Royal Caribbean Cruisers -- How Are Things Where You Are? (was "Routine" ​ 😁 ​day in lockdown... how was yours?)

[Arzeena]

Enjoying aussie's review of her cruise! Excellent pictures! Carnival's menus look good.

[QueSeraSera]

I'm a lucky man, I had a great Mom.  Dad and Mom moved to Lee County Florida (near Ft. Myers) for their retirement.  They loved it there, but Mom died from what a doctor there said was an untreatable heart ailment. Once the shock wore off, I started looking things up.  Turned out the Cleveland Clinic had a treatment for her condition.  Maybe it wouldn't have worked for her, I don't know, but I do know I wish she'd had a chance at it.  I'm glad you all are talking up the benefits of living near Cleveland Clinic.  I will say that we always enjoyed our visits to Ft. Myers and Sanibel while she was alive.

[dani negreanu]

On 5/26/2023 at 3:02 AM, helen haywood said:

@dani negreanu When you have time, I’d love the recipe for that pistachio topped cheesecake!  Sounds delicious but also not heavy.

 

On 5/26/2023 at 3:04 AM, BonTexasNY said:

Is there any way you can convert that delicious looking cheesecake recipe into US non metric standards?  When I lived in Israel, I remember the cheeses didn't have actual names just percentage of fat.  2%, 5%, etc.

 

I've done my best to translate (Google...) and to convert (as I understand, converting has much to do with the ingredient -- so a "cup" of sugar is not as a "cup" of flour...) as much as I could. The yogurt comes in a... bucket like this (600 gr each).

 

 

Drums please... THE recipe --

 

 

Dani’s yogurt and cream cheese cake

Materials for a spring mold with a diameter of 26 cm

For the bottom

*      250 grams of Petit beurre biscuits, coarsely broken

*      100 g soft butter and a little more for greasing the pan

*      3 tablespoons (60 grams) of honey

 

 

For the cake

* 2 buckets (1.2 kg) Greek yogurt 10%

* 3 cups (600 grams) New York cream cheese 30%

* 1 cup (200 grams) of white sugar. I only put 180 grams.

* 3 tablespoons (25 grams) sifted cornflour

* 1 teaspoon of real vanilla extract

* ¼ teaspoon of salt

* 5 eggs (Large)

To serve (optional) 

¼ cup liquid honey

or chopped pistachios

Preparation

1.    The night before baking: Line a large strainer with a diaper cloth and place the strainer over a bowl. Put Greek yogurt and cream cheeses in a cloth and transfer to the refrigerator overnight to drain liquids.

2.    Prepare the cake: Line the bottom of the springform pan with baking paper. Line the sides of the pan with strips of baking paper. You can glue the edges of the paper with a little melted butter.

3.    Grind the Petit beurre biscuits, butter and honey in the food processor to a crumbly mixture, transfer to the pan and press to the bottom in an even layer. Transfer to the freezer for at least half an hour.

4.    Heat an oven to 200 degrees Celsius (400 F?) and place a pan with 2 liters of boiling water at the bottom of the oven.

5.    Transfer the yogurt and cheese mixture to a mixer. Add sugar, cornflour, vanilla extract and salt, and mix at low speed with a guitar hook until a uniform batter is obtained. Quickly add egg after egg and mix briefly until they are incorporated into the mixture. Avoid over mixing.

6.    Pour the batter into the pan, transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 100 degrees Celsius (200 F?) and bake for an hour and 20 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the cake in it for half an hour. Please note: do not open the oven door during baking.

7.    Remove the cake from the oven, cool and transfer to the refrigerator for at least 12 hours and up to 3 days.

8.    Before serving, remove the cake from the pan and sprinkle the pistachios.

* Filtering the cheeses is important! Don't give up on it. If there is no time, you can shorten the duration of the filtration to 6 hours.

* To get a straight and white cake like a swan, be sure to place a pan with boiling water in the bottom of the oven and line the sides of the pan with strips of baking paper. Also, the pan is placed in the lower third of the oven, and not too high, so that the cake does not brown.

