Life on the water brings with it a whole new skill set, as well as an entirely different vocabulary, like port and starboard, instead of left and right. It takes time to get it all straight.
On one of our first outings last summer, we cruised into a foreign port and radioed the harbormaster to ask for a transient slip. Then we told him that our boat had a 3’ beam.
There was a pause. Then the radio crackled. “Uh, we don’t have slips for boats that size.”
The “beam” is the boat’s width.
I can only imagine what he was thinking. “Are these people in a kayak?? Are they on crack?? Are they utter morons??”
Utter morons- that would be accurate. Or let’s just say “newbies.” 3’ is the draft—how much of the boat is underwater.
To prepare for season two, I took Carefree Boat’s navigation class, essentially “Navigation 101” for new boaters. Captain Rich taught us how to read a chart and plot a course. Most importantly, I learned how to pinpoint my location if I’m lost and the GPS goes out. That would have been helpful during my wintertime girls (boat) trip in Florida (see my post under “Destinations”).
It was an incredibly useful, practical, hands on course. We got to use the tools and practice plotting on charts—sort of like science lab back in high school, but minus the teenage angst, acne, and worries about grades and SAT scores.
I have my custom fit boat-to-shore attire, and now I have my heading. It’s time to rock and roll out on the waves for 2019. Bring it on!
Men have it easy- guys can throw a polo shirt over swim trunks and walk into a reasonably upscale waterfront restaurant. Us girls deserve something just as easy and comfortable because changing clothes in the head just doesn’t cut it. (For non-boaters, the head is a boat bathroom, and most of them are about half the size of a port-a-potty). Throwing a dress over a damp swimsuit isn’t all that fun either, particularly if the restaurant is air-conditioned.
I set to work to solve this wardrobe inequity by combining something modern (nylon-blend swimwear fabric) with a classic 1940s-era look. Then I took out my needle and thread (or, really, my Serger and trusty old Bernina). This swimsuit should transition seamlessly from a casual dip in the water, to boating across the waves, to trading your flip-flops for sandals and dinner in port. Now, on to the boat-testing phase- if only it would get warm enough!
Exploring the Florida Keys with boater girls Denise, Lisa, and Heather
Two Floridians invited two sun-starved Connecticut girls to a weekend in the Florida Keys, and they were kind enough to humor us when we wanted to spend every single secondoutdoors in weather that the locals viewed as subarctic. What ensued? Girls (Boat) Trip, of course.
First, we found rental boat. The conditions weren’t ideal, and the boat’s owner was incredulous, “Are you sure you want to go boating today?”
I didn’t hesitate. “Temps in the 50s? Two foot waves? Yes!! I’ll be captain.” After boating in the late fall in Connecticut, I felt right at home.
I promised to bring the boat back in one piece . . . more on that later.
Before long, we found ourselves surrounded by beauty: bright blue water, seabirds wading along the shores, mangroves, and . . . toilet seats. That’s not a typo. We had found toilet seat cut, a dredged channel near Islamorada, marked by imaginatively decorated toilet seats hanging from poles. Apparently, locals with a sense of humor have been decorating the channel for over fifty years, and now it’s quite the tourist attraction (See http://www.allatsea.net/how-toilet-seat-cut-in-islamorada-came-to-be/). After clearing the cut, we cruised through mangrove-lined Tavernier Creek to the Atlantic side of the Keys before heading south toward Snake Creek, which would take us back to the Gulf side.
Just a few of the many toilet seats marking toilet seat cut
I must say that learning to boat on Carefree’s late-model Chaparral Suncoast 250s has spoiled me. After spending last summer on big boats with ample horsepower and stainless steel props, driving a 19’ boat with a 115-horsepower engine felt like trading in the Corvette for a golf cart. Then, a gauge started beeping and flashing “low battery,” the Bluetooth cut out, and the GPS started turning off and on, off and on. As we headed into Snake Creek, the engine sputtered and stopped. We were dead in the water.
Did I break it? No- I think it was the battery
Luckily, we ended up with a tow-boat, not a rowboat—they promptly came out to get us and, after an unsuccessful attempted jump-start, we were towed back to the dock. We had a cooler, snacks, and more time on the water, so all was well as we kicked back with a few drinks during the ride home.
Great seafood was another highlight of our trip. We ate at Marker 88, which is right on the water and features live music and seafood. Back in Ft. Lauderdale, I gorged on delicious stone crab claws, a Floridian wintertime delicacy, at Catfish Deweys. It wasn’t quite Girls Trip—there certainly weren’t any escapades involving zip lines or citrus fruit—but we had a blast. Boating & seafood & island hopping in a shiny white Mustang convertible was a welcome respite from the cold.
