For years Stuffed Top Neck Clams have been the highlight of our holiday feast. It’s become tradition for the men in the family to gather around my kitchen island to prepare the clams for stuffing. A daunting task and skill taught to the younger generations year after year to keep the tradition alive. The only compliant you may hear from the men is that their not cooking fast enough!
This photo of my Father teaching my husband Barry how to open the clams safely several years ago, is a photo I will cherish forever. Although he may not be with us physically and mentally, he is forever with us in spirit as each clam is opened at my island each holiday.
Top Neck Clams
Ingredients
35 top neck clams split open and mussel loosened
4 stacks original Ritz Crackers crushed in food processor
1-2 handful of Sicilian Breadcrumbs (recipe pg 2o1 “Gifts of Gold”
1 envelope Good Season Italian Dry Dressing Mix
1 large sweet onion puréed
1 medium ripe tomato seeded and finely hand chopped
1-2 sticks melted salted butter
1 green pepper cut finely by hand
½ lb. sliced bacon cut into ½ inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
Step-by-Step
1 Place all ingredients except butter, olive oil and bacon into a large mixing bowl
2 Add butter a little at a time while working crumbs together with your hands, mixture should be a moist consistency not wet soggy
3 Drizzle stuffing mixture with olive oil and mix well
4 Carefully place prepared clams on a cookie sheet, (keep natural clam juices in each shell)
5 Using your hand top each clam with a heaping tablespoon of stuffing
6 Top each stuffed clam with bacon
7 Place clams uncovered into a preheated 350 degree oven
8 Bake 5-10 minutes or until tops of crumbs are golden and bacon is slightly crisp
For my Step-by-Step video Tutorial clink on link below at The Gloucester Daily Times Taste Of The Times
You’ve seen Trenel Cove on Wolf Hill many times, commuting onto or off of Cape Ann island. The A. Piatt Andrew Bridge (Route 128) connects us with the mainland. It spans the Annisquam River from Rust Island on the left to just beyond the house with the turret on the right (Wolf Hill). Trenel Cove is in the foreground, and was where a small ferry operated. It’s now a Gloucester Public Landing (see #11): http://www.gloucester-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/Home/View/426
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Joey, The attachment is a very clear 1922 photo of 15 Captains of Rockport Granite Company vessels. At that time the company operated quite a fleet 17 of stone sloops and schooners as well as steam tugs, lighters and barges. Their schooners and big sloops delivered granite products up and down the atlantic coast between Cape Ann and Virginia. – Only one of the captains has been identified. He is Capt. William Poland of Gloucester who was captain of the Stone Sloop, “Albert Baldwin” and he is standing far left in the picture with a spy glass under his arm. I know that Capt. Ben Paschal was captain of the sch. Ervin J. Luce” and Capt. Gene Weber of Gloucester captained the schooner “George R. Bradford” but they and the other 12 men are not yet identified. I would be grateful if any GMG readers can identify other men in this amazing picture. I hope to share the names of the other men with the Cape Ann Museum and with Les Bartlett who is writing the history of the Rockport Granite Company.
Thanks, Bill Hubbard
Les Bartlett Photo
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The GMG community has been so generous and supportive of Next Step through the annual bikini/speedo dodgeball tourney, that I thought they might be interested in this opportunity.
Each December we host a holiday party for all of the Next Step youth. Some of these teens and young adults are battling cancer, some HIV, and some rare genetic diseases, but all are dealing with life-threatening illness, every day. The holiday party is a chance for them to have fun, see friends, and get away from their day-to-day pressures and struggles.
We make sure that each youth walks away from the party with a holiday gift. This year we put together a wish list of gifts for the youth. It’s a great way for generous people like GMG readers to give DIRECTLY to one of our kids and help put a smile on their face this season. The wish list link is below- all gifts will be sent to Next Step, wrapped and given to our youth on Dec. 14. Thanks so much!
Weather permitting, the Docksiders will be will be playing a concert in front of Sovereign Bank from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm compliments of the Christmas Parade Committee. Since the
Docksides could not play in Sunday’s parade because of the weather this will serve as their rain date. The street will be blocked off at Duncan Street for the duration of the concert an hour or less. Merry Christmas!
Dec 8th Contra Dance
Hi Joey,
Our next dance is this Sunday, December 8. Everybody is welcome, and our local contra dance family just keeps on growing.
We had several folks who’d never done a contra dance before join us in November and they all promised they’d be back for more!
Some folks come just to hear the music and visit with friends.
The fun starts at 6:30 with a helpful Introduction to the Basics of Contra Dance. The dancing starts in earnest at 7:00 and goes to 10:00.
It all happens at the First Baptist Church, 38 Gloucester Ave., Gloucester.
Check out the smiling faces on these photos by Mary Barker.
I wanted to share some news – I put together a book, full of scenic images of Rockport through all the seasons of the year, along with some anecdotes and stories. Toad Hall has already offered to throw me a book release party, to be held in conjunction with Motif 1 Day in May. I am self-publishing the book, so funding is essential. I decided to start a Kickstarter campaign to see if I can crowd-fund the project. Any way you can help me spread the word? The campaign is at the link below: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1914659363/rockport-through-the-seasons-photographic-coffee-t Thank you 🙂
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O’Maley Innovation Middle School students participated in an all-school food drive for the Open Door Food Pantry for two weeks prior to Thanksgiving. Over 1400 pounds of items were gathered to help families in need. The O’Maley SAILS program (Service, Integrity, Acceptance, Leadership, Success) emphasizes Service in our community and this year’s annual food drive was a wonderful opportunity for students to put the school community’s values into practice. It was a great success!
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No, that is not a typo! Bearss Lime is a cultivar of the Tahiti Lime (Citrus latifolia) and was first discovered by T. J. Bearss in 1895 in his California grove.
Have you ever thought about growing dwarf citrus trees? We have grown Meyer Lemons successfully but this year was the first with our little Bearss Lime tree. We were blessed with a bumper crop!
I had read conflicting information on when to harvest limes–some sources said when green, others when greenish yellow, and still others claimed limes are sweetest when fully yellow. The longer the lime grows on the tree, the more yellow it becomes until, and as you can see in the above photo, it develops the appearance of a lemon. I wanted to do a side-by-side comparison and see for myself which ripeness was best for the limes from our tree and yesterday picked one yellow, one green, and in the process, a smallish one fell off. (when picking citrus, grasp the fruit gently and twist upward with a firm, but again gentle, hand).
I grow citrus firstly for its fabulously scented flowers and secondly for its fruit. Oil of citral is harvested from lime blossoms and is the base of many perfumes. One of the strongest threads running through my book, Oh Garden of Fresh Possibilities!, is the wealth of information on the most highly scented cultivars covering a wide range of plant families including roses, narcissus, lilacs, jasmines, gardenias, and even fragrant daylilies! The fragrance of citrus blossoms, especially that of the orange, lemon, and lime, is up there at the top of my list, alongside gardenias and roses, for most beautiful scents found the world over.
Citrus plants are fairly indestructible, although they will quickly let you know when they’re unhappy. A few leaves will yellow and fall off, and if the problem is not resolved immediately, the entire plant will defoliate. This is typically due to overwatering and/or a soil mixture that does not allow for excellent drainage. Do not be discouraged, even if the entire plant becomes leafless. Water less frequently and try repotting the plant in a more suitable growing medium. Usually, they can be revived and the survivor will be healthier.
Back to our experiment ~ Without doubt the yellow lime was the sweetest. The green lime made my mouth fully pucker, the yellow not at all. Both had a wonderfully zesty-fresh-limey fragrance and taste, but the yellow was less tart and I think would be delicious in pies and and lime-aid. With the remaining limes on our tree I will definitely wait until they develop more yellow than green before harvesting.
A citrus plant would make a very special holiday gift. Logees Greenhouse mail order is a great source for a wide range of dwarf citrus plants, the common and the not so common, including Buddha’s Hand, Blood Oranges, Key Lime, kumquat, Mandarin orange, and many more.
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On Sunday, December 8 the Forum hosts Middle East scholar and author Omar Dahi speaking on the Syrian civil war, an increasingly regional catastrophe and humanitarian crisis affecting neighboring nations as well as Syria. This is nowhere more evident than in Lebanon, where some villages now have more Syrians than Lebanese. Just back from Lebanon, Dahi reports a lack of hospital beds and growing fear of a cholera outbreak and ensuing public health disaster in the Bekaa Valley. Dahi will discuss the war, the complex welter of competing groups and outside interests, and the urgent need for a political solution and massive aid in the region.
Omar Dahi is an associate professor of economics at Hampshire College and visiting fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace MIddle East Center.
Born and raised in Damascus, Syria, Dahi received a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Notre Dame, serves on the editorial committee of the Middle East Report, is co-editor of the Syria web page at Jadaliyya, and is widely published in various academic journals.
The forum will be held at Gloucester City Hall and is free and open to the public.
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Thursday December5th the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce will hold a Christmas Part at Seaside Cycles, 23 Elm Street, Manchester. Raffles, door prizes and more! All are welcome!
Friday December 6 – Shop Manchester will take place from 4:00 until 9:00 pm. Collect stamps in your holiday passbook as you visit any of the merchants and win a valuable gift pack from local businesses. Plus you will have a chance to win a new Apple iPad or new BMX bicycle. Details at the merchant shops.
Christmas by the Sea Childcare Service So the parents can shop with ease and without young ones seeing anything too early, Childcare Services will be available between 5:30 and 8:30 pm at the Manchester Public Library. A minimum donation of $10.00 with a family maximum of $30.00 for the evening. Green Team will entertain the children with arts & crafts/games/movie and light refreshments. Proceeds to support the programming offered by the Manchester Community Center and to support the efforts of the Manchester Essex Green Team. Manchester Public Library 15 Union Street, Manchester.
Saturday December 7th Shop Manchester continues all day with the chance to win the prizes already mentioned and see all the special ideas and gifts the Shops of Manchester have to offer this Christmas.
Manchester Sailing Association trims their tree for Festival of Lights
Surfari shows the Christmas Spirit
Santa Claus Comes to Manchester! The Annual Jingle Bell walk will start at 1:00 PM when Santa arrives by boat at Masconomo Park. Santa will lead the children on a walk to Singing Beach followed by an open house at the Community Center from 1:00 to 3:00 PM. See the petting zoo, a craft activity, face painting, entertainment with Mrs. Claus and refreshments. Santa will be available for the children to meet and have a their picture taken with Santa.
Holidays and Wintertide II: An Evening with Chelsea Berry & Friends ~ 7:00 PM Single Tree Music and the Historic Manchester Trust present a special Holiday concert performance featuring Chelsea Berry, Joe Cardoze, Renee Dupuis and John Rockwell. The Crowell Chapel, 4 Rosedale Avenue. Tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com
Sunday December 8th Santa’s tour of Manchester starts at 12;00 and will go until about 2:30 PM. Santa will be start at the Fire Station and be driven around on a fire truck throwing Animal Crackers to the children as he tours the Town. Families are also encouraged to visit Santa at the Fire Station at 11:45 AM prior to his leaving on the tour.
A Christmas Concert will be held at the First Parish Church from 3:30 to 4:30 PM. The concert will feature the Manchester-Essex School Band, Soundwaves, the High School Chorus, Memorial School Chorus and La Petite Choral.
4:30 PM Lighting of the Friendship Tree and the Festival of Trees, the official start of the Christmas season following the concert at the First Parish Church on Town Hall Common
A busy weekend in Manchester!
42.577834-70.767597
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From Egypt to England to Gloucester: A New Journey for 2013
A Holiday Season Event for All Ages Featuring Students from Gloucester Stage Youth Acting Workshops
Christmas in Gloucester – photo by Gary NgMrs. Claus and the elves in Santa’s Workshop – photo by Gary NgThe Carolers – photo by Gary NgFezziwig Ball – photo by Gary NgMrs. Claus’ favorite elves – photos by Gary NgDancing Dreidels – photo by Gary Ng
The Gloucester Stage Youth Acting Workshops proudly presents Holiday Delights from December 13 through December 15 at Gloucester Stage Company, 267 East Main Street, Gloucester, MA. Holiday Delights features a cast of 40 young people ranging in age from 6 to 17, all students in Gloucester Stage Youth Acting Workshops. Conceived and directed by Heidi Dallin, this festive evening of stories, songs, magic and dance recounts the special traditions that other cultures and families experience as seen during one young girl’s magical journey on Christmas Eve to discover what is really important during the the holiday season.
The 2013 edition of Holiday Delights features the new journey of a young girl who discovers the spirit and the joys of the holiday season as she faces the prospect of leaving her beloved hometown of Gloucester and moving with her family to a new home in Michigan. During her Christmas Eve travels with Mrs. Claus and the elves, she joins an Egyptian Christmas celebration, celebrates Hanukkah, travels back in time to turn of the century Gloucester to see her Italian-Irish ancestors celebrate the holidays and meets famous literary characters including The Cratchit Family and the Fezziwig Family from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and the March Sisters from Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. During her Christmas Eve journey she learns about the special traditions of other families and comes to realize the importance of her own family traditions.
