Things In Mason Jars :: Mango Fizzie

I wish this was a thing I could have every day.  Sadly, the mango juice I've been watering down with sparkling water is gone.  I purchased it in Korea and have been allowing myself to have very small amounts of it at a time.  My willpower was amazing.  The fact that I've had it aboard for over a week is mind boggling.

Now, you may be asking yourself, 'wait a minute this chick is out of mango juice but she has sparkling water - at sea?!'.  Well yes, she has sparkling water at sea....because, she is a pre-madonna and, in addition to an espresso machine she also brought a soda stream.

I'm straight up shameless.

Things In Mason Jars :: Fruit Smoothies At Sea

I have a really nice Cadet - who went ashore when we were in Charleston and bought me a crap ton of fresh fruit.  After 29 days at sea I was jonesing....bad.

(I just realized that I didn't tell you guys that I hit my first US Port and am heading to my next...the one where I get off the ship at!  Yippee!)

Anyways, I was hungry for some fruit in a really big way and my Cadet totally pulled through.

I've been snacking on berries and mangoes.  I have greek yogurt (again, thanks cadet!) and am making Mango Lassi's but most importantly, I've been blending myself smoothies in the mornings.  Delish.

I know what you're thinking....this chick is getting off her ship in a few days and all she can talk about is her garden and her fruit?!

This trip has been good.  I'm not sure I've ever said that before.  Despite the fact that I haven't stepped foot on land in 97 days (unless I've been taking drafts), I don't feel like I'm going crazy.  I don't feel like I need to completely reevaluate my lifes existence - which, let me tell you is quite common for me by the end of my rotation!  Don't get me wrong, I am ready to be on land.....I'm just not wishing I could quit shipping and have quadruplets as soon as possible.

Life is good, folks.  Life is good.

Things In Mason Jars :: Semi-Homemade Ginger Fizz

Pops.  This one is dedicated to you.

My Dad emailed me and said, 'I've been looking at weather in the Atlantic....you should look at the weather....and eat saltines...'.  Ok fine, that wasn't exactly what he said.  I emailed him back and said, 'Pops, I'm all over that shit'.  I know.  What kind of daughter emails her Dad that she's 'all over that shit' with reference to eating saltines?!

Listen, I know it is slightly bizarre for a so-called professional mariner to complain about being sea sick all the time but, honestly, I've never been on a ship that rolled like this one!

In fact, I've written about it in great length.

When the icki-ness set into my tummy yesterday I got creative.  I had my trusty ginger drink mix and a sprite.  Boom!  Semi-Homemade Ginger Fizz!  Of course I also took two homeopathic sea sickness pills.  Just in case.

Now, I know what you're thinking....you're looking out at that beautiful blue ocean and wondering why we're rolling.  This can be attributed to a ground swell.  It's a long and rolling swell caused by wind that is a substantial distance away (i.e. The North Atlantic).  We're feeling the effects of a North Atlantic storm all the way south at 27 degrees North!  This type of swell is much, much different than a locally genereated wind driven swell.  This is like a gentle roll back and forth every 12 seconds.  It's just big enough that you have to brace your body and every now and then a draw will open on its own.  It's not big enough that you have to hold on.  For whatever reason, it's just enough to make my stomach flip over.

There you have it: a ground swell, a ginger fizz and, no ability to sit in front of the computer without feeling like I'm gonna hurl.

Love you guys.

(also you can read a really good explanation of a ground swell here.)

Things In Mason Jars :: Basil & Lime Chia Fresca

I'm starting a new series and I'm calling it:  Things In Mason Jars.

Mostly because I think things look prettier when they're in a mason jar but also because, I'm always looking for things that I can do when I'm at home and when I'm at sea.

I started incorporating Chia Seeds into my daily life during my last rotation at sea.  The Second Mate had them and I decided I wanted them too.

I'm not sure if it's 100% psychological but I swear when I ingest them...no matter how they're ingested I feel like a more powerful creature soon after.  Did you like that?  Powerful Creature.  I like that.

I mostly drink them.  I put a squirt of lime juice and a spoonful of Chia Seeds in water and sip away.  This is called a Chia Fresca.

Now, when you have a Basil plant aboard (that you feel incredibly grateful for and are just so, so happy that it's thriving) you can really get creative.

Chia Fresca meet torn and crushed Basil leaves.

Delish.