Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Five

[Lois R]

Hi JP, we have a Trader Joe's and to be honest, I am just not that impressed.   We have a store called "Fresh Market" and I like it a lot more than TJ's.  Nice to have choices

[Daveywavey70]

Evening all.

Happy Birthday M. Hope you have a great day.

Another busy week, we had a spooky course at the hotel all week. 

27 spirituallists locked in a dark room. Was a lot of fun. 

‘Hope you’ve enjoyed seaside Jeff.

JP sounds like you’d have had an easier time going to work rather than staying home this weekend!

Quiter one this week. Chance to catch my breath before the Ch***tmas rush starts.

Bah umbug.

😀

 

[mysty]

Thanks DW!  Good to "hear" your voice again!  Lovely day thanks!  Sushi was delicious!

 

Enjoy your quiet week!  Spiritualists locked in a dark room sounds interesting though.

[jpalbny]

Davey, I think you are right. But it all needed to get done. Had our first dusting of snow last night and nightly temps are starting to dip below freezing now. Didn't want the water to freeze in the lines and have an expensive repair job come springtime. I have to pick the remaining herbs tomorrow, as Tuesday night will be cold enough for a killing frost. Tonight the temp will be low enough that I am pushing my luck, but I am not motivated to do it now...

 

Lois, we have a Fresh Market too and it's really quite nice. It was the first high-end grocery in our area and was insanely popular. But TJ's and Whole Foods followed so it's not as mobbed now. But each of the stores here seems to have its strengths and weaknesses. For us, Fresh Market is better for high-end stuff. We get our fancy tonic water (for Gin and Tonic) there as they have nice brands that nobody else carries. And their fresh meat counter is one of the best in the area. They have an awesome cheese selection.

 

When we first went to TJ's decades ago, we tried a bunch of their prepared stuff and agree, we were not impressed. But now we focus more on basic ingredients and they really shine here. They have interesting produce for reasonable prices and it's a great supplement to the regular grocery store. Their produce items tend to be smaller which we like better anyway. I don't need an apple the size of my head, etc. TJ's also has a great assortment of whole grains. And I am addicted to their "Inca Corn" which is the huge kernels of Andean corn, puffed a little and baked to a crisp, then salted. It is so good! Their cheese selection is also pretty nice. We may swing by tomorrow to grab a few things, if work allows.

 

Might wander by the hot tub tonight after all of that work today! Here's a picture of the snow this morning... Which reminds me, the patio furniture needs to come in tomorrow. More work!

 

 

And Friday night's dinner. Pasta with capers and mint. A quick little Food & Wine recipe where I cooked onions, garlic, and bacon together then added tomatoes and capers. The mint went in at the end and it was all tossed together with pasta. Was pretty and very tasty, but ended up being a nice snack as we were hungry within an hour. Next time I need to make a little more, I think!

 

 

 

 

Edited November 11, 2018 by jpalbny

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers!

 

Hope Helga cooperated to get J and Mrs J home safely!

 

JP...your weekend work sounds daunting.  Your meal looks scrumptious!

 

Today's funny from Meanwhile in Australia.....

 

 

Have a great day all!

[UKCruiseJeff]

Good Afternoon all from a grey Hampshire after an unusually pleasant drive home in Helga, arriving bck here at 4am ish.   Thanks M, great to be home. No weight gain despite all those curries.  

 

Yourgarden looks idealic JP and so does the food.  

 

Dave I don’t,envy you your christmas - I bet you look forward to the comparative quiet of January.  

 

Today was mussels in Penang curry ..... with sourdough ..

 

 

[mysty]

Glad you made it home safely and with an "unusually pleasant drive" as a bonus.  The mussels look sooooo good J!

We were in Penang on our last big adventure.  I really enjoyed our visit there!  Here's a picture from Chew Jetty:

 

 

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers!

 

Today's funny.....

 

 

Have a great day all!

[TLCOhio]

Sorry that I have been busy and not able to post recently at the Cooler.  Much packing and prep work to do when being gone for this long of a period of time.   Now getting ready to fly to London Heathrow and then on to Athens, Greece.  Will be starting Nov. 16 our twenty-day Oceania Nautica cruise from Athens to Dubai.  Looking forward to our first stops in Cyprus, Jerusalem, Egypt, Luxor/Valley of the Kings, Petra, Oman and then the UAE.  Will do a live/blog with lots of visuals.  It will be on the Oceania CC Board to start later this week.  Will post a link later.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Athens & Greece: Many visuals, details for a city with great history, culture and architecture.  Now at 27,562 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008

 

From the Admirals Club at O'Hare, below is our view for one of the Boeing 787 jets that we will be flying soon.  In the distance at the right, you can see the famed Chicago downtown with its many high-rises.  Super sunny here in Chicago.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see this picture larger/better!)

[jpalbny]

Terry, have a great trip! The 787 is a gorgeous plane; we flew in one to Easter Island last year and loved it. Here is a view of "our" 787 coming in for a landing at Easter Island while we watched from a restaurant just a few hundred meters from the end of the runway.

 

 

Oceania had great food when we cruised with them back in the day but we haven't been on one of their ships since November 2008. Hard to believe that it's been 10 years. Let us know if it's as good as we remember.

 

Enjoy Egypt. It's a magical place. My little sister is currently in Morocco for the week. Scenery looks similar but fewer high-impact archaeological sites.

[Daveywavey70]

Have a fantastic time Terry. Looking forward to reading your bloggs.

