Old Bay Seasoning Review

A delicious seasoning for seafood, poultry, salads and meats.

Old Bay Seasoning History

Old Bay is a blend of 18 spices, with the main ingredients celery salt, paprika, red & black pepper, and mustard seed. It was invented by a German Jewish refugee, a spicemaker who specialized in making blends for sausages. He invented Old Bay in 1940 after immigrating to Maryland and it became a very popular spice in the Maryland and Chesapeake Bay area. 

Brunn founded the Baltimore Spice Company and produced the “Delicious Brand Shrimp and Crab Seasoning” which was later renamed ‘Old Bay’ after a ship line of the Chesapeake Bay. McCormick obtained the rights to this seasoning in 1990.

Old Bay Seasoning Uses

If you are wondering what Old Bay Seasoning is used for, the answer is ‘on anything’.  

Image Source: Wikipedia

I was first introduced to Old Bay in the 1990s after moving to Coastal Georgia and discovering the iconic southern dish - the Low Country Boil. This southern treat consists of shrimp, corn-on-the-cob, potatoes and sausage all cooked together and seasoned with Old Bay Seasoning. 

When Old Bay Seasoning first came out, in Maryland where it was invented, it was a popular addition to many shrimp and crab dishes. 

More than 80 years later, it still has the same great taste and is tasty sprinkled over your favorite seafood dishes, plus poultry dishes, roasted potatoes, burgers, and even French fries. 

How Much To Use

As with any spice addition, the amount used is according to individual taste. But for some examples, it is recommended you use approximately 2 tablespoons of Old Bay Seasoning for one pound of shrimp, and ½ cup for a dozen crabs.  A typical Low Country Boil also calls for ½ cup of Old Bay. Check out the suggested recipes for steamed shrimp or crabs, or for crab cakes, printed on the can of Old Bay Seasoning, or find many delicious uses for Old Bay in online recipes and on the McCormick Old Bay Recipes site.

Summary

So, for your next seafood dish, or any dish, give Old Bay Seasoning a try and see if you agree that it is the perfect addition that brings a distinctly unique taste experience. 

Old Bay Seasoning Related Reviews:

• Check out Dawn Rae’s recipe review of Drunken Mussels using Old Bay Seasoning.
• Old Bay is one of the seasonings suggested by Sam Monaco for his Air Fryer Tater Tots recipe and also for his Easy Air Fryer Corn on the Cob recipe. 

*Old Bay Seasoning Review written by Wednesday Elf

 

OLD BAY Seasoning, 6 oz

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

Book Reviews of the ‘Tea by the Sea’ Cozy Mystery Series

Vicki Delany, a Canadian crime writer, has written a series of Cozy Mysteries. A Tea by the Sea Mystery series is one of them. It is a delightful series featuring Lily Roberts, owner of a Cape Cod Tearoom.

Continuing Characters in the Series

This series takes place on the Outer Cape of Cape Cod facing Cape Cod Bay where Lily Roberts recently opened an authentic English Tearoom in a refurbished old stone building located on the property of her grandmother Rose’s grand old Victorian B & B.  

Lily, a professional pastry chef, left the restaurant business in New York City to realize her dream of owning and operating her own tearoom she named “Tea by the Sea”. She also helps her 85-year-old grandmother run her B & B “Victoria-on-Sea” by cooking the breakfast part of the bed & breakfast early each morning before her tearoom opens at 11:00 A.M.  

Lily lives in the guest cottage on the B & B property, along with her labradoodle Eclair, so named because of the cream stripe that runs through her curly brown fur. Grandmother Rose has a spoiled cat with the Scottish name Robert the Bruce (Robbie, for short).

Other continuing characters include Lily’s best friend Bernie (Bernadette), a forensic accountant who leaves her NYC job to move to Cape Cod for the summer to write a book. Then there is Simon, the young (and good looking) Englishman who takes over his uncle’s job as gardener for the extensive gardens that surround the B & B and tearoom. Lily’s helpers in the tearoom include Cheryl & Marybeth, mother & daughter, who help run the tearoom while Lily bakes. 

Each of these characters, including the animals, appear throughout the entire series and lend importance to each storyline. 

