The best thing on the menu, you might ask?! The Hand-Dipped Shakes!! AH-MAZING!
Friday, December 30, 2016
Ed's Burger Joint!
Jonathan and Jonathan are friends with local restauranteur Robert St. John, and he approached the Jonathans to partner with him on a new venture, Ed's Burger Joint. They all met and agreed to move forward and opened for business Jan 2016. It has been a fun investment and project to see grow and progress. Here's to hoping 2017 is successful with any and all business partnerships we jump into!!
Our Dear Grandpa...
Grandpa O'Keefe passed away in August this year at 93 years old. What an amazing man!! Wow. I don't even know where to start, but I will say that I am grateful to Jonathan who really encouraged me the last few years to make time to see and call him. Jonathan and I would go to Biloxi on occasion and take Grandpa and Martha out to an early dinner at Mary Mahoney's, many times accompanied by my Dad and Teresa. Grandpa was such a neat man with so much experience, knowledge and history. Everything he said and did was followed... followed by his family, his peers, the media, the church etc. He was looked to as a mentor for many, primarily in the business and political realm.
He was always a stubborn man; his way or the highway. So when he finally got to the point in his health where tough decisions needed to be made that would give him another month or maybe year of life, he was the one deciding. Although his physical health had continued to decline steadily over a 10-14 day timeline, his mind was completely clear. Many, including his family physician, encouraged him to have surgery (he had fluid on his lungs and surrounding his heart (cause of death - congestive heart failure), making it very difficult to breathe and taking medication that caused little to no appetite). He declined surgery, declined surgery, declined surgery. He lived on his own terms, and it was clear he was going to die on his own terms. He always did things the way he wanted them, and this would be no different. We all knew in and around the 48 hours of his death that it was imminent, and he passed in his own bed in his own home surrounded by family.
His legacy is remarkable on so many levels, and to attempt a blog post describing them all would be a tall order, so I will refer blog readers to a separate book (that all my kids will have) constructed by my Uncle Joe which includes Grandpa's obituary, several articles on Grandpa including one in the New York Times both online and in print, a screenshot of his feature on the Today's show narrated by Willie Geist, his eulogy written and delivered by my Uncle Joe, etc.
We miss you Grandpa!
He was always a stubborn man; his way or the highway. So when he finally got to the point in his health where tough decisions needed to be made that would give him another month or maybe year of life, he was the one deciding. Although his physical health had continued to decline steadily over a 10-14 day timeline, his mind was completely clear. Many, including his family physician, encouraged him to have surgery (he had fluid on his lungs and surrounding his heart (cause of death - congestive heart failure), making it very difficult to breathe and taking medication that caused little to no appetite). He declined surgery, declined surgery, declined surgery. He lived on his own terms, and it was clear he was going to die on his own terms. He always did things the way he wanted them, and this would be no different. We all knew in and around the 48 hours of his death that it was imminent, and he passed in his own bed in his own home surrounded by family.
His legacy is remarkable on so many levels, and to attempt a blog post describing them all would be a tall order, so I will refer blog readers to a separate book (that all my kids will have) constructed by my Uncle Joe which includes Grandpa's obituary, several articles on Grandpa including one in the New York Times both online and in print, a screenshot of his feature on the Today's show narrated by Willie Geist, his eulogy written and delivered by my Uncle Joe, etc.
We miss you Grandpa!
Our family continuing legacies... Jules, Jeffrey, Grandpa, Uncle Jeff, Dad
4th of July fun!
The last birthday celebration for Grandpa. Lots more celebrating to happen in Heaven!
What an honor to be asked to speak at Grandpa's service!
Monday, December 26, 2016
Aspen Ideas Festival 2016
The program tracks were not lacking... at each given hour, one could choose from 8-10+ topics and attend that discussion. This is over an 8 day time span; we went for the last 4 days. Of course, at any discussion I was in with Jonathan, I witnessed him ask a question at the end. This guy can eat up some Q&A, and I must say... leave some people stumped! He's a dandy.;)
Other really neat speakers at the event but not pictured below:
Mitt Romney, Chairman, Executive Partner Group, Solace Capital (and former Presidential Candidate)
Loretta Lynch, US Attorney General, Department of Justice
David Petraeus, Retired Army General and Chairman of KKR Global Institute, CIA Director 2011-2012 following a 37 year military career
Tom Fanning, Chairman, President & CEO of Southern Company (one of the largest energy producers in the US)
ALSO... something we found out later but very very cool... my Aunt Stephanie's sister was a speaker! Sylvia Burwell, Secretary, US Department of Health and Human Services
Mark Weinberger, Global Chairman and CEO of Ernst & Young. Amazing and seemed like such a down to earth guy! We attended a session on "What Will Drive Economic Success in the Next 20 Years?" He was on a panel with Mitch Daniels, President of Purdue and former Governor of Indiana, Mark Warner, US Senator from VA, and a few others. Great track!
A neat exchange between David Brooks, Columnist for the New York Times, and Arthur Brooks, President of American Enterprise Institute. (no relation;))
This chat was "Job as Vocation: Finding Meaning in Our Work"
Out and about...
A break in between speakers...;)
Fun, fun! We went with Ryan McGrath and his girlfriend, Meredith
The crew
Surprise birthday dinner in the suite! Local chef prepared.
Newt Gingrich, Former Speaker of the House! He spoke the day we flew out. Good stuff.
One night we attended the comedy night at a local bar which is packed with fest goers. They pulled Bob Costas, Sportscaster, on stage from the crowd. He was REALLY funny and really good.
Junior Auxiliary Charity Ball!
