What To Make In August

8 recipes for a delicious month + a Sailboat tour, colorful cocktails, and ice cream sandwiches

A week ago today we moved our RV into temporary storage and took the last load of stuff to our new sailboat. We’d spent the week prior getting it ready to live onboard, a project that was a much bigger lift than we anticipated. But by Saturday evening we were all moved in and so of course, we took her sailing.

Lake Michigan was wound up that night. The water was rough, the waves were high, and the wind was strong. But we managed it. Clumsily. But still, we managed it.

And it was fun! And also stressful… but fun! As the sun drifted lower towards the horizon, the wind and the waves calmed down and we were rewarded for our effort with a spectacular sunset.

So far, for me, the two biggest challenges living aboard a 37 foot sailboat are the size of the bed (the berth) and the size of the refrigerator. I get claustrophobic in certain situations and the first night onboard I woke up in the middle of the night in a panicky state. I took my pillow to the couch and spent the rest of the night there.

Our bedroom - called a V-berth on a boat. It may be small but you might notice I still have room for some books. 🙂

Happily, this is getting much better. I haven’t had to come out to the couch since that first night, and our cozy bed is actually starting to feel cozy. The process of purchasing the boat, getting it live-in ready, and moving on board was so compacted. We did it in weeks when we really needed months.

It wasn’t until Thursday night that I paused long enough to look around and acknowledge that this boat is mine. I live here. On a freaking sailboat. I own a sailboat!

It’s starting to sink in.

It’s starting to feel like mine.

And I think that’s helping me be at ease in a bed with a ceiling inches from my nose.

The refrigerator is set down into the counter to the right of the stove.

The refrigerator on our boat is like a cooler set into the countertop. It’s a small deep cave and so to keep things somewhat organized, I’ve grouped items into bags. Dairy in one bag, condiments in another, etc. This allows me to lift the bag from the refrigerator, remove what I need, and then put it back.

But it’s a challenge working with a tiny fridge! Things I take for granted, like the large container of salad greens and strawberries, are no longer an option. Many of the fruits and vegetables I would normally refrigerate are now being stored in hanging fishnet bags.

Smaller, more frequent trips to the store are necessary which grates against my desire to minimize the amount of time spent shopping.

But I think it’s good for me. I suspect it will force me to become more resourceful and efficient. Possibly even more creative. I think I’ll get better about using everything we have before stocking up with more.

Learning to make due with less is a good lesson to learn.

The table in the center of the cabin has two wings that fold up and down. I use one of them for my workspace. You’ll also notice our Berkey water filter and giant cooler. We have to turn the refrigerator off while sailing so we don’t want to open it. The cooler allows us to store drinks and food that we can get to whenever we want. Also, the fridge is tiny. The cooler gives us some extra cold storage. They are roped in place, which looks kinda hokey, but they don’t move while we’re sailing, so it’s a win!

Steve and I have never shared a working space. He has a separate office in the RV with a door that can be shut if we are both in meetings at the same time. On the boat, we are side by side and so far, it’s not been a problem. I’m sure there will be times I have to take a call on the deck, or he’ll have to turn his camera off during a meeting to avoid whatever I’m doing in the background, but I don’t think either of us would even call these things an inconvenience.

Steve’s work station and the boat’s navigation center.

I lOVE living on the water, in a marina, and packing away our computers at the end of the day and heading out to sail.

We’ve been out 4 times since moving onto the boat a week ago and are getting better at all of it quickly. We make mistakes, we learn from them, we try again. After 30 years of marriage, sailing is forcing us to up our communication game. Both of us are leave me alone, I’ll do it myself kind of people, so we are learning to work together in ways we’ve never been good at.

Another thing that’s good for us.

We lucked out and scored a slip at a fantastic marina and the other day as I walked back to the boat from the showers I was struck by how incredible it is to live here for a while. For as long as I can remember, Steve and I have stopped to walk through marinas at every opportunity. Now we get to live in one.

I am, right now, writing this from the deck. It is 75 degrees. There’s light breeze. I’m in a sundress trying to get some color on these white legs. All around me people are getting their boats ready for the weekend. The water is gently sloshing around the hull, tiny little birds keep landing on the lines, looking around with sharp jerky movements then flying off to do whatever tiny birds do. Every once in a while I hear a splash from a fish jumping.

The process of learning how to sail, buying a boat and moving onboard, and doing it all so quickly has been one of the most challenging things we’ve ever done. I have had quite a few what-have-you-done moments. Every day brings a fresh set of problems that need to be solved, tasks we don’t know how to do, and situations we’ve never been in.

And it’s hard to describe how much I love it.

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What to make in August

1. Tofu and Mushrooms in Sun Dried Tomato Sauce: Crispy tofu and caramelized mushrooms swimming in a luscious creamy-without-the-cream sun-dried tomato sauce.

2. Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken - with a Dairy Free Option! If you’re looking for ways to not heat up your kitchen right now, a slow cooker is your best friend. The dish includes tender pieces of chicken floating in a creamy curry sauce flavored with onions, garlic, garam masala, chili powder, ginger, turmeric and paprika. The sauce can be made with heavy cream or pureed cashews for a delicious dairy free option.

3. Chicken Lettuce Wraps: I’ve been making these for many, many years. They were one of our kids’ favorite meals when they were growing up! Good thing we like them so much because they are the perfect meal for sailboat life. Not only are they super quick and easy, the chicken filling reheats beautifully, so I can make a large batch in the morning before it gets too warm and then we can enjoy them all week long.

4. Black Bean Enchiladas: This is another go-to recipe that I have made many times for many different occasions. These enchiladas are quick and easy to make, can be made in advance and is easily halved, doubled, or tripled at will. Most importantly, they are freaking delicious.

5. Easy Berry Sauce: It doesn't get any easier than this 10-minute berry sauce. Use whatever kind or combination of berries you like, fresh or frozen, to make this delicious dessert sauce that's bursting with the flavor of ripe, juicy berries. Spoon it over Spoon it over Chocolate Ricotta Cake, Chocolate Loaf Cake, or New York Cheesecake. Or spoon it over waffles, french toast, pancakes, or ice cream.

6. Peach Preserves: Don’t let peach season go by without preserving some for later! This simple, old-fashioned recipe includes just 3 ingredients: peaches, sugar, and lemon juice. A nice, slow simmer concentrates the peach flavor and eliminates the need for additional pectin. The result? Delicious peach preserves with an intense, bright, and fresh flavor you won't be able to get enough of.

7. Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits: What’s the most delicious way to eat homemade peach preserves? Spread over a warm flaky buttermilk biscuit, of course. This recipe will give you biscuits that are soft on the inside, slightly crispy on the outside, and rise to impressive heights with layer after delicious flaky layer.

8. Mixed Berry Muffins with Streusel: These tasty little breakfast treats are packed with fresh or frozen berries and topped with loads of buttery brown sugar streusel. They can be made with fresh OR frozen berries. This means you can make them year round, not just during berry season. 👏

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See you next week, friends!

-Rebecca

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