Tuesday December 19th, 2023 -- The Fleet Report and Daily

[ger_77]

19 minutes ago, St Pete Cruiser said:

Captain says we are going around  the Equinox. 

Yay!!   Bon Voyage!

[JazzyV]

Good afternoon. Thanks for the Fleet Report/Daily @richwmn.

Some hard candy is ok, but there was some bad Christmas hard candy my DM would buy when I was a kid (the raspberry ones). I'll salute heroes and heroines. There's an evergreen in my next door neighbor's yard. I can her Phyllis Diller saying that. The meal sounds good, pass on the drink and yes to the wine. I haven't been to Souda-Chania. 

 

It's cloudy here, about 30F, with overnight snow showers and wind. The snow is mainly on the grass, but since the ground was warm there was some ice formation initially. I saw the neurosurgeon this morning, who thinks one of the synovial cysts in the spine is pressing on the nerve causing my symptoms. She offered 2 things to try before resorting to surgery. Both are steroid injections, but the one guy ruptures the cyst. She's had a few people do that and they did very well. Unfortunately, looking online it looks like the person who does that isn't in my insurance network. I'll call my insurance to verify. I don't know if they would make any exception for a procedure done by only one person in town. If either of those injections worked for any length of time, I could put off surgery. If not, then surgery.

 

@St Pete Cruiser Bon Voyage! Have a great cruise and thanks for the photos.

@richwmn Safe travels tomorrow.

@Nickelpenny I hope the injection kicks in soon. 

@aliaschief I'm glad you got the India visas, and sorry about the windshield.

@ottahand7 That's sad that the restaurant is closing, but lots are having those same problems.

@dfish The quilt top was lovely; good job!

@Quartzsite Cruiser Great photos from Chania.

@summer slope I'm glad your tests went well.

@sailingdutchy Lovely photos.

@bennybear Thanks for the photos.

@RMLincoln Congrats to your niece upon the arrival of her baby!

@seagarsmoker Sorry the weather wasn't nice for Grand Turk.

 

Prayers for the Care List and Cheers for those with something to Celebrate.

[dfish]

@St Pete Cruiser The Zaandam was a great home to us for 32 days last summer.  Enjoy your cruise!

 

@JazzyV I hope the surgeon is correct about the cause.  Next step is getting someone who can do it. And soon!  Insurance networks are the work of the devil.  I hope some consideration can be made.  Is there any way to get this classified as an emergency?  I know insurance has to pay out of network providers the in network rate for emergencies.  The only problem is that the provider can turn around and bill you for the difference.  Ethically, that is wrong, but it happens all the time.  And be careful with recommendations from the insurance company.  A friend who had a pretty extensive skin cancer on her face was looking for a surgeon to do the procedure and her insurance company referred her to a podiatrist.  

 

I always wanted to make cut out cookies and ice them with royal icing.  I had never done that before.  After doing today's batch, I think it is a one and done. I have truly lived up to my reputation as a messy baker and messy painting spilled over to messy icing.  You should see my work spot compared to Sue's.  

Edited December 19, 2023 by dfish

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is from my 2012 Celebrity Summit cruise in conjunction with my nephew's wedding.  On  December 19 we visited  Antiuga.

 

 

Roy

[kochleffel]

No on the meal suggestion (pork) and on the drink (weird). Not even one of the seven varieties in the wine is grown here, so I'm going to treat it as a wild card: Barnstormer 2022 Departure, which is Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Blaufränkisch (Lemberger). I haven't been to Crete, but in my Greek course, someone always had a friend from Crete.

 

The Barnstormer Winery has a resident barn cat. "We figured Bailey needed a place here as well, our resident barn cat. Scott adopted Bailey from a local shelter in the spring of 2013, shortly after purchasing the barn. Bailey is an expert hunter and helps keep the critter count to a minimum but she is also a loving and affectionate greeter (for the most part) to our winery guests. Her favorite catch is chipmunk and her one lazy eye only adds to her general legend. Bailey has been known to stick her paw into a glass of wine to sample the quality, so keep an eye on her if she is around. Bailey has the largest fan base here, by far. She is 11 years young and going strong."

