Mexico Beach: February 2016 eNewsletter

On Saturday, February 20, we’re having our 18th Annual Gumbo Cook-Off, and y’all are invited! Teams and chefs will be competing for the Best Gumbo and Best Brunswick Stew awards. In addition, there will be hot dogs, sausage dogs, beer, wine, soft drinks, and baked goods. We will also have T-shirts for sale. Live music will be provided by the Stainless Steel Band, a crowd favorite. There will be great food, great music, and a great time. Gumbo will begin to be dished out at 10 a.m. (CST) at Sunset Park. Please join us for the fun! SNOWBIRD LUNCHEON Our annual Snowbird Luncheon will beThursday, March 3 at the El Governor Motel pool deck. We love our snowbirds and enjoy showing our appreciation with a luncheon each year. The event will start at 11:30 a.m. CT and the food and drinks are complimentary. There will also be great door prizes and live entertainment. So if you’ve vacationed in Mexico Beach this winter, please come join us as we say “thank you.” AND THE WINNER IS... Last month, we had a gift certificate to Mango Marley’s up for grabs. The lucky winner is Bonnie Tyler from Thomaston, Georgia. Congratulations, Bonnie! This month we are featuring Gulf CoastVacation Rentals and giving away a gift certificate for $75 off any reservation and two coffee mugs. Gulf Coast Vacation Rentals has been serving the Gulf Coast since 1965. If you’re looking for that great beach getaway retreat, let their friendly and professional staff assist you. If you would like to put your name in the hat, send an e-mail to Melissa atmelissa@mexicobeach.com and be sure to put your contact info in the e-mail. SPRING BREAK It might be a little chilly for bathing-suit weather on the beach, but spring break is not too far away. If you haven’t already booked for this year, it’s not too early to make your reservations. We have some wonderful lodging units available, and they make the ideal family getaways for spring break. Check out our partners and give them a call today! Many have some great packages and specials available.Click here for more information. MEXICO BEACH VOW RENEWAL CEREMONY Last year we hosted a wedding vow renewal ceremony for those who were married in Mexico Beach and wished to come and renew their vows. It was a wonderful event and we are planning another one; this year we will open it up to all couples who would like to come and renew their vows. The weekend is tentatively set forApril 15–17 with the event taking place on Saturday, April 16. The ceremony will take place on the beach at Sunset Park. There will be more details to come, so please be on the lookout! Mexico Beach is the perfect place to say “I Do”! For more information on weddings or vow renewal ceremonies on the beach, visit www.mexicobeach.com. DAN & JOANNE This month we get to introduce you to Dan and Joanne who came to Mexico Beach to say their I dos! Dan is originally from Colorado and Joanne is from Kansas. Together they selected our beautiful beach as the location to start their new life together. Congratulations, Dan and Joanne! Mexico Beach Farmer’s & Craft Market February 13 Special Events for Mexico Beach is opening up a winter Farmer’s and Craft Market. The market will be set up across the street from the El Governor Motel. Vendors are invited to display their items while shoppers peruse each booth looking for goodies to take home. From fresh produce to local art and photography, there will be plenty to view and purchase. Come out and explore a fun day of shopping in Mexico Beach. For those interested in reserving a space, read more for complete rules and application. READ MORE Mexico Beach Gumbo Cook-Off February 20 Who’s ready to drag out the pots and dust off their roux recipe to see if they have the best gumbo this side of New Orleans? The 18th Annual Gumbo Cook-Off will be on Saturday, February 20, 2016, at Sunset Park in Mexico Beach. Come watch as chefs “cook it out” and see who gets crowned Gumbo King. The entire family is invited to come out and enjoy the day tasting gumbos, dancing to live music, and having a good time. READ MORE Mexico Beach Snowbird Appreciation Luncheon March 3 We invite all our Snowbirds to attend the annual Mexico Beach Snowbird Appreciation Luncheon to be held onThursday, March 3, 2016, at 11:30 a.m. CT at the El Governor Motel poolside. Come celebrate your winter trip to Mexico Beach and get a chance to say “See you next year!” to the old and new friends you’ve made while visiting us. READ MORE Beach Blast Triathlon & Duathlon April 23 The Spring Beach Blast Triathlon and Duathlon is set forSaturday, April 23, 2016, offering choices of sprint or Olympic distance and triathlon or duathlon. Pick your race and distance! The races take place on the beautiful Gulf Coast and its magical beaches. The location for the packet pickup and race is Veteran’s Memorial Park in Beacon Hill—between Mexico Beach and Port St. Joe on Hwy. 98. All four races start from the same spot on the beautiful local beach. READ MORE

