trailer under a tree within spitting distance of the seashore. I remember picking blackberries from along the sides of the lane that led into the property, and I'd make muffins and blackberry crumbles in either the cabin's cranky woodstove or the very tiny trailer oven. Some days I'd spend most of the day painting, with my easel set up on the shale of the shore, and only stopping to grab crackers, cheese and fruit when the children complained about no lunch. Good memories!

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    1. Carol, what lovely memories. Sounds marvelous.

      I read Nancy Drew as well. And a lot of the old classics.

      Will have to check out Albert P. Terhune.

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  15. You have all been busy!

    Carol - yes! the Albert Payson Terhune books! I found some for my Kindle...and they're free. :)

    I've been to the east coast one time...I was nine...loved it.

    But the beach I grew up with was Lake Michigan. There's nothing like watching the sunset from a Lake Michigan sand dune. Of course, eating a S'more at the same time just sweetens the deal!

    And the Misty books I grew up with are the same as yours, Julie. My copies are currently in storage (climate controlled) until I get my office back.

    Have a good weekend, everybody!

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    1. Smores. Nothing better. And sunsets, no matter the location, are beautiful.

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  16. I have OLD BAY SEASONING. But I actually don't know what to do with it. I use it on fish.

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    1. You are using it right! Try mixing it with mayo or sour cream for a sauce too.

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