Written by
Nicole Hartshorn posted on January 13, 2019 12:07
Although boats have been washed-up, wrapped-up and winterized, true boaters are still living and breathing the lifestyle. We look at boats, we talk about boats, we read about boats…. you get the idea.
As much as we love the summer season, we really do enjoy the off-season also. Summer can go by so fast, with so many fun times, it’s hard to take it all in and just live in the moment. The winter gives us time to slow down, reflect on the summer and re-,group. The off-season also gives us time to think of new ideas for the next boating season! Possibly chart out a new adventure, maybe look for new nautical equipment or products that will enhance your boating experience, or perhaps even use the down time to brush-up on your navigation skills. So, if you feel the need for speed, or crave the wave this time of year, don’t worry, boating season will be back in action before you know it! Meanwhile try to use this time to expand your horizons!
For instance, at our house, the little skippers are getting bigger and have decided that wearing those pesky, extremely important life-saving devises while swimming at Potters Beach are just not “cool” anymore. They have convinced us to enroll them into winter swim lessons, fantastic idea on their part! It really has been a great way to break-up the winter and will get them beach-ready by spring.
As for Captain Tom expanding his horizons, he is using the off-season to finally commit to reading our Sea Rays owner’s manual from front to back. He claims, “a good captain knows his vessel inside and out”! Unfortunately, the “Number 15 MerCruiser Service Manual” is not exactly a Barnes & Noble bestseller, so I do give him a lot of credit.
And me? I have been using this winter to expand my recipe collection, by creating new and simple food ideas for my second edition of River Entertaining (food and drink ideas for boaters). I’m so excited about my most recent addition and would love to share it with you, the readers of THOUSAND ISLANDS LIFE first!
The River Gal’s Galley: Cape Vincent Crab Dippers 
Stock your galley with:
- 8oz chunk crab meat
- 8oz light whipped cream cheese (sour cream and chive or plain)
- 1 “bunch” of celery (when referring to the whole celery it is a head or a bunch of celery. And the individual "pieces" as stalks or ribs.)
- 1 lemon
- Fresh dill
- Your favorite cocktail sauce
In a mixing bowl, simply combine the whipped cream cheese and crab meat, then squeeze half a lemon into the mix, and stir. Rinse celery stalks and cut into 3-4-inch sections. With a spoon, scoop the crab mix and fill each celery stick, then arrange them on a serving platter. Sprinkle with fresh dill and garnish with the rest of the lemon. Use your favorite cocktail sauce for dipping and you’ve got yourself some Cape Vincent Crab Dippers!
This is sure to please even the ‘crabbiest” of crew members!
Serves 4-6 people (about 24-26 celery sticks)
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By Nicole Hartshorn, “Food Ideas for Boaters”
About River Entertaining:
From recipes to product reviews, Nicole Hartshorn (The River Gal) is featured in every issue of the Great Lakes Scuttlebutt Magazine and has also been highlighted in Sea Ray Living. Friesen Press published a collection of her “Thousand Islands themed recipes” in 2014, titled RIVER ENTERTAINING, and has been a great galley reference ever since!
Interested in trying more of The River Gals recipes or know a boater who would be? Nicole’s book RIVER ENTERTAINING is available for purchase on Barnes & Noble.com or at Friesen Press.com/book store, search River Entertaining on Amazon.
