Category: Uncategorized

A Question For Sista Felicia

Posted on by Sista Felicia

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Heather Smidt Writes….
Hey Sista Felicia,
Any chance you have a recipe for gluten free pasta that actually tastes good? Most of the ones that you find in the grocery store are poor substitutes. I married into an Italian family and this would save me from getting sick when I eat at the inlaws. Thanks!

gluten free pasta

Sista Felicia Response…

Heather, recently I spotted a sizable display of  “Felicia Bio” Gluten Free pasta for sale while shopping at J. Pace & Sons in Saugus Ma. just off Rt. 1. I personally have not tasted “Felicia Bio’s” products, but I’m willing to go out on a limb would guess it to be a testy alternative to traditional pasta for individuals who share your Gluten allergy. My guess is solely based on the size of their display, imagine they would only allot that amount of retail space to a product with a high demand.

Clink link below for more information on Felicia Bio products

http://glutenfreefelicia.com/i-nostri-prodotti?lang=en

With Ice Please!

Posted on by Fredrik Bodin
With New Year's Eve here, there will be plenty of ice used in sculptures and serving foods such as shrimp and oysters, not to mention keeping the bubbly cold. But before electricity and refrigeration, there was only one source of ice: Ice ponds and ice houses. Workers cut the ice and it was stored in a nearby "house," in salt hay, cork and sawdust insulation until it was needed. Around 1900, the Fernwood Lake Ice Company, pictured here, had the largest building in Massachusetts, measuring 105 feet x 205 feet. In 1908, the Fernwood Ice Company merged with Cape Pond Ice. The fishing industry used a lot of ice to preserve their catch as it was brought to market.
With New Year’s Eve here, there will be plenty of ice used in sculptures and serving foods such as shrimp and oysters, not to mention keeping the bubbly cold. But before electricity and refrigeration, there was only one source of ice: Ice ponds and ice houses. Workers cut the ice and it was stored in a nearby “house,” in salt hay, cork and sawdust insulation until it was needed. Around 1900, the Fernwood Lake Ice Company, pictured here, had the largest building in Massachusetts, measuring 105 feet x 205 feet. In 1908, the Fernwood Ice Company merged with Cape Pond Ice. The fishing industry used a lot of ice to preserve their catch as it was brought to market.

Community Stuff 12/31/13

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

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Gloucester Community Blood Drive, sponsored by Temple Ahavat Achim, will be held this Thursday, January 2, 2014 from 2 pm to 7 pm at the Temple Ahavat Achim, 86 Middle Street, Gloucester.

For an appointment please call 1-800-RED-CROSS (733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org

All presenting donors this January will receive a voucher for a FREE pound of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee.

Blue Cheese Dip

Posted on by Sista Felicia

 

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Blue Cheese Dip

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 cups sliced shallots

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

3/4 cup mayonnaise

3/4 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups blue cheese; crumbled

Step-by-Step

1 heat olive oil in medium size frying pan; add sliced shallots; cook 15-20 minutes on medium/ low heat until shallots caramelize

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2 whisk together mayonnaise and sour cream; add crumbled blue cheese; season with salt and pepper; mix well with hand mixer

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3 add and mix three quarters of caramelized shallots to mixture; mix well

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4 transfer to serving bowl; top with remaining caramelized shallots; serve with potato chips

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Johnny A ~ Shalin Liu Performance Center ~ January 18, 2014

Posted on by Joanne

Johnny A Shalin Liu-001

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Get tickets here>   http://tickets.rockportmusic.org/single/SelectSeatingSYOS.aspx?p=2002&z=3

Essex Aggie – 100 Years Old

Posted on by Fredrik Bodin
The Essex Agricultural School was founded in 1913 at Hawthorne (Danvers) MA, on land granted by descendants of Nathaniel Hawthorne. They raised cows, learned how to milk them, and then sent the milk to be processed and bottled. This unused bottle was given to me by Gloucester resident Gus Olson, former president of Essex Agricultural and Technical High School..
The Essex Agricultural School was founded in 1913 at Hawthorne (Danvers) MA, on land granted by descendants of Nathaniel Hawthorne. They raised cows, learned how to milk them, and then sent the milk to be processed and bottled. This unused bottle was given to me by Gloucester resident Gus Olson, former president of Essex Agricultural and Technical High School..