Because each book seems to include a murder that somehow always involves Lily and her family & friends, we also get to know the crotchety old town police detective Chuck Williams - nearing retirement age and rather lazy - and his new assistant, Detective Amy Redmond, young and experienced (coming to Cape Cod from the Boston PD), but under the command of Detective Williams, who tends to narrow his focus to not investigate as well as he should. 

Synopses of this 5 Book Series

Tea & Treachery

A Cape Cod tea shop owner (Lily Roberts) must solve the murder of a local real estate developer to help her feisty grandmother,  Rose, out of a jam after Rose is accused of the murder.

Murder in a Teacup

Cape Cod tearoom owner/pastry chef, Lily Roberts, gets herself in trouble when she unknowingly serves one of her grandmother's B&B guests a deadly cup of tea. Lily has to assume her part-time sleuth role to find the real killer and save herself. 

Murder Spills the Tea

When a popular TV baking show comes to Cape Cod to film at Lily’s charming tearoom, a celebrity chef and judge is murdered at the tearoom. Having lost his temper on-camera with a member of Lily's staff, Cheryl Wainwright ends up a suspect in his murder. Now Lily must investigate to clear her friend’s name. 

Steeped in Malice

Fine English teas are always served in china teacups (never mugs), as presentation is important. Finding herself low on teacups for her tearoom, Lily attends an antique show to replace her fragile stock. There she finds a delightful Peter Rabbit-themed tea set in a wicker basket, perfect for children’s events. 

Days later, a rude woman (Kimberly) arrives at the tearoom to demand the tea set back. She wants an envelope hidden in the basket’s lining. 

Turns out, the envelope was the last will and testament of Kimberly’s mother, and changes what an earlier will decreed (leaving Kimberly out of the inheritance entirely). Meanwhile, Kimberly’s half-sister Rachel  is also looking for the new will. As is Kimberly’s new husband (who just happens to have been Lily’s former NYC chef boyfriend). 

When one of the sisters is found dead on the grounds of the B & B, naturally Lily, Rose and their friends become involved. A simple case of greed and too many suspects make for another fun cozy mystery.

Tea & Treachery (Tea by the Sea Mysteries)

Murder in a Teacup (Tea by the Sea Mysteries)

Murder Spills the Tea (Tea by the Sea Mysteries)

Steeped in Malice (Tea by the Sea Mysteries)

The latest (and last book in the series) Book Five, Trouble is Brewing, was just published in 2024. 

Trouble is Brewing

Lily’s Cape Cod tearoom hosts a bridal shower for two families who are staying at Rose’s bed and breakfast. As the gifts are being opened, a gruesome gift sends the guest of honor screaming in fear.

The shocking gift is just one of many other tensions surrounding the families of the bride & groom.  The mother’s-in-law are sniping at each other, and the groom's father, Ralph, offers his son a sizable bribe to call off the wedding. 

Then Ralph is murdered and the wedding is postponed. All the members of the wedding party seem too willing to believe the worst of each other. Since this involves Lily and Rose, plus the tearoom and B & B, of course Lily becomes involved. 

Trouble Is Brewing (Tea by the Sea Mysteries)

SUMMARY

Each book in the series is charming. We learn all about the various teas served in the tearoom, from the simple Cream Tea - Tea & Scones - all the way to the Royal Tea, which is very fancy indeed, including a three-tiered tray filled with fancy scones, delectable sandwiches and tiny tasty desserts. Each book also has recipes at the end for the various scones, tarts, cupcakes and sandwiches served for these teas.

We also get to know each character individually, including their interesting personalities, and how they interact with each other. 

I was first drawn to this cozy mystery series because of the name of the town on Cape Cod used in the stories. Author Delany calls the town ‘North Augusta’, which immediately caught my attention because I once lived in North Augusta, South Carolina. North Augusta on Cape Cod is not a real place, but it is mentioned as being close to North Truro (Cape Cod, Massachusetts) and turns out to be the perfect location for a mystery series. 

Cozy Mysteries frequently feature an ordinary person who somehow becomes involved as an amateur sleuth in a crime. They are often a known community person, such as a librarian, a book store owner, or, as in this series, the pastry chef of a tearoom, each taking place in a small community.

The Tea by the Sea Mystery Series is absolutely delightful and filled with characters you will come to love. I highly recommend this Cozy Mystery series by Vicki Delany.