Junior Auxiliary is a 6 year commitment, and I'm in my 5th year! WHOOHOO! I absolutely love the opportunity to help local Pinebelt children and families. This philanthropy truly is outstanding and does tremendous work in our community. I have served on the board for 2 years. I am hoping to step down my last year and become more project involved rather than administrative, as Treasurer. This year was a blast. So much fun.
Lindsay Page, Brooke Paladichuk, me, Leslie Waters
Brittany Price and I
Stephanie Mayfield and I
Me, Brooke Paladichuk, Leslie Waters, Maurie Hartel
A group of super fun ladies on the dance floor (before I had to go work the cash room!:))
Sally Crane, Bre Leathers, Meredith West, Taylor Clayton, Alice McCollum,Gini Mars, Whitney Bounds, Mandy Ward, Justice Duhon, Kathie Young, Brooke Paladichuk, Kendy Kosko
"Cooking on the Coast" Book Signing
Our family revised and updated our family cookbook and it was published this year. It is truly a sweet publication full of family tradition and yummy recipes. I am so excited for my children to have this treasure one day. Below my family had a book signing in Hattiesburg at Main Street Books downtown. There were over 20 authors at this annual event! How fun!! My Dad did a signing at Barnes and Noble shortly after.:) Below is also an article from the Sun Herald that was released.
New generation adds to O’Keefe cookbook
NOVEMBER 9, 2016 12:01 AM
This iconic Coast family loves their food so much that they have an annual gumbo competition. So much that they’ve updated their classic cookbook.
The O’Keefes, who recently lost their patriarch, Jerry, have a new edition of “Cooking on the Coast,” which was first published in June 1994. The updated and revised cookbook brings new recipes together with favorites that have withstood the test of time and trends.
“Jeff deserves the credit for prodding us to do a new edition,” said Joe O’Keefe, who edited and designed the revised cookbook. “Nobody expected it to have this longevity.”
The original cookbook relied heavily on the collected recipes of Jerry, his first wife, Annette, and their 13 children and their spouses, with classics such as gumbo and jambalaya.
“My mother had always dreamed of putting together a family cookbook,” Joe O’Keefe said. “She had assembled recipes but couldn’t find the time or team to do it.”
He was working for Foreign Affairs magazine in New York at the time and took the recipes his mother had gathered and put them into booklet form.
“I sent it to her stapled together. She called me up. ‘Oh, honey, I think you misunderstood! I expect to see this book on bookshelves,’” her son recalled. “I found a little publisher in Tennessee that specializes in family cookbooks, and we made a true and proper cookbook from this shoebox of recipes.”
The cookbook did well, leading to a second printing in November 1994.
This revised edition brings another generation into the mix as well as more exotic fare. O’Keefe stressed that the cookbook is “truly a collaboration, a family effort.”
“It’s a reflection of how people’s tastes have changed over 20 years. It’s access to more diverse and exotic foods, and it reflects the geographic spread of the family since then,” he said. He mentioned Will & Mimi’s Moroccan Vegetable Stew, submitted by Will and Mimi Ward; Will Ward is his nephew. “And there are other things, like Emily’s Feel-good Kale Salad (submitted by Emily Neustrom) and Venison Jalapeno Poppers (submitted by David Huval Jr. and David Huval III). Twenty years ago, poppers were just coming on the scene. It’s a reflection of changing times and tastes.”
The new book contains more than 275 recipes, about the same number as the original. That means some didn’t make the 21st-century cut.
“A lot of those recipes were from a previous generation. There were a lot of casseroles, the kind that involved dumping a can of soup into a casserole. Not anymore,” he said. “We tried hard to get more of the next generation in, and they responded with great enthusiasm. They submitted a lot of pictures and recipes.”
Of course, classics such as Oysters Bienville, Mama’s Sauteed Squash, Redfish Courtbouillon, Baked King Mackerel and Swiss Steak are still there.
Not all of the recipes are literal recipes. Jeanne Michelle O’Keefe submitted a “recipe” her father, John Michael O’Keefe, wrote several years ago for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. “This is a kid’s first recipe,” it notes, then explains in loving detail how to make the sandwich of every kid’s and every waiting pet’s dream.
“Jeanne made the case for it,” her uncle said. “She said maybe it’s not the perfect recipe, but it captures her dad’s spirit. It’s quirky and it captures her dad’s spirit.”
The cookbook, at $19.95 hard copy and $16.95 eBook, is available at cookingonthecoast.com starting Wednesday. Hard copies are available locally at Paper Moon, Copper Pelican, The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, Quality Seafood and Desporte’s Seafood in Biloxi; Barnes and Noble in Gulfport, and The Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center, The Walter Anderson Museum of Art, Martha’s Tea Room and Poppy’s in Ocean Springs, Jeff O’Keefe said. A book signing is scheduled for Dec. 16 at Barnes and Noble. All sales proceeds for Cooking on the Coast will go to the O’Keefe Family Foundation, which donates primarily to the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art.
Joe O’Keefe offered Mama’s Dirty Rice, one of his mother’s favorite recipes, as an example of the classics in the cookbook. The recipe feeds 25 to 30, which any O’Keefe might tell you is a small gathering. “We like this dish to be very spicy. Good for holidays, and to put in small casseroles for friends as a gift,” Rose Annette O’Keefe notes with the recipe.
Ceci turns SIX!!!!!!!!!
PAINT PARTAAAAY at Bristles Art Studio is what this birthday girl had in store this year. No doubt right up her alley. She is truly a naturally talented artist! Runs in the family (skipped me but she comes from a line of potters, painters and artists of all kind!!).
\
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)