The Truth About Rozziefoodie

Looking back at my blog log, HA!  I realized that I am loving sharing my recipes, opinions, and overall love of food with you.  Also, I have been blogging since the end of June.  Wow.  Time sure does fly.  The summer has been great and pretty busy.  No complaints here.  Many of you have been more than supportive with your kind and encouraging words. Thank you so much for reading my new found hobby.

By now, most of you 'get' what my my blog is about.  Clearly, it is about food and my love of it.  The name Rozziefoodie simply means that I am a huge foodie and I happen to live in Roslindale.  Yes, some may argue over the spelling of the word Rozzie but come on!  The Square has been renamed Roslindale Village.  So let's all try to accept a wee bit of change and move on.  The show, Chronicle featured Roslindale and it's awesomeness last week.  It was pretty cool to see my neighborhood of Boston has evolved so much since the 80's.  Now, it is a cool place to shop, hang out, and of course, eat. 

But for real, I love to eat, cook, garden, dine out, and I enjoy take out very much.  Via this blog, I will continue to share my love of food with you in my own unique way.  My personal reviews of restaurants will rock on.  HenryAlan's comment from Universal Hub pretty much sums up my restaurant rating system.  "Wapo Taco is good for what it is. It can earn a good grade without meaning it's an equivalent restaurant."  This was in response to someone mocking my rating system, for me giving a B rating to both Redd's and Wapo.  Love it!  Ok, I hope all of you will continue to read Rozziefoodie!  Please and Gracias. 

Last Friday of the Month--Recipe Friday

Salsa con Queso

1 small package of Velveeta Cheese (pretty sure it is 8 ounces)
1 jar of thick and chunky salsa (16 ounces)

Cut the block of Velveeta into one inch cubes.  Place cubes in microwave safe dish and pour the bottle of salsa on top.  Cover lightly to prevent splashage.  Heat in microwave for three minutes on high.  Take out and stir the concoction really well.  Place back in microwave for 1-2 minutes.  Stir again before serving with corn chips and/or veggies. 

This recipe is so ridiculously easy and it is a HUGE hit at parties.  I know it doesn't sound appetizing and the final product is not even pretty but it is so addicting and yummy.  Not so healthy for ya.  But hey!  Everything in moderation, right? 

You can also make this recipe your own by adding fresh veggies, other spices, or various cheeses. 

I have to give props to my sis-in-law for suggesting that this awesome cheese dip would be a great topping for tacos or a good filler in homemade quesadillas.  Any way you have it, you will love it.  Enjoy!

Pickling!

Today, for the first time in my life, I decided to pickle up some cukes and peppers from our garden.  This year's crop has been plentiful.  So I decided to look up some pickling recipes and get to work.  The pickling process was simple.  As usual, I mixed and matched various recipes from the interweb and came up with my own cooking concoction.  I made a different brine for each veggie group.  For the cukes, I combined sugar, vinegar, water, kosher salt,  and all spice pebbles for the brine which I added to the raw, sliced cukes and garlic cloves in an air tight jar.  They will sit sealed in a cool, dark place for up to 6 weeks.  For the banana peppers, chili peppers, jalapenos, and other peppers (now I wish I added an onion),  I combined sugar, vinegar, water, salt, peppercorns, and bay leaves for the brine which I poured over the raw halved peppers and garlic gloves in an air tight jar.  Those will sit along side the soon to be pickles.  Here's hoping I am in store for some deliciousness after a fairly long wait.  TBC. 

