Holiday Mail for Heroes

Yesterday, Lisa Daniels, Sarah Cart, myself and Linda Mascetti gathered at the Red Cross office in Bluffton to organize and sort various cards that were sent throughout the country to be distributed to the military during the holidays.  We were joined by a few other ladies that were from Bluffton as well and we completed our task with two hours.  I have to say that it was quite comical as well as heartwarming to read what children and adults wrote on the cards.  I've included a couple of the cards below for your enjoyment.

Sarah and the other ladies organizing, gathering and tying.

Packers fans will appreciate this one!

Can you just hear the teacher saying, ?Add a fun fact to the card to make it interesting." 

Lisa Daniels organizing the cards .

December social at Sarah Cart's home

Sorry ladies for the lateness in adding some pictures from our last get together.  I wanted to thank Sarah Cart for letting us enjoy some wonderful wine, snacks and good conversation at her home on December 5, 2012.  Most of us had not been to see her completed home but I am sure quite a few had the opportunity to "tour" it while it was under construction.  Yes.....we hate to admit it but aren't we all curious when new homes are being constructed.  It's a "Bluff" thing :)  In any case,  Sarah opened her doors to the Women of Palmetto Bluff and we all had a great time.  Thank you Sarah!

Heroes, Horses and a New Season

This past Wednesday was our first general meeting of the 2012-2013 season here at Palmetto Bluff.  And what a glorious day it was!  The setting at the stables was picture perfect while over looking the pond and listening to one of the most magnetic and passionate speakers we have ever invited to our meetings.  Seriously....Peggi Noon is the type of person that you want to embrace and support since she is so eloquent in her explanation as to what her organization, Heroes on Horseback, does to help children with special needs.  I am sure I was not alone if I told you she brought a tear to my eye describing the success stories about the miracles of watching these children come alive after interacting with the animals.

Since Heroes on Horseback was our second charity of choice this year, Joan and Peggi are working together with Cameron Bowerman (Longfield Stables Manager) to support them this spring in a sponsored Special Olympics horse show at Longfield Stables.  The Boys Night Out Club will be joining forces with us in this venture. When we have ironed out all of the details, we will bring the event to light and have a good time supporting this amazing organization.  If you were unable to attend the luncheon, please feel free to click on the link to their newest video.  Amazing!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smMoSUO5Vgk&feature=em-share_video_user


We also had our cookbook update by Margie which was so exciting.  Yes..that's Marge holding one of her spectacular photographs that Margie chose to adorn the outside of the 8x8 Cookbook.  If you haven't ordered some of the initial copies, please feel free to email Margie at mbackaus@yahoo.com to get on our list.  We are planning a fantastic launch party, hopefully, at Music to Your Mouth.

 Peggi Noon speaking about Heroes on Horseback while Margie updates us on the cookbook.

Marge holding the prototype of the front cover.

A special thank you to Mary Kay Peacock who graciously donated the wine for our event.

Enjoying some time with one another.

Pat Cole and Jan Spears

Debbie Carlucci and Jamie Horowitz- some of our new members.

Welcome Back Party!

Welcome back to Palmetto Bluff!  I hope you all had a fantastic summer away or while at the Bluff.  I think it is so interesting in that there is such diversity in lifestyles within our group of homeowners.  Some of us spend the summer part-time at the Bluff, others spend it year round while others vacate and head north for the summer only to return in the winter months.  I think that is what appeals so much to me living here as I hope it does to you all as well.


This is the first blog post in awhile so I wanted to update you a little on the cookbook status.  Margie Backaus is on a tear readying the book for printing.  It has taken a lot of her time to convert all recipes to Word format and then complete the layout.  She has truly gone above and beyond what she volunteered to do and we cannot thank her enough.  If you see her out at the Canoe Club or the River House, send her over a fantastic glass of wine to show your appreciation.  I know I owe her big time for volunteering her services in the first place :)  We are hoping for a December launch which will fit perfectly in with the holiday and the gift-giving season.  If you have not committed already to purchase 10 books, please email me or Margie and we will put your name on the list.  The more books that we purchase initially will help reduce the price point.  Keep in mind that 100% of the proceeds will go directly to Bluffton Self-Help.