*A Tea by the Sea series of cozy mysteries review is written by Wednesday Elf 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

The Truth About the Devlins - Book Review

 

A new novel by best-selling author Lisa Scottoline

Meet the Devlins. A wealthy and successful family of lawyers with a wayward son. Then a possible murder occurs (or does it?), and John, the good son, may be involved. Is the family hiding secrets, even from themselves?

Synopsis of The Truth About the Devlins

The Truth about the Devlins

The story mainly revolves around TJ Devlin, the son who is the charming disappointment in the prominent Devlin family of lawyers who work together in a highly successful firm.  TJ never finished college, much less became a lawyer. Instead, alcoholism caused his downfall and even a stint in prison. Now he’s out on parole and in rehab for alcoholism. Since TJ can’t get hired anywhere except at the firm, the family has him doing a make-work job with the title of investigator.

But then one night, the firstborn and most successful son, John, confesses to TJ that he thinks he just murdered one of the firm’s clients, an accountant he had confronted with proof of embezzlement. 

TJ immediately begins an investigation, seizing the chance to prove his worth and save his brother. But in no time, TJ and John find themselves entangled in a lethal web of deception and murder. TJ will fight to save his family, but what he learns might break them first.

Summary

I have long been a fan of author Lisa Scottoline and over the years have followed her successful series of legal thrillers/suspenseful women sleuth mysteries about a group of women who are partners in a law firm in Philadelphia. Scottoline’s series of Rosato & Associates is a favorite of mine.

In recent years, Scottoline has begun writing stand alone domestic and psychological thrillers. As the #1 bestselling author of What Happened to the Bennetts, she presents another pulse-pounding domestic thriller with The Truth About the Devlins, about family, justice, and the lies that tear us apart.

*Book Review of The Truth About the Devlins written by Wednesday Elf

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

The Camino Island Trilogy by John Grisham - Book Reviews

John Grisham, well-known author of stand-alone legal thrillers, takes a departure from his usual lawyers, law office and courtroom dramas to bring us a trilogy of suspense thrillers with continuing characters in his Camino Island series. 

 

The trilogy takes place on Camino Island, a sleepy resort area off the coast of Florida.  The main characters include Bruce Cable, who owns a popular bookstore in Santa Rosa, and Mercer Mann, a young novelist.

The Camino Island Trilogy

Camino Island - Book 1

In the first book, a group of thieves steal the priceless F. Scott Fitzgerald manuscripts owned by Princeton University. Since Princeton has insured the manuscripts for twenty-five million dollars, the thieves plan to hold them for ransom. 

When investigators track the stolen manuscripts to Camino Island, and possibly to bookstore owner Bruce Cable who is suspected of sometimes dabbling in the black market of stolen books and manuscripts, they convince young novelist Mercer Mann to help them. Mercer spent many summers on Camino Island with her grandmother and knows the island well. 

Mercer’s job is to infiltrate Bruce Cable’s circle of literary friends and hopefully get close enough to him to learn his secrets.

Eventually, though, Mercer learns too much and trouble comes to this paradise island.

Camino Winds - Book 2

In Book 2, Grisham brings us back to Camino Island where you might enjoy a little sun, a little sand…. and find yourself instead with mystery and mayhem. How about murder in the midst of a hurricane.

Mercer Mann is now a best-selling author and she returns to Camino Island and Bruce’s Bay Books bookstore for an appearance on her current book tour. Then Hurricane Leo, which had been meandering all over for days with no solid land destination, suddenly heads straight for the island. There is a mandatory evacuation where most residents leave, but Bruce and a few others stay and ride out the storm.  In the devastating aftermath, one of Bruce’s friends and resident author is found dead and his injuries appear suspicious instead of storm-related.

The key to who would want Nelson dead may be in his latest novel, which, when Bruce begins to investigate, is discovered to be more shocking – and far more dangerous – than anyone could have imagined. 

Camino Ghosts - Book 3

Writer Mercer Mann returns to Camino Island to marry her boyfriend Thomas in a seaside ceremony on the beach. Island bookseller Bruce Cable performs the wedding.  Afterward, knowing Mercer is looking for a storyline for her next novel, Bruce tells her an incredible story about Dark Isle, a tiny barrier island off the North Florida coast that had been settled by freed slaves 300 years ago. 

