Tomorrow the second annual International Festival will be held at Coastal College in Brunswick, behind the student center.  The festival is co‐sponsored by the College and the Robert S. Abbott Race Unity Institute.

Here is more information on the event:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=p5_dRUWyqN4  The Abbott Institute is taking part in the festival from a point of awareness that we are all one and that all races need to understand each other and work together for the good of all.  Racism results from ignorance.  Through festivals such as this we can come to a truer communication and interaction with each other!

This is a wonderful opportunity to experience the culture and food of other countries.

Yummy dishes from local restaurants, like the Jerk Shack, and cooks from various ethnic backgrounds will be preparing their specialities for your enjoyment in the food court.

The music of steel drums will waft through the air adding to the festive event!  Chinese Lion Dancing, Salsa Dance lessons, a performance by an African Dance Troupe and plenty of fun activities for kids will all be happening.  Diversity creates unity.  Come and share in the richness of culture, art, music and cuisine.  We are, after all, in this together.

Artisans, Musicians, Food and more….shop, dance, eat, explore….have fun!   Free admission and parking.  This is a rain or shine event.

Join in the fun from 2 – 7 pm, Friday, April 12, 2013.

Melissa | food & entertaining | 04 11th, 2013 | 1 Comment »

I have always owned very large dogs…always, until Murphy came on the scene.  But I am learning from my friend, Pat, that good things can come in very small furry packages!

Meet Max!

Max is a Yorkshire Terrier.  Weighing in at eight and one very important half pound.  This little fellow has the soul of a fifty pounder, at least!

Max likes to go to work with Pat everyday.  Her office is specially outfitted with a little “cave” where he likes to burrow.

Sometimes he sticks out his tongue.  We’re not sure what that is a sign of, but it seems to show contentment.

Max comes to our place with Pat for coffee every Saturday morning.  If we’re not home, he tries to force her to come anyway!  A little creature of habit.

Most of all, Max is Murphy’s best pal.

Mighty Max…..a lot of dog in a little body, filled with love!

If you or someone you know has a pet they’d like me to feature, please contact me!  melissa@thepermanenttourist.com

Melissa | Out&About | 04 9th, 2013 | No Comments »

Although I first posted this in the spring, it seems like the perfect menu to re-post during my six month celebration.  So delicious and easy to prepare.  This is the perfect menu for late summer entertaining!  Once again…..enjoy!

We’re going a bit lighter this week.  These are some of my most favorite recipes.  Easy, healthy and so delicious!  Here’s the menu for four:

Champagne Cocktails

Lemony Zucchini Bruschetta

Roasted Tomato and Fresh Herb Pasta

Pan Roasted Grouper

Fresh Berry Napoleons

Sauvignon Blanc

Champagne Cocktails

For each flute, soak a sugar cube in Angostura Bitters, top with icy cold champagne and a twist of fresh lemon.

Lemony Zucchini Bruschetta

1 whole wheat baguette

1 small log goat cheese

1 organic lemon

2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped

1 organic zucchini

Shaved parmigiano reggiano

Slice the baguette on the diagonal, 1/4 inch thick.  Place in a single layer on a sheet pan and toast at 325 degrees until crisp, about 15-20 minutes.  Let the goat cheese soften at room at room temperature.  With a lemon zester or the fine edge of a grater, remove the zest from the lemon (the peel), mix with the softened goat cheese, adding 1 tablespoon of juice from the lemon and the fresh herbs.  Wash the zucchini and with a mandoline or very sharp vegetable peeler, cut thin strips lengthwise.

To assemble:  Spread each slice of bread with a thin coating of the cheese mixture.  place a strip of zucchini on top and curl, like ribbon candy (see picture).  Squeeze any leftover lemon juice over the top.   Top with a small bit of shaved parmigiano reggiano cheese and serve.

