Ocean Offerings http://blog.oceanofferings.com Fri, 21 Dec 2012 14:41:29 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Easy Shrimp Bisque http://blog.oceanofferings.com/easy-shrimp-bisque/ http://blog.oceanofferings.com/easy-shrimp-bisque/#comments Fri, 21 Dec 2012 14:41:29 +0000 Melinda http://blog.oceanofferings.com/?p=1694 You will love this easy and quick Shrimp Bisque! Serve with crisp baguette slices and a salad for a delicious and easy meal, fit for guests!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter 3/4 cup chopped onion 1 3/4 cups bottled clam juice 3 tablespoons long-grain white rice 12 ounces cooked, peeled, deveined, medium shrimp . . . → Read More: Easy Shrimp Bisque]]> Shrimp BisqueYou will love this easy and quick Shrimp Bisque! Serve with crisp baguette slices and a salad for a delicious and easy meal, fit for guests!

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
  • 3/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1 3/4 cups bottled clam juice
  • 3 tablespoons long-grain white rice
  • 12 ounces cooked, peeled, deveined, medium shrimp
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/8 teaspoon (or more) cayenne pepper
  • 1 1/4 cups half and half

Melt butter in a heavy, medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the clam juice and rice – bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Mix in shrimp. Set aside 6 shrimp for garnish.

Working in batches, puree the soup with shrimp in a blender until smooth. Return the soup to the same saucepan and whisk in tomato paste and cayenne pepper. Gradually whisk in the half and half. Bring soup to a simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with reserved shrimp and if desired sprinkle with additional cayenne pepper.

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]]> http://blog.oceanofferings.com/easy-shrimp-bisque/feed/ 0 Living on a Houseboat http://blog.oceanofferings.com/living-on-a-houseboat/ http://blog.oceanofferings.com/living-on-a-houseboat/#comments Wed, 05 Sep 2012 18:47:59 +0000 Melinda http://blog.oceanofferings.com/?p=1687 Samantha Schoech is a former magazine editor specializing in travel and design. var hzw_id=8246857;function hzwshow(id,v,delay){var showDiv=document.getElementById('hzexpand'+id);if(v){ position=function(element){ var p={x: element.offsetLeft || 0,y:element.offsetTop || 0};while(element=element.offsetParent){ p.x += element.offsetLeft;p.y += element.offsetTop;} return p;};var ref=document.getElementById('hzfooter'+id);var p=position(ref);var scrollX=(window.pageXOffset||(document.body.scrollLeft-10)||document.documentElement.scrollLeft);var x=Math.min(Math.max(p.x -(300-ref.offsetWidth)/2 ,scrollX),(window.innerWidth || document.body.clientWidth) + scrollX -300);var root=document.body;root.insertBefore(showDiv,root.firstChild);showDiv.style.top=(p.y + ref.offsetHeight + 3) + 'px';showDiv.style.left=x + 'px';} var timeout=window['hzwtimeout'+id];if(timeout) clearInterval(timeout);if(delay . . . → Read More: Living on a Houseboat]]> Samantha Schoech is a former magazine editor specializing in travel and design.

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]]> http://blog.oceanofferings.com/living-on-a-houseboat/feed/ 0 Driftwood Fish http://blog.oceanofferings.com/driftwood-fish/ http://blog.oceanofferings.com/driftwood-fish/#comments Wed, 18 Jul 2012 13:16:28 +0000 Melinda http://blog.oceanofferings.com/?p=1681

Love driftwood art! This is hanging over a door in Island Cove Marina, Old Saybrook, CT.

]]> Driftwood Fish

Love driftwood art! This is hanging over a door in Island Cove Marina, Old Saybrook, CT.

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]]> http://blog.oceanofferings.com/driftwood-fish/feed/ 0 Creamy Potato Salad http://blog.oceanofferings.com/creamy-potato-salad/ http://blog.oceanofferings.com/creamy-potato-salad/#comments Tue, 05 Jun 2012 16:00:31 +0000 Melinda http://blog.oceanofferings.com/?p=1658

Potato Salad is a must for any picnic at the beach or on the boat! I have to admit I am fussy about my potato salad and this recipe is my all time favorite! I found it in a wonderful cookbook, Feasts Afloat by Jennifer Trainer Thompson and Elizabeth Wheeler.