This island’s elderly last descendant, Lovely Jackson, loves  her birthplace and it’s wonderful history and feels the island rightfully belongs to her. But a ruthless corporate developer wants to build a resort and casino on the island. Mercer and Lovely begin an enormous fight over who owns Dark Isle, taking on the developer’s corporation and all its lawyers and lobbyists, plus powerful Florida politicians.

You would think that Mercer and Lovely would not have a chance against so many powerful people, but Lovely knows the reasons the island has been uninhabited for a long time ~ the island is cursed. The island's deep secrets of the past are about to collide with the ambitions of the present, placing Dark Isle - and also Camino Island - hanging in a fateful balance.

Summary

Bookseller Bruce Cable and novelist Mercer Mann always manage to find trouble in paradise in this trilogy of stories on Camino Island.  They are a thrilling beach read for your summertime reading.

Camino Island: A Novel

Camino Winds

Camino Ghosts: A Novel

*The Camino Island Triology is reviewed by Wednesday Elf

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

LOST by James Patterson - Book Review

 

Lost is a mystery novel in the police procedural, organized crime thrillers and suspense thrillers genres. 

Synopsis of Lost

Detective Tom Moon, the main character in Lost, is a Miami PD officer who is now the new leader of an FBI task force combining the FBI, DEA and Miami police. Called Operation Guardian, Moon and his team investigate International Crime.  

Lost

The Lost novel focuses on two Russian nationals - brothers Roman and Emile Rostoff unofficially known as the ‘Blood Brothers’ - who are building a powerful and deadly crime syndicate in Miami, with ties to Amsterdam.

As the story begins, Moon and his team are at Miami International Airport observing a Dutchman attempting to go through customs with six children being brought in from Amsterdam for the purpose of child sex trafficking. The man is arrested and the children taken into protective custody. 

Lost takes place primarily in Miami, Florida, with a side trip to Amsterdam when Moon accompanies the rescued children back to where the crime began. There, he meets with Marie Meijer, his counterpoint in the Dutch National Police who is working on the European end of these international crimes being organized by the Rostoff brothers. Working together, Tom & Marie discover that a large group of human trafficking victims are about to be sent by ship from Amsterdam to Miami. Now all they have to do is figure out when this will happen, what ship will be used, and in which one of dozens of Florida ports the ship will show up. 

Miami is Tom Moon’s backyard. A born and raised local, he knows the area well. But the task before him is huge. Will he be able to guess right and save the victims before it is too late?

Summary

Lost is written by James Patterson, in conjunction with author James O. Born. Born, who is a crime and science-fiction novelist as well as a career law-enforcement agent, is a native of Florida. 

I really enjoyed and readily recommend this book about Detective Tom Moon and his multi-talented team who worked to defeat an international crime ring trying to seize control over Miami.

Other James Patterson Book Reviews:

• The Christmas Mystery, reviewed by Brenda Little
• The Golf Miracle Trilogy, reviewed by Wednesday Elf
• Shattered, reviewed by Wednesday Elf
• The President is Missing, reviewed by Brenda Little

For more Book Reviews on ReviewThisReviews, 

check out ReviewThisBooks.com

*Book Review of James Patterson’s ‘Lost’ written by Wednesday Elf

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

Book Review of Victims by Jonathan Kellerman

An Alex Delaware Novel

To date, there are 39 books in the Alex Delaware series by author Jonathan Kellerman. Victims is book #27 in the series, published in 2012. It features child psychologist Alex Delaware who, in his spare time, acts as a consultant to the Los Angeles Police Department on difficult murder cases his best friend, homicide detective Milo Sturgis, investigates.  Victims, as well as the entire Alex Delaware series of books, takes place in Los Angeles.

Synopsis of Victims

A woman is found murdered in what becomes the first in a gruesome crime spree. The first victim, Vita Berlin, was not a very nice woman, mean and rude to everyone she met, but still…..she didn’t deserve to be murdered.

The third victim in the bloody spree was also not a very pleasant individual; yet, the second victim was considered kind, well liked and loved by all. 

