Cape Cod Rock Hopper

Vacation Tips & a Bearded Clam Cocktail

      Since this is the real go line for the summer tourist season I thought I might throw out some of the places that we have grown to love over the years. Some old time places, some newer places and some places that have been redone. Im not slighting anyone and whomever reads, please add your favorites to the list. We all could use new places to go to and definitely support any of the out the way places that are hidden from the normal heavy traffic areas.
    First on the list for us is the Cape Cod Potato Chip factory in Hyannis. Its not big, its not long but its free and its fun. If you are a fan of kettle cooked chips then this is place for you. The kids will have fun peering into the windows and watching potato chip made right before their eyes. It a wonderful place that does not take long and is fun.
    Next is the Chatham Light and Chatham Light House beach. Besides the historic end of the light house itself the view looking over the Chatham harbor and being able to look up and down the coast is just a spectacular view. If you go on a Wednesday the lighthouse is open for tours from 1 -3:30 throughout the summer and again its Free. After you get done here go stroll the Main Street of Chatham for wonderful galleries and shops. And don't forget to visit the Chatham Manor Candy Shop for some of the best chocolate not only on the Cape but anywhere in my book.
    Another fun place to visit is Mrs Mugs in Sandwich along 6A. We came upon this place a couple years ago and have just fallen in love with it. Its a fun little shop with a wonderful collection of ,,, what else,, MUGS,, but also Cape Cod jewelry, and for those hard to find Crocs. This is a fun place to side track to when you have done Sandwich and and glass factory and tour, (this will cost a little but is worth it). Don't forget Dexter's Grist Mill and again more shops.
    Speaking of Grist Mills, don't forget Baxter's in Yarmouth and Stony Brook Grist Mill in Brewster, both have wonderful trails and Herring runs and beautiful ponds. Stoney Brook is open limited hours during the summer but when it is you can watch them grind corn into meal. This is something I've enjoyed over the years.
    Some of the most quaint shops that we have found have been along 6A. I truly believe you could take a couple weeks going from Sandwich to Orleans and you would still miss shops and galleries. Everything from Antiques to art galleries to general stores and more. Along the way another free must experience is Grey's boardwalk in Yarmouth that stretches out into the Marsh and ends looking out onto the Cape Cod Bay. The sunset here are some of the most spectacular on the Cape. And while you are traveling along 6A don't forget Scargo Tower in Dennis, another free-be that on a clear day you can see from Provincetown in one direction to the Cape Cod Canal in the other. Wow what a view.
       The problem with something like this is, is one could go on and on and on. In tough economic times it is good to plan your trips wisely. Don't feel you need to spend, spend, spend to have fun or to see some of the best that Cape Cod has to offer. Be frugal and don't go overboard. If you leave feeling you got a bargain vacation this year, how much more will it be worth coming back next year as well. If to make the best of your time in a particular area. Research where you are going on any given day, ask at your hotel, at the restaurant your eating at or even other guests you meet were you are staying and friends. The Cape can be a wonderful place filled with adventure and fun without killing the budget. So if you haven't made your plans, make a few phone calls, there are hotel bargains to be had, and there are places see and people to meet. And there is no better place to do it then on wonderful Cape Cod.
        Someone please keep the light lit in the Light House till I can find my way back, and we meet again...

    Recipe of the week, is just a fun one that could be found if you just dug below the surface of the sand at low tide. But this one you do not need a sizer ring before you consume it. So pour down and drink up,,, responsibly please. This weeks recipe >>>
        Bearded Clam Cocktail

•         1    oz            Canadian Whisky
•         1    oz            Ameretto Almond Liqueur
•         1    splash    Cranberry Juice

    Fill cocktail glass with crushed ice and pour all ingredients over ice. Stir. Add mint as garish if you wish.