 

I was up very late last night after teaching, and I'm feeling below par, but I don't have to do much of anything today. So far the only things of any significance that I've done were to take my blood-pressure medicine and take out the trash in time for it to be collected.

 

Today's WaPo has an article about packing lighter for (holiday) travel. Everything in it will be familiar to cruise regulars, except those who board with 26 pieces of luggage. But it linked to an article from last year that I thought was interesting, about shopping on the way to a holiday visit, that is, in the airport, the train station, or the gas station.

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good afternoon from a sunny Quartzsite with a few clouds.  It was a marathon shopping today in Parker since I needed to go to all three grocery stores.  I got most of what I needed, but not all.  The best was the Chateau St. Michelle Riesling was on sale at the best price I've seen in quite a while.  Needless to say, I cleaned them out.  We also dropped off the donation to Carol's Closet on the way out of town.  It felt good knowing those who can't afford to buy clothes and household items will be able to use them.

 

As soon as I finish here, I'm going to wash the car and UTVs.  I just hope I don't get too wet in the process.

 

5 hours ago, summer slope said:

The MRI went fine.  When I checked in they said I needed blood tests, took our a paper with STAT on it and rushed me to the blood lab.  I said no one told me.  The only painful part of the MRI is when you have to take a breath and hold it.  But, I'm done with all tests!!  Saw the surgeon last week about the concern and he said if I was 25 we would need to operate.  But since I"m not I'll outlive the problem.🤣

 

Dixie, I'm glad the MRI and surprise blood tests are done.  It's good you can avoid surgery.

 

5 hours ago, marshhawk said:

@StLouisCruisers You posted something last week about someone (governor?) complaining about the mail service.  Do you know where I can find this info?  My local post office rarely has staff, my mail never gets sent out on time, even though I allow for a week, and if a package is too large for the mailbox, instead of walking it to the door, they stuff the package in the mailbox, and tear it up.  I would love to present them with something that tells them, it's not just me that is disgusted with the service.

 

can you email me at anniemounce  at yahoo dot com?  thanks.  I want more info.

 

Annie, I think poor service with the USPS is nation wide.  The PO in Texas is pretty good most of the time, but the one here is a nightmare.

 

3 hours ago, RMLincoln said:

We’re slow in recovering but so very happy to be home!  DH is my HERO for getting us home through the storm!  
 

I got word that my niece had her baby! She named the baby for her father and grandfather (my and my sister’s father). No details but I’m relieved, baby has been breech for last 7 or 8 weeks. She was headed for a C-section, I suspect that’s what happened. She had to travel 3 hrs to the hospital that could support her high risks including being 48! Thank you all for your support. 
 

Happy belated birthday @ottahand7 Nancy!  Wishing you an inspiring year!  
 

Prayers for Amazing visit to neurosurgeon @JazzyV Vanessa. 
 

Blessings to all in need of healing, comfort or hope!  
Cheers to those celebrating! 
Smooth travels to all away!  
Maureen 

 

@marshhawk  Not sure about the context of your recipe questions but I would think “vegetable seasoning” would be a type of ground up herb mixture, seasoning salt or the like. I would substitute vanilla for the bourbon. For “thick cream” maybe use plain yogurt or sour cream, but I’m not sure how much you need meaning how big a portion of the ingredients this will be… or the temp you’ll be adding it at, yogurt or sour cream should be added late and not boiled or it can curdle. 
 

 

 

Maureen, I'm glad your niece had the baby and I hope all went well.

 

1 hour ago, richwmn said:

I made it to Atlanta, airport tomorrow and on to San Diego

 

Rich, I'm glad you made it to Atlanta.  Safe travels to San Diego tomorrow.

 

1 hour ago, St Pete Cruiser said:

Glad to be back onboard Zaandam on a beautiful sunny 72F day here in Ft Lauderdale. Some pics of the "little" Zaandam. 

