Berry Healthy Crepe

Yummy Breakfast.. or dessert !! You can eat crepes almost any time of day because you can put just about any combination of food inside. I remember as a kid we always did some combination of fruit, yogurt, and chocolate. I left out the chocolate here... but for kids I'll always add it in :) The sweetened ricotta can easily be subbed out for low-fat yogurt for a lighter choice and I usually use some type of frozen mixed berry for the fruit.

Basic Crepe
1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup low-fat 1% milk
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons butter, melted
2 large eggs

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Combine milk, water, melted butter, and eggs in a blender. Add the flour mixture to milk mixture, and process until smooth. Cover batter; chill for 1 hour.

Heat an 8-inch nonstick crepe pan or skillet over medium heat. Pour a scant 1/4 cup batter into pan; quickly tilt pan in all directions so batter covers pan with a thin film. Cook about 1 minute. Carefully lift the edge of the crepe with a spatula to test. The crepe is ready to turn when it can be shaken loose from the pan and the underside is lightly browned. Turn crepe over, and cook for 30 seconds or until center is set.

Sweetened Ricotta Filling
1 c. part skim ricotta cheese
4 T. powdered Sugar
1½ t. vanilla

Spiced Blueberry Topping
1 c. water
¾ c. sugar
1 c. blueberries
1 t. butter
1 t. lemon juice
½ t. vanilla
¼ t. scant nutmeg

Combine water and sugar in a small pot, boil until dissolved. Add blueberries and other ingredients, return to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until berries pop (4 minutes more). This makes a lot, but chills to keep for at least a week and is great on ice cream, too!

Putting it Together
Lay the crepe on a plate. Spread one spoonful of ricotta or yogurt in center. Top with about 1/4 c. of just slightly frozen berries. Wrap the crepe in a way that keeps the filling inside (creativity is fine here). Top with the spiced blueberry sauce. Eat! Enjoy!!

What is a Hypnautic Vacation?

Well... we made it!

The latest charter was a great success. Only one night of "Breaking bad" per person... unless your name was Jo JO :) We started at Trellis Bay, hit the Baths and North Sound before heading down toward Norman Is. and the Bight. We finished up the week partying at Jost Van Dyke. The family was a great group from Chicago-- we even had our first IU grad aboard... unfortunately we also had a current PU student as well(JK). We were in a flotilla which meant we tried to meet up with 3 other boats every evening, but by the end of the week we were pretty much on our own (for better or worst). This week we went through -- 3 cases Bud, 3 cases Bud Light, 2 cases Carib, 2 cases Red Stripe, 1 case Presidente, 1 case Amstel Light, 2 btl. Grey Goose, 2 btl. Tanqueray, 2 btl rum, 1 btl. Absinthe, 1.5 gallons of wine, 1 case cigarettes, and 3 nights of drinks on shore!! Who knows how to P-A-R-T-Y?? We also caught 2 fantastic tuna and enjoyed some fresh sashimi. Yummie!

Back on charter...

... and it should be an interesting one, a "flotilla" with three other catamarans. Hope to have lots of great pics and stories for you soon!

African Chicken/ Plum Basil

I participated in a cooking contest during the boat show... and I'm still not sure how I placed. We were in the middle of preparing the boat for out first charter and didn't make it to the party where they announced how everyone placed. BUT I did make in onto the official CD of contest photos. I made my African Chicken Peanut Soup and Plum Basil Salad. Most people can't even repeat the name of the soup so I was sure it would be the only one of its kind. (and it was)

African Chicken Peanut Soup
(serves 4)
2 cooked chicken boobs, diced
3/4 c. white onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 T. dark sesame oil
2 t. yellow curry powder
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
4 c. chicken stock (2 cans)
1/4 c. tomato paste
1 can whole stewed tomatoes, drained
4 T. chunky peanut butter

In a large pot saute chicken, onion, and garlic in sesame oil for about 10 minutes- until onion is tender. Add curry powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Saute for 1 minute. Use scissors to cut stewed tomatoes into bite size pieces. Add stock, tomato paste, stewed tomatoes, and peanut butter. Stir until well combined. Heat almost to a boil and serve with crusty bread or salad.

Plum Basil Salad
2 T. olive oil
2 T. fresh lemon juice
2 T. fresh orange juice
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 t. grated orange zest
1 t. grated lime zest
pink sea salt
coarse black pepper
10 oz. baby spinach
2 c. basil leaves, torn
2 black or red plums

In a small bowl whisk together oil, lemon juice, orange juice, vinegar, and zests. Season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl toss the basil and spinach -add dressing and coat well. Top with sliced plums, salt, pepper, and any extra zest for color.

Swimmin with Dolphins

Location: Secret Cove, BVI

If you didn't already hate us because of our totally cool job, you can start now. We pulled into one of our favorite secret spots this afternoon with our current charter. Just after we set the anchor a dolphin swam right up to the boat. I instantly grabbed my mask and jumped in after it. Our guests followed suit and it didn't even phase our little friend. He continued swimming around the boat with us. Sasha started some water sports with the kids and the dolphin loved it! He swam with the dingy all afternoon! Our guests loved it (especially the girl who's afraid of all things that swim).

Busy!

Just finished a wonderful charter and we are busy preparing for what we hope will be another great one!  Pictures and stories soon...

Amazin' Flamin' Dinners

Current Location: The Baths, Virgin Gorda

Lat/Lon: 18°25.89' N 64°26.74' W

Air Temp: 79°F Sea Temp: 79°F

Weather: Sunny, Clear

Last night's dinner was quite an event.  The captain helped out by making his famous Columbian/French/Puerto-Rican Rice & Beans while Tara broiled some local Red Snapper, which all looked and tasted amazing!  Tara finished by with her famous flaming coffee (without setting herself or the boat on fire)!!  Everyone was pleased and impressed.

 

Vacation is over, time to go on vacation

Current Location: Diamond Cay, JVD

Lat/Lon: 18°27.03' N 65°43.43' W

Air Temp: 79°F Sea Temp: 79°F

Weather: Cool, Clear

Brrrrrr!  Winter must be here.  Water temp PLUNGED into the low upper 70's.

Today's post has one photo of me actually doing work!  I wiped down the hulls as a preemptive strike against marine growth and to renew the antifouling paint.  

Then we went to the bubbly pool on the north face of Jost Van Dyke, and there was a good swell running.  That pool was BUBBLY!

Then Tara took me surfing!!!  TOW INS AT JOST!!

Now we are back on charter, but still sending you warmth and love.  (Just not as much warmth, it's getting cold here!)

More Pictures

Here are some pictures from the last week or so.  We accomplished a lot (in no particular order): changed the oil in the Volvos, caught and ate lobster in St. Croix, installed a new (plastic-coated) cable to lock the dinghy and engine, visited the Gold Coast Catamaran factory in Salt River, St. Croix (with Capt. Kirk, and yes that is a 67' long, 15' tall catamaran in the background), visited the Annaberg Sugar Mill ruin in St. John (they used live coral as a building material!), scrubbed the dingy, cleaned and oiled the teak (note before and after in photos, and how the teak shines now!), and scraped and re-painted the big windows.  We also had a feline visitor who saw how nice the boat looked and decided to hop on and say "hi".  Sasha: "Can we keep him?"  Tara: "No."