Independence Day 2013-- Hot, Hot, Hot!

 

What A Day

 

This year was seriously hot. I'm talking 95+ with 75% humidity, which is about as humid as it can get. The weather girl didn't even want to say it. So in reality, it felt like it was over 100.

 

Suffice it to say, the pool got a lot of use.

 

Gar was off early in the morning to hit the tide right for cutting seaweed off the rocks. Luckily our friend Steve was able to go with him, as our friend Ralph who usually goes, had a fishing charter that day.

 

While he went to get the seaweed and the keg, I headed down to Defiant Lobster to get the all important lobster and clams. It was a beautiful morning, but was already heating up.

 

 

When I got back, I got Watermelon George ready as the guys got the fire going, and heated up the steel plate (which Tom has to lift onto the fire with his tractor- seriously heavy).  They also bagged and tagged everyone's lobsters and clams with big onion bags and clothespins, so everyone gets their own lobsters back off the bake.

The guys stack the baskets full of lobsters, clams and seaweed on top of the steel plate.  They then lay tarps over the baskets and keep it damp so that steam keeps rising up to cook the bugs.  All in all, it takes about an hour give or take a few minutes.

While everything cooks, I try to make the rounds with appetizers just to be sure I get to see everyone.

Then of course, it's time to enjoy it all - lobsters, clams, corn, potatoes, salads galore.

{many of these pictures are courtesy of my cousin Ed Cocciardi}

 

Of course, the day wouldn't be complete without dessert otherwise known as Almond Joy Martini Shots. SO good and they helped me forget just how hot it was. In fact, so much so, we had a rousing patriotic sing along after the Almond Joys. We had nothing on Jimmy Cagney's Yankee Doodle Dandy, but we did give it our all.

Eventually when all the hard work was done, I jumped in the pool. It was heavenly.

A fun day of delicious local food prepared as a traditional New England Lobster Bake, and good times with good people. What more can you ask for on America's Birthday?

Hope you all had a great holiday and long weekend. I only wish it was a tiny bit longer.

Have a great Tuesday!

Ciao for now,

PS- I cannot believe I posted the picture of myself in the lobster hat (thanks Kath). I'm sure it will come back to haunt me. Obviously, I'm not vain.

Lobster Bake 101

 

Preparation Is Key

 

I will be scarce from here on in over the course of the July 4th weekend. As most of you know, we host annual Independence Day Lobster Bake.

 

It takes a lot of preparation so that we're on the ball tomorrow. We wouldn't want anything to get in the way of a delicious lobster and clam feast.

 

Neighborhoodlum Tom (aka The Tractor Man) has already brought his picnic tables over and a load of wood for the fire.  Gar's out on errands for the all important Duck Tape and Yard Guard.  Then we'll be out in the yard organizing.

 

I got a good bit done last night, organizing all of my bins of things and they're ready to go by the back door.

 

Then, when all is said an done it will look something like this:

 

 

We have designated areas.....

The Lobster Bake

The Grill Masters

 

 

My parent's host in the screenhouse.

 

 

Ralphie's chowder station (we may not be so lucky this year as he has a morning fishing charter).

 

 

The cooling station.

 

 

The Watermelon George bar.

 

 

The keg station.

 

Oh yeah, the 'Come and get 'em' station.  FYI, everyone brings their own lobsters and clams and we bag and tag 'em in big ol' onion bags to throw on the bake. That way everyone can buy the size lobsters they want and they get their own bag of bugs back to enjoy! 

 

 

Then the mayhem!

 

 

 

We've had anywhere from 60 to 100 people. It's anybody's guess.
The more the merrier when celebrating Independence Day, and all of the freedoms we hold so dear and that come at such a great cost. It's a day to celebrate America!

I hope you all have a great 4th of July. Any plans for the holiday weekend? BBQs? Travel? Laying low?

However you spend it, enjoy- enjoy- enjoy!

We surely will.

Happy Birthday America!

Ciao for now,

And The Rockets Red Glare.....

Oh No, That Was The Lobsters

It happens once a year, which is both good- because it's lots of work, and bad- because it's lots of fun.

The fourth was super muggy and hot. This is how it goes.

Gar gets up in the 6am hour and goes to meet Ralph on the rocks in Rye to cut seaweed for the bake. Why the 6am hour? That would be low tide this year. It usually is at an early hour. Go figure.

Then one of us picks up the lobsters and clams at Defiant Lobster and the keg at Joe's Meat Market. This year it worked out that Gar swung by both places on his way back with seaweed. While he's gone I'm prepping my appies and starting to haul stuff like paper plates, utensils, grilling supplies and more out to the backyard, putting table cloths on tables, setting chairs up, etc.  This year I even had a chance to hop in the pool for some brief downtime. Then it was back to the kitchen to make Watermelon George, who makes everyone pleased as punch.

Then people start rolling in, dropping their lobsters off early so they know they make it on the bake. We bag and tag 'em in big old onion bags with clothespins, so everyone gets their own lobsters and clams back.  After Tom puts the 800 pound plate over the fire pit, the guys get the fire going good and hot.  Then the lobster/clam bags, corn and potatoes are all put into the baskets (square wood frames with screening on the bottom) that are loaded with seaweed. 

Then the bake goes on the plate, and it's wet down to bring up the steam.
Then we mingle and schmooze; enjoy a cocktail, Watermelon George or a red solo cup of draught beer; swim in the pool, nibble on some appies; eat stuff from the grill; melt the butter and then finally, we dig into the lobster and clams!

Good times and a great way to celebrate America's indepedence. Our furthest travellers this year were Aunt Joan and Uncle Bobby who came up from Yonkers, NY.  Yay!  Thought Aunt Joan was going to run all the way home when Uncle Bobby did his best redneck impersonation with my cowboy hat on.

