Miles from Nowhere Over the past two weeks we’ve sailed 950 nautical miles from Nassau, Bahamas to Hampton, VA, whew. We’re headed to the Chesapeake where we plan to leave Snowcat during hurricane season (June-November). Offshore passages can be a bit intimidating. Sailing miles from land with no one in sight for days can mess…
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Sailing North While Dodging Alberto
The unsettled weather of hurricane season came early this year. We were able to make a 4-day passage from Nassau to Charleston before the storms spawned by Alberto came through the Bahamas. Not another soul in sight for as far as the eye can see!
Magical Trip to the Galapagos Islands
Our family was especially blessed this spring to meet in Ecuador for a magical trip to the Galapagos Islands. We left our boat Snowcat at a marina in George Town, Bahamas and met the boys for a long planned trip to one of the most special places on this earth. Check out the full photo…
Roasted Balsamic Asparagus
The Asparagus Salute Whenever I cook asparagus for our family, I’m reminded of a game that we would play to coax the boys into eating their asparagus. Everyone would pick a spear from their plate with their fingers, hold it upright, and wave it like the American flag on the Fourth of July. When all…
Sweet and Spicy Shrimp Bowl
My family has been loving a version of Sweet and Spicy Shrimp Bowls for years, but it was never quite right. The original recipe was lacking vegetables and the sauce would escape from the rice and run all over the plate. Then I discovered a remedy…put it in a bowl! Bowling Anyone? If you’re like…
Rare Stromatolites, Right Under our Feet
I absolutely love all things science, especially biology – that is why I chose my “encore career” as a science teacher. So, when I noticed the word “stromatolites” scribbled on a crumpled-up hiking map I found in a local bar, I was charged up. A plan for an afternoon hike along the east beaches of…
Feta and Spinach Quinoa Patties
Lots of time…but not for cooking You might be thinking that living on a sailboat, anchored in the Bahamas, there would be nothing but free time. Time to relax. Time to read. Time to cook. I’m not going to lie…I do have a lot more personal time without the responsibility of a job, but I…
Catamarans are the Best for Cruising
We have just arrived in George Town, Great Exuma Island. The Bahamas are famous for turquoise, shallow or “skinny” waters, so we’re grateful for our catamaran with it’s 4 ft draft. Amazingly, we have been buddy boating with another sailing family from Steamboat – Sarah, Chris, Spencer and Will. Their boat, Kestrel, is a traditional…
Easy Pressure Cooker Risotto
Cheesy Goodness in 25 Minutes A favorite meal aboard Snowcat is risotto made in our pressure cooker. Traditional risotto recipes have always seemed too daunting a task. They require the full attention of the cook, stirring constantly to coax the fine starch from the Arborio rice to create the creamy texture that makes risotto so…
Wondering about Weather
Sitting in Steamboat…but Watching Florida Weather Every time we get ready to leave our home in Steamboat and head out for the high seas, our mutual level of craziness seems steadily increase until it finally reaches a crescendo a few days before departure. This is when we finally throw up our hands and conclude that…
Going Sailing!
Running away from home…again We love Steamboat, but the ocean is calling us. We’ve been planning our return to blue water sailing from the moment that we stepped off our sailboat in 2005 and returned to Colorado. We loved our four years of life aboard our 45-foot catamaran, Snowcat. We sailed 15,000 miles and crossed…
Lemon Chicken Soup
How can anything this easy, taste so good? Lemon Chicken Soup marries the refreshing taste of freshly squeezed lemons with tender orzo pasta and chunks of chicken. This is my favorite way to use the remaining chicken from a roasted chicken. The fresh lemon juice awakens your taste buds in a way that bottled lemon…
Easy Tapioca Pudding in a Slow Cooker
Memories of Tapioca Pudding I still feel bad about it…and it happened decades ago. My cousin from Iowa came to spend several weeks with my family in the mountains of Colorado – Glenwood Springs – my home town. We took him to the Hot Springs Pool, tubing and fishing in the Roaring Fork river, we…
Maple Pecan Granola
In Search of the Perfect Granola I’ve been on a mission to find the perfect granola recipe and frankly my family and friends are tired of eating my experiments. Testing nine recipes and making 23 batches to test modifications may seem like an obsession, but I think you’ll like the results. Who knew that there…
Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges with Lime Yogurt Sauce
As the days get cooler, I look to comfort foods like baked potatoes. Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite way to change it up a bit. For a meal or game day snack, there is nothing more satisfying than Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges. With a crisp, browned crust over a creamy, smooth center these…
Yampa Valley Lamb Burgers
In the summer, you are sure to encounter sheepherders and their flocks when you are hiking around Steamboat. The high mountain range land of Northwestern Colorado provides some of the best forage available for sheep. In fact, this area has a rich history with sheep. During the 1930’s, Hayden was the largest rail-shipping center for…
Thanks Mom!
The Most Important Nutrition Lessons, I Learned from my Mom I love food. It is with food that we express our love, our culture and our creativity. We comfort one another with food, celebrate special occasions with food and share memories with food. Food nourishes us in so many more ways than its nutritional content…
Mojitos for a Crowd
A new use for mint During our recent visit to Cuba I discovered the ultimate use for the mint that has taken over my garden…mojitos! To be honest, I was planning to dig up my mint plant this year because it is out of control. The CSU Master Gardeners recommended that I plant mint in a…
Vegetable Thai Curry in a Hurry
I’ll Bet You’re Famished You never know when you are going to need a meal in a hurry. When we were docked in Marina Hemingway near Havana, Cuba, reporters from our hometown newspaper stopped by. Steamboat Pilot reporters Scott Franz and Matt Stensland were visiting Cuba for a “journalism activity”- one of the 12 categories of…
Setting Sail for Cuba
Night Passage There is no deeper darkness than a night passage, sailing on a moonless night. We’re 50 miles off the coast of Florida, with full sails headed to Cuba. It has been a while since I did a night crossing and I will admit to a certain nervousness when pitch black is all I…
Thankful for Local Agriculture
Where would you be without agriculture…naked and hungry! This week in the Boat we are celebrating Agriculture Appreciation Week. It’s an opportunity to honor the ranchers and farmers of our community that help keep us clothed and fed. This week-long celebration of agriculture is promoted by the Community Agriculture Alliance, a local non-profit that both reminds…
Spicy African Rice and Peanut Stew
We don’t alway get big snow in Steamboat in March. The tracks of weather that swept through Northwest Colorado in earlier months give way to blue sky, bright days and clear, chilling nights. While we await the next blanket of snow, we still look to comfort foods to feed the family and the soul. Stew…
Preserved Lemon Herb Sauce
It’s time to move the delightful, salty and citrus flavor of preserved lemons onto the front shelf of your pantry. Even though preserved lemons have been used in Moroccan cuisine for centuries, they are relatively new to many of us. In the past, I have been frustrated that I can’t find them in our smaller mountain…
Preserved Lemons
Try this Unique and Fun Flavor The salty -tangy flavor of a preserved lemon will make your dish sing with flavor. They are easy to make with only two ingredients and thirty minutes worth of effort. After a month of fermenting you will have a jar of preserved lemons available for the next year. This recipe…