SERVES: 4 to . . . → Read More: Creamy Potato Salad]]> Picnic TimePicnic Time

Potato Salad is a must for any picnic at the beach or on the boat! I have to admit I am fussy about my potato salad and this recipe is my all time favorite! I found it in a wonderful cookbook, Feasts Afloat by Jennifer Trainer Thompson and Elizabeth Wheeler.

SERVES: 4 to 6
PREPARATION: 15 minutes
COOKING: 30 minutes

  • 6 large boiling potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), scrubbed
  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, rice wine vinegar, or cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped onion (I use red onion)
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons dried dill
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
    1. Put the potatoes in a saucepan with cold water to cover. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer the potatoes until barely tender, about 20 minutes. When cooked, they will begin to float to the surface.
    2. While the potatoes cook, combine the vinegar, mustard, onion and dill in a mixing bowl.
    3. When potatoes are done, plunge them into cold water for a minute to make handling easier. Do not leave them in the water or they will get soggy. Drain the potatoes, peel them and cut them into 1-inch chunks. Toss potatoes with the vinegar mixture while still warm and season to taste with salt and pepper.
    4. Make a well in the potato mixture and add the sour cream and mayonnaise, stirring top combine. Incorporate the potatoes into the mayonnaise mixture, folding gently. Keep salad cold until serving.
    5. Just before serving, stir the salad gently and adjust the seasoning. Add milk or water to thin the dressing if the salad seems dry.

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    ]]> http://blog.oceanofferings.com/creamy-potato-salad/feed/ 0     Keep Your Sterling Silver Jewelry Gleaming Like New This Summer! http://blog.oceanofferings.com/keep-your-sterling-silver-jewelry-gleaming-like-new-this-summer/ http://blog.oceanofferings.com/keep-your-sterling-silver-jewelry-gleaming-like-new-this-summer/#comments Mon, 04 Jun 2012 18:58:45 +0000 OceanOfferings http://blog.oceanofferings.com/?p=1624

    Summer is a time when we all seem to be wearing our sterling silver jewelry more. Here are some tips to help you keep it gleaming like new!

    Once a week use a polishing cloth, soft 100% cotton (nub free) cloth or flannel cloth and gently rub. Silver is a very soft metal . . . → Read More: Keep Your Sterling Silver Jewelry Gleaming Like New This Summer!]]>     sterling silver octopus earringssterling silver jewelry

    Summer is a time when we all seem to be wearing our sterling silver jewelry more. Here are some tips to help you keep it gleaming like new!

    • Once a week use a polishing cloth, soft 100% cotton (nub free) cloth or flannel cloth and gently rub. Silver is a very soft metal and you can scratch it if you aren’t careful, so don’t rub it too briskly.  Do not use the polishing cloth on your gemstones!

      If you wear your sterling silver jewelry regularly, your body oils help to keep the tarnishing down and cleaning to a minimum.

    • NEVER expose it to chlorine or harsh cleaners.

    • Be sure to remove your jewelry before swimming or bathing. 

    • A silver paste cleaner or a silver polish spray can be used to remove tarnish.  However, do not use on gemstones! Use a very soft brush like a soft child’s tooth brush or a jewelry horse hair silver brush for hard to reach areas. A mushroom brush works well for this and can be found at most grocery stores. After cleaning with a silver polish, use a clean cloth to remove any residual cleaner from your jewelry.

    • Store your sterling silver jewelry wrapped in a soft cloth and placed in a zip lock plastic bag. Storing your sterling silver in the open air and humidity for extended periods of time can cause it to tarnish quickly.