The 2013 edition of Holiday Delights features the new story of a contemporary family in Egypt celebrating Christmas inspired by YAW student Farah Moussa, an exchange student from Egypt studying at Gloucester High School. Cast members learned traditional Egyptian dance. The 2013 production includes elements of Sign Language learned in YAW classes this year, magic performed by cast members, new songs, new twists on classic holiday stories and the return of the original story set in turn of the century Gloucester featuring the young girl’s grandmother as a young girl herself growing up on the Fort in an Irish-Italian fishing family. According to director and writer Heidi Dallin, “I wanted to explore the main character’s background so she could see first hand her own family traditions and thus gain a new appreciation for them. I also wanted to offer the entire cast a glimpse of Gloucester’s past and enrich their experience in the production. We had an enthusiastic audience response to the 2012 premiere of the story so we brought the story back this year with some new twists and a new song.” In addition to Dallin, the artistic staff includes music direction by Gloucester Public Schools’ Helen Greene, choreography by Windhover’s Carol Burnham, set design by Gloucester Joe Mustone and property design by Danver’s Jamie Wilkinson, costume design by Lara Jardullo, and lighting design by Brendan Marr.
The 40 young actors bring the original and classic stories to life on stage with a fresh perspective. Many actors play multiple roles in the production to bring all the stories to life. The show has over 100 costume changes. Holiday Delights features classic holiday music including Deck The Halls; O, ChristmasTree, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, and Santa Claus Is Coming To Town and the show ends with a audience sing a long and a visit from Santa Claus. Gloucester High School Junior 17 year old Jaqi McCarthy returns to the role of Mrs. Claus. McCarthy has been a student of Gloucester Stage Youth Acting Workshops since age six and has appeared in Holiday Delights for 4 years. Waring School student 12 year old Sara Wheeler plays the young girl who wants to skip Christmas rather than move away from Gloucester. Wheeler first appeared in Holiday Delights in 2007 and was the youngest member of that year’s cast. She has performed in all 5 productions of Holiday Delights, originating over a dozen different roles since 2007.
Holiday Delights performances are December 13 through December 15 at Gloucester Stage, 267 East Main Street, Gloucester, MA. Performance times are 7 pm on December 13, December 14 and 3 pm on December 14 and December 15 Ticket prices are $15 for Adults; $12 for Senior Citizens, $8 for Students and $6 for Children under 12. For tickets and further information, call 978-281-4433 or visit http://www.gloucesterstage.com
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Sunday afternoon Laura Cramer owner of The Cave Cheese Shop on Main Street here in Gloucester, reached out to me after a patron shopping in her store informed her that he had just heard on the GMG Sunday Morning Pod Cast with GMG Chief Joey Ciaramitaro, Toby Pett and Amandacakes, that I was interested in participating in this upcoming Thursday’s Ladies Night on Main Street. I’m thrilled to announce that I will be teaming up with the Cave for this weeks event. Laura cordially invited me to her shop Ladies Night this Thursday Evening December 5th beginning at 5 pm for a Cookbook/ Magazine signing.
Laura’s shelves are currently stocked with copies of my newly released cookbook, “Gifts Of Gold In A Sicilian Kitchen With Sista Felicia, Harvest.” Copies will be on sale at The Cave throughout the holiday season, along with Cape Ann Magazine December 2013 December issue!
Laura has been very busy planning a special night. Last year her shop was a hot spot for shoppers and this year she is gearing up for an even bigger crowd. She will be serving several local products, including: wine spirit refreshments, Duck Foie Gras, Fudge Everything fudge sauce~ produced locally in Manchester By The Sea MA., Lark Cookies from Lark Fine Foods located in Essex Ma. , Gloucester Joe’s Coffee, and samples of Sista Felicia’s Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Dip, a recipe featured in “Gifts Of Gold”. The Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Dip will be specially made for this event using a delicious Laura Chenel’s Chevre ~ a mildly flavored soft creamy goat cheese sold regularly at “The Cave.”
I look forward to meeting many GMG FOB, stop by “The Cave to celebrate “Shop local” and purchase you your copies of “Gifts of Gold”, Cape Ann Magazine, cheese, wine, coffee, cookies, and fudge sauce gifts for your family and friends, and say hello!
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Here is early construction of the Babson Reservoir (1930). It’s still the main source of water for the City of Gloucester, along with Goose Cove (1963). The Babson family gave the reservoir to the City in return for keeping it a natural park.
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This photo of my Father teaching my husband Barry how to open the clams safely several years ago, is a photo I will cherish forever. Although he may not be with us physically and mentally, he is forever with us in spirit as each clam is opened at my island each holiday. 
Good Morning Gloucester 