Miranda has been at Hodnett Cooper Real Estate, Inc for ten years. She’s always loved baking and the rest of us have happily been her new recipe test panel. Famous for her creative cupcakes and mini pies, any one of us can tell you that they are absolutely divine. Miranda recently launched a side business, The Island Baker—now more folks can be a part of our cupcake adventures.

Miranda is a cupcake pioneer, always trying new, daring recipes. On Monday, she came in with six boxes of mini cupcakes—all new recipes that even Martha Stewart wouldn’t think of. Of course, we tried them all.

2. Pistachio & Rosewater: a rosewatercupcake topped with a pistachio cream cheese icing infused with rosewater

4. White Russian: a kahlua infused cupcake topped with a kahlua and crème icing

6. Lavender & Honey: a vanilla cupcake brushed with honey topped with a lavender honey cream cheese icing

8. Oreo: a chocolate sour cream cupcake with bits of oreos topped with a cookies and cream frosting

10. Chocolate Bacon: a chocolate cupcake with bits of bacon topped with a chocolate Nutella buttercream icing

12. Honey & Goat Cheese: a honey cupcake topped with a creamy goat cheese icing infused with honey

Yes, bacon in a cupcake! And it was good.

Miranda gets her inspiration from recipes online, flavors she likes and suggestions from friends and facebook fans. “What I love most about experimenting with flavors is that they are different—in a good way. They are fun, trendy flavors that you have to be adventurous to try, but in the end, you’re glad you did,” says Miranda.

While not all are a home run with everyone, we each seem to have a favorite. “My favorite was when Miranda started experimenting with her ‘IntoxiCakes’ recipes. There were mojito cupcakes, margarita cupcakes and even an Irish car bomb cupcake.”

For years, Hodnett Cooper has been lucky enough to have first dibs on Miranda’s treats. Now the rest of St. Simons Island and Brunswick can order from The Island Baker. Trust us, as her R&D team we can say for certain, they’re delish.

Cooking Time: Seven Hours

Ingredients:

• 4 Tablespoon Butter
• 2 Tablespoon Georgia Gold Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Pounds of Vadilia  Onions (about 7 cups) quartered and separated
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 4 Garlic cloves minced
• ½ Teaspoon Crush Roasted Cumin Seeds
• 3 Tablespoon Flour
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Thyme
• 2 Quart Beef stock, fresh or canned
• CROUTES 12 1″ thick French bread
• 2 Teaspoon Olive oil
• 1 Cup Imported Swiss Gruyere Cheese
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Reggiano Parmesan

Cooking Instructions:

In a crockpot place the butter,the Georgia Gold Virgin Olive Oil,  onions, salt, garlic cloves and roasted cumin seeds. Set crockpot on low and cook for six hours or until the onions are a rich golden brown. Sprinkle flour over onions and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. In a separate saucepan, bring the stock to a simmer, then stir the hot stock into the onions. Return the soup to low heat and simmer, covered, for another hour. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

CROUTES: While the soup simmers, make the croutes. Preheat the oven to 325.  Spread the slices of bread in one layer on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. With a pastry brush, lightly coat both sides of each slice with olive oil. Then turn the slices. To make onion soup, preheat the oven to 375F. Ladle the soup into an ovenproof tureen or individual soup bowls, top with croutes, sliced Swiss Gruyere, and spread the grated Parmesan cheese on top. Sprinkle the cheese with a little Georgia Gold olive oil. Bake until the cheese is melted on top.

In a May 5, 2012 article in the Wall Street Journal entitled “Vacation Homes Beckon,” author Joe Light outlines factors affecting vacation home sales. With vacation home markets showing signs of recovery, buyers who have considered purchasing a vacation home feel a new sense of urgency to act while prices are low and inventory is declining.

Buyers who plan a vacation home purchase as a long-term investment are taking advantage of low interest rates, even though prices may not have bottomed, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The article names nine markets that are “primed for a breakout” based on five-year price forecasts from Moody’s Analytics. Those markets include vacation home hot spots such as Napa, California, Santa Barbara, California, Cape Cod, Massachusetts and St. Simons Island, Georgia where the projected growth is among the highest at 6.4% per year.