 

I'm glad you made it to Ft. Lauderdale and are safely on board Zaandam.  

 

55 minutes ago, JazzyV said:

Good afternoon. Thanks for the Fleet Report/Daily @richwmn.

Some hard candy is ok, but there was some bad Christmas hard candy my DM would buy when I was a kid (the raspberry ones). I'll salute heroes and heroines. There's an evergreen in my next door neighbor's yard. I can her Phyllis Diller saying that. The meal sounds good, pass on the drink and yes to the wine. I haven't been to Souda-Chania. 

 

It's cloudy here, about 30F, with overnight snow showers and wind. The snow is mainly on the grass, but since the ground was warm there was some ice formation initially. I saw the neurosurgeon this morning, who thinks one of the synovial cysts in the spine is pressing on the nerve causing my symptoms. She offered 2 things to try before resorting to surgery. Both are steroid injections, but the one guy ruptures the cyst. She's had a few people do that and they did very well. Unfortunately, looking online it looks like the person who does that isn't in my insurance network. I'll call my insurance to verify. I don't know if they would make any exception for a procedure done by only one person in town. If either of those injections worked for any length of time, I could put off surgery. If not, then surgery.

 

@St Pete Cruiser Bon Voyage! Have a great cruise and thanks for the photos.

@richwmn Safe travels tomorrow.

@Nickelpenny I hope the injection kicks in soon. 

@aliaschief I'm glad you got the India visas, and sorry about the windshield.

@ottahand7 That's sad that the restaurant is closing, but lots are having those same problems.

@dfish The quilt top was lovely; good job!

@Quartzsite Cruiser Great photos from Chania.

@summer slope I'm glad your tests went well.

@sailingdutchy Lovely photos.

@bennybear Thanks for the photos.

@RMLincoln Congrats to your niece upon the arrival of her baby!

@seagarsmoker Sorry the weather wasn't nice for Grand Turk.

 

Prayers for the Care List and Cheers for those with something to Celebrate.

 

Vanessa, I'll keep my fingers crossed that the cyst is the cause of all your pain.  I hope the one doctor who does the procedure you need is in your network.  If not, I hope you can still see him as an emergency patient.  And I hope all this happens soon.

 

27 minutes ago, dfish said:

@St Pete Cruiser The Zaandam was a great home to us for 32 days last summer.  Enjoy your cruise!

 

@JazzyV I hope the surgeon is correct about the cause.  Next step is getting someone who can do it. And soon!  Insurance networks are the work of the devil.  I hope some consideration can be made.  Is there any way to get this classified as an emergency?  I know insurance has to pay out of network providers the in network rate for emergencies.  The only problem is that the provider can turn around and bill you for the difference.  Ethically, that is wrong, but it happens all the time.  And be careful with recommendations from the insurance company.  A friend who had a pretty extensive skin cancer on her face was looking for a surgeon to do the procedure and her insurance company referred her to a podiatrist.  

 

I always wanted to make cut out cookies and ice them with royal icing.  I had never done that before.  After doing today's batch, I think it is a one and done. I have truly lived up to my reputation as a messy baker and messy painting spilled over to messy icing.  You should see my work spot compared to Sue's.  

 

Debbie, I'm also a messy baker and painter, so that carries over to decorating cakes and cookies.  I've found a food color gel that does not leave permanent marks on clothes or countertops.

 

Lenda

[quilty964]

Good afternoon from a cloudy 32 F day in Wisconsin.  Trying to get things done each day here, and also trying to take some breaks! 

The port pictures today look nice.  Thanks for sharing!  Bon voyage and safe travels to all getting ready to cruise!  A few months for us to wait.  

@JazzyVglad to hear there may be a solution to your pain, praying for an easy solution for you.  

@dfishI'm sure your cookies are beautiful, we've decorated each year with the grands.  This year we had an icing explosion!  The kitchen was a mess, be we have good memories!  We dont have perfect cookies, but they are fun!  The 8 year old likes to eat the sprinkles and sugar...mom called the next day, asking what she ate here, if you get my drift!  Lots of colored p##p!  

