FL: How to get your feet wet...

A conversation from the previous night while laying in bed.

MJR: So what's the plan tomorrow?
ALR: We go out, dive, come back, and do whatever we want.
MJR: How do we shower the salt water off us?
ALR: Maybe the boat shop will have something or the hotel will bend the rules for us.
MJR: You have no clue do you?
ALR: Absolutely none.
MJR: Do you think this is going to work?
ALR: I have no clue.
MJR: This is going to be good.

Our third day was the only day that we had started with a plan. Last month, after some research, I set up a snorkel/scuba tour with Sea Dwellers. We could come and go as we pleased all the way up to Monday morning. I thought I could snorkel on top while Matt went below the water, best of both worlds situation. Great in theory, mediocre in execution.

They took us out to two locations, Snapper's Ridge and The Pillars. Snapper's Ridge was described as a wall of fish and based off the small window I saw, I believe it. I was the only snorkeler on the trip and after being warned it was choppy, it didn't take much to believe. I got out for a little bit and saw a few things like the massive schools that hovered around the bottom of the boat. I kept getting waves crashing into my tube and after a half an hour, I crawled back into the boat. I was glad I wasn't the only one that struggled a bit with the waves and water. The second dive was a great dive for Matt which made me happy. He even brought me back a present from the dive. On the bottom of the ocean was a pink ear tag with a weight connected to it. It was half covered in sea barnacles. Made me smile as I know he's not known for his romantic gestures, but this was more proof that we do get each other.

After coming back, we found out that we'd been officially checked out of our rooms. I decided to make a plea/ploy to the hotel and they were gracious enough to offer us keys to use the public shower in the pool area. Beggars can't be choosers and it worked out WAY better than I had planned. 

Lunch was at the Islamorada Shrimp Shack. I had shrimp and grits, which came highly recommended by the server. Matt had the fish tacos. We also had a bowl of the she-crap soup. It's called that because they use the female crabs for soup because they are smaller than the males, which are main course meals. 

Matt had also had a plan for us that day, Robbie's Marina: to feed the tarpons. A tarpon is a large fish, like a northern on crack minus the teeth. They could have been 4 or 5 feet long and I bet many of them topped the scales at 100 pounds. After alerting the parents (and Matt's office) that we were there, so they could watch the web feed, we headed down the dock to watch them.

ALR: How do you do this?
Lady on Dock: You lay down on the dock, you reach out with the fish, you put the fish in the water, wiggle it until one of them starts coming after the wiggling fish and then you let go.

ALR: Let me get this straight....you lay down. on the dock?

Lady on Dock (in all seriousness) yes.

So after Matt got the once over from a pelican who took his first fish, as well as his finger tip, he laid down on the dock, put the bait in the water, wiggled it, and waited for the lunge. TALK about an adrenaline rush! I got one before I even tried it. What a great little tourism spot. Robbie, the owner was there and even showed us just how save these giants were! 

After feeding the tarpon, we started heading toward off the island. But not before taking in a few more spots, like the Sugar Shack, which is right outside an art spot, where there was a HUGE Caribbean lobster begging to have its picture taken. We took a wander around and also enjoyed a piece of key lime pie. Honestly, could have been the top piece for me on this trip.

As we headed out of Key Largo (with the top down), We enjoyed the last few minutes of island reality. After one more stop at Robert's fruit stand, where we bought green beans, kumquats, and an ugly fruit, which became a midday snack.

MJR: (After eating kumquat) Well that's not what I was expecting.
ALR: Blech, it's like a pine tree combined with a grape and a orange peel and a lemon.
ALR: Why do I let you make food choices for us.
ALR: Maybe I got a bad bite.
ALR: Nope, this one is worse, it has seeds.
MJR: Hmmm. I didn't think they were too bad.
ALR: Eat another one then, punishment for saying stupid stuff.

Want to see just how relaxed you are on vacation. Navigate roads with your spouse in a metropolitan area when your entire life could be taken out by a PT Cruiser. We agreed that we'd make it to Fort Lauderdale before calling it a night. We ate supper at the Greek Islands Taverna. Greek is a food that we both love. Matt was excited to order the fried octopus appetizer followed by lamb chops. I had the moussaka and we took baklava home for breakfast the next day.

