Vacation September 2012

Hello from Myrtle Beach. Can’t believe we are finally here. We are enjoying relaxing and “recharging”. The sunrise is beautiful. We also are enjoying the fruits of North and South Carolina thanks to friends and the Myrtle Farmer’s Market.


Below are some Southern Treats that we are enjoying during our stay:

A friend of ours in North Carolina sent these home-made “fruits of her labor” with us. We have been enjoying them on the road (especially the strawberry preserves with bagels and cream cheese). The pickled jalapenos are not for the faint of heart! They are potent and guaranteed to clear out your sinuses!

We have never seen real Muscadine Grapes here in Michigan. Got these today at the farmer’s market in Myrtle Beach. They are mainly used for wine, but they taste sweet with the thick skin that tastes somewhat like a tart Granny Smith apple.

Most people associate Chestnuts with Christmas, but they are in season right now in North Carolina. They are encased in a prickly husk (called a burr) and fall out of the tree where the burr splits open on the ground. Thank goodness for that- as it is, a serious nut gatherer would need some thick leather gloves to bring in a proper harvest! As these burrs are tennis-ball size, it is amazing to me as to it’s natural selection process, i.e. what type of animal would have been the one to get it caught in their fur to carry it (and its seeds) to it’s new destination- a wooly mammoth or bison? I wonder if someone has thought of this question. Heaven knows dog Barkley has carried in his share of small backyard burrs! The next evening after harvesting, we enjoyed those sweet Chestnuts on the grill- yum!

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