[TLCOhio]

3 hours ago, jpalbny said:

Terry, have a great trip! The 787 is a gorgeous plane; we flew in one to Easter Island last year and loved it. Oceania had great food when we cruised with them back in the day but we haven't been on one of their ships since November 2008. Enjoy Egypt. It's a magical place. My little sister is currently in Morocco for the week. Scenery looks similar but fewer high-impact archaeological sites.

 

3 hours ago, Daveywavey70 said:

Have a fantastic time Terry. Looking forward to reading your bloggs.

 

Super appreciate these great comments, kind wishes and follow-ups from J. P.. and Daveywavey70.  Now half-way across the Atlantic.  We are in "coach", but fortunately in the extended leg room area.  PLUS, most important, the seat between my wife and me in the 3-3-3 arrangement is empty.  That really helps in having more room and comfort.  Couldn't afford to do business on this trip, nor having enough Frequent Flyer miles.  Will have more from being back at Heathrow for the first time since 2010 and then going to Athens for the first time since 2006. 

.  

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Wonderful scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 232,078 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers!

 

Today's funny.....

 

 

Have a great day all!

[UKCruiseJeff]

Tonights supper will be this loaf and some wine and some cheese.  🙂

 

 

[mysty]

That loaf looks exquisite J!  I think CC needs a "YUM" button now!  🙂

[jpalbny]

Jeff, your dinner looks easier to make than mine was. But it really wasn't that bad now that I think about it.

 

We ordered a bunch of fish from Alaska over the weekend. It arrived today via FedEx, packed in a Styrofoam box and still nicely frozen solid. This is our second order from this particular dealer, and the quality looks even better this time. You may recall the picture I posted a few months ago, of Chris holding a pair of King Crab leg that were just huge - same place, another order. We have two more for a special occasion. 😄

 

 

So I used one of the halibut portions to make dinner. I heated some olive oil over a very low flame, with a bunch of crushed garlic cloves, lemon slices, and a few pieces of sage and rosemary. The herb garden was picked clean last night before the killing frost hit, so the herbs are now safely stashed away in plastic bags, in the accessory refrigerator. I miss the garden but I don't have to put on shoes to go pick herbs now.

 

I cooked/poached the halibut over low heat in the seasoned oil, then added a splash of wine, lemon juice, and broth. The fish was served with the cooking liquid, over roasted potatoes. I fried a few sage leaves for garnish.

 

 

We had haricots verts for a side dish (from Trader Joe's, Lois, in case you need another incentive to go back).

 

Even though it sounds fancy it was less than 30 minutes from prep to table. It went very well with a heavy Rias Baixas Albarino. Very glad to enjoy this and not be on call!

[mysty]

JP...yet another reason for the suggested YUM button!  Looks delish!

[Bill B]

Eating well is the best revenge. 

[Lois R]

wow...ya'll had seafood shipped? No fresh stuff up there?

 

I made chicken wings marinated in a teriyaki sauce......they came out pretty good!

[Lois R]

Oh, a new restaurant opened up near me called TRU KITCHEN...…..it is DELICIOUS!......I had dinner there the other night. Edamame Dumplings for appetizer and then I had a Spaghetti Squash Casserole...….really, REALLY good!!

[TLCOhio]

Did make it through London Heathrow yesterday and arrived last night in Athens, Greece.  Things were smooth and good for Terminals 3 & 5, British Airways, flights, luggage, etc.  Enjoyed some excellent Greek beer and food last night, plus saw a few historic sights.  Below is some photographic "evidence".  More later.  On the way today to see the ancient site of "Delphi".  Will talk to the Gods there about fixing all of the world's challenges and issues.  And, ask that "it" be done soon!!

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Sydney to NZ/Auckland adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling for "down under” wonders. Exciting visuals with key highlights.  On page 15, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings.  Now at 215,147 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

 

Below is flying over Heathrow's Terminal 5 as we de departed London for Greece with British Airways.  Second is the sun setting as we approached Athens.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

 

 

YES is for good Greek beer and a nice seafood dish in the Plaka area of historic Athens.:

 

 

Plus, a small sampling of historic sights and sites last night in Athens near our hotel in the Plaka area.:

 

[TLCOhio]

In San Antonio, Texas, yesterday, it was down to 23F.  Cold in mid November for that part of the USA!!  St. Louis was getting 4-8" of snow.   Below is what our weather would be in Central Ohio.  Glad we are avoiding the snow there at this normally more mild time of the year.  Not hot in Greece now, but it will be, hopefully, better weather here for sailing some Greek Isles, going to Cyprus and Israel, etc.  

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

SE Asia/Mekong River, Etc.!  Live/blog from early 2018, first adventure through SE Asia, stops in Hong Kong and Bangkok, before exploring all over Vietnam and Cambodia, seven days sailing on the Mekong River. Now at 39,012  views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2591474

 

From AccuWeather, here is today's forecast for back home in Central Ohio.  Too early for snow!!.: 

[tgh]

Terry we are about to leave beautiful sunny  brisvegas (18 >29)for a few days in Bryce Utah (0> -6)

 

[jpalbny]

Lois, we really do not have any good seafood to buy around here. There was a long-time fish store in Albany, which mainly supplied the local restaurants, but they had a retail outlet for years which was fairly OK. Once that closed our options evaporated. The grocery stores are the best remaining options but it's really hit or miss for quality. The other "seafood market" in the area is pretty useless. And I can almost never find halibut. So this is worth it for us.

 

TGH, that is just chilly! It's 20F this morning here in Albany so I can sympathize.

 

Terry, nice shots of Athens. Great location between the Parthenon and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Did you see Silver's post on the Oceania boards?

 

 

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers!

 

A thought for today.....

 

 

Have a great day all!