We’re gripped in a polar vortex; it’s cold, dark and dreary outside- what’s a boater girl to do? Rather than pining away for my boats, I’ll perfect some boat friendly recipes during the off season. And, okay, maybe there’s just a little bit of pining happening as well, but . . . sigh . . . nothing I can’t manage.
Here’s a recipe that my colleagues have been asking me to publish for quite some time (yes, Beth and the 18th floor, this one’s for you!) This recipe takes oatmeal cookies to a whole new level (or so I’ve been told), and these are reasonably healthy so you won’t feel guilty about feeding them to the kids for breakfast. What’s more, because they’re compact and portable, they are easy to grab on the way out of the house in the morning (or as a snack for a boat ride).
Ingredients
14 tablespoons of butter
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of salt
1¼ cups of dried cranberries
1 medium-sized golden delicious apple
3 cups of Quaker Oats, uncooked
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. The oven must be hotter than for typical oatmeal cookies so the extra moisture from the fresh apples evaporates.
Beat the butter and sugars in a stand mixer until creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically to make sure the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
Add the eggs and vanilla to the stand mixer and beat until combined.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly using the stand mixer.
Add the oats and mix them into the dough on slow speed.
Core and peel the apple and cut it into ¼ inch squares. I core and peel the apple using an apple peeler/corer device and then slice up the rings into smaller pieces (see below).
My apple peeler/corer device (though not with a golden delicious apple) and apples chopped to the correct size for these cookies
8. Add the apple pieces and cranberries to the dough and mix them in by hand. Mix the cookie dough just enough to evenly distribute the fruit. If you overmix it, the dough will become soggy from juice released by the apple slices, which makes for soggy cookies.
9. Drop tablespoons of cookie dough onto a nonstick baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until they are golden brown and firm. Cool the cookies on a wire rack.
The cookies should keep for about one week. They also can be frozen and thawed as needed. Enjoy!
When a friend suggested Puerto Rico as a vacation destination, I balked at first. After hearing about the island’s financial woes and the devastation wrought by hurricane Maria in 2017, I worried about what we’d find. But after reading multiple recent good reviews of hotels on Trip Advisor and hearing Lin Manuel Miranda’s entreaties to support the island’s economy, I was intrigued. The quick 3.5 hour flight from New York or Connecticut (and that we could avoid the headaches of passing through immigration and changing currency) cinched the deal.
Puerto Rico did not disappoint. There still is hurricane damage, for sure- on the way home from a rainforest tour, we passed row after row of dilapidated structures, mostly consisting of modest no-longer-habitable homes. In contrast, the touristy Condado beach neighborhood and Old San Juan have been fully restored, and they offer plenty of activities and food options for visitors. I hope that our tourist dollars contributed to the gargantuan task of getting at least some local families back on their feet.
While the touristy sections of Old San Juan have been restored, numerous modest homes remain devastated
Activities:
Boating was at the top of my list of must-do activities—even if I visit the landlocked desert, I’d bet that I could work a boat into the trip somehow. Luckily, San Juan had plenty of boat-centered recreational options. We rented a snappy red Yamaha jet boat- aptly named “Hot Tamale”- from San Juan Boat Rentals. After visiting Castillo San Felipe del Morro on land, we got to see it as the 17th century Spanish sea captains did. Instead of scanning the horizon for pirates, however, we worried only about avoiding novice jet-skiers and towering mega cruise ships. We anchored in a calm inlet near the city walls of Old San Juan and swam in the warm turquoise-blue waters, followed by my daughter’s first time on a wakeboard (she’s now hooked). The highlight, of course, was when I got to take the wheel and zoom across the bay—a welcome dose of medication for my boat fever.
Another highlight was a tour of the El Yunque Rain Forest, which we arranged through the tour desk at our hotel. El Yunque is a world away from Puerto Rico’s sandy Caribbean beaches. It is lush and green, and filled with dazzling waterfalls and mountain views. Our guide, Janilla, was comedian, historian, naturalist, photographer, and mother-hen all rolled into one, informing us about the local flora and fauna and island culture and history, all the while keeping us on schedule. She also guided us to a roadside stand for lunch, where we enjoyed conch fritters, roast chicken, and pasteles, which is a Puerto Rican Christmastime treat of root vegetables, meat, and plantain, all wrapped in banana leaves.
