A Busy Day at the Beach

 

What can I say? The fresh air, long run, good food, and bocce games took it out of us.

After everyone finished their runs we made lunch and were entertained by our new guest, Isabelle. Isabelle is the second baby our group of girlfriends has had but she was the only one to make the trip down to the beach this weekend. She had more outfit changes than Brittney Spears and was the center of attention all day.

My lunch was more delicious than normal as my hunger returned just in time.

A turkey sandwich, complete with cheese, mustard, and Duke’s mayonnaise. On the side I enjoyed some pickles, Baked Lay’s Ruffles, and a Blue Moon Pumpkin beer.

After lunch our group split into two groups, the ESPN crowd and the beach crowd. Normally I would have been on the couch cheering for Georgia Tech, Georgia, and Notre Dame. But, since I’ve only had two beach weekends this summer the beach was my destination of choice yesterday.

These are the beverage choices of a long runner: a gallon of water and a beer.

We were blessed with gorgeous weather again yesterday though the wind kept things too cool for swimsuits.

After the Dawgs won the game the rest of the group came down to the beach for a game of Bocce.

Bocce is the perfect beach game because it allows you to keep talking, hold a beer, and play all at the same time. The driftwood, shells, and soft sand made for a more challenging game than normal.

By dinner time everyone was ready for a big Low Country meal, a Low Country Boil. Also known as Beaufort Stew or Frogmore Stew, a Low Country Boil is, according to Coastal Living Magazine

 

Once called Frogmore Stew, this one-pot wonder was created by a National Guardsman when he needed to cook a meal for 100 soldiers. Richard Gay, who learned the recipe from his family, had everyone remembering his stew. The dish was later named Frogmore, where Richard was from, by the guards who teased him about home. The postal service eliminated the name Frogmore, which changed this popular dish to Low country boil.

This seafood dish is a combination of shrimp, sausage, corn, and potatoes. Great for relaxing trips to the beach, it is also easy to create for a crowd. Low country boil can be served on newspaper for easy clean up. Crab, onion, and butter are frequent additions to the pot, and having a removable drain basket only makes cooking easier. The rule of thumb here is the bigger the crowd, the bigger the pot.

It was delicious! What a wonderful day!

Question: What is your favorite food from your region of the United States?