February is the month of love, and what could be more lovely than gumbo? Our world-famous Gumbo Cook-Off is just days away, and we are ready! The cook-off will take place at the Boat Ramp Park and is sure to bring all the flavor, fun, and love. Live music by Stainless Steel, award-winning gumbos and Brunswick stews to taste, desserts to enjoy, beverages, and free beads will ensure your day in Mexico Beach is lovely. We hope you’ll mark your calendars to enjoy not only February 17 but all month here in Mexico Beach!
Giveaway News
Up for grabs last month was a beach bag, compliments of Cathey’s ACE Hardware, and the lucky winner was Donna V. from Louisville, KY. Congrats, Donna!
FEBRUARY GIVEAWAY
This month’s giveaway is a tote bag and goodies from Vacation Mexico Beach. Vacation Mexico Beach offers your perfect “home away from home.” Each of their properties has beautiful water views and is fully equipped with all the comforts your family needs to truly relax and enjoy your time at the beach. To place your name in the hat, send an email to Kathy at [email protected].
Meet Mexico Beach
If you enjoy good “Tex-Mex” food, Mexico Beach is where you can treat your taste buds to this outstanding cuisine. Tex Kitchen, located at 1000 Highway 98, is a new addition to our dining locations. They offer Tex-Mex favorites, Hibachi, and American classics. They are open Wednesday through Sunday from 12:00 to 8:00 p.m. Stop by, say hello, and get a great meal.
Farmers & Craft Market
February 10 & 24
Come spend the morning at the Mexico Beach Farmers & Craft Market at Parker Park, located at 2500 Highway 98. Vendors will include produce, fresh jellies, one-of-a-kind crafts, and much more. Market hours will take place from 8:00 a.m. until noon. Each market is sure to have new vendors, so be sure to come every time. If you’d like to be a vendor, sign up now. Space is limited, so don’t wait! This market is put on by Special Events for Mexico Beach, Inc.
Ladle up, because the Special Events for Mexico Beach, Inc.’s beloved Gumbo Cook-Off is returning. This year’s event will take place on Saturday, February 17, at the Mexico Beach Boat Ramp Park. Gumbo and stew will be served from 10:00 a.m. until it’s all gone. Proud chefs will compete for “best gumbo” and “best Brunswick stew,” coveted bragging rights, and cash prizes. All proceeds from this event go toward the Best Blast on the Beach July 4th festivities.
A plein air event like no other is now in its 19th year of documenting the landscape and culture of the last vestige of authentic “Old Florida.” Forgotten Coast en Plein Air, America’s Great Paint-Out, is among the world’s most prestigious plein air events. Seventeen internationally acclaimed artists will capture natural beauty, character, and local culture through plein air painting. With ten days of free and ticketed events, exhibitions, and activities, this is perfect for art lovers, collectors, artists, and you!
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 and please remain off the sand dunes and out of the sea oats to ensure their continued nourishment. There are boardwalks and walking paths that can be accessed to reach the beach. 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.
New Orleans Oyster Patties
We publish it with compliments of the Mexico Beach Artificial Reef Association Cookbook (mbara.org).
INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp bacon fat or oleo
1 clove garlic
2 stalks celery
3 green onions and tops, finely chopped
2 Tbsp flour
2 dozen oysters
2 Tbsp oyster liquid
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
Pepperidge Farm patty shells (puff pastry)
Dash of Accent
Dash of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Melt fat in a pan. Add garlic, celery, and onion. Cook until soft. Blend in flour, oysters, oyster liquid, Accent, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly, until oysters make more liquid. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add uncooked parsley and cool. Cook the patty shells before putting in the oyster mixture. Fill the patty shells and bake in 300 degrees until heated. Makes about 5 to 6 patties. Enjoy!
Grandmothers
A grandmother pretends she doesn’t know who you are on Halloween.
Grandmother and grandchild relationships are simple; grandmas are short on criticism and long on love.
Few things are more delightful than grandchildren fighting over your lap.
If nothing is going well, call your grandmother.
Grandma always made you feel she had been waiting to see you all day.
The reason grandparents and grandchildren get along so well is that they have a common enemy.
She remembers all your accomplishments and forgets all your mistakes.
Grandmothers always have time to talk and make you feel special.
Grandma said that being pretty on the inside means you don’t hit your brother and you eat all your peas.
My great-grandma always told me to drink a lot of milk because it’s good for the skin.
S.O.S.
Contrary to popular belief, S.O.S. does not mean Save Our Ship. We’ve all heard the term S.O.S. and generally understand it to be a call for help, which it is. In 1905, Germany was developing communications for ships and selected S.O.S. as the emergency call for help. The letters don’t stand for anything. It was done for the sake of convenience thanks to the ease of sending the letters and the ability to recognize them in an emergency. In Morse code, the letter S is made with three dots, and the letter O is made with three dashes. So, S.O.S. is dot-dot-dot dash-dash-dash dot-dot-dot. The code was eventually adopted internationally.