Clancy's, Dennis Port

Before my review of Clancy's, I totally have to mention this adorable little place we went to on our second day down the Cape. We went to get a very late breakfast at Wolfie's in Dennis Port.  The place is so cute with an old school bakery with tons of homemade pastries, cookies, hermits, and cakes.  There was a place to order on the same side and tables and chairs in the other room with a computer and free wifi which I took advantage of.  It was raining but I am pretty sure there were some tables outside to dine at, as well.  I ordered and later devoured a tasty bacon and cheese on a sweet Portuguese bread like croissant.  Mi amiga ordered the same with an egg.  We very much enjoyed the sangies and they totally hit the spot.  The coffee was nice and strong and piping hot and I got a free refill which was coolio.  The dude that worked at the counter was so welcoming and trusting.  He offered to let us order and eat before heading to the ATM.  Neither of us had enough money and didn't realize it was cash only until after we ordered.  It's nice to know there are still people in the world who are willing to give others an honest chance. 

For dinner, that evening we decided to dine out at Clancy's which is located in Dennis Port on the water.  The place was mobbed when we arrived around 7pm.  We put our name on the waiting list and received a green vibrating thingie and headed to the bar for a drinkie.  The bartender was friendly and offered us samples of a sauvignon blanc and a chardonnay to see which we would prefer.  I can't for the life of me remember the name of either vino.  I do remeber it was delish and we each ordered a glass.

We were seated about five minutes later in a booth in the front room which looked out onto the water.  The view was pretty.  The waiter was friendly enough and definitely diligent.  He quickly delivered a basket of fresh bread and bread sticks which we dogged and he checked on our drink situation.  As an appetizer we decided to order a huge baked stuffed quahog which they describe as spicy and made in house.  The stuffing squirted with fresh lemon was so good.  I loved it.  For supper, I decided on a garden salad with bleu cheese dressing and one of the combo plates.  The chicken, sausages, and sirloin tips came with a baked potato with butter and sour cream, and a veggie medley.  It was yummy but I hardly was able to put a dent in it.  The portion was on the larger side.  Mi amiga had a salad with vinaigrette dressing and the fish and chips as her main entree.  She said the fish was light and not too greasy.  And she had a good amount left over.  I tried a wee bit of the fish and it was nice.  We were so full to capacity that we couldn't even fit in dessert or coffee.  We took care of our bill and headed out to 28 Club.  It is a small dive bar that we happened upon.  My friend compared the joint to an episode of Twin Peaks.  What a motley group of characters.  It was hilarious!  Such a blast!

Oh and I give Clancy's a rating of B-.  And our overall trip gets a rating of B+.  And that's only because of the crappy weather.

Dennis Port on Dwellable

Soon to be Last Friday of the Month...Recipe Friday!!

Scrumptious Quiche

Pie Crust, frozen 9" deep dish
Campbell's cheddar cheese soup (10 3/4 ounce)
4 eggs
Black pepper
Ham steak-diced
Small/medium sized onion diced
Half of a good sized green pepper
Mushrooms (4 ounce can, drained)
Shredded mixed blend cheese (4 ounce)

Beat eggs then add soup and mix until creamy.  Add peppers, ham, onions, mushrooms, and mix it all up good.  Add shredded cheese and mix again.  Pour the egg concoction into uncooked pie shell.  Bake in 350 degree preheated oven for an hour or until browned on top. 

I don't even like eggs but I can't taste them because the combo of these ingredients is so rich and delish.  This dish is filling and is great for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner or even a snack. 
As with any recipe you can mix up the ingredients to your liking.  You can use cream of mushroom soup or cream of chicken soup.  You can add or subtract the meat and veggies.  And even spice it up with some hot sauce or other spices.  Enjoy!

Per usual, this recipe was given to me by mi madre in a hand written recipe book that she wrote out for my brother and I back in 1999 for Christmas.  She is a great cook and her recipes are the bomb.  I cherish the contents and won't let anyone take the book out of my house.  Though, I have allowed people to copy the recipes by hand. 

Foodie Adventures on the Cape! Chapin's Restaurant in Dennis and Ocean House in Dennis Port

Not once but twice this summer, I have been lucky enough to vacation on the Cape.  Is it in or on the Cape?  Who knows!  I returned home from my second voyage on Tuesday after a two night visit at the Seashell Motel located on Chase Street in Dennis Port.  Picturesque is not the word.  The place is adorable, clean, right on the beach, and pet-friendly (even though we didn't bring our dogs, it is good to know).  I was with a good friend of mine who also happens to be a former co-worker.  She has stayed there before and she totally gets props for suggesting our accommodations and for taking the photo at the end of this entry.  The weather was awful but that did not stop us from having a blast, swimming in the rain, and acting a fool.  And of course getting our drink and grub on. 

