“Are you kidding me!” exclaims my husband, every time he sees everything stacked up for the beach and ready for crunch time loading our SUV. This has been going on for nearly 22 years now. (That’s our beach history, not our years of marriage). I could literally start a business to organize some of the clueless wives/moms/grandmothers, and guys, who don’t know where to begin their preparations for a week at the beach with family and friends.

  Just the list making could boggle the mind but you have to start somewhere. Even if the lemon/lime squeezer gets on the same planning page as #4 Pampers Night Time Pull-ups, it’s ok, because when it’s all said and done, they may both end up stuffed in the oversized salad bowl til we get there.

Here is what you need if you are foodies, which we are. If you want to skip preparing any of the food yourself, or IF you want to take the chance of waiting until you’re on that remote island to see if their grocer has Alimentum by Similac ( the only formula the twins have digested in the last 5 months), then go right ahead and plan on spending 95% of your leisure time driving around in the tropical temperatures looking for essentials. No thanks, sister. I went to the grocery one time in a week and witnessed what looked like the aftermath of hurricane preparation- no fish, no fresh veggies, no ice, no bread…..I could go on and on.

This is a bit of my list of essentials. Included are the ingredients that can be put on the shelf and grabbed last minute for appetizers, lunch on the beach and some easy no fuss breakfasts.

DRY IN BAGS:

1.  Orzo, dry spaghetti ( I packed Buchatini ), tiny roasting potatoes ( fingerling are yummy), quinoa. garlic, onion, for quick stir fry or baked veggies
2.  Cereal, pancake mix, flour tortillas, bread( either gluton free or loaf)
3.  Dry snacks- almonds ( love Trader Joe’s Marcona with Rosemary), popcorn, corn chips, kettle potato chips, crackers, dry fruit especially raisins or cherries
4. Spices- Kosher salt, peppercorns, cayenne pepper, dried thyme, Tony Chachere’s cajun spices or other brand, cumin,  cinnamon, sugar, tarragon ( I carried fresh basil, rosemary, mint, parsley, and cilantro from my herb garden wrapped in paper.

CANNED OR BOTTLED:

Olive oil, vegetable oil, vinegar (Balsamic, Rice wine), homemade or bottled dressing, Tabasco, catsup, yellow and spicy   mustard, small mayonnaise, artichoke hearts, olives ( Kalamato), green olives in juice for Martinis. Roasted red peppers – piquillo ( great for last minute tortilla wraps) GOT THOSE CHECKED?

FOR THE KIDS: Peanut butter and or Almond butter- honey, jelly or jam ( hot pepper jelly), jar of Dulce de Leche'(Trader Joe’s)

IN COOLER ON ICE : Can buy there or bring some for the first few days so you can avoid the grocery store

Bottled water, sodas, La Croix, small milk, half and half, butter, cheese especially parmasan,  half dozen eggs, snacking cheese and Feta, cream cheese, sliced ham and or salami,  easy fruit-apples, oranges, lemons,  blueberries, tiny tomatoes, lettuce, avocados, squash or corn if you have room!!

Frozen entree’s  in disposable baking aluminum ( I have brought chicken parmasan, noodles, black beans, shrimp creole,  meat sauce or meatballs, spinach dip, soup of any kind including gumbo). NOT ALL ON SAME TRIP!

CONTAINERS/STORAGE:

Aluminum foil, Plastic storage bags, plastic cups, sippy cups for little guys, plastic wrap or waxed paper, paper towels, toilet paper ( unless provided), Kleenex or other tissues, napkins

Great aromatic candle and dinner candles for a sit down dinner – lighter and/ or matches

Wine opener, can opener, bottle opener, hand grater ( good luck if you don’t bring them

Le Cruset- one great pot with lid

One very good serated knife ( in case they don’t have one at the rental)

Sparkling water, beer, wine, liquor, tea, cranberry juice, lemonade- I bought most of this and crammed it in the car since the price and selection anywhere near the beach is high and few in number.

FIRST AID, SUNSCREEN, BUG SPRAY, DIGESTION AIDS, PAIN RELIEF, ETC. :. Bring the following without a doubt:

1. Bandaids, Antibacterial ointment, spray and stick sunscreens ( from #30 plus), fever and pain reducer,  children’s pain and fever relief (leave to their parents or if you are the parent- pack plenty), seltzer or other help with upset stomach, cold/ allergy relief, moisturizer for dry skin
2. EASY HORS’D’OEUVRES & DESSERT: Use your artichokes, mayo, and grated parmasan cheese ( almost equal amounts). Chop up artichokes and combine with mayo and cheese. Bake in ovenproof container for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Smells heavenly. Serve with whatever you have in the rental ( chips, crackers, or bread).
3. Serve those delicious Marcona Rosemary Almonds from Trader Joe’s in a bowl by themselves
4. Spread hot pepper jelly over cream cheese
5. Serve cheeses with olives, salami, fruit
6. Serve black beans (leftover) with tortilla chips, tomatoes and cheese, warming in the oven to make nachos
7. Roast tomatoes with rosemary, salt, pepper, and olive oil for 30 minutes at 350 degrees or more depending on oven. Serve over French bread and top with parmasan cheese.
8. Quinoa ideas- prepare Quinoa (use water or chicken stock if you have it). Mix in ripe avocado, nuts, raisins or dried cherries, i/4 small red onion, celery, blueberries, Feta,  olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Use as many or as few of these ingredients as you like.
9. Use Romaine lettuce as the container and fill with prepared Quinoa (see ideas above).
10. Roll up cheese, avocado, picquillo peppers, chopped celery, and cumin, in tortilla to make a wrap- cut in smaller portions and serve. Can add some of that sliced ham if the kids haven’t eaten it first.
11. For the kids: cinnamon toast with apples,  celery with peanut butter, ham roll-up with cheese inside, or send some kind soul to the store for popcycles and ice cream (with warm Dulce de Leche’)  for dessert

PERSONAL PACKING

Now it’s time to pack your own clothes and see if you can fit them- including: along with your beach towels, large blanket, flip flops, swimsuit coverups, a casual long dress for a dinner out, digging tools, chairs (skip these and rent),  Fadoras, golf equipment (we rented it), horseshoes, Bocce balls, hair straighteners, and de-frizzers………….

Important- Have fun and relax, whatever doesn’t fit into your vehicle- take a deep breath and let it go. Maybe you can bring it next year!

          

   

A description of Molly must start with some history of our time with her. She is what my husband calls our “Rent a Dog”.  For five years now Molly has been our informal greeter as we ascend Star Mountain Drive to our cabin. She rushes from her house three doors down the mountain and beats us to the front porch of our cabin every time. Of course she does. She’s a black lab mix who lives with a kind gentleman who answers her barks and scratches at the door by allowing her to expend some of her endless energy and scutter down to the Froeba cabin. There she waits patiently for a run, a walk, and some serious tummy scratches. With us she fills her need to pounce into every water hole and running stream. Her place is on our front steps, though she enters at will and tries with all her might to sit still on our deck or gazebo waiting for half-time during college football season to coax us into a standing position.  It never works. She lasts at most 3 minutes before her cold nose is edging you out of your seat toward the walking stick and hiking boots.

Nothing but true canine love will send a person outside when the temperature is hovering at 35 degrees and the wind chill is well past ridiculous. That doesn’t stop Molly from batting her tail by our bedroom window at around 5 o’clock in the morning, barking incessantly at imaginary predators. To give her credit, she only does this the first morning we’re there. Then she settles down and allows us to sleep in til half past 6.  We hit the road on Star Mountain and never cease to be amazed at how many times she can scale the sides of a hill and stay ahead of us during the 3-4 mile hike we take down to the valley. She has absolutely no car sense, so guiding her out of the middle of the road has been a long teaching process. Even though she’s had to succumb to wearing a leash as of late, she never complains but heels beautifully for a country dog who has never been restrained.

Now comes the hard part. Molly has cancer. I’ve said it. She was diagnosed over two weeks ago and she’s already lost considerable weight, another five pounds in the last seven days.  Her owner took her to the Veterinary Clinic at UGA in Athens, GA when he noticed a sore that wasn’t healing on her back leg. After several biopsies, they found cancer inside her body cavitiy as well as in the external spots that were so obvious. The doctors said she only has a few months to live.  From what I’ve seen this weekend, she won’t be here in a few weeks when we return. Though we couldn’t discourage her from walking with us, her enthusiasm and bounce were gone. She was so exhausted after the first five minutes, that she lay down in the middle of the road. I sat with her crying and rubbing her back and neck, anything to make me feel better for her. When she refused to eat smoked turkey but sat with her head on her paws trying to lick her wounds, I poured milk into her bowl and watched as she lapped up the cold liquid and thanked me with her eyes. Her blood left patterns on the wood porch and reminded me that even though the vet continued to say the sores would heal, the cancer inside was still ravaging her body.

We will miss this precious dog, who never asked for anything but to walk with us. She accepted every family member and friend who visited, never displaying a moment’s worth of possessiveness or impatience, even when one of the grandchildren would pull her tail or step on her paw.  The memory of her boundless energy will linger as we slow down our gate and try to be the kind of neighbor she was, without the added part (Mulitple Meal Molly) of grazing at each doorstep for treats. What a great role model she has been to all of us on Star Mountain, to love our neighbors unconditionally!