It was another full day. When we fell into bed at Beachcomber's that night, I know we both slept like rocks.

FL: How to get from Key Largo to Key West...

We wanted to start early on Sunday, get ourselves adjusted to Eastern time and get going into the Keys.
We had breakfast at IHop and then made a quick stop thru Krispy Kremes, 2 hot and fresh glazed donuts.

MJR: Hey take a picture of this. This will drive my mother crazy.
ALR: Okay it’s sent.
Bing (received text)
Michele: Are you flipping kidding me!
Bing (received text)
Michele: I’m having toast.
MJR & ALR: BWAHAHAHA

Before leaving Florida City (with the top down), we stopped at an attraction on our map- Robert is Here Fruit Stand. It was beautiful. We wandered around there for hours looking at the beautiful fruits, vegetables, herbs, honeys and more. The hardest part is we knew we couldn't really buy anything because we couldn't hold it because of the temperature, we couldn't cook anything, because of the amenities, and we couldn't send it back home to savor. Both Matt and I commented on the beautiful onions and the mints and the prices. We spent a good amount of time there and even checked out the petting zoo out back where we disappointed a goose because we had nothing to offer. We did grab a cherry lime milkshake, a mango, and a tangerine before getting on the road. I wish I could make a copycat of the milkshake, it was amazing.

When we headed into the Keys, we found a room for ourselves at the Courtyard, where they had great hospitality and the room was far superior to the last one we managed to get. We chose the hotel because of the proximity to the dive shop that we’d be using the next day. After unloading, we headed to Islamorada to check out the gigantic nautical flea market that had given us so much grief. It wasn't like anything I’d seen. It was like the perfect compromise to a vendor show. Craft, art, clothing intermingled with fishing rods, hooks, dive gear, boat stuff, and more. Worth the viewing to take it all in.

From there we headed deeper into the keys, stopping at random spots along the way. Including lunch at “The Wreck” We started the meal off with a smoked fish dip on crackers that was really great and I want to try to duplicate at some time. Matt had a Mahi Jerk Sandwich and I enjoyed a coconut encrusted grouper sandwich. It was a beautiful ride with the clear blue water and the sun.

We got into Key West a little before the sun started going down. We parked, discovered the town has a healthy flock of wandering chickens, and wandered about town. We headed down Duvall and did a true Duvall Crawl.

We stopped at art galleries-even purchased a couple for ourselves, bought a couple postcards, and at the Island Dog enjoyed a couple
beers and half a dozen oysters. We got a craving for key lime pie and Matt located Kermit’s where we enjoyed a piece on their porch and headed to the Southern Most Point. Closest we've been to Cuba. Was cool to see such an iconic piece of the Keys. We also made sure we walked by Hemingway’s home, no didn't glimpse any of the 6-toed cats, and took in Mile Marker 0.

It was dark before we headed up the 100 miles back to Key Largo.

MJR: Do you notice all the houses are stilts?
ALR: Yes, I’m assuming it has to do with the weather, dampness, flooding, and all.
ALR: It looks pretty.
MJR: I don’t know. Seems like an invitation. To all the creepy crawly things that I don’t like, come live UNDER neath me! Eww

Ironically, when you put Matt and I's wardrobe choices together, it's like we were destined to visit the Southernmost Point that day.

FL: How to get out of the cold...

About 2 months ago, I called my husband on the phone and freaked out.

ALR: I NEED TO GO SOMEWHERE, WARM, AND SOON.

MJR: Where did you have it mind?

ALR: I’M LOOKING AT LAST CHANCE VACATIONS ON RCI, I’M GOING TO SEND YOU A LIST.

MJR: Okay, dear.

Later that night, instead of bringing home flight costs for international travel, he looks at me and says, why don’t we fly direct to Orlando, we’ll rent a car, drive the coast down to the Keys, and fly by the seat of our pants. I agreed and the trip was planned.