Our first stop for a wee, afternoon snack was Chapin's in Dennis.  It was a happening place with a good sized bar, a restaurant area, and an outside patio.  It was raining so we parked ourselves at the bar, had a couple of drinks, and enjoyed some music.  It was an overcast, rainy day so I decided on a Smithwick's (which I prefer in Ireland) and mi amiga had a Mike's Hard Lemonade.  The tunes from an entertaining one man band were playing in the background.  I was jamming.  After a while, we decided to order a small bite to eat because we were a tad bit hungry.  We decided on artichoke bruschetta made with grilled focacia, fresh artichokes, vine ripe tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil.  Totally hit the spot.  The focacia was grilled to perfection and piled high with the fresh veggies.  It was yummy.  The staff was friendly but I was not offered any free popcorn and I love me some popcorn and beer.  And I didn't realize until later that I could have served myself until the place cleared out a bit and I spied the popcorn machine in the corner.  Bummer!  Overall, it was an enjoyable experience. 

That evening, we ventured out by foot for a very late dinner at the Ocean House located on the water about a quarter of a mile down the road from the Seashell.  For lack of a better description, the joint was Fancy Smancy.  The staff members were in identical uniforms, the lighting was low, the service was better than good, the presentation was funky, and the prices reflected it.  We scored a high top table in the bar area.  The bar hostess did not impress me one bit but our waiter was cool and down to earth.  Because of the appetizer we shared late in the day and our continuous munching, we weren't starving. 

After reading the menu, we decided on some small plates that we could share.  Our choice of drink for the evening was Stella Artois.  Our waiter delivered some baked pita triangles with poppy and sesame seeds and some fresh bread with a scrumptious spread to hold us over.  After some chit chat, our order arrived in bits and pieces.  First we shared a large bowl of clam chowder.  It wasn't served hot enough but it was so creamy with huge pieces of potatoes and clams.  Delish.  Then we received two bison sliders served with spicy Thai ketchup, a gherkin pickle and a cherry tomato.  They were juicy and flavorful.  After that we had the huge basket of calamari mixed with cherry peppers, chorizo sausage, and Italian parsley which was mediocre.  We hardly put a dent in the order and didn't care for the oily batter or the dipping sauces. Although the chorizo sausage was yummy.  There just wasn't much of it.  My favorite carb of the evening was the order of hand cut Parmesan truffle fries which arrived last but certainly not least.  OMG!  Shoestring sized slices of potatoes fried in truffle oil, seasoned and salted to perfection.  And a ceramic cup of ketchup with a tiny spoon was delivered upon request. 

Of course our waiter had to announce that all the desserts were HOMEMADE.  How could I resist even after I insisted that I was so full that I was going to die.  Warm chocolate, caramel, molten cake with coconut gelato and berries?  Um.  Let me think about this.  YES!  And I am so glad I gave into temptation.  Paired with a half sized chocolate martini with vanilla and chocolate jimmies rounding the rim.  Delectable!  Ocean House gets a B rating from me. 

That is was what we enjoyed on our first day on the Cape.  I promise there is more food and fun to come.  

Dennis on Dwellable

Redd's in Rozzie, 02131

Earlier in the day, I declared Friday evening to be a date night. After a long day of errands, volunteering, and getting my hair did at Apple Salon, I was wrecked. And I could tell my hubs was just as exhausted from his daily activities. Just the same, we both decided to rally and headed out for a late dinner at Redd's in Rozzie.  And I am so glad we went because we had the best time.  I have been there once before.  But the hubs was a virgin to Redd's.  Exciting!  The restaurant is located on Washington Street in Roslindale in the same building as the former Geoffrey's.