 

 

4 hours ago, jagsfan said:

That cheesecake delicious! My favorite dessert. 
I hope your watermelon was good. I’m going to try to find some watermelon with seeds. Our seedless watermelons don’t have as much flavor as I remember from the good old days. 

 

@jagsfan   Mimi, the cheesecake is indeed delicious, and the watermelon was excellent. So far, early in the season, we managed to buy very tasty ones.

[Sea Dog]

52 minutes ago, QueSeraSera said:

I'm a lucky man, I had a great Mom.  Dad and Mom moved to Lee County Florida (near Ft. Myers) for their retirement.  They loved it there, but Mom died from what a doctor there said was an untreatable heart ailment. Once the shock wore off, I started looking things up.  Turned out the Cleveland Clinic had a treatment for her condition.  Maybe it wouldn't have worked for her, I don't know, but I do know I wish she'd had a chance at it.  I'm glad you all are talking up the benefits of living near Cleveland Clinic.  I will say that we always enjoyed our visits to Ft. Myers and Sanibel while she was alive.

Did you ever go to the Bubble Room? That’s one of my all time favorite restaurants.

Edited May 27, 2023 by Sea Dog

[voyager70]

7 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

Did you ever go to the Bubble Room? That’s one of my all time favorite restaurants.

Love the Bubble Room! Sanibel/Captiva are actually where my love for SW Florida started. We bought a condo there when I was a kid and another a few years later. Would vacation there 3-4 times a year. I still made it a point to visit once every year or two (in between cruises, of course!) right up until Ian devastated the islands last September.  I did some checking to discover our first condo was completely destroyed (it was a ground floor unit and didn’t stand a chance) and the other (second floor) was heavily damaged but still standing. I’m hoping to visit again next year but I know it will be a sobering visit. 

[Momof3gurlz]

@ReneeFLL beautiful orchid photos Renee.  I wish I had a green thumb but unfortunately mine is more of a black thumb, I kill pretty much everything.  Do you have a specific room for yours or can they be kept around the house?

@dani negreanu thank you for sharing the cheesecake recipe!  I love the idea of Greek yogurt to make it lighter and also the pistachio topping. 
We’ve been busy getting the yard and pool area ready for summer. My big project was to recover some patio cushions that had seen better days. We shopped around at Lowe’s, Home Depot, the local porch and patio store as well as Wayfair and could mir find any we liked in the right size. The interior’s cushion was still in good shape so because I have a sewing machine and some skills I took on the challenge.  I found some outdoor fabric at Joann Fabrics.  I successfully recovered a chair about 10 years ago so figured, how hard could this be?   Well let me tell you, the next time these cushions need recovering we will just buy a new patio set LOL.  They were an absolute b*%#*.   

[Sea Dog]

18 minutes ago, voyager70 said:

Love the Bubble Room! Sanibel/Captiva are actually where my love for SW Florida started. We bought a condo there when I was a kid and another a few years later. Would vacation there 3-4 times a year. I still made it a point to visit once every year or two (in between cruises, of course!) right up until Ian devastated the islands last September.  I did some checking to discover our first condo was completely destroyed (it was a ground floor unit and didn’t stand a chance) and the other (second floor) was heavily damaged but still standing. I’m hoping to visit again next year but I know it will be a sobering visit. 

Sad that your place was destroyed holding a lot of fond memories. I used to go every year down to Fort Meyers to cover the Kansas City Royals in spring training before they moved to Orlando. I loved Fort Meyers and every year we would go to the Bubble Room. I loved the decor and oh those desserts were to die for.

[QueSeraSera]

37 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

Did you ever go to the Bubble Room?

No missed it, never went out to Captiva except a single exploratory trip in our rented VW Beetle convertible (never will forget that).  I remember Cheeseburger-Cheeseburger and I think a place called the Lighthouse.  There's an excellent grocery store mid-island, and we would typically buy grouper or some other fresh seafood, and a bottle or two of wine, then retreat to our condo for some of the best nights by the beach I remember.