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1975 Heat Wave & Goody Cookies

Over the years the Cape has not been know for its extreme high temperatures in the summer. With the gentle breezes that blow off the Nantucket Sound from the South to an occasion Easterly wind blowing off the Atlantic ocean, or lest we forget that NorthWesterly winds blowing across the Cape Cod Bay, the Cape usually is kept to a very comfortable temperature range in the lower to mid 70s for June and the mid to upper 70s for July and August. Ok so 2009 has been a bust for this theory with damp weather and cool temperatures. So what better time to talk about record heats then when the Cape is Cool and other parts of the country are experiencing the hot and sticky.

Researching this subject was not the easiest, especially for a part of the country that does not normally have heat issues. But what I have uncovered was interesting. Over the past 100 years I can find less then 10 years that temperatures have gone over 100 degrees for SouthEast Massachusetts including Cape Cod. The most recent years that I have remember have been 1975, 1977, 1995, and 1999 with only 1 year actually hitting the 100 degree mark on the Cape and that was near the Cape Cod Canal in 1975. That summer I remember us getting to the Cape as a family. I was 14 years old and was about to start junior high school in the fall. I can remember my mother being up in the middle of the night and going out and sitting on the porch looking for any kind of a breeze. Mothers were out with there little ones in strollers at midnight and after trying to get them calmed down, and Dad and I pretty much after the recognition went back to bed and back to sleep with the fans going full blast. That was one summer that Mom really thought about getting a cottage in the future that had air conditioning. The only problem was they didn't exist back then and still today are scarcely found. For the most part you don't need one if you have a good cottage that has windows that open on all sides. Anyway the heat went on for several days, and is still considered one of the worst heat waves that the Cape and New England has seen. Most of the other years a heat wave on the Cape is temperatures that ride above 90 for a couple days then rescind back into the mid to lower 80s.

Well no one want a heat wave with temperatures near 100, however I don't think there is anyone who would mind at lest a warming trend that would include some mid to upper 70's and a lot more sunshine then have been around this year. Besides the kind of weather that has been happening this June 2009 is more like when I was there the beginning of April, and its now almost July,,, Oh well, I still can not say enough that a bad day on the Cape is better then any other day any other place I can think of. In the meantime, someone keep the light in the lighthouse lit till I can get there, and someone please turn up the heater.  Until then,,, Enjoy the Cape for me, no matter what the temperature is.

Recipe of the week is a nice No Bake recipe that my wife found in her family books of cards and cuttings. As we go into the warmer months of the summer why would we want to heat up the kitchen with our ovens if we do not have to.

So with that in mind...

This weeks recipe: Goody Cookies

•     2  cups white sugar
•     4  Tbsp.  cocoa (heaping)
•     1/4  lb.  butter
•     1/2   cup  milk
•     1  cup peanut butter
•     3  cups  minute oats
•     1  tsp. vanilla (real)

Place peanut butter in one bowl and the minute oats in another and set off to the side. Then in a saucepan combined sugar, cocoa, butter and milk. Bring to full rolling boil stirring constantly. Boil for approx. 1 minute. Pour the syrup mixture over the peanut butter. Add vanilla and stir until the vanilla is dissolved. Next add minute oats, stir quickly.

Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper, or aluminum foil.

DO NOT BAKE.

Allow to set and firm up. 

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A Drive in Movie & Lobster Newburg

This week's remembrance is about driv- in theaters. I wish I could remember where it was located either in Dennis Port, Harwich or Hyannis. I was about 9 or 10 years of age. There was a family that we had become friends with at the church and it was their sons birthday and they invited me to the party. After the cookout and dessert we loaded up the wagon with about a half dozen boys with their blankets and in PJ's and headed off to the drive. Tonight was the opening of the Disney movie THE BOATNIKS. Since then many things have been said about this movie but to a bunch of young boys in the middle of the summer on the Cape out late as the sun was setting,,, well this was just the best thing to happen.

