Hot and Tasty Shan Seekh Kabab Dinner 9 ' 13

 One of the things that Bruce and I miss in South Carolina is all the  ethnic foods we had available to us in Southern California.   In OC  we could find almost every kind of  food on the planet being served within a stones throw of our front door.  And in the rare cases where there wasn't a restaurant nearby, there was always a specialty market  where we could buy the ingredients to make our own authentic ethnic dishes.  One of our favorites was Pakistani entrees which combine the warm spices of the near east with the flavors of the middle east.

 

In  California there were plenty of Pakistani restaurants near us, but there were also a large number of well stocked  Pakistani markets.  We soon became adept at making our favorite Pakistani meals  at home with the aid of  premixed Shan seasonings products.  One of our favorites was BBQ Seekh Kababs made with ground  lamb or beef served over rice.

Imagine our dismay when we found out there doesn't seem to be a single Pakistani restaurant or market in all of South Carolina... and our delight when we found several of both on our recent trip through New Jersey.  We purchased a case of every seasoning packet we might want.  First on our list of dishes to prepare was BBQ Seekh Kababs, of course.

Unfortunately we'd forgotten just how powerful the Shan seasonings mixes are so we faithfully  followed the written measurement directions on the package.  Whooo eee!   It was  so Good and So  Hot!  This is really strong stuff with lots of ginger and pepper to heat your mouth (but  it won't burn your gut.)    For those of you who have a yen for a culinary adventure.don't be afraid to try the brand, just be forewarned, you can easily get a well seasoned entree while only using  1/4 of  the recommended portions of Shan seasoning per pound of ground meat.  Bon Appetit!

What a shame - Georgetown Fire

What a shame.  Wednesday a massive fire destroyed several historical buildings in one of South Carolina's oldest cities, Georgetown.

 Officials say 7 buildings were damaged.  Many of the buildings collapsed leaving only store front walls after being gutted by the fire.

 So sad!  that pretty much took out all the active businesses and restaurants on that street.

That's going to really hurt this lovely old community.

Not too shabby a Golf game at Aberdeen Country Club 9 "13

 The Aberdine Country Cub  is located about 6 miles from where we are camping so Bruce and I decided to play a round of golf there today.

  The course has 27 holes.  The last time we played the  9 hole Highlands course and the 9 hole Woods course.  

This time we played the Highlands and the  9 hole Meadows course. It's always fun to play some where new.

 Both courses are challenging,  but we played them pretty well today. For example is where our balls landed on our first shots on a par three.  Not too shabby.

CC liked the Meadows better,because it had more water hazards.

Whenever we had to wait for our turn at the Tee, Bruce would entertain himself by feeding the pond  turtles  some dry cat food he brought with him.  He must not have been the first person to feed them, because they swam right over to him.

Or maybe they just wanted to check out his  golf attire.

Isn't he good looking?

RVing at Grapefull Sisters NC 9"13

Carol Woods RV Camp

Bruce found this wonderful little campground. It's about 45 miles away from us  and is just over the border from us in North Carolina . The area is mostly woods and small family farms. 

Birdhouses in the grape fields

The folks who own this campsite also own the winery next door.

They make their wines from several varieties of the native American Muscadine grapes.

Grapefull Sisters Winery

One of the owners gave us a lecture on the history and the health benefits of muscadine grape juice ( and wine). It seems it only grows well in the southern coastal climates.  Many people don't like muscadine wine because it is sweet.  But it does have one very redeeming feature.  It seems that all muscadine grape varieties have about 40% more of the  antioxidant resveratrol than any other grape variety on the planet ( Yes.  It does have more than french red wine grapes.)

Resveratrol is found in the skins of red grapes and has been shown to be a potent biological agent that may offer protection against cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimers disease. Researchers hypothesized that resveratrol might decrease obesity by preventing immature fat cells from fully maturing, and also help activate sirtuin 1 (Sirt 1), a protein that protects the heart from inflammation.  It is so effective that many holistic medicine practitioners recommend that their patients drink 8 ounce of Muscadine wine or grape juice before going to bed.  And the Chinese are trying to buy up large tracts of Southern coastal farmland so they can grow and export Muscadine juice for medicinal purposes.

