Summertime, sweet summertime! We just love summertime in
On a recent vacation to the gulf coast, we were lucky enough
to be invited to the Horn, Fin, and Feather Lodge, operated by the parents of some dear friends of ours, and part of the El Sauz Ranch, which is located near Port
Mansfield, a cute fishing spot. On the first evening of our visit, we drove
to a bay-area waterway where we fished off the bank. Holy Moly!!!
The kids would cast their line and within MINUTES there would be a huge
tug!
Here I am reeling in something... I'm sure it was an alligator gar. We caught lots of those prehistoric-looking fish that have a head like an alligator. They are really ugly, and have a face that only an alligator gar Mama would love!!
We caught a channel cat or two...
We also caught several BEAUTIFUL redfish, one
that was somewhat of a prize. Little did I know that lots of spots on a fish are a prize
to reel in. And little did I know that a 32”
redfish was a big fish to catch!
Beginner’s luck, I guess! We all
had so much fun that evening, we weighed and tagged “The Big One”, and the men
filleted and bagged the fishy for the next day’s dinner.
NOW FOR THE YUMMIEST FISH EVER::::
Let me introduce you to Bob. Here he is with his beautiful daughter and the 48" alligator gar they just rescued from the bay water. Bob is a rancher, fisherman, farmer
of “chuckers” (that’s a story for
later!), AND Bob’s a fireman. (Firemen like to cook, or so I’ve heard.) Bob had a recipe for cooking the redfish
that did not disappoint us at all. So
yummy!!!
Here’s what he did:
Bob took the redfish and laid it skin down on heavy duty
foil. Using a sharp knife, he scored the
fish all the way to the skin, but not through the skin, leaving it intact. He smeared butter all over the fish, even
down into the cuts he had just made. Then
he topped the fish with Pico de gallo with chopped avocado. (Pico de gallo a mixture of tomato, onion,
jalapeno, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, with a shake of
salt. Bob added lots finely diced avocado to his pico.) Finally he took the foil with
fish on top and put it on the grill over hot coals, cooking it until it was flaky and cooked
through.
I’m not a true fan of redfish, but this stuff was over-the-top
delicious. Even my picky “I don’t like
fish” teenager thought it was some good chow!
I also want to share this beautiful photo of a plant I found growing on the property. I was told this is called a “Love Vine”. I have to have one. I'm going to start hunting for one today, so I can look at it and think of the day we reeled in the yummiest fish ever!
And finally, I leave you with these photos. Sunsets and nights on the coast are just amazing. Can't wait to experience this again!
Peace and Joy!
The Menu Maker Mom
Feeding the family ~ One menu at a time
Halloween was so much fun. We carved pumpkins and went trick-or-treating. This year was interesting, as it was the first year that I didn't make the girls their costumes. They got together with a friend and designed their own costumes and put it all together themselves. They were "catnappers". No, they didn't fall asleep. They were some type of burglar that takes cats. Don't ask.
In December, the twins showed their animals in both our local Chapter Show for our FFA, and at a prospect show. "B" (pictured on left) won her first showmanship buckle and was so proud of herself! They both have done a fab job raising, caring for, and training their animals.