We all got our popcorn and we even were able to get a soda - pop (Ok this argument goes on in our family and has for years. East coast says Soda,, Mid-West says Pop,, Excuse me but Pop is a sound or another name for my Dad but it's not something you drink, and New Englanders have this stuff called Tonic, I thought you put that on your head not in your mouth. So call it what you whatever you want.). Somewhere though the evening the parents of the birthday boy even splurged for a candy bar for each of us. We had ourselves a wonderful time that night. All I remember of the movie was some jewel thieves, a submarine, a pretty lady, and a lot of laughing. We have a wonderful time that night. All with friends, on the Cape making memories for bygone years to come.

If anyone can remember,, was there a drive-in theater in DennisPort or Harwich in 1970 or was it just in Hyannis. Let me know.. And as always someone be sure to keep the light in the Lighthouse lit until I can make my way back.

This week's recipe is from the crustacean family. Just a note or two to begin with, first if you have not noticed most of the recipes I do are more family oriented and everyday cooking, not some overly romantic dinner for 2 that takes 6 hours to prepare and you need a culinary degree to understand most of the ingredients. Yes I like to experiment with foods, and yes I can do wonderful dinners that are romantic (although getting sometime to do that is near impossible even with adult kids still at home). But everyday dinners need to be kept simple and fun and easy and variety minded.

Second, pertains to this weeks recipe, if your children do not just jump at the crustacean family or shellfish family of foods after they have tried it once, don't force them to eat it please as either they may be allergic to it and that is the way their bodies tell them stay away. Or if forced to eat when they dislike they may never come back to try it again later. Give them time, besides if they never gain a liking for it,,, it just means for us who do enjoy it..

Anyway on with the show with this weeks recipe,, a lot of people think its hard to make, when in fact it is very easy and very yummy.

Lobster Newburg

•     3   cups  cooked lobster meat
•     8   Tbls.  butter
•     2   cups  heavy cream
•     1/2  cup Maderia or sherry
•     6  each egg yolks, lightly beaten

•      salt
•      pepper
•      Cayenne
•      Old Bay Seasoning

Cut lobster into nice bite size pieces. Melt butter in a medium size heavy saucepan. Once melted add the lobster meat, add salt, pepper, cayenne, and Old Bay Seasoning ( a sprinkle of each, about an 1/8 tsp but don't over do it you can always add you can't take away), and simmer for 2-4 minutes. Add in the cream and bring to a boil then add Maderia or Sherry.

In separate bowl place the egg yolks and beat, add a little of the hot liquid to the yolks until well beaten, (You do this so you don't end up with scrambles eggs with you lobster).

Pour the egg mixture back in with the lobster and cook over a very low heat. (This can also be done in a double boiler).

Stir constantly until thickened. Do not boil at this point. Serve over toast or rice.

This should serve about 4.

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The Draw of the Cape & Yummy Potatoes

