cape cod whale watching

I've found there is a positive side to heat waves. Let me re-phrase that: there is a positive side to "humidity" driven heat waves. If you take some money, buy a ticket to go on a whale watch, they take you out to the middle of the ocean where there is very little heat AND a nice ocean breeze.

There are a lot of whale watching charters here on cape cod. We went with Hyannis Whale Watch out of Hyannis. It was a nice clean ship, and thankfully it was NOT that crowded. We took the 8am ride (got in line at 7am) on a wednesday. I thought it would be packed like sardines because of all the clammer and uproar of the great white sighting in Truro. Everyone and his brother coming to the cape to rent boats to go out and see the great white.



Since we were one of the first on line, getting the best seat in the house wasn't a problem.


Not giving up this spot.


Since there are no propellers, the boat can easily turn around in five feet of water. Definitely enjoyable to watch that.


Heading out of little harbor in west barnstable.




One of the best parts of any fishing/whale adventure is the trip out there.




We pass the outer banks of Sandy Neck (sandwich, ma).




We sail out for about 45 minutes until we hit this. And the sun was out. AND, there was no more heat wave way out here. This is where we sit and wait, quietly. I don't mind, I could do this part all day.


Then out of the blue a resounding POOF of air a whale appears. The captain slowly inches boat closer.


And just like that they go back under. This when you need one of those high tech camera's to get all the quick shots. The whales go back down and feed, and hopefully resurface about 5-10 minutes later.






And this why I wanted the spot I wanted--you get lucky and get a shot like this with your rinky dink camera. Isn't that just awesome? You should have heard the noise they made coming up out of the water. Scares the crap out of you.




The announcer on the whale watch has names for some of the whales. How do they identify them? By the markings on the backs of their tails--the amount of white, design, etc....


After all that excitement it got quite, so the captain drove out towards provincetown, to another whale sighting spot.


A single female, about 30 feet long.




She resurfaced 10 minutes later, way out there.


Three new ones took her place.




Then it was time to head home.

Hyannis whale watch was a great cruise. Very informative staff. Even the announcer walks around, on the way home, and answers all your questions as well as looks at your photos with you to help you identify what whales you saw. The captain didn't keep us in one spot for too long if we didn't see whales--which is good. We moved around a lot. Definitely saw a good amount of whales.
Very clean ship, comfy seats inside and out.
Pricey though, as the tickets are $47.00 and the parking is $15.00. I had no idea you had to pay for parking.
If you do go, make sure to take the early morning one, as on the way home back into the dock we saw the 1pm line and it was already booked. (early mornings on a weekday are far less crowded in the summer).

Also, congrats to the winner of the "Thoroughly Modern Milkshake" #14 Ariel and #21 Esi. Please email me your shipping address!

friday links

It's Friday and it's time for the holiday weekend to BEGIN.
I'm so happy. We (cape cod) finally have sun.
Our springs consist mainly of rain, rain, then 1 day of sun, then more rain.
It's taxing on the mood for sure.


Cape Cod national seashore, down by nauset lighthouse.





We had a lot of rain, gloom and darkness for the past three weeks. So glad it's gone!




Deep sea fishing boats in harwich port, ma are ready for the season.


Our town was conducting gas line testing. I had to capture this on photo, it was such an intense flame and the magnitude of heat that came off it was frightening. I was about 200 feet or more away and could easily feel the intense heat.

From around the web:

One week coffee is good for you and the next week it's not. Here's another article on how coffee can deter skin cancer? On the fence with this one.

How to plant an upside down tomato planter (this way looks so much easier).

Dental x-rays linked to common brain tumor? Hmmm.

Homes in bizarre places. The cement factory converted into a home is wild.

An article on how long a nap should last. LOL!! (as if)


Aren't these ocean art prints so pretty? Perfect for a white wall bathroom or office. From Society6.com


For the wanderlust in all of us, how about this one? A reminder to get outside and travel. Also from Society6.com


This one I love. If I could collect maps (new and old) for a living I would. I have a small bathroom that just begs for this wallpaper. Check out the other wallpapers, quite unique and will give you some great ideas next time you go wallpaper shopping. From Lonnymag.com

Grilled chicken recipes for weekend grilling. From Seriouseats.com

Swedish meatballs done right. Not those soggy, mushy crappy kind. These are done by chef marcus samuelsson.

Are you a macaroni salad lover? I am too, but I'm fussy and want the flavorful kind. Here is a list of good ones, more importantly: macaroni cobb salad! Bookmarked!

