Brats and Dinghy Day

We have 2 big events to report on today, although they actually took place yesterday. First, we hosted the people who work at Great Lakes Yacht Service for lunch. We grilled brats and Belgian Trippe, a local sausage that is a brat stuffed with cabbage. About a dozen folks enjoyed the brats and my Greek Dip and Guacamole salad. We are so grateful for everyone here-- we bought our boat here and have docked it here all summer. The entire staff is extremely helpful and knowledgeable and patient with our inexperience!

Guacamole Salad

I got this recipe from my daughter, who got it from a friend of hers. It is always a hit!

Guacamole Salad:                                                                                              

·         1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved

·         ½ c. diced red onion

·         1 yellow, orange, or red pepper – diced in 1/2” to 1” pieces

·         1 can - 15 oz. black beans, drained and rinsed

·         1 handful of chopped cilantro

·         ½ tsp. lime zest

·         1-2 minced jalapenos (optional)

·         2 diced avocados

Dressing:

·         ¼ c. lime juice ~ 2 limes

·         ¼ c. olive oil

·         ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

·         1 clove of garlic, minced

·         1 tsp. kosher salt

·         ½ tsp. ground black pepper

   Place tomatoes, onions, peppers, beans, cilantro, lime zest and avocados in a medium size bowl.Mix all dressing ingredients together well and pour over the other ingredients. Stir gently. Serve immediately or refrigerate. 

Greek Dip Platter

 

 

Ingredients:
6oz plain Greek Yogurt
10oz Sabra Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (may not use entire thing)
To taste:
minced red onion
chopped cucumber
chopped tomato
chopped kalamata olives
feta cheese
chopped fresh parsley
Dippers: Triscuits, pita chips, whole-grain crackers, carrots, celery, cucumber slices
Directions:
Spread Greek yogurt on the bottom of a deep plate. Spread hummus evenly on top. Sprinkle on red onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta cheese and parsley. Serve with dippers.

from iowagirleats.com


And now for the second important event of the day--- drum roll------ we launched our dinghy and went for a short cruise around the "neighborhood"! Eventually this will be very routine, but it was the first time that we single-handedly attached the crane to the dinghy and lowered it into the water. We didn't even swing it into the side of the M.B.! No smashing/crashing is always a plus. After our ride we hoisted it back up on board without incident. One of these days we are gonna be real sailors!