Port of Call: Hilton Head, South Carolina

So happy to be back blogging again, after a 6-month hiatus. I tend to look back, and I'm not sure if it's a good thing, but it lets me relive all the fun times and keeps my memory sharp. I am grateful and blessed to have the life I've had. Boater friends Keith and Marianne inspired me to write this post. They are cruising on their sailboat Coddiwample. and their pictures of Hilton Head brought back sweet memories of our stop there in 2004 (wow, twenty years ago!) You can track Coddiwample's location under the  Boating Links on the right.

It was our second time cruising north on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AICW). By the way, there is good news for boats with deeper drafts! Cruising World magazine recently published an article about the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) getting funding from Congress to repair/dredge the 1,100-mile ICW that runs from Key West, Florida to Norfolk, Virginia. Constant shoaling has made navigating the ICW dicey at times. Mai Thai's draft is 3.5 feet, and we had our share of running aground and helping boats from running aground (see posts on Cumberland Island, Daytona Beach and Marco Island).

This particular April, we were determined to stop at places we  had missed the first time. Hilton Head made the bucket list. We were greeted by kayakers as we dropped anchor in Shelter Cove, where we stayed for almost a week.

We dinghied into Shelter Cove Harbor and Marina and a nice sail boater gave us permission to tie up  next to his boat. We had brought our bikes and enjoyed exploring the sneaker-shaped island. We found  Hilton Head rather pricey.  I remember paying a hefty $4 for a scoop of ice cream on a cone. Thank goodness for free anchorage! Harbortown Marina, now Harbor Town Yacht Basin, was charging an exorbitant amount for a slip. There was a major golf tournament going on, but still. The website now lists $4-$5 a foot, a much more reasonable price for the East coast.

One evening, we heard a splash so loud we thought some kayakers had tipped over and fell into the water. We ran out to see a pod of dolphins near the shoreline. Were they stranded in the outgoing tide, like some kayakers previously did? We later learned that they were cornering the fishes into the shallows and feasting on their catch. Everyday at low tide these agile and playful creatures mesmerized us for hours. What a pleasure to watch nature in one's "backyard"!

These photos and video were taken with our Sony video camera, back when 1 Megapixel was high resolution, and took up precious disk space. Amateur photographers like us are happy with the quality. We hope you like them too.

Now back to making more memories so that the first mate can look back and blog about it :-)

Take pictures, have fun and enjoy life!

This post is shared on Image-in-ing, My Corner of the World, Skywatch Friday, and Random-osity.

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Anchoring out and Korean BBQ Ribs

Yesterday was the first day of summer. With a 60-degree temperature and cloudy skies, it sure did not feel like summer. 

this great blue heron patrols the docks

So glad we seized the opportunity to raft up with a few boats from our dock last Sunday. It was a lovely sunny day with temps of 86 degrees F. It was also Father's Day, so for the guys, it was a perfect day to celebrate on the river.

In the food department, the first mate made Korean BBQ ribs. It was a big hit, and a few people asked for the recipe, so I am sharing the recipe here.

I've made Korean BBQ ribs many times in the oven. The last couple of times, I experimented this recipe in the instant pot, and much to my delight, the ribs came out amazingly flavorful and fall-off-the-bones tender. The best part? So easy and quick. We are always trying to simplify our lives; we are sold on the instant pot, so we are giving away our crockpot. Any takers? No shipping, sorry! Given away.

Korean BBQ Pork Ribs
adapted from Alice Currah’s bulgogi in Savory Sweet Life

4-6 servings

1 rack of St Louis Style ribs

½ medium yellow onion, sliced into slivers
3 green onions, sliced at an angle, about 2” long
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp soy sauce (Golden Mountain, Kikkoman or Tamari)
2 Tbsp sesame oil
3 Tbsp sugar
2 pinches black pepper

2 Tbsp roasted sesame seed, yellow or black (optional)
1 green onions, diced, for garnish

1 cup water
2 Tbsp rice vinegar

Instructions

1.     Rinse the ribs and pat dry with paper towel. Remove the membrane and trim the fat. Cut the ribs in half and put them in a Ziploc bag.