Winery garden

 It is so effective that the Chinese are trying to buy up large tracts of Southern coastal farmland so they can grow and export Muscadine juice for medicinal purposes.. Many holistic medicine practitioners recommend that their patients drink 8 ounce of Muscadine wine or grape juice before going to bed. Hmmm now that's a health habit I could get into.

Sunset at Hagley Landing

Awesome evening on the Intercoastal

Golfing at Tradition 9 '13

On Thursday we completed all of the courses listed on the Myrtle Beach Golf Clubs' Premier Southern Courses.

We finished off the list with a game at the Tradition Golf Club in Pawleys Island, S.C..  It is usually a bit of a hidden gem - if there is such a thing in the heavily trafficked Grand Strand golf mecca. 

 That is because its a tough course (Premier = their list of the most technically difficult) with lots of bunkers, hills, water, and other obstacles.

Bruce likes playing the holes with lots of undulating greens and I look forward to the water hazards. Fortunately for us, this course has plenty of both.

Unfortunately for us, the day we were there, the course was unusually crowded. We frequently found ourselves waiting for the two groups ahead of us to tee off.  By the time we made it to the tee the foursome of young bucks behind us would be whooping it up while they waited for us to take our turn. We all arrived at the same time at  hole 7 ... The hole with with no fairway--- just a tee off area a long stretch of water, and a very narrow hilly green to land it on. Miss the green and you land in a bunker or it rolls in the water.    The good news is that we have several holes like that at Pawleys, so it was a piece of cake for Bruce and I.  We both made it  over the water and onto the green with no problem.  The loudmouths started teeing off before we'd even putted.  Three of the four  drove it in the water, and the fourths rolled back down the hill into the drink.   They were a lot more respectful  for the remainder of the game.

Pubs and Pirates at Murrells Inlet 9'13

Board Walk in Front of the Love Shack

We took a walk on the the Murrells Inlet's Marsh Walk this evening.  It's  is a great place to stroll on a warm evening.  Live Bands in the restaurants and  pubs that line the walk have people dancing on the board walk.  

Pirate Cruise

 Arts and craft shows are tucked in the corners, and the tour boats that look so cheesy by day, look so colorful and interesting at night.

Bahama Mamas Party Cruiser

So Sad: The Jersey Shore can’t catch a break. 9 '13

 

The Jersey Shore can’t seen to catch a break.

 They had just gotten  the boardwalk and amusement area rebuilt after Sandy nearly wiped it out.  It was looking great, when we were there three weeks ago with our grand daughters

On Thursday a fire started in the the popular ( and newly rebuilt) Kohrs Frozen Custard Store.  Fanned by high winds, the fire spread quickly and soon engulfed most of the businesses in the area

 including the amusement rides park where  Bruce went with the grand kids.

As last-ditch effort to halt the spread of a massive Jersey Shore fire , the fire department tore up a stretch of icon boardwalk  as a makeshift fire break. It seemed to work, but not before 80% of the businesses along the boardwalk were damaged

So sad

Listening to Bill Krauss at Quigleys 9 '13

Bruce, Noreene, and I had a great time listening to Bill Krauss perform at Quigleys Brewery this evening. We've seen his 'show' several times. Bill is a singer/comedian who likes to get the audience involved in his act. The term "show" may give an incorrect impression. Quigleys has live entertainment several times a week. Usually it's a combo, but Bill's act is a little different, adding the comedy element to his solo musical performance.   If you are looking for top flite vocalists, you could do better, but for pure fun and clean entertainment, you can't beat Bill Krauss.

You can catch a glimpse of Bill's act at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzVp3hzB_TY

Low Country Birds on Display 9 '13

CC put 10 more of her  paintings on display in the SAG Gallery at The Market Common.. all are oil paintings of low country bird scenes.

I said gluten free, not low cal 9 '13

Bruce made a gluten free cake for our Labor Day Dinner Party.  It came out looking like a little mountain top.  So we decided to decorate it as a volcano... chocolate icing for the mountain sides, white icing and whipped cream for the snow clad peak,  raspberry puree for the molten lava, with raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries for the lava rock.  Delish!