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    • Living the Dream … One Year Delayed

      Posted at 4:21 pm by Heidi Benson Stagg, on March 9, 2019
      cropped-10402503_10205252903463516_9141740940803429127_n7.jpg

      Sonho on the mooring balls at Angel Island. Photo by HBS

      It still pains me to say it and I haven’t had the heart to change the countdown on this blogsite yet. It’s not a secret and the choice was made with love, but it doesn’t make it any less hard.

      We are not cutting the docklines and starting our circumnavigation on April 16, 2019 as we had planned for so many years.

      The reason? Our grandchildren. We adore those three more than anything in the world and we can’t, in good consciousness, leave them alone with their mommy while daddy is away for almost five months. It takes a village to raise that crazy clan and we are needed here to help keep Meghan sane and the kids alive. LOL.

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      Posted in You Live on a Boat?! | 1 Comment | Tagged BoatingLife, Cruising, DogOnboard, LifeOnboard, LiveAboard, LivingTheDream, MarinaLife, Tayana, TLWA, ToLiveandWriteinAlameda, VivoOSonho
    • The Golden Door

      Posted at 4:44 am by Heidi Benson Stagg, on March 7, 2019

      imagesThe sour-faced woman raised her eyebrows after scanning my ID card. “I’m sorry, we can’t accept your vote.”

      “What? Why not? I’ve voted at this polling place for the past 12 years. I’ve never missed an election. What’s wrong?”

      “It seems that your citizenship is in question. We can’t just let anyone vote, you know.” She said this with a smirk and dismissive wave of her hand.

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      Posted in Story Shelf | 0 Comments | Tagged 2LWA, BoatingLife, LivingTheDream, ShortStory, ToLiveandWriteinAlameda
    • GO To Tuesday: Chicken Parmesan Gnocchi

      Posted at 5:58 am by Heidi Benson Stagg, on March 5, 2019

      IMG_4156I’m a big fan of one-pot meals. Living on a boat, I have very little counter space and the dishwasher is me for the most part so the less items, the better. My prep surfaces are on top of the sink, stove and fridge so I need to stage all ingredients, chop and measure, and be ready to go. This recipe comes together in about 20 minutes and thickens as it sits: serious comfort food!

      Our local Grocery Outlet has a nice assortment of gnocchi and I’ve tried several and don’t have a favorite. I’ve made my own gnocchi but it is a pretty big mess and takes time and just the right amount of kneading and boiling to get them just right. And honestly, once you cover those little dumplings with sauce, it’s all good! 

      The secret in this dish is definitely the roux. It’s important to get the butter-veggie-flour combo smooth, adding the flour slowly and stir, stir, stir to avoid lumps. This creates the base for the meal.

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      Posted in In the Galley | 0 Comments | Tagged AlamedaGroceryOutlet, BargainMarket, BoatingLife, Cruising, GalleyCooking, GOAlameda, GroceryOutlet, homeofWOW, LifeOnboard, LiveAboard, LivingTheDream, MarinaLife, shoplocal, Tayana, TinyKitchen, VivoOSonho
    • GO To Tuesday: Creamy Potato Saladi

      Posted at 7:18 am by Heidi Benson Stagg, on February 26, 2019

      Potato SaladBackyard barbecues and potato salad just go together. Everytime I make it, it’s slightly different depending on the guest list, and this is the basic recipe from my Nana. During the warm summer months our family spent many lazy afternoons in their backyard, with Papy barbecuing chicken and hotdogs and Nana making the side dishes and setting the picnic table while my sister and I played on the grass or on the beach. All of these ingredients are stocked at our local Grocery Outlet and you probably have on hand.

      Most potato salad connoisseurs will tell you it must be made the night before and allowed to sit to really meld the flavors and I agree. But that’s where the agreements end. There are strong camps for using mayonnaise versus Miracle Whip and certain potato varieties. And then the additions: onion, celery, sweet or dill relish. All I can say is that this recipe is universally loved!

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      Posted in In the Galley | 0 Comments | Tagged AlamedaGroceryOutlet, BargainMarket, BoatingLife, Cruising, GalleyCooking, GOAlameda, GroceryOutlet, homeofWOW, LifeOnboard, LiveAboard, LivingTheDream, MarinaLife, shoplocal, Tayana, TinyKitchen, VivoOSonho
    • Where it Went from Wrong to Right

      Posted at 2:52 am by Heidi Benson Stagg, on February 21, 2019

      imagesAmy stretched languidly, enjoying the morning quiet.

      Then it struck her: It’s Wednesday! Why didn’t the alarm go off?!

      She flew out of bed, glancing at the offensive clock: 8:13 am. Shit. No time for a shower or coffee and there was no way she’d make the express bus. Driving wasn’t an option either with the crowded highways at peak commute hour. She’d have to take the subway to get into the city. Ugh.

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      Posted in Story Shelf | 0 Comments | Tagged 2LWA, LivingTheDream, ShortStory, Tayana, ToLiveandWriteinAlameda, VivoOSonho
    • GO To Tuesday: Alfredo Sauce & Butter Poached Lobster Tails

      Posted at 6:36 am by Heidi Benson Stagg, on February 19, 2019

      IMG_4057Sometimes the simplest meals are the most delicious. It’s all about using fresh ingredients that pair nicely together. Our local Grocery Outlet features a variety of seasonal seafood and I snagged these nice ocean-caught lobster tails to serve with New York strip steaks. I didn’t have time to make homemade gnocchi but a package of good quality butternut squash topped with homemade Alfredo sauce rounded the meal out beautifully. The total cost was about $25, a third of the cost of going out to eat and it impressed the hubby with both taste and presentation. 