Hodnett Cooper Real Estate, Inc. on St. Simons Island confirms the momentum in the market dynamics. “People who have long considered purchasing a vacation home on the Island are beginning to act,” said Mary Bryan Fields, Managing Broker, “they have been sitting on the sidelines, are closer to retirement, and plan to act before they are priced out of the market.”

Winnie Skarpalezos, who represents a beachfront home with a list price of $2.1 million on St. Simons Island says she has seen an increase in interest in the house. “We hear the same factors mentioned in the Wall Street Journal article—potential buyers want to take advantage of low prices and low mortgage rates. Plus, this particular house is in a vacation rental program with $125,000 in rental income on the books for 2012. This is an additional offset that buyers can consider in resort destinations like ours.”

St. Simons Island beachfront home listed at $2.1 million

As Mary Bryan Fields concludes, people who lamented not buying in the late 1990s—before prices skyrocketed—are now able to get a “do-over” in real estate. “Now is their chance to buy at 1999 prices in a very desirable Island location.”

Hodnett Cooper Real Estate, Inc. currently employs more than 40 real estate professionals and services 400+ exclusive listing contracts in Coastal Georgia. Additionally, Hodnett Cooper Vacation Rentals, Inc. manages more than 400 vacation rental residences on St. Simons Island, Georgia. For more information, please visit Hodnett Cooper Real Estate, Inc. online or call toll free at 888-638-4750.

Ingredients:

• 4 Georgia Vidalia onions, diced in large chunks
• 5 tbsp. whole butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• salt and white pepper, to taste
• 1 Teaspoon of fresh thyme

As desired:

• smoked bacon
• chives
• Brie grilled cheese sandwich

Cooking Instructions:

Nothing says springtime in Georgia, or in your frying pan, like a fresh Vidalia onion. The 2012 Vidalia season officially opened April 12, when the state’s growers began shipping the first batches of the sweet bulbs to eager retailers. Which means they should be showing up in stores around the country any day now. Simmer Georgia Vidalia onions and thyme in butter over very low heat in crockpot for at least five hours. Add to a blender, and puree until smooth; add heavy cream to taste. Season with salt and white pepper. If desired, garnish bowl with smoked bacon, chives, and triangles of Brie grilled cheese sandwich.

Total Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 lemons
• 1 quart vegetable stock
• 4  fresh bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon celery seeds
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
• 1  tablespoon Champagne vinegar
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Cayenne pepper, to taste
• 1 stick  unsalted butter, diced
• 1 pound large Georgia shrimp, cleaned and deveined

What To Do
1. Let eggs and butter get to room temperature

 
2.  Cut 2 lemons in half, then quarter halves. In a medium pot, add lemons, stock, bay leaves, peppercorns, mustard seeds and celery seeds. Bring brine to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook about 30 minutes.

3.  Bring a shallow pot of water to a boil. Reduce heat to low, so water gently simmers. Whisk yolks, tarragon and vinegar together in a medium bowl. Season with salt and cayenne. Set bowl over pot of simmering water and whisk aggressively until the mixture thickens to the consistency of heavy cream. Move bowl on and off heat whenever steam begins to rise, to avoid curdling. Regularly scrape down bowl’s sides with a rubber spatula to ensure even cooking.

4.  Whisk in 1 stick diced butter, piece by piece. Add each piece only after previous one has been emulsified. When all butter is incorporated, hollandaise should be pale yellow and thick. Season with lemon juice and salt.

5. Remove boiling stock from heat. Stir in shrimp and cover pot. Let shrimp poach until cooked through, 2-3 minutes. Remove shrimp from brine and toss with a squirt of lemon juice.

6. Divide hollandaise among plates. Arrange shrimp alongside and drizzle remaining butter from the sauté pan over top. Serve with steamed asparagus or artichoke.

