Small Kitchen Stories: Baked Veal Loaf Dinner

I wonder if I can pull this off?

Can I travel with a made-up veal loaf mixture, in the cooler of course, ..... and then upon arrival pop it in the oven with half-cut tomatoes and potatoes?  Then, I would take my sunset beach walk timing it to return back for a great dinner!   In Spring and Fall, the oven would warm up the cottage!

 As well, I'd have sandwich fixings for the weekend!

Beachy-Cottage Baked Veal Loaf

Ground Veal, 1 pound

Quick Cooking Oatmeal, ~ 1/3 cup

Egg, 1

Dijon Mustard, Chili Sauce, Soy Sauce

Marjoram, Thyme, Celery Seeds

Potato, cut in half-long way

Tomato, cut in half

Olive oil

In a bowl combine until well-mixed the veal, oatmeal, egg, and to taste dollops of the mustard, chili sauce, as well as the herbs.  

Form into a small fat log and place on an oiled baking dish.

Place the potatoes cut-side down.

Place the tomatoes cut-side up!

Drizzle olive oil on the potatoes and tomatoes.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

Ta-DA! 

 

Small Kitchen Stories: Egg Salad with Tarmosalata

I'm already contemplating my noon-time sandwich meal taken bay-side at Cape Henlopen State Park during my "Bird Police" duty.

Last Summer I did the same sandwiches over and over..... so time to come up with some new ideas! 

I often start with a peak at "The Joy of Cooking"..... and go from there.

Egg Salad with Taramosalata

Hard-boiled eggs, 4

Mayonnaise: I favor Hellmans: big dollop

Tarmosalata: small dollop: Krinos brand favored, this is a Greek Spread based on Carp Roe Caviar.

Scallions-3, minced

Mustard: I like Grey Poupon, Dijon: to taste

Worcestershire Sauce: Lea and Perrins, for Chicken: to taste

Dried Herbs: Tarragon, Chives, Dillweed, Celery Seed: to taste

In a small bowl using a fork mash up the hard boiled eggs.   Add in the minced scallions, the bigger dollop of the mayo and a smaller dollop of the Tarmosalata.  Add in the remainder of the ingredients "to taste".  The Celery Seed is "key".... so do not leave this one out!

This is simply gorgeous on a sweet and eggy, raisin-studded "Pashka" bread.

Ta DA!

Outdoor Summertime Showers!

As soon as the weather permits I use my outdoor shower!   My friends tease me endlessly about this as if such a thing is only for little sand crabs and not adults.

In Hawaii and Fiji I learned about sarongs and showering. 

I love coming off the beach wrapped in my cotton sarong which then becomes my bath towel and then goes back to being my cover-up.

Growing up Summers at Dewey and Bethany Beach the daily outdoor shower was the rule.  I now wonder if our rented cottages had an indoor shower as many did not.  I remember the bathrooms sinks and toilets...... but no memory of the indoor shower.

Almost always the shower-head had seen better days, the soap-holder was rusted thru, and wayward grasses and slugs poked up thru the wood plank platform.  The door always covered with creeping moss never seemed to close shut or secure, and oddly the shower stall did not provide enough coverage for my tall family.

The outdoor shower had a smell of it's own that I did not like.  But oh, how I loved  the shampoo and soap smells wafting into the evening's ocean breeze.

Today I shopped for the needed shampoo which I lazily use to wash my face, and as a body wash too.  I wondered if I could find such a product meant for just that!

I searched in the children's section and low and behold I found Sauve's all-in-one shampoo-conditioner-bodywash offered in "Wacky Melon" and "Green Apple Toss".  The Green Apple won.

Beach Blessings,

Venus Finds her Beach Sandals. Again!

Can a beach sandal change your life?

Purchased from a catalog, ~ 20 years ago, the Sensi Italian-made beach thong-sandal came into my life with promises of travel to distant ocean shores.

The sandal's foot-bed of tiny holes self-drains the sand and water.  Your foot lies flat and secure instead of doing a roller-coaster ride on the mobile sandy layer.

When walking at the waters' edge the foot-bed drains and is not swamped as would be a solid base.  On Summer's hottest days the scorching sand falls away from hot and tender feet.

My ancient hot-pink sandal was so beloved that when I started my "Dewey Beach Life", I only used her as a house slipper.  I knew she was near, "The End".  Last September my Sensi Sandal died.  