By the time we got spiffed up, hit the ATM, and landed at Redd's, it was after 8pm. To say I was famished is an understatement. I could have jumped someone for a piece of bread by that point.

We were greeted immediately by a friendly dude named Zack who ended up being our server. The host greeted and attended to us in a timely manner. We decided to sit in the outdoor area because it was such a beautiful evening. I was a bit concerned about the bug biting situation but I quickly got over that.

Zack took our drink order which consisted of a PBR on draft for me and a bottled Unibroue Ephémère Apple Ale for my man. The apple ale was a lighter ale with a subtle taste of apple. It was delightful. The wine list is lengthy and the beer selection is interesting but on the smaller side. They also have some festive cocktails. And I know for a fact that their sangria is flavorful.

We placed or appetizer order the second Zack returned with our beverages.  The hush puppies with sweet onion and bacon ragout is so delish. The sweetness of the hush puppies which tatsted like a varitaion of cornbread, with the fabulous ragout is to die for. And they give you plenty to munch on. The fried whole belly Ipswich clams served with spicy ailoli were so light and crispy. Paired with the spicy dipping sauce, they were even more scrumptious. Then we decided to share the nightly salad special. It was a Caprese salad with sweet yellow tomoatoes with creamy fresh mozzarella in a homemade vinegrette dressing. It was fatastic. We put a hurting on most of the starters and still had a couple of hush puppies to bring home to the mutt.

After we ate our fill of the appetizers, I realized that we never received our basket of sourdough bread and homemade corn bread with sweet butter.   I really wanted the hubs to try the mouth watering butter so I requested our well deserved portion of bread. I love and need me some carbs. The hubs was very much in agreement about the butter. He was using it as a dip not as a spread.

For my main entree, I went the boring route which totally worked out to my advantage. I decided on the grilled half chicken with dirty rice, zucchini, and lemon chicken jus. It was freaking amazing. I was more than content with my choice. The chicken was perfectly spiced, so lemony, and baked just right. And the rice which I mixed with the cubed zucchini was surpisingly tasty. I was very eager to have the hubs sample my awesomeness so he could share in on one of the best chicken dishes I have ever eaten. Chicken is one of his least favorites and he totally sided with me. It was yummy and the portion was huge. The hubs very much enjoyed his baked summer flounder with roasted summer veggies and their very own tartar sauce. He gave me a couple of nibbles of the fish.  I liked it but could never make a meal out of any sort of fish dish.

Both of us were pretty full but we hardly ever leave a restaurant without indulging in something sweet. I loved the pecan pie which I ordered last time I was there so the hubs accepted my suggestion. We shared a pretty good size of homemade Oma's pecan pie with whipped cream. It's made with whole, crunchy pecans and it's so sweet and gooey. Delectable. We washed our final treat down with some lukewarm coffee and Frangelico because they ran out of Bailey's.  The concoction was very nice. 

Last time I ate at Redd's, I tried the hanger steak and buttermilk mashed with greens.  Savory. The steak is prepared on the rare side so if you are like me, you need to request it to be cooked a bit longer. The mashed are so creamy and addicting. And the locally grown greens are some of the best I have ever sampled. I also tried a bite of one of that evening's nightly special of fried chicken. In my opinion it was missing something but I coudn't put my finger on what it was. Maybe paprika or garlic?  Don't get me wrong, it was still good. My friend raved about the homemade baked beans, as well.

I love how funky and eclectic the place is.  From the down home Southern style menu options, to the patrons, to the staff, to the glassware. They serve hot beverages in cool, personalized mugs. The water is bottled in neat glassware like old milk jugs and wine carrafes. The staff members are more than friendly and accomodating. The joint was pretty busy that evening so the service was on the slower side. It wasn't to the point of annoying, though. I am the type that likes to sit, chat, and digest my food between courses so I didn't mind one bit. Their service is team oriented which only makes sense.  Your food arrives hot and scrumptious.  Anyone from your server to the bus boy to the chef to the manager can bring out your order. The funky bar area is cozy with a good sized bar and several tables. And they have a medium sized dining room and additional tables in the cute outdoor area.