2.     Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and black pepper in a bowl. Add the onions, green onions and garlic. Mix well. Add the marinade to the ribs and massage it gently. Store the ribs in the fridge and let it marinate at least 4 hours or overnight.

3.     Place the steamer trivet in the bottom of a 6-quart Instant Pot. Pour in 1 cup of water plus 2 Tbsp rice vinegar. Place the ribs on the trivet, standing up in a circle around the pot, saving the marinade for use later. Make sure the ribs are not touching the water.

4.     Close and lock the lid. Select high pressure according to manufacturer’s instruction. Set time for 23 minutes. When the time is up, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then quick-release the remaining pressure.

5.     While the ribs are cooking, pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil to form a glace. Set aside.

6.     Set the oven to broil. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Carefully remove the ribs from the instant pot and place them on the baking sheet. Brush the glace over the ribs and broil for 5 to 8 minutes.

7. Transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with spring onions and sesame seeds.

If baking in oven,

Skip steps 3-4. 

Heat oven the 375F.
Wrap the ribs in foil, meaty side up and seal completely.
Bake 30 mins. Turn the ribs over, baste and bake another 30 mins
Continue with Steps 5-7

Cook’s Notes: The different brands of soy sauce can be found in Asian grocery stores and Walmart. If you do not have enough marinade to glace the ribs, you can always use barbecue sauce. We served the ribs with Sesame Noodles (link below), but it's also great with steamed white rice or bread. Enjoy!

And the rain continues. How's the weather in your neck of the woods?

This post is shared on Skywatch Friday My Corner of the World and Image-in-ing.

 

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Head of the Hooch Regatta, Chattanooga, TN

This weekend, thousands of rowers descended upon Chattanooga for the Head of the Hooch Regatta. I happened to be in town for my volunteer gig at the TN Aquarium Saturday morning, so I got a preview of the event setup before the race. 

Per the Head of the Hooch website, 8,000 rowers and 20,000 spectators from around the country were expected to attend. I thought the crowd was a tad smaller than 2019, the last time I saw the rowing competition (a friend's son had participated).  Perhaps I was early; it was around 10:30 when I ambled around several vantage points to take pictures. It was very cold that year. This Saturday was cloudy with rain showers later, but unseasonably warm, with temperatures in the high 60s, low 70s. 

Spectators cheering on Walnut Street Bridge

TN Aquarium celebrates its 30th anniversary this year

Earlier Saturday morning before the race

If we didn't cruise up the Tennessee River, we would not have discovered this lovely river town. It has grown leaps and bounds in the last dozen years.  I'm sure the regatta has helped put Chattanooga on the map, since it moved its venue from the Chattahoochee River near Atlanta to Chattanooga twelve years ago.

If you haven't visited Chattanooga yet, perhaps this post will entice you to do so. It's a two hour's drive from the major airports in Atlanta and Nashville.

This post is shared on Skywatch Friday, Random-osity, image-in-ing and My Corner of the World.

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On the Road Again: Gettysburg, PA

This is our second road trip from Chattanooga to Boston. We wanted to steer clear of traffic as much as we can, so avoiding I-95 was key. (To our dear friends in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia, sorry for not visiting!) We took a more relaxing route that offered views of rolling hills and bucolic farmland. Passing near historic Gettysburg, how can we not stop to get a dose of American civil war history? 

That was how we found ourselves at the Gettysburg National Military Park on a Saturday morning. It was 10:30 am. The place was packed, and we had just missed the one and only tour of the day. Apparently only the entrance to the visitor center is free, everything else has a fee attached. We got a map and set out to explore on our own. We'll read about the history later. It was a good thing as we got to tour the grounds at our own pace, and don't have to cram into a bus full of people on a hot summer day.

The setting of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

President Lincoln

At the back of the visitor center, there is a trail that led us to Meades' headquarters and Cemetery Hill.

Meade's Headquarters on left

Soldiers' National Cemetery

We drove around to see other sights - the haunted Sachs Covered Bridge, crossed by both Union and Confederate armies; Devil's Den, where heavy fighting occurred; and observation towers at Culps Hill and near Peach Orchard.

