Food and Flowers

We had a low key Fourth with my in-laws. Very nice. And please consider yourself invited to our house, next Independence Day, all day, for seafood, national parking, over-harbor fireworks, and a blast of a good time! (Pun intended.)

Freedom, Liberty, God, Bounty. I believe it.
And, of course, I have a few tips to vault on this here blog for next year.
First of all: the Food.
Exhibit A--  Clams. If you order Fried Clams at a restaurant or dive, please note they will be kind of tough, chewy, tiny strips, and a bit reliant on the sand. THESE, I tell you, are absolutely delectable. The size of a deck of cards. All you'll ever need is lemon juice. So very moist and tender (deep fry in panko, almost dangerously hot, for a mere 20 seconds. or less.)! Save the rest of the clam (whether you know how to recognize it or not) for chowder.

Exhibit B-- Coleslaw. My made-up recipe. Apparently, I have stuff like coleslaw recipes ready to manifest from my mind. Like art. So it is.
Exhibit C-- Crabs.  Distract the kids. With a sandbox.

Playing in Grandpa's boat.

Bubble blowing.
Fourth of July Cupcakes.

Are they still looking away? Just warning you...because my three year old is asking when the crabs are going to wake up. And asking as we prepare to dine-- despite the distractions. Arg! We did get to talk about life, though, and death. And the Lion King. And now I might be vegetarian.

Anyway. Jake always shells my crab meat for me. It is like a dance. He uses his teeth.

He makes a pile. He uses the crab's own claws as utensils. A true Nor'Westerner.

In case you are a little sensitive, I'll move on to flowers. But boy was that good! Like spectacular and dazzling display--For the mouth.
Okay, now I'm done.

Happy Glorious, Abundant, Independence in America Day!
And: the Flowers.