Have a good evening, Karen

 

 

Edited December 19, 2023 by quilty964

[kazu]

2 hours ago, richwmn said:

I made it to Atlanta, airport tomorrow and on to San Diego

 

Yippee - you’re on your way 👍. Hoping for more safe and smooth travels for you, Rich 🙂 

[luvteaching]

146 shortbread cookies done

 

48 candy cane cookies completed as well as two peppermint sticks. 

 

I think I'm baked out for the day. 

 

Oh yeah - now comes the cleanup. When DH was home and able to he did the dishes since he said he got all the fun of eating the cookies. I guess it's all up to me now! 

It's also raining and time to get the trash out for pickup tomorrow. 

Karen

[dfish]

40 minutes ago, quilty964 said:

 

@dfishI'm sure your cookies are beautiful, we've decorated each year with the grands.  This year we had an icing explosion!  The kitchen was a mess, be we have good memories!  We dont have perfect cookies, but they are fun!  The 8 year old likes to eat the sprinkles and sugar...mom called the next day, asking what she ate here, if you get my drift!  Lots of colored p##p!  

Have a good evening, Karen

 

 

Sue says she guesses we could put some out to take a picture.  But you get credit for working with kids.  We're two old ladies.  Of course, aching backs affected our output. 

[aliaschief]

3 hours ago, richwmn said:

I made it to Atlanta, airport tomorrow and on to San Diego

Have safe travel and a wonderful cruise experience Rich. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.🥃🍾🛳

[dfish]

Here's the best of ours.  I was finally getting the hang of piping the icing.  I'm sure you can tell which ones are Sue's and which are mine.

 

 

[Nickelpenny]

Everyone's cookies look so yummy!!  I am salivating!!  

[kazu]

2 hours ago, JazzyV said:

I saw the neurosurgeon this morning, who thinks one of the synovial cysts in the spine is pressing on the nerve causing my symptoms. She offered 2 things to try before resorting to surgery. Both are steroid injections, but the one guy ruptures the cyst. She's had a few people do that and they did very well. Unfortunately, looking online it looks like the person who does that isn't in my insurance network. I'll call my insurance to verify. I don't know if they would make any exception for a procedure done by only one person in town. If either of those injections worked for any length of time, I could put off surgery. If not, then surgery.

 

Oh my Vanessa, I can’t believe the hassle to see the specialist you need.  (Keep in mind I’m Canadian - we just go to the specialist required). 

 

I pray you can get to the right one and that treating the cyst can solve your pain problems 🙏 The sooner the better - it is an emergency IMO.

 

 

46 minutes ago, luvteaching said:

146 shortbread cookies done

 

48 candy cane cookies completed as well as two peppermint sticks. 

 

I think I'm baked out for the day. 

 

Oh yeah - now comes the cleanup. When DH was home and able to he did the dishes since he said he got all the fun of eating the cookies. I guess it's all up to me now! 

 

Oh my Karen!  You are definitely baked out.  Well done 👍 

oh darn on the clean up.  It hits home hard when you do a task that was always a tradition for the loved one you lost 💔.   My prayers for you for the season and that you can find a little bit of joy in it 🙏 

 

 

 

18 minutes ago, dfish said:

Here's the best of ours.  I was finally getting the hang of piping the icing.  I'm sure you can tell which ones are Sue's and which are mine.

 

 

 

They all look beautiful to me.  Kudos to you and Sue 👍 

[kochleffel]

Cookie cutters as cultural indicators:

 

Ben Clark may be uniquely qualified to predict the outcome of the next presidential election. He’s not a pollster or political strategist. He makes cookie cutters.

The metal baking tools are an uncanny cultural bellwether, said Mr. Clark, who runs Ann Clark, the largest cookie-cutter manufacturer in the United States.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/19/dining/cookie-cutters.html

 

(I didn't need the article to know that it must be close to Christmas.)