[voyager70]

4 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

Sad that your place was destroyed holding a lot of fond memories. I used to go every year down to Fort Meyers to cover the Kansas City Royals in spring training before they moved to Orlando. I loved Fort Meyers and every year we would go to the Bubble Room. I loved the decor and oh those desserts were to die for.

Fortunately Bubble Room survived Ian but has yet to reopen. Amazingly, Mucky Duck across the street and right on the beach not only survived but has also reopened! Both hold special places in my heart and are among my go-to places on the islands. 

[Sea Dog]

Just now, voyager70 said:

Fortunately Bubble Room survived Ian but has yet to reopen. Amazingly, Mucky Duck across the street and right on the beach not only survived but has also reopened! Both hold special places in my heart and are among my go-to places on the islands. 

Love the Mucky Duck. Oyster heaven!

[DaniDanielle]

2 hours ago, Arzeena said:

Enjoying aussie's review of her cruise! Excellent pictures! Carnival's menus look good.

Me too

[Momof3gurlz]

19 hours ago, Coralc said:

Thanks Greg. I just miss her, and it still kind of hurts. He went on about her staying in some hospice, that was originally the home of Alan Turing or some sort of person that Benedict Cumberbatch played in a movie. Annoying.  It's okay. I don't need a bunch of sympathy. She was my best friend. I was just annoyed about not knowing. 

 

And I guess I am a little down and a little sad because I will be turning 65 in June. You folks are all great! I don't need more. But it is just nice to write it down and get it off your chest sometimes. Thanks. I don't need a bunch of replies.  

Well like it or not, you’ve gotten a lot of responses! I am sorry for the loss of your dear friend and the heartless way you learned about it. But I really wanted to comment on your thoughts about the upcoming birthday.  I turned 65 in March of 2022 and it honestly didn’t phase me.   I’ve always felt and thought “it’s just a number”.  But 66 was a little harder this year.  I seem to have to keep reminding myself that it’s just a number. ( I suspect it has something to do with the fact that my Mom passed away at age 67.)  So I (and some others here) know how you feel about those big numbers!

Edited May 28, 2023 by Momof3gurlz

[Luckynana]

4 hours ago, molly361 said:

We lived there for 30 years.  Got tired of wondering what to do with the hurricanes.  At the time my dad was still alive and up in Palm Coast.  Just ready for a change of scenery.

We stayed in Palm Coast on our way to Naples for years!  Now we take I-10 across to 75.  Jim's had it with I-4.

[Luckynana]

5 hours ago, jagsfan said:

October 9 is Moldy Cheese Day. 
Would that suffice? There’s Bleu cheese, Gorgonzola cheese…

I never realized that Bleu cheese was moldy🤔 but then again, what do I know?  I love do love bleu cheese.  Besides chunky bleu cheese dressing , I love bleu cheese on a burger.  Now we're talking!😉

4 hours ago, jagsfan said:

 

When  life is really busy, it is the greatest comfort to escape into the world Dani created. We are so lucky to have a place where we know we will find genuine caring and acceptance of what we share. 
 

Amen to that, Mimi!!🥰

[lenquixote66]

7 minutes ago, Luckynana said:

We stayed in Palm Coast on our way to Naples for years!  Now we take I-10 across to 75.  Jim's had it with I-4.

I have a friend who lives in Palm Coast,He moved there in 2016 and loves it.

[Sunshine3601]

20 hours ago, Coralc said:

Thought about whether to post. I lost my best friend Natalie from the same horrible disease. Friends since 6th grade. They called us "Patalie" . She had not too long ago moved to the UK with her new husband. Henley on the Thames. And we kept in touch by email. 

 

I sent her my usual birthday card and her (pompous jerk) of a husband sent me back the card and a computer letter, saying she had passed away. He said that he had posted it on FB, "But I must have missed it". I was both angry and very, very sad. I'm not on FB. 

So sorry to hear about your loss of Natalie.   Especially sad and angry how you learned of her passing.  What a Jerk!!

[Ocean Boy]

The first day of this three day weekend was absolutely beautiful.

 

 

 

[lenquixote66]

10 minutes ago, Sunshine3601 said:

So sorry to hear about your loss of Natalie.   Especially sad and angry how you learned of her passing.  What a Jerk!!