Wining and Dining:
Excellent food options abounded. Highlights included a chocolate brunch at Chocobar Cortés, which features Caribbean-farmed chocolate in every dish. We devoured the chocolate French toast, churros with chocolate sauce, and I treated myself to chocolate milk spiked with Puerto Rican rum (yum!). For dinner, most of our best meals were a quick Uber-ride outside of the touristy Condado beach neighborhood. Musa Gastro Pub features a wide selection of delicious cocktails and gourmet riffs on traditional Puerto Rican fare. It was also kid-friendly with excellent service. Asere Cubano was in a vibrant neighborhood filled with bars and live music. The chef served up a whole fried red snapper, killer empanadas, and coconut flan for dessert. Oceano was memorable for its food, service, and atmosphere. We sat on a terrace overlooking the ocean, watching the glittering lights of cruise ships travel east along the Puerto Rican coast. Enjoying Atlantic shrimp while listening to waves crash on the shore and breathing in the salty ocean air was my version of perfecto.
Travel Tips:
If you’re staying in the Condado beach neighborhood or Old San Juan, there’s no need to rent a car at the airport. Everything we wanted to see and do was a quick, reasonably-priced cab or Uber ride away, and parking on the beach strip was expensive- $25/day at our hotel.
Eating out three meals a day will kill your vacation budget. We stayed at La Concha in one of the tower suites. Although the room was slightly more expensive, the kitchenette allowed us to buy groceries locally and eat breakfast in the room. I also packed our suitcase with breakfast and snack staples from home, including chocolate-chip banana bread, homemade focaccia, and Clif Bars. Some days, we also reheated our dinner leftovers for lunch, and we bought a tub of ice cream at the grocery store, instead of buying ice cream for the kids at restaurants.
La Concha was a great place to stay, with two infinity pools (one was adults-only) overlooking the ocean, and a wide expanse of beach just steps from the pools. In the evening, there was live music at the hotel bar and a DJ. La Concha was also a short walk away from groceries, coffee houses, pharmacies, and multiple eateries.
All-in-all Puerto Rico offered an excellent balance of beach-time, hiking, food, culture, and history (as well as a welcome respite from the cold, dark environs back home). Adiós San Juan . . . at least until next time.
It’s that crazy holiday season, when we’re all busy shopping for gifts, attending/hosting holiday parties, decorating, baking, and sending out cards . . . Phew! I’ll keep this one short because who has time to read long blog entries (and, frankly, I don’t have time to write long blog entries).
My kids’ size Ugg slippers are still going strong after three years
If you’re looking to treat yourself (or to treat that woman who does it all) to a cozy pair of Uggs, here’s a great money saving tip that I learned from my friend Analis. Buy the kid’s size equivalent. For example, on Zappos, the Ugg Dakota slipper costs $70 for the kids’ version and $100 for the women’s version of the exact same shoe. Just Google a kids’/women’s shoe conversion chart to figure out the kids’ equivalent of the adult shoe size.
This trick works for many of the high-end casual shoes, winter boots, and outdoors and hiking brands. Just don’t buy her pink light-up Elsa sneakers, or you’ll end up sleeping under the tree. Happy holidays, everyone!
In my family, Thanksgiving and apple pie go hand-in-hand. As the family baker, my job is to get dessert on the table for the big meal. (When I retire from the law, I’ll open a bakery called the Torte Lawyer, featuring . . . you guessed it, “appeal pie.” We’ll also feature subpoenaed brittle . . .)
All joking aside, however, I’ve developed some techniques that make apple pie baking go as quickly and smoothly as possible, which is crucial if you’re juggling kids, work, and holiday travel. The first trick is this marvelous contraption:
It cores, peels and slices the apples in one easy step, and the kids get a kick out of turning the handle and collecting the apple skin ribbons that it produces. Mine was manufactured by “Back to Basics,” but any heavy duty cast iron/stainless steel device will work.
My second trick works for all types of pies and tarts. Roll out your pie dough on a piece of parchment paper or wax paper. That way, you skip having to scrub down the countertop before and after you roll out your dough. Plus, when it’s time to transfer the dough to your pie dish, you can simply pick up the paper and flip it upside down into the dish.
And, yes, technically the photo is of a tart, not a pie, but the same concepts apply either way.
Cooler weather inevitably leads to the dreaded snow day. I’m not talking about those Nor’easters when everything shuts down and the whole family gets to curl up at home with hot chocolate and a roaring fire. I’m talking about those days when school shuts down (or is delayed) for 2” of snow, you have a 9:00 AM meeting with a client, and your spouse has a meeting at the exact same time. In other words, those days that send two-career families into a frantic frenzy of rescheduling, lining up child care, and arguing over whose meeting is more important—all before that first cup of coffee.