       When the skies are sunny and the temperatures are warm and sitting in my 6 x 6 cubical on the third floor of a suburban office building with windows I have to stand up to even get a glimpse out of. Staring at a computer monitor 8 plus hours a day, ones mind begins to wonder while scenes of Cape Cod are displayed on my background. At lunch time the first thing I want to do is check on the weather, what are UV ratings for the day and what are the wind speeds and the air temperatures, it's got to be good day for hitting the beach. But here I am stuck in this 6 x 6 cubical in suburban Mid-West city office building. Wait a minute did you say Mid-West,,? Yes 800 miles from my beloved Cape Cod, and I'm checking daily the weather conditions, the news and the current affairs. And yes my home page is set to CapeCodToday.Com. Some (including my family) think I'm way over the top, way out of my league, close to being (ok I just am) considered obsessive about my love the Cape. But what can I say. Some do the same with Disney, Las Vegas, Souther California, Hawaii, Caribbean Islands, Bali, Fiji, the list goes on and on. But for me it is all Cape Cod.
    Why? What is the draw for me, what is the call, the mystic that keeps bring me back, year after year. First the obvious, the landscape of the Cape. The ocean, the Sound the Bay, water, water, water on all sides, then there are the beaches that go on for miles and miles. Low flat beaches, cliff hugging beaches, dune covered beaches. Beaches built for walking, for exploring, for sitting and watching the sun rise and beaches to watch sunsets from. There are nature trails and bike trials and even off road trails (never done this one) to explore. Then there are the marsh lands that beckon to be canoed or kayaked. You're still not convinced that I really know my Cape, Then there are the old villages and towns with all filled with shops and charm that will sit second to no place else I have been before then the when you think you can find nothing else just travel The Kings Highway route 6A. from Sandwich to Orleans, Wellfleet and Truro, and finally Provincetown as you check out all the Harbors that have made the Cape what it is over so many years.
    Another draw is the artist community from Falmouth to Chatham, to Provincetown, then back to Sandwich. It does not matter where you are  on the Cape look around you and you are sure to fine a gallery not to far from where you are standing. If you don't appreciate the style of one, go down a block or two to the next artist. If you can not find one that you like or can associate with, you could travel the world and you will not find anyone you like. The diverseness of style, medium, price, subject matter goes on and on and on. Art work that is to be hung on walls and enjoyed to bring beauty and color to a room, sculptures to grace a foyer or a walkway or garden spot. Functional art that will grace your tables at dinner or your kitchen with pottery or your desks, end tables or dressers with pots and vases. And then there are the artisans that work with jewelry and clothing and other everyday items.
    Ok still not convinced? Well then other then the season changes, and yes I understand that Spring is a little damp and the water is not really ready for a long leisurely dip, but the crowds are not there yet and the pace is quiet a bit more laid back. Then there is the fall, again the crowds have dissipated and the days are not as long. But the water is still warm enough to enough well through September. Yes you need to adjust your nightly strolls through the towns as shops close a little earlier, but the sun goes down earlier and sunset watching happens earlier. But oh the fall colors and and smells and,,,,, ect. Ok so winter may have some of you, but it does not bother me to be around cold and snow. It is part of what makes the rest of the year so wonderful.
    This is what draws me to the Cape, this is what compels me day after day to try to find a way to move to the Cape, and make it my home. Am I a true local,, by definition of another blog posted 06-10-09 NO Im not and never will be a "true" local, always either a wanna be or a transplant someday hopefully. But my spirit and will, will always reflect that of being a true local Cape Codder.
    Bring your wife, your family, your significant other and visit the Cape. See what it's all about, what we who are obsessed by this place called Cape Cod. And start your own list of what draws you back the next time and the next and the next. Then go share it with someone. But be ware you will be called crazy or nuts,,, but hey I will wear that name proudly,,, especially on the day I finally call Cape Cod my home.. Until then will someone please keep the light in the Lighthouse lit till I can find my way back. Have a great and wonderful day on Cape Cod
    Recipe of the week is another type written goody from the family books, ok, ok, the wife's side. Anyway; I have come to hold to the fact that one can never have to many potato recipes. They are always a good filler and you can normally find a sale going on. And when all else fails in the middle of the night when my 18 year old is hungry, he's the one to fix himself a baked potato, butter, sour cream, and if we have it bacon. So here is another potato recipe that I think all will like... if nothing else the kids will like the name.
    YUMMY POTATOES: (yes this is the real name, its not because I didn't know that name and just made this up myself)   

•     1    2 lb pkg    frozen hash brown potatoes
•     1    stick          butter melted
•     1    8 oz pkg   shredded cheddar cheese
•     1    8 oz pkg   sour cream
•     1/4    cup        minced onion
•     salt & Pepper to taste

   
    TOPPING: 2 cups crushed corn flakes
             1 stick melted butter
   
    In 9 x 13 pan that has been sprayed with non stick spray put in the hash brown potatoes. Then in a bowl mix together the melted butter, the shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and minced onion. Pour over top of the the hash browns. Then add the topping (listed below) and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hours.