We had a delightful evening at Linda Mascetti's home this past Wednesday and we truly wanted to thank her for her hospitality.  I saw that some women brought over their dues for the 2012-2013 year and I heard that others had mailed theirs in to the PO Box that Nancy has rented.  Thank you all so much for getting that to us early as it will come in handy for the first few meetings.  I tried to capture a little of the party in the pictures shown below so please enjoy the "snapshot" of the evening!

Some of our newest members (left to right)
Tressa Clark, LeeAnne MacDade, Angela O'Neal Chappell, Judy Lewis, Sheila Brown

More newbies
Melanie Steele and Carole Hartness

Gathering in the kitchen with a glass of wine.

Our lovely hostess, Linda Mascetti.

April 19, 2012 Meeting

Gwen Lyall hosted a coffee and dessert event at her lovely home on April 19 with Lili Coleman as our feature speaker.  Ms. Coleman is the Executive Director of Bluffton Self-Help and she was extremely informative in shedding some light on the history of the organization as well as the requirements for the services provided.  Our group asked a lot of questions regarding the recipients and their backgrounds which was very enlightening.  I think we all walked away with a strong sense of what Bluffton Self-Help stood for which is exactly what is stated in their mission statement.  I also wanted to extend a special thank you to Cynthia Willett for donating cases of items to restock their shelves in addition to the bags of goods donated individually by the attendees of this meeting.  Thank you to everyone for a wonderful evening!

"Founded in 1987 to help Bluffton neighbors in critical need of short term financial assistance, food and clothing, while supporting them to become more self-reliant"

Gwen making yummy Irish coffee drinks.

Women of Palmetto Bluff

Donated goods for Bluffton Self-Help

A Cooking Dilemma Solved

If anyone knows me or begins to learn more about me, he/she will soon find out that I am not a cook nor ever want to be.  I love to eat and also appreciate all the work that goes into constructing a meal but I abhor the preparation and timing of the whole cooking process.  So when the Cookbook was discussed at the WOPB Board Meeting, I cringed back in my chair trying to figure out what I could bring to the table in terms of recipes.  When I realized that an egg sandwich or french toast would not be welcomed by Margie as a unique Palmetto Bluff recipe, I asked the chef in the family (Bob) to come up with something that was creatively "low country-ish".  This now leads me to what I am about to pass along to you all.

Bob came up with a fabulous recipe for lightly fried crab beignets and immediately did a test run for both me and Margie.  After devouring two each, we both looked at each other and said "This is perfect!"  At the end of our meal, I began the cleaning process (which is my job) and I saw an entire pan of used cooking oil.  We don't usually eat fried foods so I wasn't sure what to do with all of that oil.  I knew it shouldn't go down the drain since it coagulates in the pipes and I knew it shouldn't be thrown outside in the yard because animals will start to gravitate towards it.  Margie suggested that it go into a container and then into the freezer.  When it solidified, it could be placed in the trash can.  There just had to be a better way.

In San Francisco, used cooking oil is treated like gold since bio-diesel has become more prevalent as fuel for both commercial and residential vehicles.  Doesn't South Carolina have a collection area to turn used cooking oil into bio-diesel?  I immediately Googled "Used Cooking Oil Bluffton SC" and, lo and behold, this turned up:
      2011- US Foodservice is getting into the biofuels business with the purchase of a company specializing in recycling used cooking oil into bio-diesel.  US Foodservice acquired Bluffton, S.C.-based WVO Industries with plans to convert the waste vegetable oil used in its customers' deep fryers into bio-diesel to fuel its fleet. 


Great.  Now to contact a restaurant to find out how and where they have collection barrels.  I called Richard from Pour Richards and he told me that there is a large green barrel located behind their little strip mall next to the waste bin that has "Recycled Cooking Oil" labeled on it and go ahead and pour the oil in the bin so that it could be recycled into bio-diesel. I decided to strain the oil first and place it in a few closed containers so there wouldn't be a smell and then, eventually, I got around to dumping it into the bins and then recycling the bottles at home.

I was so excited to find out about this resource that I wanted to pass it along to you all since the used cooking oil dilemma may not have only been regulated to me.  So, in the future, if you are looking down at a large pan filled with a greasy mess, please know that there is a welcoming green barrel located in Bluffton that will gladly accept your oil and, eventually, turn it into a fuel which will cut down on the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.

Cookbook Update

Please email Margie Backaus at mbackaus@yahoo.com with your recipe submissions by the end of this week. She is also looking for virtual photos of lovely Palmetto Bluff as well.  We encourage everyone to participate since this is a group project to help Bluffton Self-Help.  Thank you in advance for your participation.

March 2012 Social

Thank you Tracy Schyberg (seated to the right of Lisa Daniels and Bonnie Brown) for hosting the March social.  We had quite a bit of women from our group that attended along with three new homeowners.  Please be sure to introduce yourselves to these women, if you haven't already, and also to some of our other new members- Angela Gale, Tressa Clark, Connie Radwanski, Carole Hartness, Autumn Kirk and Kris Kovalcik.

We also wanted to thank Lorri Hunter, from Auberge/Crescent, for taking the time to introduce herself and explain a little bit about what her new position will entail as liaison between the PB homeowners and Auberge/Crescent.  If you didn't get the chance to meet her, please stop by the Post Office in the Village where her office has been situated.  In fact, there will soon be a bulletin board hung near her desk for homeowners to communicate with one another regarding personal and public announcements.

Elegant women surrounding an elegant table.

Susan Travis and Andrea Gale

 Dianne Russ

Tudie Newlin and Flo Spachman

Blankets, Blankets and More Blankets.

What a great turn out for the Bluffton Self-Help blanket making project!  Thank you ladies for your time and creativity.  Below are a few pictures capturing the process from beginning to end.

Tudy Newlin cutting the selvage.

Lisa Daniels working diligently.

Nancy and Darlene work in tandem.

Gwen instructing Sue Burden and Jan Spears in the fine art of blanket making.

Getting down to business.

14 beautiful blankets!!

Make a Blanket, Help a Family

Seeing that one of my Italian grandmothers was a seamstress in New York City, one would believe that the sewing genes would have rubbed off on me.  However, this was not the case.  So when I heard about the "No-Sew" fleece blankets that were made on January 31, I was a little disappointed that I missed it.  Fear not because this upcoming Wednesday, there will be a repeat gathering at the Conservancy to make even more of these useful and colorful blankets.

Handmade by Maria Brittis

Handmade by Gwen Lyall

Taught by Gwen Lyall, these blankets took about an hour or so to make.  Aren't they fantastic?  When Joan dropped the blankets off at Bluffton Self-Help, it was in the middle of that cold snap we just endured and they couldn't have been more appreciative.  So we decided to go ahead and schedule another "class'; this time, the materials will be provided to make a total of ten blankets.  All you need to do is bring your scissors and show up next Wednesday (February 22) at 2 pm in the Conservancy where the tables are perfect for spreading out the fabric.  We are looking for twenty people (2 per blanket) so that we can complete our goal of ten.  Please come and learn a new skill as well as helping those in need.

Introducing the Board of Directors

Today, the Board of Directors met at Joan Lancaster's house to plan for the remaining season.  Pictured above, in clockwise fashion, are Joan Lancaster (president), Gwen Lyall, Nancy Waterhouse (treasurer), Pat Cole, Margie Backaus and Lee Mohan.  I begged out of the picture as the secretary/photographer.

We think we put together a fun yet informative agenda for the remaining 2011/2012 season.  In fact, keep next Wednesday afternoon open between 2 and 3 to partcipate in our latest project to help Bluffton Self-Help.  I will post again shortly with all the details....and pictures to whet your appetitie.

Bluffton Self-Help Receives Our Help

It was right after the Christmas holidays when an urgent cry for help was heard throughout the Bluffton community.  One of our relied upon non-profit organizations was urging residents to help supply the shelves with non-perishable goods and blankets. Bluffton Self Help had depleted their supplies and was unable to provide to those families and individuals that desperately needed food assistance.  The cry was heard and, without any hesitation, we gathered together bags of food to restock their shelves.

At our January 2012 meeting, our members brought over 23 bags of food to be delivered to Bluffton Self Help.  Pictured above is our president, Joan Lancaster and our January hostess, Jan Spears.  We could not have done it without all your help!  In fact, we will continue our efforts at each meeting to ensure that those shelves will (hopefully) never look as empty and hopeless as they do in the above picture.  Thank you ladies!