Bread, Brownies, and Bonnie Raitt

A big win on the boat!  I have discovered that making bread ain’t nuthin’ but a thang.  I make a mean loaf of bread on land but factors are so very different on MarVyn.  The humidity, the temperature, the freshness of ingredients, and, most concerning, the oven.  But last night I put two pans of dough loaded with local rosemary in our convection oven and out came two gorgeous, warm, savory loaves!  OK, so gorgeous may seem an exaggeration if you’re reading this from the comfort of your kitchen full of wonderful creations from a local bakery, but on MarVyn we’re learning to find beauty in imperfection. Scarcity nurtures appreciation, yes?  A little butter and these babies taste like heaven!  (Sorry the photo is only of leftovers —we were all too interested in eating to worry about taking pictures last night!)

As for the brownies…why waste a perfectly hot oven?  Something had to go in at a lower temperature to make sure the energy wasn’t wasted.  And why not brownies?

Last night was full, as have been most nights to this point.  We have found yet another beautiful anchorage, this time between Treasure Cay and Marsh Harbor.  There is a gathering of islands at this point which protects us from the wind and gives great entertainment.  We put the kayak in and Clint and Evyn dragged Marley and me to shore where we we explored the small beach and adjacent iron shore.  Marley created a circus of hermit crabs while Evyn found that walking on the plant-covered shore rocks made her feet turn neon yellow!  The fire we made with our paper waste and driftwood was used to roast veggies and sausages.  Seasoning for the veggies was from the leaves of an allspice tree on a nearby island.  The bread and brownies came after we were, of course, chased back to the boat by ferocious no-see-ums.   A little Bonnie Raitt, a well-deserved drink for the adults, and carb-loading closed out another fabulous day in the life of MarVyn.