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Cape Cottage Projects & a Rock Lobster

          This weeks story is headed for the short side, as this evening my wife and I found a platform bed that of course I had to put up tonight. What starts out as a 30 - 60 minute project ends up being a 2-3 hour project. It is little things like this that even remind me of the Cape. No this is not another Bed story,, although how many of those do I have. But this memory is about projects.
    Velma owned a cottage right across from the one we stayed at in Campers Haven. Velma and her husband owned a business outside Boston and would spend their weekends and more on the Cape throughout the summer. By the time we started going her kids had grown and had started out on their own so it was just the two of them. Velma over the years would keep me busy throughout the summers with odd jobs and projects that we always thought would take 15 or so minutes and then end up taking one to two hours instead. Velma always took care of me with the gratuities although I would have done it for free, she always insisted I take something for my time.  Some of the jobs included painting outdoor furniture, trimming the little bit of grass that was around the cottage, and even staining the deck a couple of times. There were also odd jobs inside the cottage that she always could use my help on and I was all to glad to help.
    Velma and our family grew close over the years and through the passing of her husband and then my mother we shared moments of pray and concern for each others families. Velma a couple years ago (now in her 90s) finally had to sell the cottage, as she moved into an assisted living community outside Boston and closer to her kids. I have not heard much since then but will never forget the good times we had working together to make her cottage look the best it could over the years.
    Thank you Velma for wonderful years of Cape friendship and putting a little spending money in a kids pocket.
    Someone keep the light in the Lighthouse on till I can find my way back please,,,,, Here's to being on the Cape ,,, enjoy.

    This weeks recipe is another one from the liqueur cabinet. Just don't drink so much of it that you feel like your head is caught in a claw or that you end up getting pincher-ed in the back side.
    This weeks cocktail; Rock Lobster

•     1 shot     Razzmatazz liqueur
•     1 shot    whisky, (Bourbon or Canadian)
•     2 oz        cranberry juice

    Pour razzmatazz and whisky into glass filled with ice. Pour cranberry juice over top and service

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Dad's trip to Martha's Vineyard & Cowboy Cookies

      As I was visiting my Father this week end he conveyed me a couple of stories which are rather cute. My Father had been asked to step in and preach at one of the Baptist Churches on Martha's Vineyard. Someone on the main land had heard Dad and his wife Ollie where going over and knew what he was going over for and knew that my step mother had some disabilities. This person had a cousin who worked for the ferry and they told Dad, when you get there go through the gate, and got to the end, someone will meet you. So they did, Dad said all he could think of was where in the heck were they going to put them. Towards the end someone met them and pointed to a spot along the side and said park it there it will be fine, and put a special permit on the car. The only thing Dad can think of was that it was employee parking and fact they did not have to pay to park and did not have to walk a distance was a blessing. Dad still could not get over it, he said all I could think was where in the deuce an I going.
    On this same trip it was during the time of the Clinton administration and the time that the Clintons visited Martha's Vineyard. My step mother Ollie the good Democrat that she was felt compelled that the Clintons should at least be offered a place to worship on the Sunday morning that they were on the island. So she did her patriotic duty and sent the Clintons an invitation to come to church where my Dad was going to be preaching that Sunday. Well it so happened that President Clinton ended up going to church with his wife to the Methodist Church. But yes Ollie did send a letter of invitation, Dad still wonders today what it would have been like to preach knowing that the President was in the congregation. Knowing my Dad would not have changed one word that he had already prepared.
    The last story of this trip Dad tells me that they were to stay over at a small Bed and Breakfast. When they got there the host had already prepared a room and was ready for them. Later on Dad found out this dear lady had given up her own bedroom for Dad and Ollie to stay at her Bed and Bedroom. She had taken an inflatable mattress and set up in a small office room and spent the night basically sleeping on the floor. Dad tried to convince her she did not have to do that, but she insisted that it was not a big deal and she was honored to have Dad and Ollie stay the night in her room. Now that's hospitality.
    Dad say's it is a visit that he will never forget. And to think I have never been there yet in the over 43 years since I began going to the Cape. Gotta get there sometime soon.
    Well here is to Cape and the Islands and all they have to offer. Keep the light lit in the lighthouse till I can make my way back.
    Recipe this week is another one of my wife's finds, this time from her Great Aunt Helen. Now just a word here about the name Helen, in my wife's family as you go from her Mother on back there are more Helen's in this family then I know of any other. And between her family and mine  same names or names that sound a like, its almost ridiculous. But we all have fun with it and life goes on, and so must this week COOKIE recipe. This recipe goes out to all the horse farms on the Cape.
    Recipe of the week: Cowboy Cookies

