By now you know that Thanksgiving is my most favorite! I especially love this painting by Doris Lee from 1935. The women bustling around, cooking, preparing and making sure everything is just right. This is kind of how my kitchen will be today! I’ve been cooking for a couple of days now, pies are made, cranberry orange relish is chilling in the refrigerator and the turkey will be in the oven soon! Have a blessed day, no matter where you are or what you are doing, take time out to say thank you!
What are you grateful for this year? Family…..friends…..health…..wealth……or maybe all of that!
Thanksgiving Day is a day to say Thank You in ways we may not think of on other days. Saying Thank You is so important…..
Today I’m sharing some ideas that might become traditions for your family.
A gratitude jar….family and friends place a piece of paper, folded in a special jar and each person at the dinner table draws a special note of gratitude to read before dinner.
An impromptu “prayer”, joining hands around the dinner table with each person expressing what they are grateful for….
Or, perhaps, taking time to join in food preparation for your local soup kitchen…..
There are so many ways to give back, to pay forward and to share each and every day! I’d love to hear what you’re doing to make this a very special holiday!
I’m shifting things a bit since Thursday is Thanksgiving. I normally share a menu for entertaining on Friday, but I thought I’d feature the menu we’ll be sharing with family and friends as we give thanks! If you live in Coastal Georgia you can listen to The Permanent Tourist radio talk show on local station WWEZ 94.7 FM or 97.5 FM. I’m talking with Mark Gagliano, wine expert at our local Harris Teeter, and Tom Delaney, Chef/Owner of the fabulous Delaney’s Bistro here on the island. If you’re out of the area you can listen to a live stream via www.wwezradio.com. The show airs tomorrow, Tuesday, November 26 and Thursday, November 28th at 7:05 pm EST. We’re discussing wine pairings for Thanksgiving as well as some pretty tasty ideas for leftovers! The Chef and The Wine Guy is a new segment I’ll be featuring with Tom and Mark once a month beginning with tomorrow’s broadcast.
Here’s my special Thanksgiving menu! I’m sure most of you already know how to roast a turkey, so I’ll forgo the recipe for that! And ya’ll know a raw vegetable platter when you see it! The recipes for everything else begins below! I mention that I use Sangre de Cristo Spice Company herbs and spices to cook with. The website is up for ordering products now: www.sdcspice.com and the e-book version of my cookbook “Spice Up Your Life” is available on the site as well!
Roast Turkey
Coca-Cola Ham
Cajun Cornbread Dressing
Pan Gravy
String Beans with Caramelized Shallots and Sliced Almonds
Creamed Pearl Onions
Southern Squash Casserole
Butternut Yukon Smashed Potatoes
Cranberry Orange Sauce
Raw Vegetable Platter
Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
Pecan Pie
Coca-Cola Ham
Hands on time: 30 minutes Total time: 1 hour and 20 minutes Serves:10-12
Pan Gravy
Drippings from the roast turkey
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Place the roasting pan, turkey removed, on your stovetop. Bring to a simmer, adding the broth, wine and seasoning. Make a “slurry” using 1/3 cup water and two tablespoons cornstarch. Whisk this into the broth mixture and simmer until thickened. Add chopped fresh parsley if desired. Salt & pepper to taste.
String Beans with Caramelized Shallots and Sliced Almonds
2 pounds string beans, ends snapped
4 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter
sea salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Melt the butter in a large skillet or wok. Add the shallots and cook for five minutes on low heat. Add the string beans and continue cooking, covered, for ten minutes. Remove the cover, add the almonds and seasoning. Transfer into a serving dish. Serves 6-8
Creamed Pearl Onions
2 bags frozen pearl onions (If you want to spend an hour peeling the fresh onions, be my guest. When I’m cooking an extensive menu like this I do take shortcuts!)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
sea salt and pepper to taste.
Steam the onions in the chicken broth. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and whisk the flour into it. Slowly add the milk and simmer until thickening. Pour the mixture over the cooked onions, sprinkle with parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Southern Squash Casserole
4 cups fresh yellow squash sliced
1 onion, finely diced
2 eggs
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Saute the squash and onion in 2 tablespoons butter until fork tender, then cool. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg, shredded cheese and milk. Add the cooked veggies to the mixture, folding to combine well. Spoon the mixture into a large baking dish. Crush the crackers and mix with the remaining two tablespoons of butter, melted. Sprinkle this over the casserole and bake for 45 minutes.
