"Yikes!! That's not how that's supposed to work!" All we could do is watch helplessly from our cockpit as a big catamaran was aimlessly floating sideways towards a trawler anchored behind it. The wind had shifted 180 degrees, blown up to 25 kts. and the rain was coming down in buckets. The trawler's crew was […]
Getting Started with Sourdough Starter
Dean is cursing me under his breath as the raindrops start to unload on our little dinghy. "We're going to get soaked in this squall so that you can get sourdough starter?!" It makes perfect sense to me, but perhaps I didn't fully explain the sourdough imperative to him. Before leaving George Town, Bahamas, I […]
Sunday Morning Sourdough Pancakes
Sourdough pancakes are the taste of lazy Sunday mornings. Tangy and complex, topped with the sweetness of rich maple syrup...yep, that's the flavor I yearn for on Sunday mornings. A simple mixture of flour and water form the basis of a good sourdough starter. With time and patience, the magic happens. As the naturally present […]
Go With the Flow
Set your plans aside and let the wind take you to the next adventure. Karen M. The Plan As we slowly motored out of the harbor, we had a plan. A plan that had been weeks in the making. A plan that included anchorages that we loved and people we enjoyed. A plan that only […]
Spicy Seafood Stew
Warm Stew with Warm Memories I'm smiling as I write this, because this recipe was first shared with me while cruising in the Abacos, Bahamas. Fifteen years ago, our family was living aboard our first sailboat, the original Snowcat. We met another boat with kids from Rhode Island and "buddy boated" with them for several […]
Mooring Woes
It's Show Time! I could feel eyes watching us as we entered the mooring field. I've done it myself - peeking out from the comfort of my moored boat to see if the incoming boat can successfully grab the float attached to the mooring buoy and affix it to a cleat on the boat. This […]
Crossing the Gulf Stream - Bahamas Bound!
As a passionate retired science teacher, the Gulf Stream is one of the natural wonders of the world. Basically it is like a giant river of warm water in the sea, averaging about 60 miles wide and 2500-4000 feet deep. Off the east coast of Florida it flows north at between 2.5 and 4 nautical miles […]
Light Flan (Instant Pot version)
Call it flan or creme caramel, we've enjoyed this classic Latin dessert in Spain, Mexico and Central America. I decided to try my hand at making flan when searching for a Mexican dessert for a Holiday party. All of the guests enjoyed the creamy, caramel-topped custard, but I swore that it was too fussy a […]
Eggplant Parmesan Stacks
Who has time to cook when the mountains are calling? We've been back in Steamboat for most of December and January to get our fill of family and snow. We'll head back to the boat in Jacksonville, FL at the end of January. Eggplant Parmesan Stacks are an easy meal when we're having too much […]
Cooking Under Pressure
The Pressure's On! I bought my first pressure cooker in 2001 when our family moved aboard our sailboat, Snowcat. I'd been told that every serious cruiser has a stove top pressure cooker in their galley, and sure enough…live-aboard sailors are pressure cooker fanatics. I've Grown to Love my Pressure Cooker...Here's Why: Fast meals - cooking […]
Cumberland Island National Seashore
Worth a Visit! Cumberland Island was our last stop along the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) before heading back to Colorado for the holidays. This barrier island off Georgia's southeast coast is one of our favorite stops and we weren't disappointed. The wild horses and mansion ruins are reminders of a time when the Carnegie family had […]
Exploring Small Towns of the Coastal South
Slow and Steady We made a deliberate decision to "stay inside" on the Intracoastal Waterway as we headed south. Sure, it can be tedious as you wind your way through the red and green navigational markers guiding us through the shallow areas. We like to take it slow (6-7 knots = 7-8 mph), using one […]
Curried Pumpkin Soup
Autumn in a Bowl I need easy meals as we motor down the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). We are heading south late in the season, so it's been brisk to downright cold motoring each day. Whether we're on the boat or back in Steamboat, soup is an easy one pot meal to prepare. This Curried Pumpkin […]
Choosing the Intracoastal Waterway
Size Matters "How big is yours?" - an often-asked greeting heard on the docks of the Blue Water Marina in Hampton, VA. This afternoon the small gaggle of sailors gathered on the dock are eyeing the top of our mast. You see, we're all taking our boats south, but only those of us with a […]
Five Hidden Gems of Washington, DC Worth Visiting
Spending Some Time in DC Most visits to Washington, DC are a mad rush to see the highlights: Lincoln Memorial - check, White House - check, Declaration of Independence at the National Archives - check, Smithsonian Museums- check, check and check. We've visited DC before, but this time we decided to give ourselves plenty of […]
Easy Sweet Potato Chili
It's Chilly on the Chesapeake! Who knew that two Coloradans could be such wimps in the chilly fall temps of the Chesapeake Bay? Yes - we have enjoyed the birds and lighthouses of the bay, and even visited Washington, D.C. Now it's time to head south...and get warm. Needing a One-bowl Dinner When we're underway, […]
What the Heck is a Gam?