      For the steaks, I let them come to room temperature then brushed with Worcestershire sauce and sprinkled with Montreal seasoning. For medium-rare, they take about 15 minutes on the grill so I start the sauce when they go on, followed by the ravioli’s and then the lobster tails. While the meat rests, I am doing the final tasting and ready to plate within five minutes. The key is to have the ingredients chopped and measured out so it comes together quickly.

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      Posted in In the Galley | 0 Comments | Tagged AlamedaGroceryOutlet, BargainMarket, BoatingLife, Cruising, GalleyCooking, GOAlameda, GroceryOutlet, homeofWOW, LifeOnboard, LiveAboard, LivingTheDream, MarinaLife, shoplocal, Tayana, TinyKitchen, VivoOSonho
    • GO To Tuesday: Meatball Soup

      Posted at 7:37 pm by Heidi Benson Stagg, on February 12, 2019

      Meatball SoupIt has been brrrrrrr on our little piece of the Alameda Riviera in Northern California this week. We rarely dip below the mid-50s in the winter and we were seeing low-40s … This weather calls for soup! This meatball soup is inexpensive and easy to assemble. Our local Grocery Outlet always has these ingredients in stock with the whole meal costing $12. I simply added sourdough bread and butter on the side and it was a filling  meal with leftovers for lunch. And any time I have the opportunity to make a meal in my Nana’s Dutch oven makes me so happy … extra love in every bite.

      Variations: I used hot Italian sausage because Hubby and I both like spicy food. You can use the mild if you prefer. This particular brand is seasoned nicely and I didn’t need to add a single spice, other than a parsley garnish. I used chicken broth as it’s what I had on hand. Beef or vegetable broth would be good as well. I had a can of white chili beans that were already seasoned with onion, garlic and jalapeno, which also added to the flavor. You can use unseasoned white or great Northern beans instead and then gauge the seasoning level before adding the spinach.

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      Posted in In the Galley | 0 Comments | Tagged AlamedaGroceryOutlet, BargainMarket, BoatingLife, Cruising, GalleyCooking, GOAlameda, GroceryOutlet, homeofWOW, LifeOnboard, LiveAboard, LivingTheDream, MarinaLife, shoplocal, Tayana, TinyKitchen, VivoOSonho
    • Approaching Heaven

      Posted at 2:50 am by Heidi Benson Stagg, on February 7, 2019

      downloadHe considered himself immortal. He’d had plenty of broken bones and visits to the emergency room in his 33 years as a stuntman. In each of the three near-death experiences, he was drawn to a light but it always dimmed before he reached it. And then he woke to excruciating pain.

      This was different. He found himself weightless. No sound, no sights, just white. Best of all, no pain. An unseen force slowly propelled him forward and after a time he came upon a huge golden gate.

      A kind voice whispered in his head, “Enter ye who are pure of heart.”

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      Posted in Story Shelf | 3 Comments | Tagged 2LWA, LivingTheDream, ShortStory, ToLiveandWriteinAlameda, VivoOSonho
    • GO To Tuesday: Baked Chicken Thighs with Cauliflower Rice & Roasted Snap Peas

      Posted at 9:00 am by Heidi Benson Stagg, on February 5, 2019

      IMG_3930I take great pride in making colorful, nutritious meals but often don’t have time for prep or marinating. Thanks to our local Grocery Outlet I can always find fresh meat ready to pop into the oven. Last week I featured Tyson’s Orange Chicken Strips, this week it’s Urban Turban’s Garlic & Pepper Chicken Thighs. 

      Usually we prefer to grill our chicken, but it’s been pouring rain the last month so I’m using the oven more for cooking with the bonus of warming the boat. I didn’t get the brown skin I’d like because I didn’t leave the chicken under the broiler long enough, but it was juicy and delish anyway!

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      Posted in In the Galley | 1 Comment | Tagged AlamedaGroceryOutlet, BargainMarket, BoatingLife, Cruising, GalleyCooking, GOAlameda, GroceryOutlet, homeofWOW, LifeOnboard, LiveAboard, LivingTheDream, MarinaLife, shoplocal, Tayana, TinyKitchen, VivoOSonho
    • A Century of Love

      Posted at 5:00 pm by Heidi Benson Stagg, on January 29, 2019

      NanaToday is my wee Nana’s 100th birthday! Agnes Parker McKittrick Hanna passed peacefully on October 25, 2017, just a few months shy of turning 99. I was so positive that she would live to be 100 that when her health began to take a sharp decline a few weeks before she died, I advocated for any and all medications and therapy to make her well. As her conservator, I had her transferred to a skilled nursing facility with a higher level of care options, stopping just short of life-resuscitation measures according to her wishes.

      Truth be told, she didn’t have the best quality of life in her final year: dementia had taken a toll on her mind, she no longer was able to walk or dress herself, she was always tired and longing for her bed, and I had to constantly monitor the care at the assisted living facility.

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      Posted in Story Shelf | 0 Comments | Tagged LivingTheDream
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    Heidi Benson Stagg

    Heidi Benson Stagg

    I live aboard a 42 ft Tayana Vancouver sailboat, hull #5 laid in 1979, with my husband and little dog. We left our berth of 15 yeas in Alameda, California in the Fall of 2022 and now live in La Paz, Mexico. I enjoy blogging about our journey, cooking in my tiny kitchen and writing short stories.

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