VivoOSonho | Vivo O Sonho | Page 12

Tag: VivoOSonho
- Living the Dream … One Year Delayed
  
  Posted at 4:21 pm by Heidi Benson Stagg, on March 9, 2019
  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
- GO To Tuesday: Chicken Parmesan Gnocchi
  
  Posted at 5:58 am by Heidi Benson Stagg, on March 5, 2019
  I’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
  Backyard 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
  Amy 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
  Sometimes 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
  It 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
  He 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
  I 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
- GO To Tuesday: Orange Chicken Saute Over Quinoa & Brown Rice
  
  Posted at 6:00 am by Heidi Benson Stagg, on January 29, 2019
  Probably my favorite thing about our local Grocery Outlet is that I can whip together a healthy, flavorful meal without a plan, from staples I bought in my weekly shop. And it’s always tasty! The majority of the time I have recipes in mind for each of my weekday dinners. I do my prep before work so that when I get home I can quickly assemble our meal. I marinate meats, chop veggies and gather together non-perishable ingredients and the pots/pans necessary.
  
  But now and then I’m running late in the morning and find myself without a plan when I get home. Because of the great prices at G.O., I pick up a variety of different non-perishables that I can use as a base with whatever veggies I have on hand. And I generally buy a package of Tyson seasoned boneless, skinless chicken strips that I can use in a quick saute, a pasta dish, wraps or on a salad. Our Grocery Outlet features two or three flavors at any time and all are delish.
  
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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
- Fort Aw(e)some
  
  Posted at 2:46 am by Heidi Benson Stagg, on January 24, 2019
  “Fort Awsome,” the sign read. In all actuality, it wasn’t a “fort” and “awsome” was spelled wrong. Both were mortal sins in her book and she felt no remorse in ripping the shoddily made wooden plaque off the rickety beach shelter, placing it in the garbage bag she carried.
  
  Virginia was a creature of habit. Every Sunday without fail she walked to the local coffee shop near the harbor and read the newspaper over a pot of black tea. Then she walked the two mile stretch of beach, picking up litter and washed-up trash with her gloved hands.
  
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  Posted in Story Shelf | 0 Comments | Tagged 2LWA, LivingTheDream, ShortStory, ToLiveandWriteinAlameda, VivoOSonho
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Vivo O Sonho

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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