With no apparent connection among the victims, Detective Sturgis is baffled with practically no clues except for a blank page bearing a question mark left at each scene. 

Milo calls in his go-to expert in hunting homicidal maniacs. But despite his finely honed skills, even Alex is baffled as each slaying occurs and a direction cannot be found toward solving these crimes.

Finally, as pieces of the puzzle begin to fit together, and a horrible portrait of a sinister mind emerges, Milo and Alex begin to see the pattern leading them to a solution found within a shuttered mental institution. 

Summary

A murder mystery not for the faint of heart, but an exciting read for long-time fans of Alex Delaware and his detective friend, Milo Sturgis. You might want to keep the lights on while you read. 

More Jonathan Kellerman Book Reviews:

• The Wedding Guest
• The Burning

For more book reviews, check out ReviewThisBooks.com

Victims: An Alex Delaware Novel

*Book Review of Victims written by Wednesday Elf

 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

July is National Ice Cream Month

 A Holiday Review

Ronald Reagan designated the month of July as Ice Cream Month in 1984 during his presidency. It has become a time to enjoy ice cream with family and friends and try new flavors.

Ice Cream month also includes Ice Cream Day, which is celebrated on the third Sunday of July.

Celebrating National Ice Cream Month

It is easy to celebrate Ice Cream Month during its designated month of July and all year long. There are so many flavors and forms of ice cream that you could do a different one for probably the whole month. 

Ice cream is a frozen dessert made from dairy products (milk and cream), sometimes combined with fruits, nuts, and various flavors.

Image Source: Pixabay

Ice Cream can be enjoyed as a scoop in a cone, plain in a dish, as part of a Sundae, and in the form of specialty cones and bars (Drumsticks, Ice Cream Sandwich, etc.) and novelty bars like Snickers and Strawberry Shortcake.

There are many flavors of ice cream, and many brands to choose from. They range from a really creamy and delicious one made by Blue Bunny, which is very high in calories, but oh, so good, to brands for Keto diet plans and those with diabetes. Everyone, it seems, can enjoy ice cream, a very versatile dessert. 

There is also homemade ice cream made using an ice cream maker. We had one when our children were small (many moons ago) that was not electric like today's machines, but used a hand-crank. More work, but fun. Our specialty in the summer was homemade Peach ice cream. Very yummy! 

Some Ice Cream Fun Facts

• Sunday is the day more ice cream is sold than any other day of the week. Maybe that’s where the word ‘Sundae’ comes from. 🙂
• It takes about 50 licks to finish one scoop of ice cream in a cone.

Ice Cream Holidays

In addition to having a whole month dedicated to celebrating ice cream (July), there are individual days set aside to enjoy tasting particular flavors. 

There is also National Ice Cream Day on the third Sunday of July each year.

• July 1 - Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day
• July 13 - National Nitrogen  Ice Cream Day
• July 17 - Peach Ice Cream Day
• July 20 - Ice Cream Soda Day
• July 23 - Vanilla Ice Cream Day
• August 19 - Soft Ice Cream Day

Ice Cream Flavors

Image Source: Wikipedia

America’s top ten ice cream flavors include the traditional three, with Vanilla being #1, Chocolate listed at #2 and Strawberry coming in at #8.  Then we have the classic Neapolitan, which is made of blocks of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry side by side in the same container. Neapolitan ice cream comes in at #10 on the list. For a whole list of flavors, click here: List of ice cream flavors - Wikipedia 

Summary

Image Source: Pixabay

So, on National Ice Cream Day and the whole month of July, celebrate this holiday with a bowl, a cone, a Sundae and more. A sweet and cool treat for this summer month. 

Which flavor of ice cream is YOUR favorite? Mine is first vanilla, then any flavor with nuts. 

For more Holiday Reviews, check out 

Review This: Holidays

For more Dessert Reviews, check out 

Review This: Desserts

*National Ice Cream Month Holiday Review is written by Wednesday Elf 

The Ultimate Ice Cream Book: Over 500 Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, Drinks, And More

Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones: 90 Recipes for Making Your Own Ice Cream and Frozen Treats from Bi-Rite Creamery [A Cookbook]

For the Love of Popsicles: Naturally Delicious Icy Sweet Summer Treats from A–Z

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON: