The hubs and I spent our Nation's Holiday Down the Shore ( I use the NJ colloquialism because I now try not to say "at the Jersey Shore" anymore because that summons horrible visions these days. Reality TV is The Devil.)
I spent most of my holiday in the kitchen because my mother is one of those mothers (even tho she is neither a Catholic nor an Italian) who buys enough food for at least a dozen people who are staying for a solid week, even when we are only 5 people staying for two days and three nights. (The furballs will not get their beach vacation w/ the grandparents until August this year, so we had to get back to the city a bit faster than we may have wished. And Keats was still a constant shadow on me because she does not like to be left alone. Even tho she is a HORRID traveler most of the time. I'm talking Hooch of Turner & Hooch style drooling and panic and guilt-laying. It is neither pretty nor sweet smelling. I must go back to drugging her for travel...)
Anyway, I helped with breakfasts, cooked my own, helped with lunches, helped with dinners, and attended The Parade (sorry no pics of the ancient Fire Engines or snazzy old cars, but I watched my father walk, heavily laden with medals with the other War Vets, and was surrounded by both new families and what were probably the children of some of the children I used to teach in sailing.) I also survived the 97º weather and guzzled more water than I usually drink in a week. Yikes.
I also made some tasty guacamole for snacking (while watching a Miss Marple) and some seriously tasty margaritas for sipping in the late-evening heat.
Dinner consisted of burgers (made my my mom) and dogs, all grilled by the hubs, who has never manned a grill to my knowledge, so that was literally a Trial By Fire (credit to my mom for that joke.)
Baked beans with extra brown sugar, ketchup, onions and bacon done in my mother's special style, and a Caprese salad. All the trimmings of raw red onions, cheese, ketchup, mustard, relish, pickles, etc. were available.
Like I said, there will be a cleansing and tasty soup recipe to follow soon...
After roasting marshmallows on the dwindling fire for dessert, we waited for nightfall for the fireworks, which from our vantage were many but not all visible. (Trees, houses, etc.)
Usually we can see the fireworks at both boardwalks north and south of us. This year we thought we were seeing fireworks farther away in the north, but even closer in the south (maybe Normandy?)
So, the few pics I go that night were far away and mediocre at best.
But they're better than nothing.
It remained a happy holiday, and we played a few rounds of euchre after my dad went to bed while munching the guacamole and drinking margaritas. (Even tho he technically won Apples to Apples the last time we played, he refused to play this time. Tho he kept shouting out clever answers on his own while theoretically reading his book.)
It was a nice weekend, but I think I will be eating nothing but fish and vegetables for the rest of the week to offset the burgers, dogs, beans, and cheese consumed. Oof.
However, future margaritas are always welcome :)