Now, I won’t lie, I wondered if we were foolish to spend the money on vacation, but after talking it out, we decided we needed it and deserved it. And now after 4 days in another world, I’d say it was the best decision of 2015. It was beautiful, wonderful, and was absolutely grand. It’s the kind of trips that you smile about for years to come, not just days after. 

We got off the plane and the first smile was at the car rental place, where Jordan at Advantage upgraded our standard car for a convertible. Yes, please. From there we got on the road, full of smiles and the thrill of the toll bridge with us. We did make our first stop at a Chick-Fil-A for a couple #3’s (Spicy Chickens) for a quick lunch/supper and then kept heading south. Matt suggested that I make a few phone calls for room rates as we had planned to stay in Key Largo. After 4 or 5 fulls and 1 ridiculously priced single room, we decided to stay in Florida City, which is the last stop before the Keys and on main land. We stayed at the Quality Inn, which wasn’t much to write-home about, but for a room in high demand, it worked. I believe the comment of the night, “We’ve stayed in worst”

We did explore a bit in town and ended up catching a light snack at Mario’s, a local Cuban restaurant. We choose appetizers-tamal en hoja, papa rellena, croquettes, and tequenos. We ended the meal with Natila, a cream custard with cinnamon and caramel. It was a wonderful snack to overstuff us before bed. The best part of the meal though was the Presidente beers that took us back to St. Maarten.

ALR: Do you have any openings tonight for a room?
Reservationist: No, I’m sorry we are full.
ALR: You are like the 5^th place that I’ve called that’s full, do you have any recommendations for a place or what’s going on?
Reservationist: Yes, we are actually overbooked and have sent people all over town to make up for it. I’d recommend staying in Florida City or Homestead.
ALR: All booked?
Reservationist: Yes, and I won’t recommend going further into the Keys because it’s Fat Tuesday in Key West, so rooms will either be booked or cost a great deal and we are booked here because there is a huge nautical flea market today and tomorrow.
ALR: A Nautical Flea Market?

How to do Valentine's Day...the right way.

We are slowly inching towards spring. Really slowly. How do I know? The days are getting longer, we have days that look and feel like spring, and I’m getting itchy for the summer. Maybe it’s just our upcoming trip to Florida, who knows.

We wouldn’t say we’ve been crazy busy, but steady. We’ve had two weekends of settling the past couple weeks. The highlight of the first weekend in February was that I made French Beignets. They are like a sweet fry dough, but different. Matt and I enjoyed them while we organized a bit around the house and got a few more things hung on the walls, it’s like we may actually live there. I’m concentrating on decorating in the kitchen. We definitely have a farm-house rustic feel. Ironically, my mother and my grandmother had farmhouse kitchens and it’s nothing like there’s. They’d never put a cream can as focal point in their kitchen! Hahaha, the irony is not lost on me.

Matt also officially finished butchering. The bacon was brined, smoked, cut, weighed, sampled, and put away. He's now suffering from post-postpartum depression. I heard him mumble sadness about butchering finally being over, blah blah, poor me.

The big shift in the kitchen happened this weekend, not sure if it’s a Valentine’s gift to each other or what, but Matt and I replaced the hardware in the kitchen this weekend. Looks completely different. We had purchased a few options and had them hanging around for a week but we did settle on one and replaced all 39 pulls on Sunday, before our Love Pot meal.

Now on to one of my top 5 meals of the year. Many moons ago, when we were a young dating couple, I told Matt that I don’t want to buy gifts for each other. In lieu of this, we should buy king crab and make surf and turf together…make a memory, not settle for the cliché gifts. We’ve never looked back on this decision. The decision was only further supported by a gift we got from Matt’s Aunt Judy, which we refer to as the Love Pot…and considering Judy’s surname, it’s incredibly fitting.

So there we sat with 12 oz sirloins and Alaskan king crab and scissors and
steaks and toast. Why toast, you ask, because you have to have a side. Anyway, we sat, talked, shared a bottle of wine. It was a great night. We had made the realization that we’ve always celebrated Valentine’s Day in a different house. First on 20th (which was a dive), then on Park (where we still struggled to find a system that worked), then on Hillside (first year with the love pot) and now on Cottonwood.