Painted Buntings are currently arriving here on St Simons Island. We spotted one in our Sea Palms West neighborhood using the iBird Yard Plus HD app for the iPad to attract them. We were able to get a photo of this beautiful bird. Painted Buntings have also been spotted on Little St Simons Island at feeders across the Island.

The Painted Bunting is found in thickets, woodland edges and brushy areas, along roadsides, in suburban areas, and gardens. The male was once a very popular caged bird, but capturing and holding a Painted Bunting is now illegal. Populations are declining on the East Coast where habitat is being lost to development and the species is at risk of being listed as threatened or endangered. Their breeding range includes Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Florida, Carolina, Louisiana and northern Mexico. The male Painted Bunting is often described as the most beautiful bird in North America. Its colors–dark blue head, green back, red rump and under parts–make it easy to identify, but it can still be difficult to spot since it hides in foliage even when singing. The plumage of female and juvenile Painted Buntings is green and yellow-green, serving as camouflage. Once seen, the adult female is still distinctive, since it is one of the only truly green birds native to the United States.

Be on the lookout for this brilliantly colored songbird currently making its migration north.

By Guerry Norwood

Ingredients

· 2 pounds ripe tomatoes

· 1 Pound of Georgia shrimp, peeled and deveined

· 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

· 1 red onion, finely chopped

· 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

· 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

· 1 oregano sprig

· Pinch chili flakes

· 1 teaspoon sugar

· 1 pound dried angel hair pasta

· 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish

· 1/4 cup chopped basil, plus whole sprigs for garnish

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare an ice water bath.

Cut a small “x” on the bottom of each tomato. In batches, place the tomatoes in the boiling water and blanch them for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the skins are easy to peel away. Remove and immediately plunge into the ice bath.

Peel the tomatoes and halve horizontally. Squeeze out the seeds, using your fingers to get them all. Roughly chop the peeled and seeded tomatoes. Set aside.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and heat. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp, onions and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Remove shrimp and set aside. Add the thyme leaves, oregano sprig, and chili flakes and sauté until the garlic begins to turn golden brown. Add the tomatoes and the sugar and stir well. Lower the heat and cook slowly, about 15 minutes. Add the shrimp back in the last five minutes of this process.

Cook the angel hair pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Add the Parmesan and basil and toss well. Place in a large pasta bowl and garnish with Parmesan and basil sprigs.

The Hodnett Cooper Vacation Rentals team has years of experience in both St. Simons Island property and St. Simons Island living. In this series of blog posts, we’re digging in to our vacation specialists’ expertise to uncover unique activities and hidden gems only available on St. Simons Island, Georgia.

Today, we present our must-see locations during a day of shopping in Redfern Village. Located just north of the Frederica/Demere traffic circle on Frederica Road, Redfern Village is no longer content to take a back seat to the Pier Village. Packed with unique shops and restaurants, you can easily spend the day shopping and snacking your way through the other village.

Tibi Outlet – This chic women’s clothing store stepped right out of Manhattan and into Redfern Village on St. Simons Island. Amy Smilovic is the owner and fashion designer behind the “Tibi” label. She has a New York City studio (which was featured in a scene in The Devil Wears Prada) and sells the Tibi line in boutiques and major retailers across the country. Amy grew up on St. Simons Island and blesses her hometown with the Tibi outlet store. Her clothes are inspired by the island’s bright colors, bold prints and classic style. And not only will you love the prices, you may also stumble across a one-of-a-kind sample!

Gogo Jewelry – Gogo Ferguson is the great granddaughter of a Carnegie steel baron, who once owned property in Georgia’s Golden Isles with many of his Gilded Age counterparts. Today, Gogo is a jewelry designer who finds beauty in nature. She casts gold and silver from animal bones and sea life, creating unique statement pieces. You can almost imagine Gogo walking along the beaches and island trails stumbling across interesting shapes that most of us would overlook. When you visit her shop in Redfern Village, be sure to ask exactly what you’re looking at—you’ll be surprised at the beauty of a silver rattlesnake vertebrae or armadillo sternum.