We are currently on a dock in Rock Hall, MD awaiting a part to replace the new alternator that was put in over the summer...frustrating to say the least! Our plan is to finish the repairs and head up the Potomac to Washington, DC next week. Going to the Gam I'm feeling a bit inadequate […]
Snowcat “On the Hard”
Hard Times Feeling like neglectful parents, we left Snowcat "on the hard" in a Maryland boatyard this summer. Parked at the edge of a boat parking lot and supported by blocks and stabilizers, we closed her up and headed back to Colorado. Our favorite haul out facility is in the north end of the Chesapeake […]
Apple Walnut Bread
Apple Walnut Bread - a taste of fall There was enough time for one last Colorado outing before we head to the boat in the Chesapeake. I went to Palisade and returned with a 25 lb box of apples and a smile on my face. It was my annual trip to visit the area's best […]
Hurricane Preparations – a sailor’s view
As Hurricane Florence bears down on the Carolinas and two other hurricanes are churning in the Atlantic we are about to leave the calm beauty of Steamboat and head back to our boat in the Chesapeake Bay. We will be hundreds of miles from Hurricane Florence but we still wonder…are we crazy? Well - we […]
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Looking for creative ways to eat fresh Olathe Sweet Corn? There are so many easy ways to cook corn on the cob, but this salad is an off-the-cob recipe for serving sweet corn. This Mexican Street Corn Salad is a lightened version of Esquites, a charred corn salad served in Mexico. The secret ingredient of […]
Sangria - Snowcat Style
Learning how to sail on Colorado's mountain lakes prepared us for living on a sailboat, with one notable exception...anchoring. In our years of sailing on the Dillon reservoir we never had to anchor. The lake is deep and there aren't any beaches so there was nothing in our Colorado sailing experience that prepared us for […]
Canning with Confidence
When in doubt...ask for advice When I was an Extension agent for Colorado State University my summers were filled with frantic calls from home canners. Mostly the calls came from nervous cooks who just spent hours in the kitchen canning salsa, preserving tomatoes or making jam. Now they wanted to know - is it safe […]
Best Farm Stands for Food Preservers
Mapping the Best Farm Stands on the Western Slope If you love to preserve food and live in Colorado, then bookmark this page. For the past 5 years my fellow Colorado State University Extension agents and I have taken our Master Food Safety Advisors for a tour of the best farm stands throughout the Western Slope […]
Fresh Peach Crisp
Plenty of Peaches This year there is a bumper crop of peaches in Western Colorado. Palisade peaches are plump and gorgeous at the farmers market so...of course I loaded up. After eating our fill of fresh peaches, I look to other dishes that showcase this sweet and juicy taste of summer. My answer to the […]
Best New Tools for the Backcountry
What Fills Your Cup? What charges your batteries, lights you up, nourishes your soul? The mountains do that for me. Whether I am hiking, skiing, camping or just walking the dog on a wooded trail, there is something magical about being "out there". If you share this love the mountain west, I'd love to hear […]
Sparkling Watermelon Limeade
Aww summer - the days are long and warm and family and friends gather for backyard parties to connect and cool off. At these gatherings, you will always find me positioned near the platter of watermelon. Slice in hand, bending over so that the falling juices miss my shoes, I am in heaven slurping up […]
Strawberry-Blueberry Trifle
Red, White and Blueberry! Who needs fireworks when Strawberry-Blueberry Trifle is part of your Fourth of July celebration? This impressive dessert feeds a crowd and can easily be made at the last minute. The only challenge is finding the right bowl to showcase the Strawberry-Blueberry Trifle. It shows best in a clear glass bowl with […]
Healthy Chicken Lasagna
Healthy Chicken Lasagna is loaded with chunks of meat, vegetables and mushrooms but half the heft of traditional lasagna. This recipe serves 8 portions, so it is my go-to recipe for feeding a crowd or to split in two lasagnas...one to for dinner and one for the freezer. I know what you're thinking...who has time […]
Fresh Raspberry Lemon Muffins
We're back in Colorado While we loved our time aboard our sailboat, I really missed my kitchen with a view in Steamboat. The Easy-Bake Oven that we have on Snowcat, is too small to do much baking. Back in the Boat, I decided to refine an old recipe and ended up with something entirely new...Fresh […]
Sesame Garbanzo Pitas
Sesame Garbanzo Pitas Sometimes you need an easy, make-ahead meal that can be eaten with your hands. Whether you are feeding crew on the boat or a picnic with friends, these Mediterranean inspired pitas will do the trick. Everything can be prepared the day before if you're pressed for time. Simply combine the dressing ingredients in […]
Preparing for a Passage
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 […]
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 […]