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? 

Tastefully Simple Lime Cheesecake... With a Ruthy Twist!

Talk about painless and delicious!

I bought a package of Key Lime Dip mix at that lovely Tastefully Simple party I went to in the fall....

I love lime. Just love it. But I don't like most Key Lime things because the ratio of graham cracker and lime is wrong.  Mind you, I know that's a personal thing, because clearly the rest of the world thinks it's RIGHT....

Umm...

Not me.

I like light lime and pastry, so here's what I did on Sunday because I needed something baked and had no time:

I patted sugar cookie dough into the bottom of a 10" souffle pan.... Or you can use a glass pie dish, or Corning Ware... glass works better because you don't end up with any metallic aftertaste.

Mmm... lime and aluminum....Not so much.

:)

When I make cookie dough I usually make a double batch (or more) and freeze some. So I pulled out a package of dough, patted it into the pan and baked it at 350 degrees for about 12-15 minutes. You can use the Pillsbury refrigerated dough at the grocery store. Or you can crush cookies to make a traditional crushed cookie crust (like a graham cracker crust only with shortbread cookies instead of crackers.)

That's it. That's your ingredient list right there in that pic! A tub of Cool Whip, an 8 oz. package of cream cheese and a box of the Key Lime mix....  (the recipe on the back calls for a graham cracker crust, but I've already revealed my inborn prejudice about lime X graham... so the cookie crust was a great alternative!

Mix the softened cream cheese and the lime mix together. Fold in Cool Whip.

Pile into cooled pie shell/cookie crust, etc.

It's missing a garnish. I was working on revisions and a new proposal though, so I didn't wait to garnish it. I'm not even sure what you should garnish it with... Lime slices to throw away? That seems wasteful. I like garnishes that get eaten... Share ideas if you have any because it really needs something not to look so plain....

BECAUSE IT WAS MELT-IN-YOUR-MOUTH wonderfully good to eat.

The only thing I'd do different is make the cookie crust a little thinner... and then watch to make sure it doesn't get over-cooked. I had about 3/8" to 1/2" of dough in the pan. When it rose, it became like a 3/4" crust... A little thick, right?  But it was tender and had that great Mary's Sugar Cookie taste, just marvelous.