Lead by Chef Delicious, otherwise known as, Charlie Redd, they serve dinner Tuesday-Saturday and brunch (which I am dying to try because I have heard mixed reviews) on Saturdays and Sundays. The prices are reasonable, the food is tasty, and the portions are on the larger side. I recommend Redd's in Rozzie and I give them a B rating. 

Recipe Friday!

Stuffed Mushrooms (aka the bomb diggity)

1-2 cartons of medium to large size mushrooms
2-4 cloves of fresh minced garlic
1-2 small onions
half to whole stick of butter
1 lemon to squeeze
Parmesan cheese
Italian bread crumbs

Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Add the shrooms and boil for about three minutes.  Drain and rinse with water.  Put them in a bowl and squirt on the fresh lemon juice.  Mix.  Let cool.  Take off stems and chop them up.  Dice the onions, add the garlic, and shroom pieces and saute all in butter.  Remove from heat and sprinkle a medium amount of Parmesan cheese and Italian bread crumbs.  Stir it all up good.  Stuff the caps with the deliciousness that you will want to eat by the spoonful before you even think about putting it in the caps.  Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. 
As with every recipe you can mix it up to your liking.  Some people add ground sausage or crab meat. Both are delish.  It's whatever and however you want to make it. 
This recipe was given to me by mi madre.  I grew up eating these little pieces of goodness and I still request them on special occasions.  They are like potato chips.  Once you start, you can't stop.  Enjoy!

Cucumber Salad and Mj's

I love to cook and I enjoy the actual art of the process.  It relaxes me. It's something I do to keep my mind active.  I like being creative with the ingredients and coming up with new recipes. 

The hubs worked Friday.  On Saturday, I was at the Red Sox/Yankees game which the Sox won and my amigas and I had an absolute blast.  So I had planned to make a feast of a dinner on Sunday so my man and I could sit together and catch up.  To accompany my awesome ribs (the hubs helped), fresh corn on the cob, and baked potatoes, I made a cucumber salad which I had been marinating since Friday evening. I made a similar version with tomatoes last summer and it was fantastic so I pretty much used the same ingredients minus the feta.  I didn't have any in.  :(  I thinly sliced two medium sized cukes, chopped two medium green bell peppers and some fresh parsley.  All from our garden.  I added a small diced up onion to the awesomeness.  For the dressing, I combined a heaping teaspoon of white sugar, 4 minced cloves of garlic, salt, pepper, two tablespoons of white vinegar, one tablespoon of cider vinegar and I sprinkled in a tiny bit of dill.  After pouring the dressing over the veggies I gently mixed it up then refrigerated it until Sunday.  The final product was so pretty and beyond delicious.  It really complimented our scrumptious meal.  The hubs even liked it and he does not usually care for cukes. 

Monday, around dinner time and after a bunch of cleaning and errands for the better part of the day, I was starving.  The hubs was at work which left me to my own devices.  Steak and cheese with extra shrooms, boneless buffalo fingers with bleu cheese dressing and a crispy order of fries?  Why!  Yes please.  I don't mind if I do.  Oh!  Don't worry I didn't eat all of it.  At least not in one sitting.   

