It's Summertime...Somewhere

OK.  I'm am officially over Winter.  I would like it to leave...to exit stage right...to just go away.

I checked the weather channel for Sydney, Australia (where I would someday like to go...if it didn't take so long to get from here to there...:), and it is 82 degrees.  It's 79 in Wailea, HI, where we were four months ago.  Sigh.  Of course, we are still weeks (or months, maybe) away from warmer weather, so I'm taking matters into my own hands.  I decided we were going to have Summer on Saturday, regardless of what the thermometer said.  (It said "29" at the time...:)

We brought out the beach T-shirts.  Mom put on a lime-green one from a trip to Myrtle Beach, and I found a long-sleeved yellow one from Pawleys Island.  Mr. T's was from Florida, I think.  While I got the rest of the party started, he whirred us up some Strawberry Daiquiris in the blender.  Complete with little umbrellas!



Ingredients for our Beach Party

 I got a pan of Manale's BBQ Shrimp under the broiler and a pot of frozen-from-the-garden corn going on the burner.  I'm not sure exactly why it is called "BBQ" Shrimp, 'cause there isn't any barbecue sauce or seasoning in the ingredients.  I got this recipe from the Junior League of Monroe, LA, Cotton Country Collection cookbook nearly 35 years ago...now it's a go-to recipe source in my collection.  The cookbook was a wedding present, and we were living in Shreveport...and I was working in Monroe...at the time.  We've loved the recipe ever since, but we call it Pepper Shrimp in our family...for good reason.  My favorite part?  "Pepper the shrimp until they are black. When you think you have enough, add even more!"



Finished Pepper Shrimp...ready for peeling and eating

 I make a cocktail sauce with catsup, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco sauce...lots of all of it.  It was great with the shrimp...and even yummy on the crackers served alongside.  Opened up those nasal passages, as my dear Daddy used to say! 

I'll use the leftover sauce later on this week on Salmon Croquettes.  My BIL from TX sent a recipe last week that awakened my taste buds for that entree from my younger years.  His recipe was a little fancier than I remember Rena's being; that link is closer to hers...except she always crumbled saltine crackers instead of bread crumbs.  That's what I'll probably do, too.

We had about a dozen shrimp left over, so I'm thinking maybe Shrimp and Grits sometime this week?  That link will take you to a recipe from Southern Living that I'll probably use...and tweak.

Bon appetit!