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Weather Report: May 18, 2013

May 18th, 2013

Stormy weather is expected this weekend and throughout the week on Edisto Beach. That’s not the best news for all the people that poured onto the island Friday (and gathered at the Piggly Wiggly to stock up on groceries).

Isolated storms might crop up today along with a 30 percent chance of rain. The high for today should be right around 80 degrees with a low of 71 degrees.

Temperatures will drop slightly Sunday and Monday to the high 70s. Scattered storms are expected for both days. There is a 50 percent chance of rain Sunday and Monday.

Isolated storms and clouds will pop in and out of the area throughout the rest of the week. The highs will hover right around 80 while lows will remain in the 70s. There is a 30-40 percent chance of rain throughout the week.

If you’re in the area this weekend, check out the Legacy Live Oak Dedication and Conservation Celebration from 3-5 p.m. Sunday at Indigo Hill Farms located on Highway 174. This event is sponsored by the Edisto Island Open Land Trust.

Each year the EIOLT invites individuals to dedicate (with a $500 contribution) a Live Oak along Highway 174 to honor a loved one. The goal behind the dedication is not only to honor loved ones, but to restore the many live oaks that used to be plentiful in the area.

Since the program began more than 100 trees have been planted along the scenic byway between the Dawhoo Bridge and Russell Creek. The trees are maintained by a landscaper so that they thrive after being planted.

Contact the EIOLT at 869-7820 or eiolt@bellsouth.net for more information.

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Bacon-Wrapped Scallops

May 11th, 2013

This recipe takes two of the best foods found in the south and combines them so that even the pickiest eaters’ mouths will water.

In some of our previous blogs we’ve probably hinted at our love of bacon, so don’t be surprised that this seafood recipe for scallops calls for a few slices.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Four pounds of scallops, rinsed and drained

1 lb. of bacon

3 TBSP of lime juice

2 TBSP of chopped cilantro

2 minced garlic cloves

1/4 tsp. of salt

¼ tsp. of pepper

½ c. of olive oil

Dash of hot sauce

Cooking spray

Toothpicks

Freezer bag

Combine the lime juice, cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper, and hot sauce into a mixing bowl. Then whisk the olive oil into the mix. Take the scallops and place them into the freezer bag and then add in the mixture. Chill for 30 minutes, then drain making sure the scallops are nicely coated in the mixture.

Cook the bacon until it is lightly browned then wrap one piece of bacon around each scallop. Secure the combo with a tooth pick.

Use cooking spray to coat a cold cooking grate and place grate on a grill heated to 350-400 degrees. Place the scallops on the grill for 3-4 minutes on each side (or until the scallops are cooked and the bacon is crisp).

Devour as soon as the bacon-wrapped scallops are cool enough to eat.

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Unusual Eats from the Sea

May 4th, 2013

Shrimp, crab legs, a little ahi tuna with calamari salad; these are all things seafood fans love when visiting a coastal town where the catch is always the freshest. But what about some of the less popular seafood options?

Here are some of the more unusual things that the ocean cooks up for those willing to be adventurous.

Chewy jellyfish as a side dish

The cannonball jellyfish is considered a delicacy in some parts of the world. To eat the jellyfish, it must be caught alive and processed within six hours of being caught. The processing takes a few days of being soaked in brine and salt. It is then drained, dried and salted. Multiple dried out jellyfish are stacked on top of one another until they are flattened entirely.

Once flattened and processed, it is ready to be eaten. Many prepare the jellyfish by cutting it into strips and then scalding it. They are served with soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, and/or sugar and served alongside meat or vegetables.

Allegedly, it tastes like packaging wrap smothered in dressing. However, it is a popular dish in Asia and is said to help treat arthritis, bronchitis, and high blood pressure while also preventing cancer.

Sea urchins: Eaten alive

The sea urchin is another edible sea creature. What’s most shocking about eating this is that many people eat it alive. Allegedly, cutting the sea urchin open immediately upon catching it provides eaters with its flesh and roe, both of which are said to be fishy-tasting.

Sea urchins are popular at sushi and sashimi restaurants everywhere.