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    ]]>     http://blog.oceanofferings.com/keep-your-sterling-silver-jewelry-gleaming-like-new-this-summer/feed/ 0     Decorating Ideas from Pottery Barn http://blog.oceanofferings.com/decorating-ideas-from-pottery-barn/ http://blog.oceanofferings.com/decorating-ideas-from-pottery-barn/#comments Tue, 22 May 2012 12:49:46 +0000 Melinda http://blog.oceanofferings.com/?p=1576 Simple ideas can give such a dramatic look! I love to curl up with Pottery Barn catalogs – they always provide decorating inspiration!

     

    I love how Pottery Barn wrapped rope around several candles creating a unique focal point on the table.

    More great ideas with rope and shells!

    A . . . → Read More: Decorating Ideas from Pottery Barn]]> Simple ideas can give such a dramatic look! I love to curl up with Pottery Barn catalogs – they always provide decorating inspiration!

    decorating with rope 

    I love how Pottery Barn wrapped rope around several candles creating a unique focal point on the table.

    decorating with shells and rope

    More great ideas with rope and shells!

    decorating with starfish

    decorating with sand and shells

    A fish net table cloth – I love it!

    fish net table cloth

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    ]]> http://blog.oceanofferings.com/decorating-ideas-from-pottery-barn/feed/ 1     Scary Spider Coolers http://blog.oceanofferings.com/scary-spider-coolers/ http://blog.oceanofferings.com/scary-spider-coolers/#comments Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:27:28 +0000 Melinda http://blog.oceanofferings.com/?p=1569

    Southern Living Magazine has a creative and festive way to keep your Halloween drinks cool! Check out their video how-to!

    ]]>     pumpkin coolers

    Southern Living Magazine has a creative and festive way to keep your Halloween drinks cool! Check out their video how-to!

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    ]]>     http://blog.oceanofferings.com/scary-spider-coolers/feed/ 0     Seaweed For Your Garden http://blog.oceanofferings.com/seaweed-for-your-garden/ http://blog.oceanofferings.com/seaweed-for-your-garden/#comments Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:19:31 +0000 Melinda http://blog.oceanofferings.com/?p=1561 Every fall I gather seaweed and spread it on my gardens. Some people suggest rinsing it first but I never have and have never had a problem. And if some shells happen to be caught in the seaweed, all the better!

    Share your seaside garden tips…

    eHOW Home suggests using seaweed as an organic . . . → Read More: Seaweed For Your Garden]]> What the Waves Dragged InEvery fall I gather seaweed and spread it on my gardens. Some people suggest rinsing it first but I never have and have never had a problem. And if some shells happen to be caught in the seaweed, all the better!

    Share your seaside garden tips…

    eHOW Home suggests using seaweed as an organic mulch which will contribute to a healthy soil environment for plants.

    “What the Waves Dragged In” – Photo from Flandrum Hill

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    ]]> http://blog.oceanofferings.com/seaweed-for-your-garden/feed/ 1     Inspired By The Sea http://blog.oceanofferings.com/inspired-by-the-sea/ http://blog.oceanofferings.com/inspired-by-the-sea/#comments Mon, 08 Aug 2011 14:16:33 +0000 Melinda http://blog.oceanofferings.com/?p=1555 “They came to sit & dangle their feet off the edge of the world & after awhile they forgot everything but the good & true things they would do someday. ” — Brian Andreas

    ]]>     “They came to sit & dangle their feet off the edge of the world & after awhile they forgot everything but the good & true things they would do someday. ”
    — Brian Andreas

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    ]]>     http://blog.oceanofferings.com/inspired-by-the-sea/feed/ 0     Laundry Room Curtains With A Nautical Flair http://blog.oceanofferings.com/laundry-room-curtains-with-a-nautical-flair/ http://blog.oceanofferings.com/laundry-room-curtains-with-a-nautical-flair/#comments Thu, 14 Jul 2011 13:54:11 +0000 Melinda http://blog.oceanofferings.com/?p=1546

    Saw these great curtains on Going A Little Coastal’s Blog. The clever rod and curtains were just one of their Laundry Room Re-Do’s.

    ]]>

    Saw these great curtains on Going A Little Coastal’s Blog. The clever rod and curtains were just one of their Laundry Room Re-Do’s.

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