Butternut Yukon Smashed Potatoes
I get a box of butternut squash that is already peeled and cubed for this recipe
8 yukon gold potatoes, cubed with skin on
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste
Fresh thyme leaves to sprinkle over the top
Simmer the squash and potatoes in a large saucepan until fork tender. Drain all but 1/2 cup of the liquid and place the mixture in a large mixing bowl. Add the cream and butter, whipping with the paddle attachment of your electric mixer. Season with salt and peppered as desired.
Cranberry Orange Sauce
1 bag cranberries
apple cider, enough to cover the cranberries
1 gala apple, peeled and quartered
2 cups sugar (I use raw, organic)
2 navel oranges, zested and sectioned
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Boil the cranberries in apple cider until they begin to “pop”. Place the berries and cider in a food processor with the apple, orange, orange zest and sugar. Pulse to combine, yet remain a bit chunky. Place in a bowl and fold the pecans into the mixture. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
Thanks to www.chow.com for this delicious recipe! Double the ingredients for two pies.
2 frozen, deep dish pie crusts, thawed and edges crimped by hand
Pecan Pie
Thanks to the Food Network for this fabulous recipe!
1 deep crust thawed, edges crimped
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
2 cups chopped toasted pecans
1 to 2 tablespoons bourbon
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 eggs, lightly beaten
In medium saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and stirring constantly, continue to boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the nuts, bourbon, and the vanilla. Set the mixture aside to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. (If the crust has cooled, return it to the oven for 5 minutes to warm through.) Whisk the beaten eggs into the filling until smooth. Put the pie shell on a sheet pan and pour the filling into the hot crust.
Bake on the lower oven rack until the edges are set but the center is still slightly loose, about 40 to 45 minutes. (If the edges get very dark, cover them with aluminum foil half way during baking.) Cool on a rack. Serve slightly warm or room temperature.
That’s it! Add your favorite dinner rolls if you wish, say a prayer of thanks and enjoy! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!
This may very well be my favorite week in the entire year.
I love Thanksgiving….every single part of it!
The menu planning and food preparation…..
The family and friends who gather……
The sharing of grace and thankfulness…..
It just doesn’t get any better than this! This is the one holiday that has not been over commercialized!
What are you thankful for this year?
I have to admit that at the top of my list is not only family, friends, good health and success but all of my readers who have helped me make The Permanent Tourist a great success!
Saying THANK YOU for all of you on Thanksgiving and every day!
As we enter into Thanksgiving week there is much to say “Thank You” for. We’ll be gathering around a table with family and friends, joining hands and expressing what we are grateful for. We’ll keep those less fortunate in our thoughts and prayers, especially the people in the Phillipines who have suffered so since the deadly typhoon hit their country. I’m sharing a guitar piece by George Winston entitled “Thanksgiving” today. It’s beautiful, yet simple…just as I plan our holiday experience to be this year. Wishing you ALL a wonderful week of gathering, sharing and love!
Tamra Bolton, photographer
By now I think you’ve probably gotten a sense of what Private Islands of Georgia is all about through my posts this week! Now it’s time for you to try two of Capt. Andy’s recipes! First of all, Coastal Cuisine is all about fresh seafood and local ingredients. There is a big movement going on to buy locally, eat seasonally and cook it slow! The recipes I’m sharing with you today fit into all of those categories. They are perfect for a crowd, easy to put together and so delicious! Have some cold beer ready or a crisp Sauvignon Blanc. You can’t go wrong when you serve either of these meals!
Private Islands of Georgia Low Country Boil
Recipe Serves 6 – 8
Fill a large pot with water. Leave enough room in the pot to accommodate the food in
order to prevent over boiling. Bring water to a boil. Next, prepare the Private Islands of
Georgia Cajun Seasoning Blend (recipe below) and add to boiling water.
Private Islands of Georgia Cajun Seasoning Blend
2 sticks butter
1 cup pepper
1/2 cup red pepper
1 cup garlic salt
1/2 cup seasoning salt
1/2 cup celery salt
10 lemons, halved and juiced
10 jalapeno peppers – thinly sliced
Melt butter in large sauce pan on low to medium heat. Mix all of the dry ingredients from
the Private Islands of Georgia Cajun Seasoning Blend in bowl and stir with wire whisk.
Pour contents of mixing bowl into melted butter and stir with wire whisk until well
blended. Pour fresh squeezed lemon juice into pan and stir. Add jalapeno pepper slices
and stir. Add mixture to boiling water, and now the fun begins!
