Friday, December 31, 2010

Happy New Year Dewey Beach!

I always promise myself to be in Dewey Beach for the New Year; yet business requires me elsewhere.
If I was there I'd already be at the best and most fun house party in town, and on New Year's Day Weekend I'd be participating in the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count; a Pelagic Boat Trip!
Yet, my New Year never starts January 1st. I consider myself lucky as I count Two Starts to the New Year; Late Spring Beach Cottage Opening and Early Fall Rosh Ha Shonah
( translates to Head of The New Year).
Yet, oddly Rosh Ha Shonah signals the beginning of the end of my New Beach Season!
A New Year! A New Beach Season and all that implies! New swimsuits and sandals,
renewing and making new friendships, beach fun that never gets tagged as old.
When the sunlight hits my beachy cottage bedroom window, I awaken to a new day, two new tides to greet, and new shorebirds to protect, new Hawks to count.
Each Beach Day is a New Year in itself.
Every Sunset is the New Year's Eve for the Celebration to Continue to the Next Beach Day, and the next........ and the next!
Dewey Beach: every Day is a New Year's Celebration!


Happy New Year's Dewey Beach!

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Small Kitchen Stories: Pear and Cranberry Sauce Pie

I love cranberry sauce. I like pears too, but I had way too many wasting away in the fridge. Thus I was inspired to make this pie. Our favorite Rte 1 Giant supplies the ingredients.

Pear and Cranberry Sauce Pie

Mixed Pear "bag": I used the Bosc and Red Bartletts: thin slices, ~ 5 cups
Cranberry Sauce: ~ 1 cup
Tapioca: 2 Tablespoons
Sugar: ~ 1/2 cup
Cinnamon and Cardamom
Grand Marnier
Butter
Giant or Pillsbury Ready-Made Pie Crusts, 2.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl combine the fruit, cranberry sauce, spices and a dash of the Grand Marnier. Then fill the bottom pie crust. Top with lots of butter pats. Top with the second crust, crimp and make decorative steam slits.
Bake for ~ 50 minutes.

Ta Da!

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Small Kitchen Stories: Pasta with Cauliflower & Gorgonzola

I was craving a "fancy pasta" dish..... but dead-easy to make as I was tired from the day's hike. Off to Route 1 Giant you go to find the ingredients.
I am so charmed by this dish I am contemplating other choices: Broccoli and Feta or Carrots and Cheddar?
This dish requires a microwave. :-(

Pasta with Cauliflower & Gorgonzola
Pasta: I used tri-color ribbons
Cauliflower "Organic": cut into florets
Gorgonzola, crumbled
Butter
Ricotta Cheese: a nice glutinous touch but not mandatory.

Prepare the pasta and have it warm and waiting with a slathering of butter.
In a microwavable casserole dish place the vegetable and some water. Microwave until done. Drain. Mash up just enough to make small pieces.
Add in a generous wallop of the crumbled Gorgonzola, a big spoonful of the ricotta, and a dab of butter. Mix in and then cover and microwave for 1 minute (no more).
Mix again and gently toss with the warm and waiting pasta.

Desert: sliced Clementines doused with Eggnog!

Ta DA!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Mayor Diane's Holiday Message

Greetings from Dewey Beach, Delaware.
Dewey is a very friendly and relaxing place where dogs are allowed on the beach.
It’s also one of the few places where you can walk from the ocean and watch the sunset on the bay. We are experiencing an especially cold period right now but hope that all of you have a warm and wonderful holiday season.


Diane Hanson
Mayor
Town of Dewey Beach

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Dewey Beach Leaseholds...... Series 1.

2004, I changed my life. I was six years into "Boot Camp", all work and no play, and it was time to have fun...... not just once in a while, but every week!
Childhood Summer memories at Dewey and Rehoboth Beach prodded me to return and find the fun. Since I loved life at the beach as a sand-crab the theory was as an adult I would too!
Summer of 2004, I looked for my beach cottage. As a kid we rented lease-hold cottages on the beach block; as an adult I wanted the same experience.
Summer 2004, what a crazy real-estate market I came into! In my humble opinion the prices for fee-simple and lease-holds were beyond inflated.
I decided not to buy a price-inflated fee-simple beach property, and instead I wanted a property not more than three blocks from the beach; and the cheapest one would do just fine. Thus I bought my Rehoboth By The Sea Leasehold "Beachy Cottage", Second Block from the ocean.
I bought a life style. I found a community of over 300 property owners that did the same as myself.
The lease-hold is the same as buying a fancy vehicle or boat. The money is spent for pleasure and not as an investment.
Sometimes, I do call my beachy-cottage: My Beached Boat.
I am happy to be moored two blocks from the finest beach in Dewey!

Beach Blessings,