Roasted Tomato and Fresh Herb Pasta

1 pound angel hair pasta (I use the gluten free variety made from Quinoa)

2 pounds organic plum tomatoes roasted (see instructions below)

Extra virgin olive oil

1 cup each of fresh basil, flat leaf parsley and scallions, finely chopped

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

sea salt and pepper to taste

1 cup shredded asiago cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  The pasta takes very little time to cook so I usually leave this step to last, so after the water boils turn it down and let it simmer so it’s ready.  Chop the roasted tomatoes and place in a large saute pan with 1 tablespoon good olive oil.  As the tomatoes begin to sizzle, add the fresh herbs and cook for about five minutes.  You want the herbs to be slightly crunchy.  Bring the water back to a boil, cook your pasta, drain it well and add it to the saute pan.  Add the toasted pine nuts and season with salt and pepper.  Transfer the pasta mixture to a large platter and sprinkle with asiago cheese.  Garnish with large basil leaves.

Roasted Tomatoes:

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.  place halved plum tomatoes on the pan and drizzle with good olive oil, then sprinkle with sea salt.  Place in the warm oven for 3-5 hours.  You want the tomatoes to be slightly browned.  You can keep these stored in a container in your refrigerator for up to one week for use in all sorts of dishes that call for tomatoes.  Roasting the tomatoes in this way really enhances their flavor and gives them a sort of “candied” taste.

Pan Roasted Grouper

1 1/2 pounds fresh grouper cut into 6 ounce serving pieces

2 tablespoons good quality olive oil

juice of one lemon

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon butter

sea salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large, heavy saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add the olive.  Lightly salt and pepper the grouper pieces, carefully adding them to the hot pan.  Cook for three minutes on each side, remove to a warm plate and set aside.  Add the lemon juice and wine to the pan, swirl in the butter and adjust the seasoning with sea salt and pepper as you desire.  Return the grouper to the pan to coat with the sauce.  You may add capers and lemon wedges if you wish.

Fresh Berry Napoleons

Do not be afraid of filo dough.  It is in your grocer’s freezer and it is a wonderful thing to keep in yours.  I have done both dessert and main course Napoleons and they are always delicious.  Take a deep breath and have fun with it!

1 package filo dough, thawed

1 cup sugar

1 stick butter, melted

1 carton each fresh strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries.

1 jar good quality raspberry jam

1/4 cup chambord liqueur

1 small carton whipping cream

1/4 teaspoon good vanilla

Heat the oven according to the instructions on the filo dough package.  On a sheet pan, carefully place one sheet of dough, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.  Repeat this until you have eight layers of dough.  With a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 3″x4″ rectangles.  Bake until golden brown.  You’ll probably need to do two pans of this for four people.

Rinse the berries and toss together in a bowl.  In a small pan melt the jam, adding the chambord at the end, if the mixture is a bit thin you can add 1 teaspoon or so of cornstarch that has been dissolved in 1 tablespoon water, stir well over a low flame until slightly thickened.  Chill a medium sized metal bowl and use this to whip the cream until stiff peaks form.  Add just a bit of vanilla to give the cream extra flavor.

To assemble:  On each dessert plate place one square of pastry.  Spoon the jam mixture on the pastry and top with a heaping spoon full of berries.  Repeat this two more times, ending with berries on top.  Spoon a generous amount of whipped cream on each Napolean ad serve.  A nice cup of espresso is the perfect accompaniment to this yummy dessert!

Melissa | Finally Friday!, food & entertaining | 04 9th, 2013 | No Comments »

The flowers that bloom in the Spring!  The island overflows with luscious blooms, everywhere you look.  My gardening spirit is awakening and I find my car practically driving itself to the Ace Garden Center here on St. Simons Island.  I like doing business with our local shops, getting to know the owners and supporting smaller concerns as opposed to major chains.

When I shop at Ace, I know I’m getting plants that are grown in or near our area.  The plants thrive and my need to feel dirt between my fingers is fulfilled!

This trip to the garden center did not let me down.  Yellows, fuchsias, lavender, every shade of green…..the colors popped all around me like a sea of Spring spreading before my eyes!

