We grew up with dogs in our home and know how much joy and love they can add to a family dynamic. Many times our family travels included Makapu, Bimini or Maitai joining in on a family vacation or road trip. For one such trip, we travelled all the way down to Sanibel Island, FL in a Datsun B210 station wagon with our family of 5, a baby sitter and Bimini (the first dog on the planet that could chase down a frisbee and catch in mid-air).
Of course, Mother's Day is special everywhere. But in Cape May, Mother's Day can really take on a unique quality. Maybe it's the the fresh flower blooms that dot the landscape that time of year, or the Spring weather that's announced it's here to stay. Or maybe it's the shore air and steady seasonal breeze that fills our streets with the promise of summer just around the corner. Whatever it is, it definitely is special and we hope you and your family are fortunate enough to be able to spend a Mother's Day in Cape May the way our family has over the years.
We're always surprised when guests book the Valentine's Day weekend. As much as we love Cape May throughout the year, and certainly each season has something unique to offer, truth be told Valentine's Day is smack dab in the middle of the winter. And Cape May is not at its warm summer's best (weather or activities wise). But over the years, when Valentine's Day rolls around on the calendar, we've come to understand and respect the power of theromantic getaway.
Growing up, Memorial Day was always a fun time because it usually meant our family and friends were heading down to Cape May for huge lobster feasts, tennis, the beach, and of course our annual mini-putt golf tourney (at the Ocean Putt course — the only one that counts). Memorial day weekend always marked the official start of summer.
This year we created a Memorial Day rental special that provides a great value (that's always important these days) and that also solves a few timing and scheduling issues we've noticed over the years for renters.
Here's a fun post. Every year we mix up a batch of our Longfellow family eggnog around the holidays. We use an old family recipe that's really quite strong, and we give it out to friends and family to celebrate the holiday season. Sometimes we'll create unique labels to make it a fun gift to receive, and each year we get strong requests to make it again. We have a few fans in town that have become lovers of this classic holiday tradition, and we hope that by posting this recipe — others can share in the festivities! Just be careful, as our grandmother use to say — this nog shizzle's got some dope power.
The recipe came from our mother's side of the family and was handed down to her from my grandfather. It's a simple recipe but also a classic, and over the years we've added our distinct touches to get the nog to taste just the way we like it. We're posting the recipe so that you can make your own if you choose. It's really a fun process and though you might not want to let your kids drink it (at least not with alcohol they can certainly help in the making of it and the packaging, which can be a fun afternoon together.
18 Eggs
2 lbs. of. Sugar
1 Quart good bourbon whiskey
1 Quart of good Brandy
1 Pint good white Rum
1 Quart heavy cream
2 Quarts whole milk
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Separate eggs (the egg yellows from the whites) – and beat the yellows into thick batter in a large bowl. Pour in half the sugar and keep mixing well until it's a nice and thick consistency. Transfer to a large pot and slowly add liquor – beating all the time. Then add the Cream, Milk, and vanilla extract. Add the rest of the sugar. One trick is to whip up some of the cream separately (a cup or so) until it's almost whipped cream, and then add to the mixture. This helps create a really nice thick and creamy texture. Some recipes suggest beating the egg whites and adding in, but we find it's much tastier using cream for the same thickening effect.
Once the mixture is complete, you'll need to set up a pouring station with some kind of measuring cup and funnel to pour into the bottles. Here's another secret — you want to make the eggnog in advance of when you'll drink it. If it stays in the fridge for a week or two, the flavors really start to blend together and it takes on quite a smooth taste even though there's tons of liquor (which helps make the use of raw eggs safe).
When serving, you'll need to shake the bottle vigorously about 14 times to clear the thick cream at the top of the bottle. And we suggest you serve in nice glasses and grate some fresh nutmeg on top. We hope you enjoy the recipe and let us know if you have any questions or would like to share your experience. Happy holidays!
The Longfellow Family
A family vacation to the seashore just isn't complete without at least one delicious meal of fresh, locally caught seafood. Our family growing up had many memorable seafood feasts - both at our house and at local restaurants - and the Lobster House Restaurant & Fish Market was a big part of that experience. That's where we'd buy our fresh seafood to make our classic lobster, shrimp and clams feasts!