So very true.

In 1992 I was working with a very nice young woman who became ill with heart and lung issues to the degree that she could no longer work.Her husband filed for divorce because he did not want to live with a woman who was sick.He was the definition of a JERK.

She is alive and well now .

[ownedbypets]

1 hour ago, QueSeraSera said:

No missed it, never went out to Captiva except a single exploratory trip in our rented VW Beetle convertible (never will forget that).  I remember Cheeseburger-Cheeseburger and I think a place called the Lighthouse.  There's an excellent grocery store mid-island, and we would typically buy grouper or some other fresh seafood, and a bottle or two of wine, then retreat to our condo for some of the best nights by the beach I remember.

Baileys General Store?  I grew up in Ft Myers and my family had condos on Captiva. I have family and friends that still live there, including my daughter.

[brillohead]

53 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

The first day of this three day weekend was absolutely beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 

Where are the feet????

 

Are these even your pictures???  

[voyager70]

1 hour ago, ownedbypets said:

Baileys General Store?  I grew up in Ft Myers and my family had condos on Captiva. I have family and friends that still live there, including my daughter.

Baileys was always our first stop when arriving on Sanibel. Always felt like home stepping into that place. I understand they were under 6 feet of water after Ian and they will be tearing down the original building and building a new one. The artist renderings are beautiful but it just won’t be the same. Hope your family and friends in Captiva are doing well post Ian.

[h20skibum]

4 hours ago, QueSeraSera said:

I'm a lucky man, I had a great Mom.  Dad and Mom moved to Lee County Florida (near Ft. Myers) for their retirement.  They loved it there, but Mom died from what a doctor there said was an untreatable heart ailment. Once the shock wore off, I started looking things up.  Turned out the Cleveland Clinic had a treatment for her condition.  Maybe it wouldn't have worked for her, I don't know, but I do know I wish she'd had a chance at it.  I'm glad you all are talking up the benefits of living near Cleveland Clinic.  I will say that we always enjoyed our visits to Ft. Myers and Sanibel while she was alive.

My parents had a place on Pine Island after they retired.  They would spend winters there and summers in Pennsylvania.  We would take our kids to their place in Florida over school holidays, so we got to know Ft. Myers’s, and Sanibel.   We would often stretch our time there into trips to Key West and Disney.

 

3 hours ago, voyager70 said:

Love the Bubble Room! Sanibel/Captiva are actually where my love for SW Florida started. We bought a condo there when I was a kid and another a few years later. Would vacation there 3-4 times a year. I still made it a point to visit once every year or two (in between cruises, of course!) right up until Ian devastated the islands last September.  I did some checking to discover our first condo was completely destroyed (it was a ground floor unit and didn’t stand a chance) and the other (second floor) was heavily damaged but still standing. I’m hoping to visit again next year but I know it will be a sobering visit. 

I haven’t looked to see what became of their place, but given how hard Pine Island was hit, I doubt that it survived. 

[ReneeFLL]

On 5/16/2023 at 1:50 PM, Sea Dog said:

Having a Tiki Birthday thanks to my wonderful wife.

 

 

Great book about Tiki with lots of recipes.

 

 

Cool Tiki mugs

 

 

With some good Tiki syrups.

 

 

My favorite mug. Even comes with a Tiki Recipe Card for a drink called “Three Hour Tour.”

 

Charlie gave me a special present!

 

 

 

 

 

 

IMG_1523.dng 7.41 MB · 21 downloads

Happy Birthday. We also have some of those mugs and the book.

[Sea Dog]

2 minutes ago, ReneeFLL said:

Happy Birthday. We also have some of those mugs and the book.

Isn’t Tiki fun? I remember the first time I went to Trader Vic’s in the Crown Center Hotel in Kansas City in 1978. I was memorized by the decor and the drinks. I was hooked from the start.

[Sea Dog]

I watched a great documentary about my past tonight. On HBO is a great documentary about Donna Summer. I can’t tell you how many times I danced to her songs at a disco. If you got HBO watch this. She was an incredible singer, songwriter and performer.