If you are from in or around the Roslindale area, you should definitely be familiar with Mj's on Belgrade Avenue.  My hubs is a family friend of the owner, a great guy who supports the community.  The hubs grew up with the owner's sons so he/we have been enjoying Mj's for a good long while.  They have a huge menu of appetizers, fresh salads, Italian-style pizza, hot and cold subs, calzones, burgers, wraps, dinner plates, etc. They do take-out, delivery, eat-in, catering and they have daily specials.  Their steak and cheese sub is without a doubt the best I have ever eaten in my whole entire life.  The steak is lean, tasty, and just greasy enough.  It is served with just the right amount of American cheese on a fresh sub roll.  I always add extra mushrooms because I love me some shrooms.  The boneless buffalo fingers are tender and just the right amount of spicy.  I love them.  They serve their fries in a cardboard box in a brown paper bag, as God intended.  That way, they don't get all nasty and soggy.   Even though I didn't indulge in their fabulous marinated steak tips this time.  I have to give them props and two thumbs up.  They are delectable.  The dude that took and reviewed my phone order and the one who delivered it was pleasant.  My food was hot and it arrived in under a half hour.  And the portions are sizable and the prices very reasonable. 

The long running business has been "proudly feeding the community for over 30 years."  So next time you have a yearning for some delivery/take-out, I recommend that you order lunch or dinner from Mj's.  I give them a rating of B+.

Spring Street Cafe, West Roxbury

I woke up ravenous on Friday morning so I suggested that we go to Spring Street for a late breakfast.  The hubs eagerly agreed.  We hadn't been out for breakfast or to Spring Street in quite a while so we were both psyched for the feast that was to come.  To say the least, we both love Spring Street for breakfast. 

The pleasant, Irish waitress warmly greeted us and chatted with us for a bit.  She wondered where we had been since we hadn't been in for while.  The staff and owner are personable, friendly, and efficient and they serve up some scrumptious grub.  The food is reliable.  Always hot and always good.  The restaurant is a seat yourself kinda place.  It has a cute dining area and a small bar that you can eat at.  The portions are just right and the prices are more than reasonable. 

We both ordered coffee.  I ordered one egg scrambled which I gave to my man because I hate eggs. It is easier to order the meal than being a side order queen.  The egg comes with great home fries cooked with onions, and toast (I got wheat).  I always throw in some kind of morning meat and that day I was digging me some crispy bacon.  They have awesome Irish bacon (rashers) and Irish sausages (bangers) which I love but I was totally in the mood for some good old American bacon.  MMM!  The hubs and I always share a short stack of fluffy pancakes with butter and syrup.  He ordered his usual, the Irish breakfast.  That comes with two eggs cooked to your liking, home fries, toast, bangers, rashers, black pudding, and white pudding.  He fancies the white pudding so he orders double .  The pudding is a sausage like meat.  We dogged just about everything except a piece or two of toast.  YUMMY and filling. 

Spring Street serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.  I usually order breakfast because it is so good and they serve it until 3pm.  Their lunch menu is a good size and I can vouch for their turkey clubs and fries.  The turkey and veggies were wicked fresh.  Honestly, the best club I have ever tasted and the fries are so light and crispy.  I am hoping to go in for dinner in the near future.  The supper menu has several Italian dishes which is right up my alley.  I give Spring Street in West Roxbury a B+ rating.  Next time you go out for breakfast, pop into Spring Street.  You won't be disappointed. 

Recipe Friday!

Yummy Crab Meat Appetizers

6 ounce can of crab meat or package of frozen crab meat (defrosted and drained)
6 English muffins
8 ounce package of Velveeta cheese (diced)
garlic powder
1/3 stick of butter
1 tablespoon of Miracle Whip or mayo

Melt butter in frying pan.  Add cheese and sprinkle with garlic powder then melt.  Add crab meat and Miracle Whip then stir it all up real good.  Spread the creamy concoction on the English muffins.  Cool in fridge.  Cut each English muffins into six pieces.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake the triangles for approximately 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.  This recipe was given to me by my mother and these little pieces of Heaven are delish!  Even if you don't really care for crab meat, like me.  You will still love these.  Enjoy!

The Dog House Restaurant, Dennis Port

It has been a few days since my last entry but no worries.  I am back in action.  The hubs was off for a few days so we decided to head down to the Cape to the Cod to visit with some fam.  Believe it or not.  We flew down there not hitting any traffic.  It was awesome.  My hubs' sister from Ireland, her three wee ones, her friend, and my other sister-in-law were down there staying at their uncle's house in Dennis Port.  And what a lovely and spacious place it was. 

