Beach Bites

BY Rebecca Germain Lucy Huber and C.J. Williams

Published January 22, 2009


capture the flag


WB Flag Football League kicks off a new season


Lace up your cleats; flag football has taken WB by storm. Wrightsville Beach Parks and Recreation program supervisor Katie Ryan has been managing the WB Parks and Rec Flag Football League since its inception in 2000 and says that at its start the league hosted six to eight teams but that word has spread the league is thriving 27 teams last season and she expects even more players to join the fray this year.


Teams compete in three separate divisions playing nine to 11 games per season to take home the league trophy and a spot in the state tournament local perennial contenders the Hurricanes emerged triumphant from last seasons battleground and packed their bags to play for the national flag football title in sunny Orlando Florida.


Never heard of flag football? The rules are simple: For starters its real football but without the field goals with seven players per side as opposed to 11 (as in tackle football) and 22-minute halves. Instead of tackling the man with the ball to end the play players wear a belt with two flags called “sonic pops ” attached by hard rubber flaps. When the flags are pulled from the belt the suction creates a loud pop which signals that a player is down. The key for all you armchair quarterbacks who no longer want to get hit: Full contact tackling is not allowed.


Registration for the spring season begins January 13 with games commencing February 8. The fall season registers August 10 and kicks off on September 13. Registration $395 per team 14 players per roster is at the Wrightsville Beach Parks and Recreation office 321 Causeway Drive. Teams must bring their own ball but flags are provided. For more information call Katie Ryan at (910) 256-7925 or visit www.townofwrightsvillebeach.com .
C.J. Williams





winter roses


59th Annual Tidewater Camellia Club Show


Long after spring blossoms fade and the warm breezes of summer drift away the “winter roses” of Wilmington bloom igniting our streets and avenues with color reds and pinks soft whites. They are camellias and as they grow their gardeners prepare them for their biggest event of the New Year: the 59th annual Tidewater Camellia Club Show.


This February camellia gardeners and flower enthusiasts will travel from all over the Southeast to enjoy camellias and showcase their tireless efforts to create these gorgeous winter blooms. They will also gather as a community a group of friends who reconvene at this event every year to appreciate the art in nature.


The Tidewater Camellia Club expects more than 1 000 camellia blossoms at the show on Saturday February 28 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Shrine Club on College Road. Admission is free but if you cant bear to leave those beautiful blossoms behind camellia plants will be offered for sale. In addition the show will display student artwork from a half-dozen local elementary schools. “Its a really beautiful event ” says Betty Gale Buggeln the publicity chairman. “But its more than that. More than anything camellia shows are about renewing friendships.”


For more information call (910) 392-1803 or visit www.tidewatercamelliaclub.org .
Rebecca Germain





truth about truffles


melt in your mouth chocolates come with surprises inside


Chocolate connoisseurs might say that the best truffles come from Paris the birthplace of Auguste Escoffier the rumored culinary mastermind behind these luxurious sweets. But here in the Port City where we see our share of global gourmet fare locals will tell you great truffles come from Temptations Everyday Gourmet.


A Delicious Double-Dip


Flavor: Dark Raspberry


After raspberry puree is blended with a dark chocolate ganache creating the center of this truffle its double-dipped in dark chocolate.



A Sweet Nightcap


Flavor: Amaretto


Amaretto flavors this dark chocolate center beautifully. Then its double-dunked once in milk chocolate once in white and criss-crossed with a milk chocolate drizzle.


A Toast to the Truffle


Flavor: Champagne


Infused with champagne flavoring this truffles creamy milk chocolate center is then dipped in dark chocolate and drizzled with delicate strands of white.



Love is Nuts


Flavor: Cranberry Nut


Dried cranberries and pecans are folded into its creamy white center and then its delicately dipped in both milk and dark chocolate and topped with a single perfect pecan.



Cocoa with a Kick


Flavor: Cup of Cocoa


White chocolate blankets a decadent milk chocolate center thats gently rolled in pure cocoa powder the perfect pick for a sophisticated palate.



Love at First Bite


Flavor: Fudge Love


Dunked once in dark chocolate then again in milk this truffles center features a luscious milk chocolate whipped cream.



The Best of Three Worlds


Flavor: Triple Chocolate


A dark chocolate center is plunged into a milk chocolate bath and then covered with a decadent layer of white chocolate.



A Caffeine Kiss


Flavor: Irish Coffee


Dipped in both milk and white chocolate this truffles silky dark chocolate center is flavored with the gentle caffeine kiss of Irish coffee.



Rebecca Germain





the love boat


local captain seeking secrets for keeping a new marriage afloat


All hearts on deck: Captain Joe has set a date! Joseph Abbate and Alexis Frye owners of Wrightsville Beach Scenic Tours and Taxis will wed March 7. To celebrate their big day Captain Joe is offering leisurely (90 minute) romantic Valentines Day cruises from Thursday February 12 through Sunday February 15 up the Intracoastal Waterway and around Harbor Island to Bradley Creek. The cruises include Captain Joes guided history of sights along the way and and are open to everyone but the first ten couples married 35 years or longer who sign up cruise free in exchange for writing down one specific thing that has kept them happy healthy and together for so many years.


Captain Joes Valentines cruises will launch from the Wrightsville Beach Scenic Tours and Taxis dock directly across from the Blockade Runner Beach Resort. For more information contact Captain Joe at (910) 200-4002.
C.J. Williams