•     2        cup         flour
•     1/2    tsp.         backing powder
•     1        tsp.         soda
•     1/2    tsp.         salt
•     2        cups       rolled oats
•     2        cups       shortening (not butter!)
•     1        cup         white sugar
•     1        cup         brown sugar
•     2                       eggs   
•     1        tsp.        vanilla (real if you can)
•     1        pkg.       semi-sweet chocolate chips

    Stir together and set aside flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Blend together shortening and sugar. Add eggs and beat until light. Add flour mixture and mix well. Add rolled oats., vanilla and chocolate. Dough will be crumbly. Drop by teaspoon on a greased cooked sheet and back 15 minutes at 350 degree.

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Beach Sleep & Seafood Salad

I have talked about sleeping quarters in the past, but I'm not sure I have ever told this story. After I got married, I got into the habit of driving to the Cape through the night. I must have learned this from my Dad, as I rarely ever remember stopping in the middle of the trip to "sleep over" someplace. First reason is we never had a lot of money and that was just an extra expenditure that took away from money we could spend on the Cape. Second, with kids driving through the night meant that most the time the kids would sleep in the car and not constantly be doing the "when are we going to get there" routine. And third, I like my father get very excited about going and trying to sleep the night before is like poking a bear in his den when he is hungry and grumpy, it isn't pretty, (don't bother asking my wife she will tell you I am the bear).

Anyway, over the years like my father we got into the habit of driving through the night. We would stop in Connecticut for breakfast right as the sun was rising and by then the kids would be starting to stir and would need to be gotten up and taken care of. I knew there was only a couple of hours driving left and could make it into Dennis Port if on nothing else but adrenaline. We would get into Dad and Mom's (and later the Motel) and as soon as we could get our stuff out of the car. Once all was at least accessible, I would head off to the beach, sometimes with one of the kids, sometimes by myself, and every once in a while all of us. But I would get the towels out and down for everyone and then was my time. Within minutes, I am sure on many occasions, I would be out like a light. The beach as my bed and an extra towel for my pillow. Although I would start out with suntan lotion on, you can only go so long before it doesn't work any longer. And this fair haired, semi fair skinned Mid-Western once awaken from my slumber would have looked more like a well done Steamed or Boiled Lobster then what one should ever look like. I will say on may occasions the wife would come down and cover me up, but I sleep like a fish out of water, flipping and flopping around, so any covering does not stay on for long so after time, she gave up, (do you blame her, me leaving her with the kids).  I remember my father sleeping after his drives through the night, only difference was that he just hit the bed instead of the beach, and saved himself much grief over the years. I guess that would have been a big difference if I had been able to spend a month at a time on the Cape instead of only 1 week at a time.

The moral to this whole story is, if you drive through the night, either take a nap in a real bed and enjoy the beach throughout your stay, or have someone wake you up after to either add more lotion to you or to get you out of the sub before your trip gets overly miserable for you or you make it miserable for the ones you are with.

Until then please keep the light in the lighthouse lit and the lotion handy and make that trip the Cape Cod a pleasurable one for all.

Recipe of the week is another one from the hand written files of my wife's collection from her mother, who most likely got it from one of the nurses or staff from my father in laws practice. But it fits well to the theme of the year and into this month's planning as well as a great recipe for this weekend if not throughout the summer. And don't fall over, a seafood dish from me that does not have Old Bay Seasoning in it. Now on with the show.