Although I don't need to state what the best meal of the week was, I will add that I also tried to make red velvet cinnamon rolls. Something fun for the weekend. They didn't turn out too bad.

MJR: I don’t care what they say, this is way better than a dozen roses. (Stuffs steak into his mouth)
ALR: You would say that. Flowers ARE nice.
ALR: But I guess I would say that too.
(Cracks open the arm of the crab and peels out the meat inside)

How to Intern in Butchering

What do you get when you have three pigs, two families, a bunch of seasoning, and one intern. A butchering weekend. Matt has been looking forward to this for a long time. When I say forward to this, I mean he's been reading recipes, looking at his butchering items, shopping for more butchering items, plotting and planning what to do with the sausage, and watching oodles of meat cutting videos. Oodles. It's like Christmas but with meat for that man. This was the first time that we tried to do it together as two families, the Mosers and Remynses. Matt has always done it in the past with the firehall guys but between the three sets of couples, we wrangled up all the material, including the pigs. It was fun and it was also nice to do it this way because Michele and Randy wouldn't have been able to participate if it was in Dickinson because of the distance and my parents would have been counted out because of the time of year. I had a good time!

Matt also invited the airport intern, Joe, out for some North Dakota butchering, an experience he'll probably never forget! So to break down the process a bit, a picture is 1000 words. First you make sure you have the seasonings ready. Ours had to make a special trip from SD, across state lines, by secret courier! Then you start bringing the pigs down and "dissecting" them. You cut out the important parts - bacon, chops, hams, etc. Big decisions to be made, how thick the cuts, how many to a package....all decisions that you are sure to evaluate in depth later on while in use. Then you take the not as wonderful cuts and break them down into sausage.  

Then you watch the peanut gallery, who wants nothing more than to sit with you or lick the floor. She'll whine for a bit but will get quiet after you start the grinder. Either that or the grinder is loud and will drown all the whining out. So grind all the sausage parts and pieces. This is very important for Matt because then you can start plotting just exactly what you are going to do. 

Then you take the fat- which you cut off of the sausage chunks, which you plan to give to your grandmother because you love her, and throw them into the grinder. This is prior to the rendering part so you'll have lard for when you make donuts and for cooking.

Then you take the special mixes or personal recipes and mix up your sausage. Matt and I mixed up Italian sausage, Potato Sausage (he's very excited about that), Cajun Brats, and Beer Brats. Mom and Dad had the Lola-Brad Special Breakfast, which we split up and shared, they also mixed a country sausage. Randy took a mixed variety of these home to Michele to sample. That was a really nice aspect about doing meat with family, there was a lot of sharing of the mixes. After mixing, you can stuff into pound bags or you can put into casings. We did both. We made sure Joe got involved in this aspect too, he made links. 

While the guys put it all into casings, Mom was the professional wrapper. She wrapped it all, chops, ribs, boston butts, loins, brats, and she even wrapped up the lard that she has big plans for. Nothing like a big ol' fat ball in a roster to make a weekend fun!

My favorite part hasn't changed much from when I remember doing it when I was little. I loved the sampling part. I can remember the tables and broomsticks of meat when I was younger and the talking and laughter. I can remember the grinder sticking and the totes of meat too.  

We did it all in a day and a half from start to clean up. The only things that Matt has left to do is cure the bacons, On Sunday, he sliced up and packaged all the side pork and also smoked and packaged the country sausage. I'm a little worried about him as he may have "the wedding's over" blues but at least we have a freezer full of meat to keep him too far out of the depression!

Best meal: Samplings of Breakfast, Italian, Cajun, Cajun Honey, Cajun Honey Revised, Beer Brat, Potato, and Country....on a toothpick too!

MJR: Ah meat! My second wife.
ALR: Second?
MJR: Next to you, of course.

ALR: Of course. What about the airport?
MJR: I have a lot of mistresses.