Viola’s Market – At Viola’s Market, experience layer upon layer of interesting finds—furniture, books, accessories, jewelry, plants, décor and even Georgia olive oil. With a casually elegant and vintage style that celebrates the coast, you’ll be able to take home a bit of the island style with you.

Our Hodnett Cooper insiders have many more shopping recommendations, so stay tuned for more unique tips.

On a trip to the Island, there are several things you don’t want to miss, including the beach. But beyond the beach, the Island has much to see and do. Here are a few of our Hodnett Cooper insider tips:

Reading at the Casino – no, not while gambling. In the historical sense of the word, “casino” is defined as a building or large room used for meetings or entertainment. Though the St. Simons Casino has recently been rebuilt, it still maintains the historical moniker and is known to locals simply as “the Casino.” The Casino—a brick structure at oceanfront Neptune Park—does have community meeting rooms, a public library and entertainment. But it also has a wide front porch stocked with rocking chairs that overlook the grassy lawn and out to the St. Simons Sound. Kim finds this to be the ideal spot to get lost in a good book.

Biking Everywhere – When people say they like to bike on St. Simons Island, they’re not necessarily talking about exercising. With most of the Island’s activity centered at the south end of the Island, it is possible to park your car and pedal during the length of your stay—to the grocery store, to dinner, to the beach or to the farmer’s market to pick up boiled peanuts on your way to the beach. With no roads more than two lanes and miles of paved bike paths, biking is one of the best ways to explore the island. And with many of those paths covered by a canopy of live oak trees, bikers stay shaded from the sun. One of Teri’s favorite activities is to bike to breakfast in the village at Sandcastle, then spend the rest of the day wherever the bike paths take her.

A Cold One at Murphy’s – Boston has Cheers, Nashville has the Bluebird Café and St. Simons Island has Murphy’s Tavern. Located in the heart of the village, Murphy’s, is a neighborhood bar and local’s hangout. With a well-worn wood floor, bookshelves, a fireplace, a pool table, and bartender’s choice mix of music, don’t be surprised to hear “Lee!” when a regular strolls in. In the winter, it’s a cozy respite. And in the summer, it’s a cool spot away from the sun. Year round, there’s a cold one on tap waiting for you at Murphy’s.

Playground at Neptune Park – What kind of crazy beach town devotes prime oceanfront property to a community park? St. Simons Island, that’s who! Our oceanfront community park includes a fishing pier, oceanfront swimming pool, lighthouse, picnic area and Kim’s favorite, the playground. Nestled between the picnic area and the family-friendly pool, the playground has slides, teeter totters, twirly things and the general sensory overload that entertains kids for hours. It’s fenced for safety and includes park benches for the adults to monitor the kids and gaze at the ocean.

Coming soon are more insider tips from the Hodnett Cooper Vacation Rentals team. Subscribe to our feed for more unique activities, restaurants, sights and events. Or email us with questions or suggestions.

This saffron grilled goat cheese and basil stuffed chicken is an easy and quick grilling recipe. Even easier if you are like me and grow your own basil.

Ingredients

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup of crumbled goat cheese
• 1 Small Vidalia onion diced
• Pinch of Saffron threads
• 2 – 3 tablespoons of fresh basil chopped fine
• Kosher salt
• Ground black pepper

Directions

Create a “pocket” in the chicken breasts by slicing them length-wise, but not all of the way through. We don’t want to butterfly the chicken, just create a large pocket to hold our gooey goat deliciousness.

Mix the goat cheese, Vidalia onion, saffron threads and basil together in a bowl and divide into 3 equal portions. Stuff the pocket on each chicken breast with a portion of the stuffing. Roll up your sleeves and use your hands to work the stuffing into the pockets and then press the ends together on the chicken to seal the pocket.

Rub the outsides of the chicken breasts with Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Light the grill on high. Place the stuffed chicken breasts on the grill and grill direct for about 6 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked all the way through.

Serve and try to resist the urge to lick the excess stuffing off your plate…