Seafood Salad (or Crab & Shrimp Salad)

•     1  lb fresh crabmeat (cut into 1 inch pieces)
•     1 1/4  lbs  cooked shrimp (cut into 1 inch pieces)
•     1 1/4  cup diced celery
•     2  Tbs  diced onion
•     1 Tbs +  1 tsp lemon juice (fresh is best)
•     1/2  cup mayo (if you need a little more fine but don't overdue)
•     salt and pepper to taste

Mix cooked cut Crabmeat and cooked cut Shrimp together. In separate bowl combine celery, onion lemon juice, mayo, and salt and pepper and mix well. Add seafood to mixture and lightly mix, cover and chill.

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Cape Food and Snow Pea Pods

      This week on FOODTV was a reminder of some of the things I love about the Cape as Bobby Flay's Throwdown was in Hyannis. It was a rerun, but seeing good food with friends close by sharing good times together. What more could someone say about the real Cape. Year after year I can not get over the variety of foods that are offered on the Cape. Sure there is Seafood, what is the Cape without seafood. From the blessing of the rakes that i just saw to happen to the blessing of the fishing boats in Provincetown and Chatham. But there are so many other wonderful foods to be had. Portuguese, Greek, Italian, Mediterranean and good old American bistro, and the infamous American Dinner and the American Bar & Grill. I know I am missing some, but the Cape is so wonderfully blessed and filled with so many different varieties of good eats (no not the show), where else would I want to be. From where we stay in DennisPort there really is not a place to far away that we would not consider driving to for a good inexpensive meal. Each year we have our standard places that we like to go, but we like to try someplace new that we have not had the experience of eating at before. Where do our recommendations come from ? Friends of course, locals that we have come to know and trust their judgment, reviews from our own CapeCodToday writers, and just basic word of mouth.  So the next time you are on the Cape as a visitor, ask around, find out what is new and what is good. As about the old tried and true places then go try someplace new that you have never been before, and don't be afraid to eat someplace that doesn't specialize in seafood. And you locals please get out there and let us know what is hot and what's not, so that we can help support the local businesses that are doing a good job.
    Until the next time I arrive, please keep the light in the lighthouse lit, the tea kettle on the stove and someone find me some good new restaurants to try out. Have a great week and even a better one if your spending it on old Cape Cod.
   
    This week I am going to do a recipe with an ingredient that we rarely eat. Many have said that they think most folks are turned off of this vegetable as a baby and from there it is just down hill. What am I talking about and that is peas. Most folks when they hear of peas can give you a horror story as a kid being forced to eat tin tasting, bland, squishy, mossy green brown peas. Its no wander most of us don't like them. But I will eat them frozen, but I like them best if fresh, and in salads. Then there are these things call snow pea pods, they are wonderful, full of flavor, and a wonderful color. But they have the work Pea in them how can they be good. Well they are and I hope you give them a try. These are not your old tin can peas, so please, just give them a try.

    Snow Pea Pods with Mushrooms and Garlic

•     1        pd     snow pea pods, (be sure to trim the ends off)
•     1/2    pd     mushrooms (don't be afraid to mix different kinds together)
•     4                 scallions (chopped)
•     2       clvs   garlic (cloves fresh minced)
•     1/3    cup    butter
•                          Old Bay Seasoning
•                          Salt   
•                          Pepper (fresh cracked)

    Place butter in pan with garlic and just warm enough to melt butter, (do not over heat and brown or burn your garlic it will become very bitter in taste). Add Snow pea pods, mushrooms, and scallions, sprinkle with Old Bay Seasoning, Salt and Pepper to taste and saute till tender and warm throughout. 

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Sunrises & a Crabby Soul Man Cocktail

       So the sun is now getting up earlier and earlier, and its warming raise are helping the temperatures to climb out of the frigid and into a range that is more the likings of beach combers and sunbathers. Mornings and I have never had a liking for each other, and to this day I would rather see sunlight after what most call mid morning then to see is cracking over the horizon while you can still hear the birds snoring or yawning to wake up themselves. While on vacation my mother would never require me to get up early or to be a rise and shiner, but then again she would never let me sleep till the afternoon. Vacation was a time for relaxation and a time to let the lazy hazy days start slow and end long into the night.
    But there were those occasions that would demand our attention at what I would consider unGodly hours in the morning to be up and stirring. Dad and I going to the play a round of golf, Dad and I going fishing with a friend, Dad and I,, you get a pattern here. Looking back I think it is kind of funny, that Mom never really did the early morning thing either. But there were those rare times when even Mom would get up to go digging for shellfish. But on each occasion that we would rise and leave the cottage we were never shorted of what would be called a spectacular event. Whether watching the sun rise over Bass River while on a golf course through the mist rising off of dew covered fairways or sitting in a boat in Chatham harbor while watching the sun rise over the horizon of the Atlantic ocean and the National seashore.  Have you ever been on the north shore flats when the tide is out in the standing on the cool sand and watching the first raise of sunlight come over the duns to the east, what a spectacular sight. Or how about sitting in a row boat in the middle of Swan pond in Dennis Port watching the sun climb into the sky while looking down Swan river.
    Mornings may not be your thing, but it is would be well worth your wild to take a chance and try it every now and then. Whether you are a local or a traveler, grab an extra cup or mug of strong coffee or hot tea and go sit on a jetty or on a boardwalk and just watch as the sky is filled with such wonders of colors and beauty. Take your son, your daughter, sure they will grumble, they may even growl, but when down the road they will have a memory that will never be able to be taken away from them, that you took the time to share a moment that was special to just the two of you. ,,,,,,,, Here is to beautiful sunrises on Cape Cod that can not be copied anywhere else.         
    The first week of the month is always fun for me. I love looking for cocktails and drinks and seeing some the most odd named things that I have ever seen. And many that have names that would make any sane grandmother blush. Well you can look those ones up yourself, I will not be listing those here however one that I found for this week fits into both the theme of the year and my theme for this month and also has my favorite juice for mixes in it Cranberry Juice. So on with the show.
    This weeks recipe: Crabby Soul Man Cocktail

•     2 oz        Absolute Mandrin Vodka
•     3 oz        Cranberry Juice
•     1               7-Up

    Fill glass with ice, add Mandrin Vokda , then add Cranberry Juice ( 2 - 3 shots depending on how strong you want your drink) then top off with with 7-Up.     

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Pasta & Feta Salad and another note

         Well almost another month gone, and we are almost out of the cold weather which means one month closer to summer and vacation season. If only it could come quicker. I know I was just there about 4 weeks ago, but I think it was just a teaser to remind me of how much I love the fresh seafood, the salt air, and the sand under my feet. It didn't matter to me that the temps could have been a little warmer so I could have actually done the beach. And yes I understand that living there is much different then vacationing, as you have to earn a living. But to me there is no other place to be then on Cape Cod. Well, still in chill mode give me just another week and hopefully by next week will back in full swing. Keep the lighthouse oil lamp lit for me so I can find my way back and keep the sun shinning so it warms up a little more for my next visit... Here is to Cape Cod.....
   
    Recipe EXTRA; EXTRA; EXTRA as this is the 5th Wednesday night in the month, this is bonus week.
    This week is a Salad recipe that I got from a co-worker over 15 years ago that every one in the family has fallen in love with and said this was one for this week.
    So without further ado

        Pasta & Feta Salad  (I know how original right)

•     1    box          Bow tie pasta (16 oz box)
•     1    med.        green pepper (chopped)
•     1    med.        colored pepper (chopped)
•     1    can          ripe olives (12 oz black olives sliced)
•     1    small      Feta Cheese (approx 6 oz container)
•     1    bottle      Kraft Greek salad dressing
•     1    pkg          grape tomatoes (cut in half)

    Cook the pasta, drain and cool. Add chopped pepper, olives, cheese. Pour dressing over top and mix well. If you can allow to sit over night. When you serve you can either add tomatoes before serving or serve on the side. Good as main course or as side dish. Great for spring or summer cookouts.

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