 

[57redbird]

@JazzyV  glad you have a diagnosis - now comes the hard part....finding a dr that has availability, aptitude & accepts your insurance.

[quilty964]

@dfishYour cookies are look wonderful!  We only had white, red and green icing, along with sprinkles.  

[Mr. Boston]

My labor this afternoon, my mom’s recipe for peanut butter crunch cookies.  I’m too intimidated by the cutout cookies as my decorating skills are sloppy.  
 

I’m not even supposed to be eating these!

 

[dfish]

1 hour ago, quilty964 said:

@dfishYour cookies are look wonderful!  We only had white, red and green icing, along with sprinkles.  

 

Your cookies are just as wonderful.  And think of the wonderful memories the grands have of making them with you.  We cheated and used the sugar cookie dough that comes in a tube from the grocery store.

 

4 minutes ago, Mr. Boston said:

My labor this afternoon, my mom’s recipe for peanut butter crunch cookies.  I’m too intimidated by the cutout cookies as my decorating skills are sloppy.  
 

I’m not even supposed to be eating these!

 

 

As a founding member of the Messy Decorating Guild, I welcome you to the group.  Your cookies are great!

 

Edited December 20, 2023 by dfish

[marshhawk]

Sweet Potato Souffle

 

Our Sweet Potato Souffle is a must for the holiday season! Topped with a praline topping, this souffle is easy, unique and always a hit.

 

Prep Time:

 

20 minutes

 

Cook Time:

 

50 Minutes

 

Servings:

 

8

 

 

Ingredients:

• 2 (29 oz.) cans Bruce’s Yams Cut Sweet Potatoes, drained and mashed
• 1 tsp. vegetable seasoning
• 1/4 cup evaporated milk
• 1 whole egg
• 2 tbs. unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tbs. bourbon
• Praline topping:
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup thick cream
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 pecans

 

Steps to Prepare:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Place Bruce’s Yams Cut Sweet Potatoes, vegetable seasoning, evaporate milk, egg, unsalted butter and bourbon in a mixing bowl and blend until creamy.
3. Transfer to a 2 quart baking dish and bake for 30 minutes or until heated through.
4. While the sweet potato mixture is baking, in a large saucepan combine the butter and brown sugar for the praline topping. Cook over medium heat until smooth.
5. Stir in the heavy cream and salt; bring to a boil. Simmer just until slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes; remove from heat.
6. Spread the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for about 5 minutes, until they are lightly browned. Transfer pecans to a wooden cutting board and let them cool. Chop the nuts, stir them into the slightly cooled caramel and spoon over sweet potatoes.
7. Bake the sweet potato souffle with praline topping for an additional 10 minutes.

 

[marshhawk]

@kazuthis is the recipe-see post above

@smitty34877 and @dfish I will go with the vanilla.  33 years clean, and even a tiny bourbon would be tempting.  I hate to admit that.  But I am who I am.  Dont need temptations.

[1ANGELCAT]

Good cold evening. Well tomorrow morning is the rescheduled appointment with Trouble at the vet. We have the large carrier this time.🤞

   @Crazy For Cats,Jake.the explosion at Bird in Hand inn has resulted in 1 death and a damage estimate of at least $ 1 million. There was some damage to the restaurant and it is closed till after Christmas. The hotel is closed indefinitely. 

Sweet dreams to all.
 

[Mr. Boston]

I wonder if there may be a typo in the ingredients listing;  the directions call for stirring in the heavy cream and salt.  In that case,  the thick cream would actually be heavy cream.

[marshhawk]

Thank you @Mr. Boston  That was a great catch.  I think they had the kid write the recipe, and  me being a bit of a goof didnt see it.  Good eyes!  I'll let you know how it turns out.

[cat shepard]

@JazzyV

 

Vanessa, I am thrilled that the neurosurgeon believes there is a positive course of action. Praying that you can connect with the doctor who performs the recommended procedure.