GREEK-STYLE GROUPER We thank the Mexico Beach Artificial Reef Association for this delicious recipe! INGREDIENTS 4 (10- to 12-ounce) fresh grouper fillets 2 whole tomatoes, cut into 8 wedges 1 cup kalamata olives, sliced Olive oil Feta cheese Greek seasoning ½ cup oregano ½ teaspoon salt ¼ cup granulated garlic ½ teaspoon black pepper Lemon-Butter Sauce ½ cup melted butter 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon oregano ½ teaspoon garlic DIRECTIONS 1. Sauté grouper in olive oil over medium heat 8-10 minutes or until fish is flaky 2. Sprinkle with Greek seasoning 3. Lightly sauté tomatoes and olives with seasoning 4. Cover the fish with olives and tomatoes and crumbled feta cheese 5. Cover until feta melts 6. Remove to plate and spoon ½ ounce of lemon-butter sauce over each fillet. RECIPES WANTED The Mexico Beach Artificial Reef Association needs your best seafood recipe. They are currently working on the second edition of their famous seafood cookbook. It will be a completely new cookbook. Send your best seafood recipe to Sally Childs, PO Box 13470, Mexico Beach, Florida 32410 or e-mail her. Sally works at Sundance Realty and was one of the authors of the original cookbook. Put your name on the recipe and it will be printed in the new cookbook.

Leap Year: 2016 is a leap year and February 29 is leap day. Here are some thoughts you might find interesting about this event that happens every four years. Why do we have leap years? We’re not going to go into a long, technical discussion, but basically it’s to tidy up the calendar. It takes the earth 365 days, five hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds to orbit the sun. That’s technically 365.242199 days. So the earth takes a little more time than we record, and we have to catch up every four years. (For a more detailed and highly technical discussion, we recommend Wikipedia.) The odds of being born on February 29 are 1,461 to one. People born on February 29 are called “leaplings” or “leapers.” Hugh Hefner opened his first Playboy Club on February 29. The frog is a symbol associated with February 29.  Some of the people born on “Leap Day”: Pope Paul III – Last Renaissance pope (1534–1549) John Bryon – English poet Ann Lee – Founder of the Shaker movement John “Pepper” Martin – Feisty third baseman of the St. Louis Cardinals’ Gashouse Gang Jimmy Dorsey – Legendary saxophonist, conductor, and composer Dinah Shore (Frances Rose Shore) – Actress and singer Jack Lousma – Astronaut and member of Skylab 3 flight Henri “The Pocket Rocket” Richard – NHL Hall of Fame center There are also some “traditions” around the world about leap year and leap day. In Greece, getting married in a leap year is considered bad luck and the relationship is thought likely to end in divorce. In Finland, women are advised to propose only on leap day for good luck. In Scotland, an unmarried Queen Margaret allegedly enacted a law in 1288 allowing women to propose on leap day, but there was a catch. The proposer had to wear a red petticoat (a skirt under her skirt) to warn her intended that she planned to pop the question.

PHONE 1-888-723-2546 ADDRESS 102 Canal Parkway Mexico Beach, FL 32456 EMAIL info@mexicobeach.com

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