< Previous48 COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOveMber 2025 TREASURE TROVE FLOCK THIS WAY Antique shop memorabilia shows America’s long love affair with turkeys story by SHANNON CALDWELL | photos by JENNIFER REYNOLDS Each month, Coast Monthly highlights intriguing relics or antiques on the upper Texas coast. W ant some vintage flair for your Thanksgiving gathering this year? Area shops, including St. John Antiques in the island’s down- town, might be the place to look. The shop offers a flock of turkey figurines, dishware, décor and postcards, shop owner Frances St. John said. “We have something from every era — from Victorian times to the modern day — which just goes to show that people have always loved turkeys,” she said. The oldest items are 10 porcelain plates manufactured in England in the late 1800s. Blue and white with a gold trim, they feature five different countryside scenes of turkeys. The images include a hen and her cute chicks foraging, a hen and a tom, and a tom in all his glory, she said. The plates are flow-blue style, a name derived from the blue glaze that blurred or “flowed” during the firing process. The shop also has a collection of whimsical Thanksgiv- ing postcards — from 1910 to 1920 — showing amusing interactions with turkeys. Also from this era are six figurines, depicting a turkey puffing out his tail feathers, made from different materials — three papier-mâché, two of chalk and a single metal figure. A large plastic orange colored turkey, dating back to the 1930s-40s once was used for holding holiday candy. St. John has two sets of salt and pepper shakers from the 1940s to 1950s that remind her of the beloved television show “Leave it to Beaver.” And the paper honeycomb turkey decoration is from the 1960s. COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOveMber 2025 49 (Opposite) Harry St. John and his wife, Frances, display Thanksgiving-themed dishes, figurines and postcards at their store, St. John Antiques, in downtown Galveston. (Clockwise from top left) Frances St. John shows a cobalt and gold porcelain plate from the late 1800s that features a flock of turkeys. It is part of a set of flow-blue style plates each featuring a different countryside scene of turkeys; vintage turkey salt and pepper shakers and a larger egg-crate papier mâché turkey; vintage Thanksgiving-themed postcards; Frances St. John shows where the cobalt blue glaze “flowed” through a porcelain plate during the firing process. The plate also features a seal of a lion and crown designating it was made in England. “We have something from every era – from Victorian times to the modern day – which just goes to show that people have always loved turkeys.” FRANCES ST. JOHN50 COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOveMber 2025 While known for her spaghetti pie, Becca Scoville’s cranberry and orange dressing is a favorite during the holidays. COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOveMber 2025 51 DOWN HOME NO-STRESSING DRESSING This sweet and savory side dish steals the Thanksgiving show story by SHANNON CALDWELL | photos by JENNIFER REYNOLDS T urkey might be the star, but for some, the dressing is the highlight of their Thanksgiving table. Galveston’s Becca Sco- ville has a go-to recipe for cranberry and orange dressing that’s delicious and super easy to make. “It has that savory and sweet combo that is so appealing and goes so well with turkey,” she said. The recipe’s sweet and tangy flavors come from store-bought orange and cranberry muffins while fresh herbs and celery bring the savory elements. It’s “embarrassingly easy” to make but yields impressive results, Scoville said. Although it seems counterintuitive, the recipe works better if the muffins are a day or two old with a dry tex- ture, because chicken stock is used to soften the mixture. If the muffins are too fresh, you can broil the dressing for a little longer to crisp up the top a little. The interior will retain a lovely light texture softer than the traditional cornmeal dressing. Celebrity cook Rachael Ray created the recipe and Scoville remembers first seeing it on a Food Network show at least a decade ago. It quickly became a traditional side for her fami- ly Thanksgiving table. In recent years, Scoville, her hus- band, son and his wife often share a small Thanksgiving meal together. In the past, they’ve traveled to large family events of 50 or more people either at her husband’s family ranch in Weatherford, Texas, or to her family home in Haughton, Louisiana. When Scoville was growing up in Louisiana, her parents had a large garden, and fresh vegetables were a highlight of family meals. The vibrant flavors of homegrown cabbage, toma- toes and new potatoes remain fresh in her mind. Both her parents cooked, and Scoville is grateful for all the good food she had growing up along with the pickles and produce they would share with her when she returned home as an adult, she said. “My daddy made the best fried fish,” she said. “I miss it so much. He used fresh white perch, also called crappie, and he had his own seasoning mix of cornbread, Tony Chachere’s creole sea- soning and Greek seasoning. I’ve tried to recreate it, but it’s not the same. “My mom, who was called Blanche, was a great baker. As we’ve gotten older, my two sisters and I have be- come more like her. One Christmas, my sister embroidered aprons as pres- ents for us with Blanche #1, Blanche #2 and mine has Blanche #3.” Scoville and her husband lived and worked in Houston for many years before retiring in Galveston. She loves the island for its diverse community and walkability, she said. She recently reconnected with her faith and attends Galveston Central United Methodist Church. The church usually has a Thanksgiving meal open to all and it’s indicative of the church’s charitable approach to feeding and supporting people without sermons or an expecta- tion of anything in return, Scoville said. “It has restored my faith in humani- ty,” she said. CRANBERRY-ORANGE DRESSING 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces 2 ribs celery, chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 1 bay leaf, fresh or dried Salt and pepper to taste 2 cranberry orange muffins (can be store-bought, preferably a day old) 2 tablespoons thyme, freshly chopped 1 cup chicken stock Heat olive