Right after we arrived, we changed and headed over to Mayflower Beach, which was about a fifteen minute ride from the cottage.  The weather was absolutely beautiful.  Only on the boob tube have I seen a beach so jammed.  It was crazy.  There was a queue to park so I decided to jump out of the car and head down to the very crowded beach area.  I immediately started having thoughts of one of my favorite movies ever.  JAWS.  Well you can't blame me.  They have spotted Great Whites off the coast of Chatham and other parts of the Cape and it IS Shark Week on the Discovery channel.  Yeah.  I am a little whacko.  But for realz!  I can't be the only one who thought of that. 

There were men, women, children, coolers, umbrellas, sand toys, tents, chairs, and towels as far as the eye could see.  It was pretty cool.  I was hoofing it through the piping hot sand in my snazzy, new bathing suit and cover-up, sporting my cool cowgirl beach hat and my Jackie O sunglasses.   Loving life.   I spotted my sis-in-law after calling her so she could stand up and wave me over.  It was that busy.  The kids were already in the water so I quickly said hello to the adults then headed right into the ocean.  The water was perfect.  We played in the sand, splashed in the sea, chatted, ate a picnic lunch of ham and cheese sandwiches, chips, pretzels, chocolate chip cookies and lemonade, and went to the snack shack.  It was the bomb.  That night, it was thundering and lightning and pouring rain.  We ate take-out from Royal Pizzaria for dinner which was pretty good and consumed some Mike's Hard Cranberry Lemonades then hit the hay pretty early.  We were exhausted. 

The next morning, after drinking a coffee from Honey Dew and for sure deciding that Dunkie's is way better,  the hubs, the three kids, and I headed out for a pretty long walk.  We ended up down the very end of a street at a smaller beach.  We took our shoes off and waded in the water.  Some of us got a bit more wet than others but I won't throw anyone under the bus.  So, we decided to head back to the cottage to change then drive back to the beach with all of our gear instead of trucking it all the way down and back.   

On our way down, we stopped for a bite to eat at this cute, little indoor/outdoor spot named The Dog House Restaurant.  Obviously, their signature dish is hot dogs and DAMN!  They were freaking delish.  We all got our own and shared a large order of hand cut fries.  MMM.  The dogs were a good size and served on a buttery toasted roll.  Mine, which I smothered with yellow mustard and sweet relish was devoured in pretty much two bites.  The place offered every kind of topping you could dream of.  From chili to onions to salsa to good old fashioned ketchup or red sauce as the kids call it.  The menu featured all the Cape Coddy kinda treats.  They had burgers, fried clams and fish, dogs, chicken sangies, onion rings (which I wish we had), ice cream, lemonade, etc.  We sat at one of their outdoor picnic tables and enjoyed our lunch while chatting and people watching.  I have to comment on the effective system and set up that this joint came up with.  One line was to order, pay, and receive your green flashy thingie which lets you know when your food is up.  There was another window for pick up.  And then another area to get your fountain drinks and another spot for condiments, napkins, and straws.  No congestion or bottlenecking.  Genius!  We loved the place.

Our day at the beach was long and fabulous.  We all had a blast making sand castles, swimming, and playing.  After a while, we headed back to the house to hose off in the greatest outdoor shower I have ever experienced.  The pressure and temperature were right on!  Our next stop was the go cart track.  FUN!!  After that the hubs and I ate dinner at a place that sucked so bad that I don't even want to mention the name.  The bottled beer was the only thing on the menu that was edible/drinkable.  Yup.  The place was awful.  But to make up for that joint, we ended our evening with homemade ice cream and sundaes from Sundae School via my sister-in-law.  OMG! 

We had a wonderful time on our last minute, two day trip to the Cape.  I especially enjoyed spending time with family and having a good old time with our nieces and nephew.  Fun ages and a spectacular mini-vacation!  And we of course love trying new places to eat!