Here’s one trick that saved us time, money, and sanity. We banded together with a small group of parents, and we switch off watching our collective group of kids when school is cancelled. One parent watches all the kids while the other parents work, and on the next snow day, a different parent has kid duty. Each parent misses one day of work for every six snow days, and because the kids play together, the parent who is on kid duty can usually work from home. Plus, with six parents in the mix, it is unlikely that everyone will have an important 9:00 AM meeting.
Not only does this arrangement save our collective sanity, it also allows each parent to conserve his or her vacation time/PTO. Snow days and sick kids used to eat up all my time off. Now I can use my PTO for fun activities—such as vacation days or . . . you guessed it, boating.
To give credit where credit is due, this plan is the brainchild of our friend who is a game theorist—thank you, Alex!
After a highly symptomatic summer, I recently received a diagnosis of boat fever. Apparently, it is incurable. But don’t worry, it isn’t terminal, and the symptoms are bothersome only during the winter months. I looked it up on WebMD and mayoclinic.org and came up empty, so I created my own entry.
Who’s at Risk?
Anyone who loves beaches, the ocean, or is drawn to any other body of water. Adventure-seekers, explorers, and thrill-seekers also are at risk. Individuals who enjoy having fun with friends and family are susceptible too.
What are the Symptoms?
Paying close attention to weather reports to identify good boating days
A willingness to drop nearly everything when the weather is perfect for boating
The inability to comprehend why other people might choose non-boating or indoors activities during boating season (“You want to see a movie when its 80 degrees and sunny . . . why?”)
Taking on the role of cruise director for your family and friends
A near-instantaneous feeling of relaxation, contentment, and exhilaration upon leaving the harbor
When to Contact Your Doctor
It’s incurable, and there are no treatment programs or clinical trials, so don’t bother. And, by the way, most people who are diagnosed with boat fever don’t want to find a cure (even in the most severe cases, like me). The symptoms can be managed by spending as much time as possible on the water.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you think this is a real medical condition, you have no sense of humor.
A little retooling, and this dessert passed the boat test!
My blog-worthy recipes must pass the Boat Test. For those who are wondering, the Boat Test is simple: can it be served on a boat with minimal aggravation/ mess/ cleanup? And perhaps boat-testing my recipes is yet another excuse to get out on the water . . .
The first time I made this tart, it soundly failed the Boat Test, which was, of course, on the Long Island Sound. The crust isn’t crumbly, which makes it easy to cut up and serve, but the peaches all slid to one side in transit, peach juice leaked everywhere, and when I momentarily lost my balance, half the filling ended up on the bow, instead of in our bellies. Peaches release lots of juice when they bake, and too much liquid made this dessert unseaworthy.
I went back to the drawing board and tried another approach. This time I cooked the filling separately on the stovetop before I put the tart in the oven. I also added tapioca starch to thicken the filling. Version Two was a keeper, and its colors mirror a sunset over the Long Island Sound, so it is the perfect complement to a sunset cruise with friends.
10-11 Yellow Peaches (any free stone variety), peeled
¾ to 1 cup of sugar to taste
1 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp of nutmeg
2 tablespoons tapioca starch
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl and stir to combine.
Add the eggs, oil, and water. Stir to thoroughly combine.
Form a flat, round disk of dough and wrap it in parchment paper. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
While the dough is chilling, combine all the filling ingredients except for the tapioca starch in a saucepan.
Bring the ingredients to a boil over medium heat, stirring continuously, and cook them at a simmer for 3-5 minutes until the peaches look golden like a sunset and are cooked through (see photo to the right).They will release a lot of peach juice.
Turn off the heat and pour the peach juice into a large Pyrex measuring cup.
Reserve ¼ cup of peach juice. The rest can be saved to use as an ice cream topping, pancake syrup, etc.
In the measuring cup, mix the tapioca starch with the reserved peach juice, and pour it back into the saucepan with the peaches.Reheat the peaches on low for about 1 minute until the peach juice thickens.
Put the oven rack in the lower middle position. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Roll out the dough on parchment paper until it is a ¼ inch thick round crust. The dough might feel oily. Don’t worry; it will not be oily when cooked, and the oil helps to create a barrier between the filing and the crust, which keeps the crust from getting soggy.
Lift the parchment paper and turn it upside-down to flip the dough into the tart pan. Repair any broken edges and spread the dough so it meets the top of the tart pan.
Spoon the filling into the crust, and bake the tart for 18 to 20 minutes, until it is golden.
Cool the tart thoroughly before serving it on or offshore.
winter months. I looked it up on WebMD and mayoclinic.org and came up empty, so I created my own entry.
half the filling ended up on the bow, instead of in our bellies. Peaches release lots of juice when they bake, and too much liquid made this dessert unseaworthy.
sunset and are cooked through (see photo to the right).They will release a lot of peach juice.