Note – Old Bay Seasoning can be substituted for the Private Islands of Georgia Cajun
Seasoning Blend if desired
Low Country Boil Food Ingredients
4 pounds shrimp – 1/2 pound per person2 packages Hillshire Farm sausage cut into 1″ slices – or substitute your favorite brand
8 onions, peeled – 1 per person (or more – see note below)
16 new potatoes – 2 per person (or more – see note below)
4 ears of corn, halved – 1/2 ear per person
small bag of baby carrots
Note – other ingredients that can be added to personal taste are rutabagas, sweet potatoes,
crabs, crawfish or the ‘kitchen sink’. Adding extra potatoes and onions allows for leftovers
that can be used for some great tasting hash browns the following morning.
After adding the Private Islands of Georgia Cajun Seasoning Blend to the boiling water,
you are now ready to add the food. The food items are added in order of longest to
shortest to cook. First, add the potatoes and boil 10 minutes. Next, add the carrots,
sausage and whole onions. Return to boil. Add corn and return to boil. Then, add the
shrimp last. Cook until shrimp are pink in color, approximately 3-5 minutes. Be careful
not to overcook the shrimp!
Extras
Cocktail sauce, lemon wedges and plenty of napkins
Note – outdoor gas cookers are typically used. A large pot on the range can also be used
when outdoor gas cookers are not available. Cooking outdoors is fun, so get started
today!
Five-Moon Oysters
• 1 Bushel of oysters
• 4 ounce bags of shredded, 4-cheese Mexican blend
• 4 bundles of fresh scallions, finely chopped
• 2 pounds of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 10 jalapeno peppers, sliced
• 1 box saltine crackers
This recipe can be prepared with either raw or steamed oysters.
To Steam the Oysters:
A low country boil cook stand is ideal for steaming oysters. Place a brick in the
bottom of a low country cook pot, and fill the pot with water to the top of the brick.
Bring the water to a boil and set a basket of 25 – 40 oysters on top of the brick.
Place the lid on the pot and steam for 10 minutes.
Shuck the oysters (raw or steamed), and fill a skillet or large sauce pan with as
many as will fit in a single layer.
Cover each oyster with shredded cheese, diced scallions, crumbled bacon and a
jalapeno pepper slice.
Cover and cook over medium to low heat long enough to melt the cheese. After
cheese has melted, turn the heat off and keep covered for another 2-3 minutes to
allow the flavors to blend together.
Then, spoon one out onto a saltine cracker and experience your first, but not
your last, Five-Moon Oyster!
I loved sharing my journey to Eagle Island with you this week. You can check out Private Island of Georgia here: www.privateislandsofgeorgia.com! Capt. Andy is waiting to hear from you so he can help you begin to plan your perfect island getaway! Whether it’s a romantic weekend for two….time for the girls to have fun….or a family reunion, this is the place you’ll never forget! Thank you Capt. Andy!
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You can’t get there in a car or, for that matter, anything other than a boat or a plane. Sapelo Island is a little jewel of history and beauty, quietly sitting within marsh waterways on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. The seven mile trip is easily made by catching the ferry in McIntosh County at the Sapelo Island Visitor’s Center.
The R.J. Reynolds Mansion, now a state owned park, offers a look back into a bygone era.
Originally built by Thomas Spalding in 1810 it served as his family’s residence until Union invaders wrecked havoc on Sapelo Island during the Civil War. The orginal home, built of “Tabby” the native construction material made of shells, lime and water did not stand the test of time and was bought by automobile magnet Howard Coffin in 1910.
He rebuilt the house, adding a lovely arbored area just off to the side of the main property that reminds me of the Giverny Gardens so artfully painted by Monet during the Impressionist Era in France.
One cannot wander through the property that was then bought by tobacco heir, R.J. Reynolds, in 1934, and not think of the slate of illustrious guests he entertained during the mansions’s heyday. Charles Lindbergh visited the island as a personal friend of Reynold’s as well as other famous personalities and a whole list of American Presidents who have walked through the halls of this beautiful structure. For more information on the Mansion: http://gastateparks.org/lodges/reynolds/about/
Nestled among all of the history that dates back to the days when pirates are said to have invaded the island, through the Civil War and days when industrial magnates sought privacy on Sapelo is a community name Hogs Hammock. The community is filled with descendants of slaves who served the Spalding family when they built the original mansion.
Rich in history, filled with natural beauty and remaining a haven for those who visit and return year after year to stay at the Mansion or see the annual Christmas Decorations and enjoy a delicious lunch. You can find out about reservations here: http://gastateparks.org/reynoldsmansion-holidaycelebration.
Sapelo Island remains an important piece of Georgia’s history that I hope you’ll visit. You might want to take your parasol for summer shade or wear your finest winter wrap when visiting in winter months…..you won’t feel out of place!
