The first Gumbo Cook-Off since the hurricane took place on February 22!
The Gumbo Was Great and the Gumbo Was Gone!
The first Gumbo Cook-Off since the hurricane took place on February 22, and it was a huge success. A big thank-you goes to the Special Events for Mexico Beach volunteers, all the chefs, and everyone who came out to attend the event. This year the event was located at the Mexico Beach Boat Ramp Park, and the committee was able to welcome twenty-eight teams as well as a lot of our old friends. The turnout was overwhelming, and we thank everyone for supporting this wonderful event. As always, the Gumbo Cook-Off serves as a fund-raiser for the July Fourth fireworks show, and we are delighted that the show will take place this year. Our winners are listed below; we appreciate them and all the contestants who gave us a gumbo event that was one for the books!
Gumbo Division
1st Place: Sharon’s Cafe – Mexico Beach, FL
2nd Place: KC Sportfishing – Mexico Beach, FL
3rd Place: Shipwreck Raw Bar – St. Joe Beach, FL
Brunswick Stew Division
1st Place: Sullivan Voodoo Stew – Mexico Beach, FL
2nd Place: 98 Real Estate Group – Mexico Beach, FL
3rd Place: C21 Coast Properties – Port St. Joe, FL
Best Decorated
Sullivan Voodoo Stew – Mexico Beach, FL
Best Team Spirit
Nu-Tech – Mary Esther, FL
And the winner is...
Last month, we had a gift certificate to Crazy Beach Pizza up for grabs, and the lucky winner is April Lawrence from Greenville, Alabama. Congrats, April!
MARCH GIVEAWAY
This month, we are giving away a Never Forgotten Coast T-shirt/sticker/hat combo. Who doesn’t love a good T-shirt and ball cap? Not only are these items amazing to wear, but all proceeds from the sales continue to go back into Mexico Beach. To place your name in the hat, send an e-mail to [email protected].
Meet Mike and Marc
Say hello to Mike and Marc! We appreciate their opening Mexico Beach Wine and Spirits, which is located next to the post office on 15th Street. They have a wide selection of wine, beer, and assorted liquors. And more good news: they plan to open the Mexico Beach Market this month and add groceries to their inventory of supplies. Their hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m.–8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m.–9 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m.–7 p.m. The next time you need something to eat or drink, stop by and say hello to Mike and Marc.
Beach weddings are romantic and never go out of style. For more information on weddings or vow renewal ceremonies on the beach, visit mexicobeach.com.
Gene and Susan
This month we want to congratulate two local residents and good friends of Mexico Beach, Gene and Susan. They decided to say their “I dos” on our radiant beach and had a beautiful wedding. They will long remember this wonderful celebration. Congratulations, Gene and Susan!
Forgotten Coast en Plein Air: America’s Great Paint-Out
March 20–29
The 15th Annual Forgotten Coast en Plein Air: America’s Great Paint-Out will kick off in March this year! Nationally acclaimed artists will gather in the region to capture what some believe to be the last vestiges of authentic Old Florida. Artists can be seen painting alongside the roads overlooking the Gulf from the western end of Mexico Beach to the east side of Alligator Point, as well as in out-of-the-way settings. Artists from across the US and various other countries capture images of the region’s flora and fauna and other local points of interest in the plein air tradition.
The Mexico Beach 20th Annual Photography Contest starts April 1 and runs until July 31. We welcome all photographs taken in Mexico Beach—past and present. All photographs will be submitted for judging after July 31, and the winners will be contacted and announced on the Mexico Beach website, on social media, and in the e-newsletter. Winning photographs will be displayed in the Mexico Beach Welcome Center. Categories are Around Mexico Beach, Sunrises and Sunsets, The Beach, Fishing and Boating, People, and Flora and Animal Life. We hope you will capture Mexico Beach through your “eyes” and enter our photography contest. Please click here for an official entry form.
Join us on the beach at Canal Park (end of Canal Parkway) on Saturday, April 18 at 3:00 p.m. (CDT) as we celebrate generations of love with a special shared vow renewal ceremony. We cordially invite all married couples to be part of this special complimentary vow renewal, followed by a Cupcake & Champagne reception. This is the event of the year, and is open to all married couples to attend!
Mexico Beach is a Leave No Trace community, and we appreciate your assistance in helping us keep our beaches clean. Any items left on the beach unattended from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. will be removed and disposed of by the City of Mexico Beach. Items include, but are not limited to, tents and tent frames, beach chairs, coolers, umbrellas, toys, etc. Also, please fill in any holes before you leave. Your assistance with these requests will keep our beaches beautiful and pristine. For full details on this ordinance or questions, click here or contact City Hall at (850) 648-5700.
Jamaican BBQ Shrimp
This dish is one that is easy to assemble and a dinner-table favorite! We publish it compliments of the Mexico Beach Artificial Reef Association Seafood Cookbook (www.mbara.org).
INGREDIENTS
36 jumbo shrimp
2 tablespoons jerk seasoning, divided
4 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 cup diced celery
1 pound brown sugar
4 cans fire-roasted tomatoes
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced yellow onions
1 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup orange juice
PREPARATION
Heat a large heavy-bottom pot on low. Add 3 tablespoons oil and the brown sugar. When sugar starts to caramelize, add the vegetables; cook until just tender. Add juices, tomatoes, and 1 tablespoon jerk seasoning. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Get grill hot; toss shrimp with 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon jerk seasoning. Grill the shrimp. Put sauce on the plate, place shrimp on top, and garnish with deep-fried julienne sweet potatoes (optional). Enjoy!
Baseball’s Interesting Sayings
These baseball sayings are both funny and true.
“The baseball mania has run its course. It has no future as a professional endeavor.” —Cincinnati Gazette editorial, 1879
“As a nation we are dedicated to keeping physically fit—and parking as close to the stadium as possible.” —Bill Vaughan
“The way to make coaches think you’re in shape in the spring is to get a tan.” —Whitey Ford
“If you get three strikes, even the best lawyer in the world can’t get you off.” —Bill Veeck
“The other teams could make trouble for us if they win.” —Yogi Berra
“There’s no crying in baseball!” —Tom Hanks, A League of Their Own
“It ain’t like football. You can’t make up no trick plays.” —Yogi Berra
“You don’t realize how easy this game is until you get up in that broadcasting booth.” —Mickey Mantle
“There are two theories on hitting the knuckleball. Unfortunately, neither one of them works.” —Charlie Lau
“A hot dog at the game beats roast beef at the Ritz.” —Humphrey Bogart
“Batten down the hatches”
This saying generally means to prepare for trouble or some tough times. Like many terms, it has a nautical origin. Aboard wooden ships when heavy weather was expected, sailors had to prepare the ship for the storm. One of the preparations was to seal the hatches so water didn’t get into the ship. To do that, waterproof pieces of canvas and pieces of wood were nailed around the hatches to seal them. The pieces of wood were called battens, hence the saying: “batten down the hatches.”