Vegetarian snacks from the sea

Picture this… you’re swimming in the ocean and you put your feet down for just a second only to jerk them up again after standing on something squishy and slimy. It’s happened to virtually everyone who has ever gone in the water, but it is nothing to be afraid of. The squishy, slimy thing swirling on the ocean floor is most likely seaweed. And you can eat it.

Seaweed contains many health benefits and is consumed regularly in Asian cultures. It’s an appetite suppressant and full of fiber, which helps keep blood sugar levels stable and regulates the bowels. It is also full of amino acids.

It’s also full of vitamins and minerals and can especially help people in need of more iodine in their diets.

Seaweed can be ordered at many restaurants (especially those that serve sushi) or purchased in certain grocery stores that sell organic foods.

Whelks: The Conch’s Cousin

Whelks are another creature from the ocean that humans eat. Essentially, a whelk is like a giant snail. They can be found in oceans all over the world and are closely related to the conch, which is popular in the Caribbean and known for living in gorgeous shells.

The whelks’ shells aren’t as pretty as the conch shells, but that hasn’t prevented them from being devoured.

To get whelks out of their shells, they must be either boiled or frozen while still alive. Once fully cooked, a knife is used to get the inedible innards out of the whelk. Then they’re rinsed off and ready to be eaten.

Whelks are said to be chewy with a mild flavor.

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Changes Around the Island

April 28th, 2013

There are a few changes on Edisto Island this year that vacationers might want to make note of.

New Hours at the Museum

To begin with, the Edisto Island Museum and Gift Shop now features extended hours to accommodate the amount of visitors that come through its doors in the spring and summer months. From now until October the museum will be open from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

The museum is located at 8123 Chisolm Plantation Road.

Art Classes Offered

Art classes are also being offered at the activities center in the Wyndham Ocean Ridge Resort located off of Dock Site Road on Edisto Beach.

Artist, teacher, writer, and musician Suzanne McDermott is teaching the classes.

The classes offered include basic drawing from 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays and basic watercolor from 9 a.m. to noon on Thursdays. Materials are provided and classes are a ‘one time experience’ meaning that it is not necessary to attend more than once. Classes are $47.

Call 843-869-4531 for more questions or to sign up for a class.

Main’s Market is Closed

Main’s Market has been forced to relocate and now is officially closed. While the market is no longer open, the landscaping and site work offered by Larry Main is still available. Call 843-869-1337 for more information.

Construction on Hwy 174

Be prepared to stop on Highway 174 as you get close to Edisto Beach. Traffic has been stopped all the way up to the Horizon station located next to Po’ Pigs as crews continue paving the two-lane highway. At times the highway is brought down to one lane making Edisto’s version of rush hour traffic a nightmare.

The work is projected to be finished by Memorial Day and things do appear to be moving along nicely, but don’t be surprised if the last 10 minutes of your drive to the beach take a little more time than usual.

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Edisto Beach Elementary Closing Its Doors

March 23rd, 2013

When summer break begins for students at Edisto Beach Elementary School, the doors to the school will close for good.

The school is the smallest in the state with just nine students in total. The students range in age from kindergarten to sixth grade and there are just two teachers in the building.

For 30 years, the beach school as it is referred to locally, has been the go-to place for the smattering of elementary-aged children living in the town of Edisto Beach, which is in Colleton County. Children who live on the island are in Charleston County and attend Jane Edwards Elementary School right up the road off Highway 174.

The Colleton County School Board made the decision to close the school after this school year ends due to financial concerns. According to Colleton County School Board chairman, John Barnes, it costs $200,000 a year to run the school.

Although a final decision hasn’t been made, officials from both districts are working to make an arrangement so that children living in the town of Edisto Beach can attend Jane Edwards. If an agreement is not made, children living in the town will have to attend public elementary school in Walterboro, which is also Colleton County, or attend private school.

In other school news, Jane Edwards Elementary School will lose its sixth grade class during the 2013-2014 school year. Parents of students attending the school are fighting to get the district to allow the students to stay. As of now, sixth grade students will attend the Baptist Hill Middle School in Hollywood.

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Unofficial Start of Summer

March 14th, 2013

This weekend is kind of like the unofficial start to summer.

To start things off, the second annual Edisto Beach Road Race will be taking place at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday at the Wyndham Recreation Center. Two races will occur simultaneously. There’s the 5k race or a 1-mile race that is for anyone who wants to walk/run. Awards will be given out after all runners and walkers are finished.