oil and butter in a medium skillet over moderate heat. When butter melts add celery, onion and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. remove the bay leaf. Crumble the muffins into the pan and combine with the vegetables. Add thyme and chicken stock. Cook dressing 5 minutes stirring occasion- ally, then remove from heat and let stand in the warm pan. You can broil the top if you want it to be crispy.52 COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOveMber 2025 SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE: GOOD EATS COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOveMber 2025 53 Imagine your home, totally organized! Custom Closets Garage Cabinets Home Offices Wall Beds Wall Organizers Pantries Laundries Wall Units Hobby Rooms Garage Flooring Media Centers and more... Call for a free in home design consultation and estimate CM Follow us SPECIAL FINANCING FOR 18 MONTHS With approved credit. Call or ask your Designer for details. Not available in all areas. 409-904-0787 www.closetsbydesign.com Locally Owned and Operated! 2024 © All Rights Reserved. Closets by Design, Inc. 40 % O ff Plus Free Installation Terms and Conditions: 40% off any order of $1000 or more, 30% off any order of $700- $1000 on any complete unit of custom Closet, Garage or Home Office, and any other products. Not valid with any other offer. Free installation with any unit order of $850 or more. With incoming order, at time of purchase only. Not valid at all franchise locations. Offer expires in 30 days.54 COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOveMber 2025 TASTE OF TEXAS SWEET OR SALTY Depending where they grow, Galveston Bay oyster reefs produce distinct flavors story and recipe by PHIL NEWTON | photo by JENNIFER REYNOLDS R eefs in Galveston Bay produce oysters with distinct flavor profiles based on their location. Oysters grown in the northern parts of the bay tend to be larger and juicier because of increased nutrients entering the bay through rivers and streams. But because of that fresh water, they’ll also taste less salty than their southern bay counterparts, which are smaller and brinier. Time of the year also affects oyster size and flavor. Cold water makes oysters fatter and sweeter, with Jan- uary to April yielding the sweetest mollusks. In May, they spawn and get smaller. The best oysters grow between fresh and salt water. Look for a lot of dark purple in the shell, which signifies absorbed minerals. GALVESTON BAY OYSTER COCKTAIL Serves: 1 6 small oysters, freshly shucked, liquor reserved 6 drops hot sauce 1 tablespoon ketchup 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice Salt 1 tablespoon diced avocado 1 teaspoon chopped red onion 1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro Saltines or tortilla chips for serving Put a parfait glass in the freezer for at least an hour. In a bowl, toss together the oysters and their liquor, hot sauce, ketchup, lime juice and a pinch of salt. Put in the chilled parfait glass and top with avocado, cilantro and red onion. Serve immediately with saltines or chips. PHIL NEWTON is a Galveston baker/cook. He’s the owner/operator of Stiglich Corner with partner Cindy Roberts. COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOveMber 2025 55 • Weight Loss • Aesthetics • Testosterone Therapy • IV Therapy • Botox/Filler • Peptide Therapy Expert Care. Unmatched Results. book a free consultation 409.498.5011 2424 Mechanic St. Galveston, TX 77550 Dixie Messner GALLERY Contemporary Art come in and shop the collection today 2218 Post Office St Galveston, TX 77550 follow our socials @dixiemessnerart56 COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOveMber 2025 GAME ON TASTY TIME SAVER This easy sausage and egg casserole is perfect for breakfast, brunch or dinner story, recipe and photo by CAPT. NATE SKINNER W hen the holidays get hectic and you’re crunched for time, this simple sausage and egg casserole is a perfect dish to add to your culinary lineup. I prefer to use ground venison pan sausage from a white-tailed deer for this recipe, but any type of ground venison pan sausage will work. Featuring cheese, bell peppers and hash browns, this dish is bursting with flavors and will satisfy just about any palate. Put it all together and bake it in the oven for a hearty finished product that’s sure to please the entire family. This casserole is great for breakfast, brunch and even dinner. It also makes an excellent meal-prep option, too. You can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days, and have a quick and delicious breakfast or snack ready to go when life gets busy. VENISON PAN SAUSAGE & EGG CASSEROLE Non-stick cooking spray 1 (20-ounce) bag frozen shredded hash browns 4 tablespoons butter, melted 1 pound ground venison pan sausage 2 medium green bell peppers, diced 10 large eggs, whisked 1½ cups shredded Monterey jack cheese ½ cup milk of choice ½ cup plain Greek yogurt ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray a large casserole or baking dish (9-by-13 inches or similar size) with non-stick cooking spray. Add hash browns to baking dish and pour melted butter on top. Toss, then spread in an even layer. bake for 35-40 minutes or until edges of hash browns start to turn golden brown and crisp. While hash browns are bak- ing, brown sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced bell peppers when sausage is partially cooked through. Continue to cook until sausage is no longer pink. Drain excess liquid. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, cheese, milk of choice, yogurt, salt and pepper. When hash browns are done, remove from oven and sprinkle cooked sausage and peppers on top. Pour egg mixture evenly over layers and bake for 35-45 minutes or until the center is cooked through. (Note: Cover dish with foil if edges start to get too brown.) baking time can vary — begin checking the casserole for doneness at about the 30-minute mark. Serve for breakfast, brunch, or dinner. Note: You also can allow the casserole to cool, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days if you want to use it as meal preparation. COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOveMber 2025 57 -BrianKuhn Thankful ForGalveston! ToujouseLobbyBar SignatureCraftCocktailsUnderThePalms! 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