Shrimp Boil

Hi from the beach! Sorry for the radio silence but I've been busy with some r & r as of late.  Each year it's tradition to spend time at the beach with our family.  Along with said tradition is the food we cook & eat together.  As of last year we've started the shrimp boil tradition (using this recipe).  It's a one pot wonder (or two if you opt for a veggie pot like we do) that appeals to people with all different tastes (no really you'd be surprised!).

You basically boil all of the ingredients together, drain them & throw them on to the table that's been covered with newspaper & then you dig in with your hands - no utensils necessary.  We opt to eat outside & to keep it super casual with a simple salad & some cornbread (& lots of paper towels!).  When we're finished we crumple up the newspaper  & toss (there will be no leftovers I promise). 

This dinner is even easier to eat, make & clean up if you have super helpful family members like I do that help you peel, chop, drain, pour, melt butter & clean the pots, so make it a family affair.  Huge thanks to my fam for helping out!

What's your summer tradition?

Read on for some more pics & helpful tips.

tip 1: if you opt to chop your potatoes in advance stick with my mother-in-law's tip: keep them covered in water until you're ready to use them (otherwise they'll brown - ick!)
tip 2: opt for frozen deveined shrimp it'll save you tons of time & they cook up super fast even if they're still frozen.
tip 3: snag some local newspapers at the grocery store if you don't have any on hand, weigh them down on a picnic table with large rocks you find laying around.
tip 4: for a tasty dipping butter go with my brother-in-law Greg's lemon butter (melt 2-3 sticks of butter & squeeze in some fresh lemon juice, stir & serve warm - yum!)