Registration for the race is $20 in advance, $25 the day of. Call 843-869-3867 for more information.

The Wyndham Recreation Center is located at 1 King Cotton Road inside the Wyndham Resort, which is located right off of Dock Site Road.

Then there’s the Edisto Eats Food Festival at McConkey’s Jungle Shack. Each year area chefs come out to test their skills and see who takes home the title of best chef.

The event begins with an arts and crafts fair at 11 a.m. The third annual chef competition begins at 2 p.m. and is followed by a community oyster roast at 4:30 p.m. Live music will be playing starting at noon. Everything should wrap up by 7 p.m.

Each year, this festival benefits the Learning Through Loggerheads program, which provides outreach to area youth and works toward preserving the integrity of the beach so that the area’s Loggerhead turtle population is protected.

This event is always well-attended and provides a fun activity for the whole family. The weather Saturday should be beautiful with a high of 72 degrees and sunny skies, so get ready for a nice taste of spring.

Admission to the event is free, although tickets to the Oyster Roast are $20 in advance and $25 the day of. Tickets are $5 to be entered into drawings for grand prizes which include an 18′ wooden boat built by local students.

Come out to festival for some good times and get ready for another season of fun times on Edisto.

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The Pier at Steamboat Landing

February 8th, 2013

The old, wooden fishing pier located at the end of Steamboat Landing Road has been revamped and will be ready for use today. The grand opening ceremony for the new pier was held on Friday, February 8, 2013.

The new pier is made out of aluminum and was made possible through a grant provided to the Saltwater Recreational License by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

According to a press release from the DNR, the pier is owned and maintained by the Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission. The new pier will provide better angler access and require less maintenance, according to the press release.

The public is welcome to fish or crab from the pier. This spring is a popular time to fish for flounder, croaker, trout, red drum, and blue crab. A boat launch is also offered at Steamboat Landing.

Even if fishing isn’t your thing, the pier at Steamboat Landing provides some of the best views of the island’s marsh land. Dolphin sightings are almost guaranteed in the area as well. Last summer was the first time I saw a dolphin swimming along with her calf in the North Edisto River.

The road itself is also a great place to go for a walk (with or without your dog). Many times deer can be seen running across the marsh or darting in and out of the woods. Parking is available near the pier.

Not familiar with Steamboat Landing? It’s located just six miles from the beach off of Highway 174.

History fact: Long before Edistonians got to and from the island via the McKinley Washington Jr. Bridge, they would wait at Steamboat Landing to catch a ferry into Charleston. Some people even called it the “Whooping Creek” landing because people waiting for the ferry would making whooping noises to catch the attention of the ferry captains to make sure they got a ride into town.

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Old Fashioned Cornbread

January 19th, 2013

There are some staples in a southern diet: fried chicken, collard greens, gravy, shrimp, grits, and cornbread.

Cornbread can go along with just about any meal. One of my favorite parts about grabbing some lunch whipped up by the ladies at the Piggly Wiggly on Edisto is that they always ask if I want a slice of cornbread with my meal. I love to dip it in basically everything and smother it in butter. (Plus my dogs usually get a little bite for themselves; they’re obsessed with it).

Making cornbread yourself is pretty easy. Here’s what you’ll need:

¼ cup of water

3 cups of cornmeal

1 cup of flour

½ cup of melted butter

1 cup of milk

2 eggs, beaten

1 tbsp of sugar

Pinch of salt and pepper

Blend all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and spoon into a baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 22 minutes. Let it stand for 3-4 minutes after removing from the oven, then slice and serve.

Now that it’s winter, cornbread makes an excellent side dish to a big bowl of chili.

Another type of cornbread that is so good it’s almost like a dessert involves vanilla pudding. This recipe is a great way to make cornbread more appealing to fickle eaters and anyone with a sweet tooth.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 package of cornbread mix

1 box of instant vanilla pudding

½ cup of milk

2 tbsp of butter

2 eggs

Pinch of salt and pepper

Stir the cornbread and pudding mixes together and then add the eggs and milk. Stir is all together, but don’t worry about the batter being lumpy. Coat an eight-inch pan with cooking spray and spread the batter in the pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

This form might not be a traditionally southern version of cornbread, but it is deliciously sweet and worth a try.

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Looking Back at a New Year’s Eve Past

December 23rd, 2012

Another end-of-the-world prediction has come and gone, and for me, it reminded me of the first time the world was supposed to end. This was way back at the tail-end of 1999 when the year 2000 loomed large.

According to some, two things could have happened when the year 2000 came around: 1) Some sort of cataclysmic event would end us all or; 2) Computers would think it was the year 1900 and all kinds of chaos would ensue. In case you don’t remember, neither of those things happened.

Being of a somewhat rational mind, I didn’t think the world would end back then or now. However, sometimes it is fun to buy into the hype, so my friend and I decided to ring in the new year down on the beach.

Our families were visiting Edisto for winter break and we thought that if the world did end, at least we would be together at our favorite place. So, at 11 p.m. we headed down to the beach with sweatshirts on and towels to sit on. We brought a radio (just in case there was some announcement regarding our imminent demise or massive computer catastrophe) and talked while looking up at the stars.

The funny thing about the end-of-the-world scenarios is that nobody ever specifies what time zone the end is supposed to occur in. As a teen I often times forgot that the world is more than just the United States, so I figured since we were in the eastern standard time zone that we would be the first to go – never mind the fact that it was already tomorrow in Europe and beyond and they were all still alive and kicking. But, like I said, we didn’t really think the world would end, so my friend and I didn’t trouble ourselves with the technicalities of everything.

As time went on and we began our countdown to midnight and the year 2000, we started talking about how scary it would be if a giant wave came and obliterated us. We surmised that we wouldn’t be able to outrun it so we would just hold hands, close our eyes, and see each other again on the flip side. The seconds ticked by and 1999 rolled over into 2000. Just then, a god-awful emergency siren and flashing lights filled the beach.

My friend and I stood up quickly (notice how fast we ditched our plan to sit still and hold hands as the end came upon us) and panicked over what was happening. That’s when we realized that it was our very own radio that was the cause of such horror.( It should be noted here that the radio was off of my dad’s boat and so it was some odd waterproof-flashlight-siren-radio hybrid). The flashing light and blaring siren went away as soon as I hit the radio’s magical power button.

We laughed at ourselves and decided we wouldn’t tell our older siblings who were all back at the house. However, when we got back to the house, my sister (the evil one who used to taunt the waves if you recall from an earlier blog post) asked if anything happened down at the beach. Naturally, we lied and she knew it.

She told us she set the alarm on the radio because she knew it would scare us… and she was right. But at least the world didn’t end and our scary-alarm story made into the “Edisto Memory Files” of our minds.

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Edisto Island Memories

December 5th, 2012

Now that the holiday season is upon us, it always makes me think of all the times I’ve spent on Edisto Island with family.

Just this past Thanksgiving, I went to Kansas City where my grandparents live. Most times, we spend the holidays at the beach, but this year, my grandpa was unable to travel, so the family all came to him. The funny thing is, even though we were so far from Edisto, it’s all anyone talked about.

The conversation about Edisto began after I went rummaging through my grandparents’ house and found some old photo albums. Most of the pictures were of my grandmother and her friends and family way back in the 1930s having a good time at the beach.

It’s probably a universal feeling amongst grandchildren all over the world to think of grandparents as having always been grandparents, so seeing my grandmother as a young girl doing all the same things I’ve done at the beach was something special.

I can remember all the years where I would ask her to swim with me or float in a tube with me, and she would politely decline and watch all of us kids play in the surf. We thought she just didn’t know what she was missing; turns out, she’d just experienced it all already.

In the pictures that I found, my grandma was floating in a tube, the same as we always do; splashing her feet in the water as she sat on a dock; hanging out with her friends on Palmetto Boulevard; standing knee-deep in swamp mud while crabbing; and doing everything we assumed she never would have done.

It’s funny how I never really realized that my grandma – who is the reason my family even knows about Edisto – could sit on the beach and smile as we played because she was not only reliving her own youth, but appreciating that a new generation loved it just as much as she did.

This coming June when we have our annual Edisto vacation, it will be the 83^rd summer that my grandma’s spent on Edisto (to avoid being disowned, I won’t tell you all the age she was when she first started coming down).

Maybe this year I can try and get her back into a tube to ride some waves…