Cape Cod Letterpress Cards

One of the first self-funded projects I completed when I started by design business was a line of Cape Cod letterpress greeting postcards and note cards. I was living in Harwich at the time when I started the cards as a side project. The 5 original designs are inspired by the simple beauty of the Cape Cod landscape with the palette reminiscent of summer hues, muted from a day in the bright sunshine. They are letterpress printed on hand-moulded fiber paper and sold in several gift shops in the area. I also think they make excellent wedding favors or thank you cards for any bride getting married at a Cape Cod resort.

Ebb Tide Gift Shop

I’m very pleased to have a reorder for our Cape Cod Letterpress Greeting Cards at the Gift Shop at Ebb Tide for the 2011 summer season. The shop is located in Dennisport, MA right off the Nantucket Sound and carries distinctive gifts for the resort home. I’m especially fond of their Custom Coastal Sign collection. I will have to make one for our house in East Harwich very soon.

Summer Countdown

It’s right about now, as the bitter winter cold sets in and I start wearing many layers that I begin dreaming about summer. Countdown to June 22, 2011: 6.5 months! It can’t come soon enough because my nephew and I have some digging in the sand to do!

CapeScape on Taste of Cape Cod Radio

I was driving around Harwich listening to the radio one Sunday when I heard the Taste of Cape Cod Radio show, hosted by John Rega. John is a renowned food and restaurant commentator with a radio show, tv show, and dining clubs on Cape Cod for over thirty years. He asked his callers to email him favorite restaurants in the area on the day I heard his show.  I wrote him and we ended up having lunch together and shared stories about growing our businesses and our love of food. John invited me to call into his show last Sunday to talk about CapeScape and I was very pleased to say hello.

Hear John on the radio every Sunday, Noon to 1pm on 95WXTK.
Watch his show “Fooding Around”, Ch.283 5-6pm, Ch.189 9am-noon in New England
Join his dining club

Photo of the day: Last play days of summer

Boy fishing at Edgartown Lighthouse on Martha’s Vineyard.

Photo of the day: End of summer over Nantucket

Sunset over Nantucket Harbor. I’m sad to see summer coming to a close.

Cape Cod Clams Casino

I remember only a few things that my dad made in the kitchen growing up. Clams Casino is one of them and I have very fond memories of him shucking clams over the kitchen sink. This recipe is based on this family favorite.

Clams Casino
2 doz. Littleneck clams
4 tbsp. red pepper, minced
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
4 tbsp. garlic butter (see below)
4 slices bacon
3 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Steam clams open in a deep pan covered on high heat or a brief 2 minutes, remove from heat and let them rest so they are easy to pry on the half shell. Open clams with a clam shucker knife; loosen meat from both top and bottom; then pour off liquid. Make garlic butter. Cook bacon until almost done but still soft; cut into 1 inch pieces. Place clams on the half shell onto a baking sheet. On each clam, put a 1/2 teaspoon of garlic butter, a light sprinkle of red pepper, and cover with a mixture of bread crumbs and optional grated Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Top with a piece of bacon. Heat for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Serve with lemon wedges and warm French bread to dip into the garlic butter. Serves as an appetizer for 4 people.

Garlic Butter
Cream together:
1/2 cup butter
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 cup minced shallots
1/4 cup minced parsley
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. white wine (optional)

Photo of the day: Lobstahs for Dinnah

Favorite sign on Lobster pool tank, George’s Fish Market, Harwich MA.
Makes me smile every time I see it.

Photo of the day: Bracing for Hurricane Earl

Nautical ropes tied, Provincetown, MA marina.

Everyone is bracing for Hurricane Earl. Cape Cod and the Islands are set to be in the eye of the storm tomorrow! Warnings are issued to tie and secure all boats and seek safe shelter. I’m hoping it passes quickly and all of this fuss is just a bunch of hype.

Family time

I feel very lucky to have structured my life to allow for as much time as I have here every summer. It is the balance I need from the hectic city life with my business. It is also time I have with family as I spend at least 2 weeks in July with my brother and 2 weeks with my mom, sister, nephew and brother-in-law in August. We have very special memories here together.  I watched my 2-year old nephew play on the same beach we grew up playing on this week. We shared ice cream tonight at our favorite spot and I hope some day he appreciates this beautiful family haven as much as we do.