Culp's Hill

Climbing up the observation tower to see

Eisenhower's farm in the distance

Gettysburg Titbits

The battle of Gettysburg was fought on July 1-3, 1863, with casualties of 51,000 (23,000 Union, 28,000 Confederate). On November 19, four and a half months after the Union armies won the battle of Gettysburg, President Lincoln delivered his most famous speech at the dedication of the Soldier’s National Cemetery.

Did you know Dwight Eisenhower, the 34th president, had a farm adjacent to the battlefield? The farm served as a weekend retreat and as a meeting place for world leaders during his presidency. Now part of the National Park Service, the Eisenhower Farm offers free tour, but there is a fee to take the shuttle from the visitor center. 

Back home away from home, we learned more about Gettysburg on YouTube.

Sources: History Channel

We managed to bypass I-95 altogether. Crossing the new Tappan Zee Bridge (built in 2017 and renamed Mario Cuomo Bridge) from Pennsylvania to New York was a breeze. No stop and go like the olden days to pay toll as no toll booth could be found. Ditto on the Massachusetts Turnpike. There is no doubt we have to pay. The bill is probably in the mail.

Happy Friday!

This post is shared on Image-in-ing, My Corner of the World and Skywatch Friday.

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Two quick pickled cucumber recipes, perfect for the summer

Sesame Spicy Cucumbers

Today is officially the first day of summer, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.  And it's super HOT! We've had a heat wave in Southeast Tennessee since last week, but the last two nights have been surprisingly cool, in the low 60s. The days are sunny and the mercury goes right back up to the 90s. Hard to keep up with the changing weather forecast, but we'll take the cool temperatures any time.

Our gracious neighbors have shared their harvests from their bountiful garden. We've received cucumbers, jalapeno peppers, yellow squash, bok choy, and broccoli. 

Over the years, I have posted some easy to make recipes that are great for summertime potlucks or alfresco dining. The most requested recipes are sesame noodles, avocado and roasted corn guacamole and blackeye pea salsa (links below.) And what would summer be without a refreshing mojito? 

These two quick pickled cucumber recipes are pickled Asian style, using the milder rice vinegar. You can get most of the Asian ingredients from your local Walmart. Here are the recipes:

Asian-style pickled cucumbers

4 cucumbers
2 jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced

1 cup rice vinegar
½ cup sugar
2 Tbsp Kosher salt
½ cup water

Heat vinegar, sugar, salt and water in a small pot until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool. 

Slice off about 1 inch from the rounded ends of cucumbers. Rub cut ends with sliced-off pieces to bring up the sap. Quarter lengthwise, then remove soft centers. Cut crosswise into pieces, about 3 or 4 inches long. Wash and pat dry.

Place the cucumbers and jalapeno peppers in a jar. Pour pickling liquid into the jar until the vegetables are submerged. Seal the jar with a lid and refrigerate. It's good after a few hours, but the best flavor is after a day or two. Keeps in the refrigerator for a month.

 

This following recipe - Ma La cucumber or Sesame Spicy Cucumbers - is from Easy Home Cooking, a Chinese cookbook I bought in Hong Kong years ago. I made it for the first time last month; it was so good I've made it a few more times. It's now our favorite pickled cucumber recipe.

Ma La cucumbers (麻辣黃瓜)

8 small cucumbers 
1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp garlic oil
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp each salt, sugar, doubanjang* (豆瓣醬)

dash of sesame oil

Cut cucumbers into wedges and into thirds. Add 1 tsp salt and let it sit in the fridge for 1 hour. Wash lightly and pat dry.

Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and add the cucumber. Let it sit for at least 2 hours before serving.

Note: 

* LeeKumKee brand is very popular. If you cannot find doubanjang (豆瓣醬), you can substitute with crushed pepper or chili oil.

Did you make it? Let us know how it turned out via the comments. Thanks! 

Bon appetit, stay cool, and have a great summer! 

This post is shared on Image-in-ing and My Corner of the World.

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