It sounded like you all celebrated in perfectly wonderful ways. So happy to hear it!  I think it's a holiday worth celebrating. It makes me think of the hard fought battles to win this country's independence. It also makes me think of all the servicemen and women that aren't home to celebrate and it's a good way to honor them I think, in true American style.

Hope you enjoyed the weekend too. We pretty much hung low, other than a ride on Sunday morning.  The sunsets cooperated, as usual, giving us quite a show.

Sunset Meadows

What a day yesterday was. Beautiful summer day. Couldn't have been anymore perfect. It ended perfectly too.

So beautiful.

So blessed to have this view.

After a few days of vacation, this week the to-do list is long, but it's all good including ad design, bookkeeping (ok, maybe not all good...blech!), marketing, tomorrow's post on 4th of July chowder making and more. What do you plan on accomplishing this week?

Have a great day,

The Aftermath

Lots of Fun Had By All

The 4th was HOT, HUMID and FUN.  We had a few less people this year, and that was a.ok.  As usual, there was lots of talking, laughing.....pooltime, and oh yes...........lobster and clams off the bake!!!!

Good times with good friends on the 4th.

A more complete review will happen, but for now I've got a couple of days off with Gar for clean up and recovery. Though things weren't looking too bad this year the day after. We did a good job of picking up on the 4th.

Though it looked pretty quiet and empty yesterday compared to the 4th.  Yesterday was about cleaning things a bit and relaxing.  I think we could open our own Beergarten over on the East side of the yard.

Nothing on the fire today.

So neighborhoodlum Tom moved the 800 pound plate off the pit.

We enjoyed a couple of beers from the keg and really took it pretty easy, just like Lucan.

He lifted his head every once in a while just to make sure that everyone was, in fact, chilling as instructed.

More chilling today. It's another hot one. Great summertime vacation day. I will be pool bound at some point.

Hope you're enjoyed your holiday this week if you're in the States (or Canada ).  We have no plans for the weekend. We're going to wing it. A lot of lazing about is the only thing on the to do list.  What are you up to in your corner of the world?

Freeform Friday

Sousa by the Boston Pops on the Esplanade. Doesn't get anymore 4th of July than that. Happy Birthday America!  If you're reading by email, click here.

Enjoy.






Have a great Friday,

Take a Walk With Me

Around the Yard

I was right. Yesterday, the farmer was back loading up several of his transport trucks with the hay bales.  It's almost like a dance. First the tractor goes to get a bale. The farmer inserts the rods on front of tractor into the pale and lifts it off the ground. The tractor makes it way across the field.

The farmer gets to the truck and has to lift the bale even higher in order to place it on the truck. Then it all starts over again. The bales are all gone now. It's a long day of work, as always, for the farmer.

It's been hot so watering the flowers in the morning is a must.

Ah, the bee balm. About to pop wide open for the 4th. I think of them as flower fireworks.

Beyond being pretty, the hummingbirds, butterflies and hummingbird moths love them. So they're always a show.

Tiger lilies or ditch lilies as some of you call them.

Can you find the bugs in these next two?

There will be lots of action in the yard today and tomorrow. Last year's apre July 4th post gives a good play by play of what our day will be like.  It's a lot of work, but it's worth it. It's always a great day and luckily we get lots of help.

It cooled off a bit last night. This meant we slept with the windows open for first time in quite a few days. Lovely air. The only thing that wasn't lovely was the damn robins (who I usually think are lovely birds) beginning their routine at 4:15 am. Oh, they started singing the song of the day. Me, not so much? I gave up going back to sleep and just got up at about 4:35. I may need a nap later with what's on the plate today and tomorrow. However, since I was up so early, I got to see this pretty sunrise.



Have a wonderful day.

Ciao for now,

Independence Day

It was another fantastic 4th of July Lobster Bake. Best we can figure, we've been having the annual bake for about 13 years now.  Everybody does their part to pull off the big production.  Lots of good food, good family and good friends.  Nobody did  an official head count, but from what I can figure, we were in the 80+ range.  Let freedom ring!



Charlie (on right behind truck) found us a new plate
to put the bake on. Tom manuevers the 750 lb behemoth out
of the truck with his tractor.



  



Gar and Ralph unload the bags of seaweed they cut off the rocks at 6:15 am- got to get it at low tide.
Cousin Eddie even ventured with them this year.




Everyone brings their own lobsters, which we then put into
big onion bags and tag with clothes pins. They're put into baskets (made of 2x4s and
screen), covered with the seaweed and put onto the steel plate over the fire.








Gar and Ralph stacked the baskets on top of the steel plate and cover it with tarps.
The tarps are sprayed down with the hose and everything is 'baked' over the fire.
Smokey goodness at it's best.



Me, Carey (aka Martha) and Mom.



Janey came all the way from Vermont to serve up some appetizers!




Dad, Charlie & nephew Jeff sharing a laugh in the Taj Mahal (our screen tent).



Doesn't Marge look like a Matriarch in this one?
And even Max made the picture!




Brother in law Al and neighborhoodlum Gerry-- The Grill Masters.




Feathers (aka Susanne) making the rounds with
her world famous jello shots.




The New Yorkers enjoying their lobsters. The Dubliners did too, but I didn't get a picture!
People travel far and wide to get to the annual bake.



Great Niece Sophia strolling through the bake with mom.



How do you say 'pursuit of happiness'? Almond Joy Martinis (thank you Cocciardis!).



Another beatuiful sunset, complete with crescent moon. And another wonderful Independence Day.

 I'm sure my cousin Eddie got better pictures of the whole shebang. I'm usually too busy playing hostesss to get all the pictures I'd really like to get.  I'll post when I get some from Eddie and other guests.  Time to start 'clean up' and put the chowder pot on!