Foodbuzz 24,24,24 event: A Floridian Feast

When Foodbuzz contacted it’s featured publishers for the monthly 24,24,24 event last month, they had something special in mind. For each event chosen, $250.00 will be donated to the gulf relief effort. Myself, being a third generation native Floridian, felt it was my duty to participate in this endeavor.

I live on the east coast. I count my blessings for that, and when the BP disaster struck, a sadness filled my heart for the future of my beloved hometown state. My husband and I worried about our sea, and what affect this will have upon our weekly fishing excursions, and our environment as a whole. I worried about the west coast of Florida, and the many trips I have taken to Sanibel Island… and the huge wildlife preserve there. The pristine white sandy beaches loaded with seashell treasures would soon be a mess of toxic sludge.. as each day crept on. Fortunately, at the time of this posting, the leak has ceased-but the damage is done.

That is why I also worry that people will assume it’s over… and forget to help.

But, this is where the help comes in. The clean up.

The people employed to clean up the coast are working 7 days a week, 12 hour days, for 28 days straight. A 7 day break every 28 days.

I know this because when I was purchasing a tablecloth for my “event”, the sunburned, weathered man in front of me said he was happy to be home, but unhappy he was home fixing his car instead of resting. It was then he told me what he did. I thanked him, along with the cashier… and it brought this project a bit closer to home.

My event didn’t go beautifully. Things went wrong.

The first? I wanted a solid table cover. I thought I had one to use…but I must have been on one of my de-cluttering modes and tossed it, because I do remember a stain was on it.

So, when the hubby was going to go to Home Depot for a brush and bolt, I said “Oooo, I need a tablecloth- can we stop by and get one?”

He didn’t want to be gone that long, so I stayed home. An hour later, he came back with my ideal tablecloth: crisp white, stain-resistant fabric. ooo , niiiice!!! Problem? Too small. He said it was the biggest, so we went to exchange it at another location. Money back-no tablecloth. Second store-no tablecloth. Third store? Nada.

I am getting very sweaty,hungry and annoyed at this point. But determined I went to one last store. No white tablecloth. I settled for beige and a twin flat white sheet. One of them would have to work.

The tablecloth was thin, flimsy and too big. The sheet? Perfect…. hope it wasn’t too obvious.

The menu consisted of Florida fare; gulf shrimp stuffed Florida avocados, Florida mango salsa (from my mother’s trees) Florida grown rice (yes, we produce rice in Florida…and sugar) fresh corn from the Glades (also in Florida) and Lime Melt-away cookies for dessert. (I should have made Key Lime Pie)

Mangoes and avocado from my mama’s trees…

mahi-mahi my husband caught…

mango salsa…

Lime melt-away cookies…don’t these look good? They, unfortunately tasted like lime scented baby powder. They were that bad. I am happy that I have a real friend that agreed with me how bad they sucked… it ended up being a good laugh. I won’t share the recipe. I will say it came from a trusted-well known source. Hmmm…

There was sangria…yum.

I will share that recipe with y’all this week. And the recipe for these:

These were very easy, and yummy. Fresh shrimp, scallions,celery,pepper,salt, and lime mayonnaise with a fresh dill garnish. Add avocado, divine.

My simple centerpeice- palms from the yard and fruit from the neighborhood…

Now,I have to tell you- one of my guest was allergic to mangoes. ALLERGIC. Like, throat-swell-up-and die-allergy.

So, I did not serve the Mahi like this. No mangoes came out till play until I knew nobody would get hurt. 🙂 The mahi for the evening was served on buttered and toasted kaiser buns with lettuce and tomato. Yum. I meant to get a pic of that..but the sangria made me forget to.

It also made me go bowling. I have never bowled. True story. I have always been weird about the shoe thing. But, I dropped my inhibitions and went bowling at 9pm on a Saturday. That is so not me- I am an early to bed early to rise gal. But, I had a blast. They were having laser 80’s night. Right up my alley-(bad pun) but it’s nice to roll a ball to Prince and Pet Shop Boys in a purple sparkly dress and a pair of my husband’s socks since I didn’t have any. Yep, that was me. I bowl in purple dresses. That’s how I roll. (bad pun, again)

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