Be Careful This Morning- Black Ice Everywhere

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

We came down the dock at 4AM to offload a truck of bait and the truck driver went ass over teakettle.  The temps are above freezing but there’s black ice everywhere.

Lighthouse Beach Snowy Owl Sighting- Photo from Carl Gustin

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Joey,

This snowy owl was spotted over the weekend enjoying a visit to Annisquam near Lighthouse Beach.

Carl Gustin

Gloucester, MA 01930

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Spring Mix Salad With Mango/Ginger Stilton Cheese & Crispy Bacon

Posted on by Sista Felicia

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Spring Mix Salad With Mango/Ginger Stilton Cheese & Crispy Bacon

Ingredients

8 cups spring mix baby red and green leaf lettuce

1 1/4 cup Mango/Ginger Stilton Cheese (sold at The Cave, Main Street Gloucester)

3/4 cup dried cherries

3/4 cup whole pecans

8 slices bacon; crisply cooked; crumbled

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2  teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Step–by-Step

1 arrange greens in serving bowl; top with dried cherries and pecans

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2 cut wedge of cheese into bite-size pieces; add cheese pieces and toss

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3 vigorously whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper 1 minute; pour dressing over top; toss and mix well

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4  top with bacon pieces; serve

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Joey’s Calling You Out to Take the Plunge

Posted on by God's Morning

rocky neck plunge call

Always a great time, whether you plunge or just come to cheer on the plungers!  The Rocky Neck Plunge will take place on New Year’s Day at 2:00PM at Oaks Cove Beach on Stevens Lane with a body and innards warming after party immediately following at the Cultural Center at Rocky Neck, 6 Wonson Street with chowda and hot chocolate.  A perfect way to start the new year – having fun and being part of this unique community.  Who says nothing happens on Rocky Neck in the winter?!

There will be a van at the corner of Wonson Street and Stevens Lane to collect non-perishable food donations for The Open Door Food Panty so bring along some goods to help fill it up (checks are also welcome).

E.J. Lefavour

Happy New Year 1910!

Posted on by Fredrik Bodin
Made by a sign painter in Salem, and likely photographed in the same city. So have a happy and safe New Year everyone. 2014 will bring us new adventures.
Made by a sign painter in Salem, and likely photographed in the same city. So have a happy and safe New Year everyone. 2014 will bring us new adventures.

Ginormous Frickin’ Announcement Coming!!!

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Just frickin huge.

A monster.

Working out the details…

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GMG Is About To Sign An Official Weather Guy!!!  And Not Just Any Weather Guy!!!!

 

Stay Tuned…..

Rhythm of the Tide

Posted on by Marty Luster

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Rhythm of the Tide

There are places, like the Goose Cove Causeway, where
the tide rushes into the cove, sounding like a
marathon runner sucking air during the
last kick before reaching the finish line.

The water foams and the buoys bend and the
tidal current rips under the bridge with just
a brief pause at slack to catch its breath before
reversing direction and roaring out.

Viewing the tide at such places can be
exhilarating and fascinating, but
I prefer to do my tide watching at the
calm pools and rivulets of Jones Creek.

In peaceful weather, through the afternoon into
the evening, I stand there listening to the
serene, quiet breath of the earth as the pool
gently rises and falls – a giant liquid Buddha.

It’s easy, in times such as those, to become
part of the pool, like the mist that sometimes forms
on the surface on a cool, still evening and
stays attached as the breath goes in and out.

My body is the body of the earth;
the rhythm of the tide governs my breath and
flow of the creek, pumped by the heart of the ocean,
nourishes me and cleanses me.

I will stare, listen and I will breathe with the tide
and receive renewed life blood from its flow
and be one with this wondrous world until
the tide runs no more and the creek  is finally dry.

Marty Luster

Encore, originally posted January 12, 2012

Start New Years Eve by helping to send Rockport High Band, Chorus & Orchestra students on a concert tour of Ireland and take home a rock star’s autograph

Posted on by Vickie & Peter

New Years Rockport Eve has so much music that trying to decide what to see will become your first decision of the 2014.  Check out the complete up-to-date music schedule here (this lists more shows than you’ll find on their website).

But before you even look at the schedule, check out this video & press release from Noreen Vincent about the amazing silent auction featuring instruments & sheet music autographed by Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney, Aerosmith, Bob Dylan & the Eagles — all to support a program led by RHS Orchestra Director and local music star, Nathan Cohen:

Kick off New Year’s Eve with a Music and Silent Auction Fundraiser at the Shalin Liu Performance Center, Tuesday, December 31st from 3:30pm – 5:00pm.

There will be music of many genres, including a lively session of traditional Irish music performed by the Rockport High School students, faculty members and surprise guests. The Cape Ann Contra Dance Band will be joining the event for a live dance. 

Silent auction & raffle items include instruments autographed by Taylor Swift and Paul McCartney, sheet music and albums autographed by Aerosmith, Bob Dylan, and The Eagles, autographed drawings by Seth McFarland and Charles Schultz, circus lessons, lobsters, Celtics tickets, a summer weekend rental in Rockport, a pair of concert tickets at the Shalin Liu Center, a a three-day trip to Paris, and much more. The celebration will end at 5:00 p.m. – in time for Rockport’s New Year’s Rockport Eve festivities, which begin at 6:00 p.m.

Proceeds will help fund the Rockport High School Band, Chorus, and Orchestra’s Concert Tour of Ireland in April of 2014. The students will travel to Ireland to engage in the musical culture, study with some of Ireland’s most renowned musicians, and to perform at some of the country’s finest venues. Students will visit Limerick, Galway, Dublin, and Cork, and will work both with classical musicians and traditional Irish musicians and dancers. The fundraising efforts are critical in keeping the cost of participating in this tour affordable to all students.

Gingerbread Muffin Tops With Mascarpone Frosting

Posted on by Sista Felicia

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Gingerbread Muffin Tops With Mascarpone Frosting

My daughter Amanda and I have had a craving for a Gingerbread Muffin from the Gingerbread Confection Bakery chain out of town for over a week…every once in while my husband (AKA “St Barry”) will surprises us with a box  of muffins from this yummy bakery located near his work. Yesterday, while doing some after Christmas shopping with my kids, I spotted a muffin top pan on clearance for $9.99 at Marshalls…there was no way I was leaving the store without it. For the reminder of the day my mission was to get home and whip up a batch of our favorite muffins and cure our carving!

Muffin Ingredients

1 stick salted butter

½ cup dark brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

1/2  cup buttermilk

1/2  cup molasses

1 1/3 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2  teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground mace

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 six section muffin top pan

Mascarpone Frosting  Ingredients

4 ounces cream cheese

8 ounces mascarpone cheese

4  tablespoons salted butter softened

3 cups confectioners’ sugar; (plus 1/4 cup for final dusting)

2 tablespoons buttermilk

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 large pastry bag  & decorative frosting tip

Muffin Step-by-Step

1 combine butter and brown sugar in bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment; on medium speed, cream butter and sugar two minutes or until fluffy

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2 add egg, buttermilk , vanilla bean paste, and molasses; mix on low speed until all ingredients come together (mixture will be wet & lumpy)

3 in separate mixing bowl, sift all dry ingredients together

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4   add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in bowl of stand mixer; mix on low speed until thick batter is formed

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4 lightly spray muffin top pan with cooking spray

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5  fill each muffin section with 2/3 cup batter

filled muffin pan

6 in preheated 350° oven bake 15 minutes or until cake tester is  inserted and removed cleanly

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7 cool 10 minutes on wire rack before frosting

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Frosting Step-by-Step

1 place all frosting ingredients in bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment

2 mix on low speed until frosting begins to form and confectioners sugar is incorporated; increase mixer speed to medium; beat mixture until smooth and creamy

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3 transfer creamy frosting to large pastry bag fitted with a decorative frosting tip (I like to use my Wilton 6B tip); pipe frosting in center of each muffin top

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4  finish with light dusting of confectioners’ sugar

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Mission Complete!

Yields 6 Muffin Tops