Thursday, December 31, 2009

Happy New Year Dewey Beach!

Happy New Year's Dewey and Rehoboth Beach and Lewes too!
  Except as a formality, throughout my life, New Year's never has been the start of my New Year.
 As a child having spent the entire Summer at the beach returning to school after Labor Day and coinciding with early Fall's Rosh Ha Shonah is my New Year.  This past year the High Holidays fell on weekends; I was so happy attending services with Rehoboth's Seaside Jewish Community!
The month of May is the beginning of my Dewey Beach Season!  My Summer Season New Year starts here!  Opening the cottage, new sandals and new swimsuits, renewal of good-times with  friends not seen for 6 months, opening businesses welcoming all.  
The Summer House "Formal Party" starts off the New Summer season.... we are shiny-new and wear gowns and tux's. 
By Labor Day with the change in sunlight, I follow the cue and ready myself for my Fall New Year.  By Halloween....... how fitting is the week when many businesses hold closing parties..... the end of their year. 
Dewey Beach, Many Blessings for a Happy ( that is a given ) and Prosperous New Year!

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Beach Sand & Mountain Snow

My six months of Delaware beach-side and ( legal) dune wandering does not translate well to scrambling Pennsylvania rocky trails.  Eight weeks after cottage-Winterizing, back "On The Mountain" and I am still trying to get my "trail legs".  
 Weekends I've favored flat trails.  My one adventure negotiating the rocky trail and summit of Waggoner's Gap Hawk Watch left me wondering why I left Delaware!
Fourteen years living at 1,200 feet and I am a flat lander, "sea-level" girl-at-heart still!
Perhaps because I first crawled beach-side as a "sand crab baby", I am hard wired for sand and water mobility and not rocks and boulders!
Delaware Fish & Wildlife Dune Surveys are the highlight of my Summer!  I get to legally wander the dunes in search of the endangered Beach Amaranth! Scorching sun or driving wind, I am still happy wandering the sand!  
In shoes or barefoot, on warm or cold sand, it is my medium. At Gordon's Pond and Delaware Seashore Park, walking along the low-tide shoals with the water just to my ankles, peering at the tide-pool life I am in my joy.  
This weekend's Snow Storm walk, I was almost comfortable again!  I pulled on thermal muck boots and walked and walked.  Slushing thru the 10-12 inches of snow I was almost on "sand".  Finding my balance, sinking-in, and leaving footprints............ snow is not sand..... but similar!

Mountain Snow and Beach Sand Blessings,

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

A Swimsuit Is My Daily Dress!

As they say in Pennsylvania, I've been "readying-up" my closets. Three down and three more to go! 
 The purging of my Pennsylvania clothes tells the story of my Before Beach Cottage Life.  Now revealed is my former life, my present life,  what I have and what I need.
Missing are light-weight cotton pants for hiking.  But, I do have piles of crop pants for Summer beach walks and loads of sweat pants for enjoying the late-night bonfires.
Gone are intricate Summer dresses in favor of very comfy cotton tops and full skirts now my weekly "go-to-the-beach" commute uniform.
Gone are fluffy sweaters in favor of Nike techno-jackets for braving the ocean-side winds.
 Appearing out of nowhere are now stacks of  "cute going out tops" ..... now purged according to sun or beer-staining.
Carefully curated very-lady-like handbags are now ignored for ones that are big enough to hold beach commute needs, but whose color and style must shout : I am Going to Dewey Beach!
Gone are my closed-toe and high heel shoes!!!!  My feet could care less for anything but sandals, sandals, sandals, and clogs!
In high Summer my uniform is a two-piece bathing suit topped with a simple cotton seersucker sundress!   Off I go to use the computer at my beloved Rehoboth Library!  Off to Fifer's to get a fruit pie!  And then off to Cape Henlopen State Park for Piping Plover Monitoring and a Swim. 
A Swimsuit As my Daily Dress: silly happy am I.





Monday, December 14, 2009

Mayor Ric's Holiday Message


I hope you're enjoying the holiday season! Dewey Beach is a little quiet this time of year but we are gearing up for big New Year's Eve slate of activities!  

From the Mayor and Town of Dewey Beach I hope you and all of the "I Love Dewey Beach" bloggers have a fantastic Holiday Season and a happy and prosperous start to 2010! 

I would also like to inform everyone that as we move into the first few months of the new year there are still activities occurring within town such as the Winter Gala in February to support the Dewey Beach Police and Lifeguard services. 

Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for a Happy and Healthy New Year from Mayor Solloway and the Town of Dewey Beach!"

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Dewey Beach is a Festival of Lights




Hannukha The Festival of Lights is this week.  At Sunset, in awe and wonder we light the Menorah, watch the candles dance, and then sputter.  Repeat for eight days.
The Light Show is yours daily at Dewey Beach.  We are a tiny strip of sand, a Barrier Island, we have Dawn over the ocean and Sunset over the Bay! 
In the morning the light is cool and opal-blue.  In the evening warm oranges and pinks paint the sky and reflect on the homes.
Sunset is when we walk our dogs.  Or walk the beach to Nalu's to take in the live music and Happy Hour.
Sunset is where we celebrate: on roof top decks, and Bay- side restaurants; Que Pasa, North Beach, and The Light House are favorites.
North Beach: the sunset "clock" hands point to the next days show-time.  We know how many days of Summer are left to us just by tracking the Sun's Bay-dipping point!
Que Pasa: When the glass garage doors are up, it is as if you pulled your pontoon up to the dock and got out for a drink!
The Light House's Friday Taco Toss is the "required" place to be.  The sunset backdrops the bar action and the Orange Crush drinks in hand.
At Sunset, Cape Henlopen State Park sees local romantic couples walking the Beach Pavilion Boardwalk, and Fishing Pier to survey the enchantment.  The breakwater and two Lighthouses set the scene along with sailing vessels.
Lewes's Roosevelt Inlet is " The Secret" local spot...... only a few fisherman are there to enjoy the end of the day.  The Bay flashes neon above and bounces off the sand beach.
July 4th Fireworks on the beach celebrates all above as it carries on the show just as Mother Nature's Nuclear Spectacle dozes, sleeps, and then..... repeats!

Beach Blessings,


Monday, December 7, 2009

Small Kitchen Stories: Warm Cottage: Roast Lamb with Butternut Squash

I remember a Dewey Beach steamy-July Summer House party where the food was slabs upon slabs of the most perfectly done roasted and carved beef and pork. I think a fruit salad joined in the fun, but not much else.  The now local host grew up on a farm and gifted us with what he loves most.   
After a Beach season of enjoying seafood, the holidays speak of a dinner that will warm the cottage and imbue it with it's primal smells.  Roasted Meat with herbs.
This is my special sit-down Holiday Dinner roast leg of lamb, surrounded by Butternut Squash.
The Summer House Life segues into Winter House.....  this is the dinner Holiday meal! Start with Champagne and slices of lox with chopped capers.
For the exceptional outcome, this could not be easier to prepare! 
Market for the dinner needs the evening before...... as imbibing starts as soon as the meal prep starts... which is just after breakfast!
Yes, as soon as breakfast is enjoyed......... prepare the meal.  Shove it all in the fridge.  Enjoy your day.... and then pull out the meat 2 hours before turning on the oven.
We are shopping at Giant Foods, Route 1.

Winter House Leg of Lamb

Leg of Lamb, 1/2 Sirloin or Shank End.  Mine was 2.75 lbs and took 1 hour to medium with a hint of pink.
Grey Poupon Mustard
Thyme
Pam Spray Oil

Butternut Squash, Pre-peeled, pre-cubed, 1 container
Onion, chopped
Olive Oil
Rosemary, Marjoram

Potatoes, Yellow: for baked.

Take ~ 1/3 cup of the Mustard and mix it with ~ 1/2 teaspoon of Thyme. 
Spray with Pam a nice roasting pan big enough for the leg of lamb and surrounding vegetables.  Dry the lamb with a paper towel.  Put it upside down in the pan and smear with the mustard mixture.  Turn over and smear the remainder with mustard mixture.  Put the pan into the fridge until two hours before turning on the oven. 
In  a nice size bowl, put in the Butternut Squash cubes and the chopped onion.  Add in 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Sprinkle in the Rosemary and Marjoram.  Stir about until glistening.  Cover with  saran wrap and put into the fridge.
Turn the oven to 375 degrees.
Prepare the potatoes, wash, and pierce.  Place on the oven rack.
Surrounding the leg of lamb place the vegetables.
Place the lamb and vegetables in the oven.
Roast for 1 hour.
Let it rest for 5 minutes.
Carve lovely slices and nestle with the roasted squash cubes and onion. 

Dessert: Pomegranate doused with Cherry Liquor.

I love that this is such a Major Meal with virtually no clean up!

Major Ta-Da's will be yours!