Fountains flow and St. Francis guards the grounds, surrounded by shrimp plants and other lovelies.

My kitchen garden is in the process of being tilled and prepared.  Sweet basil is calling my name…..pesto, Sicilian salsa, mint tea with basil ice cubes….the list goes on and on.

Anyone who loves to cook knows the importance of fresh herbs.  I even use them in beds of flowers, the various greens compliment spring color and the fragrance is heavenly!

Containers anyone?  You’ll find a bounty of ideas when you visit!

I love a spring garden.  As shoots begin to reappear from last seasons perinneal plants, I can see holes that need fresh color, gaps that need to be filled.  This is more than a mere hobby for me, gardening feeds my soul.  Maybe it’s the fact that I come from a long line of avid Texas gardeners?  Mr. T has kidded me on more than one occasion about looking like a “Texas Farm Hand” when I come inside after a days work in my favorite domain.

The great poet Matthew Holloway put it very succinctly in his famous poem:

Melissa | Shop! | 04 4th, 2013 | 2 Comments »

When you plan a visit to Coastal Georgia, don’t forget your clubs!  Today I’m featuring the courses on Jekyll Island, but courses abound throughout the area.

Three beautiful eighteen hole courses are well manicured and maintained for your playing enjoyment.  Indian Mound, Oleander and Pine Lakes.  You may not know that Jekyll Island is Georgia’s largest public golf resort.  These courses meander through the center part of the island.

Their natural setting allows players to experience the beauty of the area, with an occasional deer or two grazing on the edge of the fairway.

Or wildlife of a more reptilian variety, alligators.  I am assured that they are shy and don’t want to bother us any more than we want communion with them!

Oleander is the older of the courses and many consider it the most difficult.  Pine Lake is the longest with Indian Mound providing the shortest yet still challenging game.

Don’t forget the fourth course, Great Dunes, a nine hole course.  In the words of the “Jekyll Island Golf Club” website:  “The course features several holes with some of the smallest greens you will ever encounter, one of the most unique par 5s in existence, and one of the most difficult par 3’s without water you’ll ever play.  Great Dunes represents what is left of Jekyll’s original layout of 100-plus years ago and is a real treasure because of the glimpse it provides of golf from a bygone era.”  For more from this great site: http://golf.jekyllisland.com/course.html

After you’ve finished a day of golf, wander on over to Latitude 31, located at the end of the pier on the Jekyll Island Club Hotel property http://latitude31jekyllisland.com/?page_id=12.  This exceptional fresh seafood restaurant’s is one of Mr. T’s and my favorites.  It’s actually the scene of our first date several years ago.  Waterfront dining in a casual island atmosphere is the perfect way to finish the day.  Many nights you’ll find live music at the “Rah Bar”, just outside the door, where you can dance under the moonlight and toast the stars!

Jekyll Island, it offers a setting that still feels remote, a bit removed from the madding crowd.  You’ll find all of the modern amenities you could possibly ask for!

 The Permanent Tourist welcomes advertisers/sponsors!  Contact me:  melissa@thepermanenettourist.com for more information.

Melissa | Out&About | 04 3rd, 2013 | 7 Comments »

We all love our pets.  But some people go a bit overboard!

The Easter holiday reminded me of bunny ears and all of the silly costumes pet owners come up with.

They make their cats head the center of a flower.  Do you think the cat enjoys this?

Then there is the duck costume…..is this precious, or what?

Some people dye their pets fur….hmmmmm!

We celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in March.  I wonder how this fellow felt with his touch o’ the green?

Even the cat wasn’t safe!

Yoda….is that you?

It’s all in good fun and our pets do survive!  Some even seem to enjoy it!

Murphy said he’d like to meet this cutie!

No matter what, our pets are our best friends!  Happy Tuesday from Murphy’s World, ya’ll!

Melissa | Out&About | 04 2nd, 2013 | 4 Comments »