Elle est Morte, "I cried".

It was not until the last yard snow patch melted that I bolted to the attention and task of replacement.

Hallelujah!  I found the Sensi website and called!

Imagine my joy that Sensi is alive and well at the spa and resort markets and my favorite style, Monte Carlo, lives on!

To my extreme delight the web-special sale offers this model as three pair for $36.00!  I bought the three!

One pair will live at the beach cottage and the second pair will do extreme labor residing in my vehicle for shoe changes, and impromptu beach walks.   The third pair will reside at my mountain home and will do duty when watering the garden. 

I really did contemplate using only one pair at a time until all pairs wear out. 

 20 years x 3 pairs would suffice............ until I am buried at sea.

Beach Blessings,

2010 State Park Pass! Sign of Spring!

A certain sign of Spring and getting prepared for Beach Season is scraping off the old annual Delaware State Park Pass and putting on the new.

After five years, I now have the removal technique down-pat.

Soak the sticker with Citronella.

Go have lunch.  Have fruit and cheese for dessert.

Return to the vehicle with a small Italian-made cheese spreader knife.

Wipe the sticker with more Citronella until all ink is gone. :-)

Now use the spreader knife to scrape off the adhering clear film.

Wipe clean with more Citronella and then Windex.

    This year my DE State Park Pass is a DNREC and Cape Henlopen Volunteer "reward".

Every year when I went to buy my pass........ I admit to being annoyed to pay the "out of state fee" even though I own DE property!  The fees are based on your license plate place of registration.

I am so psyched by this show of gratitude amidst the economic stresses of "this economy".

Thank you, Delaware!!!!

Beach Blessings,

New Cell for the Beach! Mermaid Approved!

Venus has a new cell phone! Mermaid approved for beach use!

Every two years I purchase my new cell phone.  The key is matching the cell phone to my lifestyle. Until now, no cell phone happily tolerated wet and salty handling, sweaty ear to the receiver, sand finding it's way into every crevice, or being abandoned to the vehicle's extreme temperatures.

At the Verizon store, I explained in detail my need for a cell to handle the above.  I held my breath while I waited for my "dream-cell wish come true" and there it was: Motorola's Barrage!

It is 100% sealed and handles all detailed above including a 30 minute watery one-meter plunge!

Although the cell has rugged good looks and handling....... Venus asked for the cell in hot pink, shiny fire-engine red, or vibrating purple? Screaming neon yellow?

:-(

Only black is available.

Venus will be on the beach talking away on her cell and then will happily zip it in her soaking wet and sandy beach skirt pocket.

Ta-Da!

Venus Plans Her Summer Pedicure Colors!

Yesterday I had my first of the season Spring pedicure.

What color to choose?!  What would speak SPRING and SUMMER to come soon, sooner, soonest!!!!

As I fell asleep, nightly I contemplated my color pick.

China Glaze's "Poetic", a creamy Lavender on the mauvey-side of pink won.  

Now I am projecting my color picks for the beach season May-October.

I have to start out with Coral.... to connect with the classic beach color of coral-reefs.

       .....  And then I go for Gold, which for some reason makes everyone smile and laugh! James's Bond's Goldfinger!

Next I do Silver...... which I adore, and everyone else just thinks, "Iron Man". 

After Silver I am going to do colors I've never even contemplated: screeching neons: yellow, green, and blue!

Shore Thing, Baby!

What Would Venus Wear 2010?!

I can hardly believe my luck!  Success spells my various shopping expeditions for "What Would Venus Wear at Dewey Beach 2010!

Maybe each season I am getting better at finding what I need?

I invoked Venus and her sensibilities.  Beautiful, lovely, natural but glammy, comfortable, useful, feminine, arty and fun too!

Cotton field-pants for various bird sighting projects: found it at Kohl's!

Nightgowns that can span the season of May to October, can substitute-in for a beach cover up, and is modest enough to dash out the house to set the garbage at the curb: found it at Kohl's!

Fun, flirty going-out-skirts.... that can be dressed up or down... must be cotton, and flowy-comfy: found it at J. Crew!

Bathing suits, two-piece with pull-on mini-skirts with a zip-pocket for the cell phone: found it at LL Bean Outlet!

I'm ready, Dewey Beach 2010!!!