Far from a crowded city, tucked into the weaving waterways that make up Coastal Georgia, Eagle Island is only accessible by boat. If you’ve ever dreamed of having your own private island getaway, this is the ticket.
crab trap planters
You can bring your own boat and Capt. Andy will lead you to Eagle Island or he’ll pick you up, groceries, libations and all to whisk you away to a peaceful paradise.
The lodge you’ll find when you get there is nothing short of perfection. Well appointed and rustically comfortable, this is the perfect place to rest, reconnect and find peace.
Whether you have one of the hospitality specialists prepare a low country boil and Five Moon Oysters for you or you choose to cook on your own, it’s all okay when you arrive at Eagle Island.
Capt. Andy will guide you through the waterways on your own boat or his, making it easy for you to visit nearby Sapelo Island or go shelling on another of Private Islands of Georgia’s untouched havens, Queen’s Island. You’ll find sea shells, exotic birds, bald eagles and maybe a gator or two along the way, all naturally beautiful and part of this spectacular ecosystem.
Would you like to relax in the oversized hot tub in front of a roaring fire?
Or perhaps prepare dinner for you and your family or friends in the fully equipped outdoor kitchen?
A bonfire in the firepit after dinner could be the perfect way to end the evening…..
Or a soothing time in the Five Moon Shower, rustic, organic and large enough for two.
Let your imagination go, let the kinks ease out of your body and take a deep breath….you’re on island time…..what happens at the island stays at the island!
For further information on reservations and pricing: www.privateislandsofgeorgia.com.
When I received the invitation to join Leigh Cort and three other women travel/lifestyle writers on Eagle Island last week I jumped at the chance. Little did I know what lay in store for me.
We met at Skippers, my favorite seafood restaurant in Darien, Georgia. A quiet, unassuming man met us there, sitting between me and fellow writer Monica Lea. We were all ordering shrimp and oysters for lunch, standard fare for the typical traveler when I heard, “I’ll have the gator tail with a side of coleslaw “, coming from beside me. Andy Hill, known as Capt. Andy by most of us, is a man who marches to the beat of his own drummer.
He is creating his own brand of paradise via his company, Private Islands of Georgia, www.PrivateIslandsofGeorgia.com. Owner of several marsh and barrier islands off the coast of McIntosh County, Andy provides a getaway experience second to none for the traveller who wants to experience something different.
His brochure says “No Agenda….No Clocks….No Schedule….JUST FUN!” and Andy does not let you down!
Whether it’s a tour of the waterways that wind their way to the ocean. Or a hike around his soon to be finished May Hall Island, Andy creates magic wherever he goes.
Tamra Bolton, photographer
And can this man cook? You betcha! His low country boil, recipe to come on Friday, is second to none. Not to mention the steamed oysters with savory toppings we feasted on at dinner one of the nights we shared on Eagle Island.
Reclaimed Doors
Andy is like a kid with a huge toy. He loves nothing more than to walk one of his islands picking up shells that will be repurposed as a candle holder or “shot glass”. He spots pieces of driftwood and hauls them to Eagle Island to create a table or other object to be enjoyed and marveled over by his guests. His mind is always coming up with the unexpected, to the delight of his guests.
crab trap planters
His ability to take something from nature and turn it into something useful that adds to the beauty of his resort locations is impressive, to say the least. Crab traps turned into hanging baskets and uprooted cypress trees turned into giant planters are just a couple of things you’ll find when you visit.
Andy Hill loves Coastal Georgia. He and his wife, Shannon, work together to create places like none other. Places where couples wanting a private honeymoon, families wanting an adventure or groups wanting a getaway where they can reconnect and find peace and tranquility….it can all be found because of this inventive couple.
A tour through Coastgal Georgia with Capt. Andy is something you won’t want to miss! I’ll be sharing more on his properties over the next couple of days. You’ll be ready to book your stay by the time I’ve finished!
I spent most of last week discovering magical places.
Some I had heard of before and never been to, others were new to me and offered glimpses of the eco-system in Coastal Georgia, practically untouched by human hand.
Journey with me as I show you all of the beautiful places, people and things I experienced.
Knowing that I live in the midst of all of this, surrounded by nature, able to capture the essence of it all with my trusty little camera….I can only say that I feel blessed.
Each day will be a new adventure this week, beginning tomorrow with the story of a man whose vision created a haven. Nestled among the wandering rivers and waterways that connect Coastal Georgia to the ocean, there is a place to rest, renew and explore.
Get your bucket lists ready, I’m sharing things you’ll want to add!
