Sunday, March 02, 2014

Beignets

Ocracoke native, Molly Lovejoy, is a sophomore at the University of New Orleans. In case you missed it, our June, 2012 Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of Molly's high school valedictory address.

Molly's parents, Dave & Karen, visited Molly a few months ago, and brought back several boxes of beignet mix. I was the lucky recipient of one box. Last Sunday afternoon I decided to fry up a couple of batches of these delicious French donuts.
















Of course, I had more than I could eat...so I carried a few to Amy, David & Lachlan; several to cousin Blanche; and some to Karen & Dave. Even so, I ate more than my fair share. But they were definitely "good some," as O'cockers would say!

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter documents the day telephones came to the island. The article includes images of Ocracoke's first telephone directory which lists a total of 63 subscribers. You can read the Newsletter here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news022114.htm.  

7 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:23 AM

    "Coffee is strong at the cafe Du Monde the donuts are too hot to touch. But just like a fool when those sweet goodies cool I eat till I eat way to much..." (J. Buffett) Just in time for Mardi Gras transport yourself to NOLA via a food experience . Coincidentally I have just prepared my King Cake dough for its third rise and final one I may add. The cream cheese filling had to suffer with granulated sugar and the topping may be lacking yellow sprinkles, cest le vie Happy Mardi Gras P.S. lyrics from The Wino and I Know

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  2. Bear MacDonald12:02 PM

    During my too few visits to Southern Louisiana, I leave the diet in Delaware and look forward to having plenty of Po'boys, crawfish, and etouffee. Brought back some good recipes for the etouffee and crawfish pie. It is awesome goodsome.

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  3. Anonymous12:36 PM

    I just ran across a US Navy aerial picture of Ocracoke dated June 1951. I compared it to a 2013 Bing Maps Satellite photo......believe me the 'quaint' island days are loooooong gone. There are a lot of people living on top of one another on Ocracoke compared to the 1951 shot. It looks like all privacy has disappeared.

    We live in the middle of town here and our houses have more space between them. Our neighbors can sneeze and we'd never know it. Can't say that for Ocracoke now. Sad, very sad. It looks like a good place to visit but not live. How does it feel to be invaded and taken over every summer. The summer tourists must control your lives. I'll bet it's nice in the winter though. Peaceful and quiet. Anyway, we enjoy visiting you guys. We try not to make much of a impact.

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    1. Ocracoke has changed, of course. And it will never be like it was in 1951 (no place will be). But just to put things in a little perspective, in some ways Ocracoke had less privacy in 1951 -- without TV, the Internet, & cell phones people visited more...spent more time together, and knew more about each other's personal lives.

      Actually I think privacy is somewhat overrated. Consider "privacy fences" that isolate people from their neighbors, "reverse floor plan" houses that keep the living quarters as far away from passers-by as possible, gated communities, or the estates of the wealthy which keep them separated from the rest of their community.

      Ocracoke is actually still a wonderful place to live. I like being connected to my neighbors and community. You are correct that the island is quieter and more peaceful in the winter, but, in spite of the increased activity in summer, it can be exciting to interact with interesting people from around the country and the world.

      I guess you could say that I am an optimist. I am glad you enjoy visiting Ocracoke. Just wanted you to know that I definitely don't think living here is sad. I know I am not alone in saying that.

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  4. Anonymous1:21 PM

    Now you've done it...I gotta have something sweet.

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  5. Anonymous4:52 PM

    I stand corrected. I guess I could have said it better. Ocracoke is a nice place. I guess I remember it when our family use to come there more often. it was a quieter time then. A more innocent time then. Everywhere. We came back to visit after being away for a couple of years and I was a little taken aback with all the surf shops, t shirt shops, signs etc. It is what is is. Sorry if I offended the good people of Ocracoke. WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO OUT TRIP THERE IN JUNE!
    PS My husband hopes to catch a baseball game at your new field!

    Anonymous 12:36

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    1. Absolutely no offense taken. Ocracoke has changed, and not always for the better. But it is still a great place to live, with a terrific sense of community. Looking forward to having you visit in June!

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