This video on youtube is AMAZING!. If you're afraid of heights do not click. If not, then enlarge that screen.

Want to try a different BBQ sauce this holiday weekend? How about tandori BBQ sauce?

Avoid depression while bathing suit shopping! Some good tips (I think).

Energy drinks they do cause depression--this one I firmly believe. All those chemicals are just not good for you. Great article.


Excellent round up of mango recipes from whole foods.


Recently I tried one of the Blue Print Juice raw drinks. They aren't bad. This one pictured has beet juice in it and I thought I would gag, but I didn't. Would love to try the whole cleanse routine; pricey little suckers though.

MIT engineers solve the problem of backed-up ketchup bottle. Hmmm. (love that it took an engineer to solve this) .

Plant eater paradise: 2012 Best Summer Cookbooks.

Ice cream recipes that need NO ice cream maker. Excellent list.

True cost of eating healthier? Guess what? It's cheaper!


One of the best buttermilk dressings I've come across. Heirloom tomato-basil salad with buttermilk dressing. From whole foods.



Eat Raw Eat Well: Excellent book on eating more raw foods. Nothing crazy or wild, no crazy grocery lists to be had. It's really all about a gentle way to ease you into more raw food eating that actually tastes good. I was quite shocked at how all the recipes looked good.

Have a wonderful holiday!

Don't forget to enter the cookbook giveaway for the book Pie It Forward from Gesine Bullock-Prado. Did you read the interview? Good reads.

friday links

Here on cape cod we've been blessed with a good amount of gorgeous weather this winter. The complete opposite of last winter, which was full on snow and no sun. This winter we've had above normal temps. good amount of sun and about four inches of snow so far. Last year at this time we had already received over 57 inches of snow. Crazy extremes. When the sun is out I do my very best to get to the beach as much as possible.
One day I was lucky enough to tag along for clamming.




Steamers for dinner!


This is north chatham, ma.



Off in the distance is the infamous Nauset Beach, but before that, there is the small island sanctuary called Tern Island. And yes, this is the same Nauset that hooks up with other end of Nauset Beach down by the national seashore. Nauset Beach, used to be one long piece of beach, but a few winters ago a part of the beach broke/breached. For those who love history of beaches (like me) you can read more about the breach, and history of the beach click here. There are summer homes over there, no electricity or power. The homes are few, and very minimal. From what I've heard from the natives, it's like going back in time over there; gas lanterns, fishing poles, books, and minimal furniture is about it. One four wheel drive vehicle for the island and people to use to drive around in--no other cars there. Hard to rent one that's for sure. I hope to get a ride over there one day this summer--fingers crossed. I haven't found much info on Tern Island though....still looking....

Around the web:

Speaking of cape cod, I've become obsessed with these giant oat cookies, aptly named: Salty Oats made by Kayak Cookies. Almost a quarter pound cookie that is oatmeal cookie with raisins and a touch of salt. Heavenly cookie indeed. They are made here on cape cod (originally started in DC) and are sold in most businesses on cape cod and almost all whole foods in Massachusetts. Growing in popularity simply because of their taste and short list of wholeness ingredients. I've already started my quest to make a suitable clone. Have you tried these cookies?



After my post about the peanut flour peanut butter cookies a couple people asked about other uses for peanut flour. For me, I just look at what recipes that use flour, can we use peanut flour instead? A few other tips found here too.

My latest salad dressing obsession can be found here.

Did you know you can clean copper with lemon and salt? I didn't.

Linen sheets have always gotten a bad, scratchy rap. But apparently not here. Do you like them?

Do you compost? Here's a helpful guide.

My latest cookbook obsession?


At first I was a little intimidated by this book thinking it might be too hard because it is from an acclaimed Norwegian pastry chef Sverre Sætre, but no actually the recipes are very easy to follow.
And as a little treat they show you how to make your own marzipan--and guess what? It's super easy. I never knew. Chef Sverre has 50 recipes in side and each recipe has it's own color photograph. For me, that's the most important part--I need to see the finished product and am really not fond of cookbooks that give you only a handful of photographs. This Norwegian cookbook is a treat, if you've ever wanted to step out of your comfort zone and try a few Norwegian delicacies, this would be it, as it's not hard to follow and won't have you running around town looking for crazy ingredients you can't find or pronounce.



Many women are low on iron. Did you know that liver is very high in iron? LOL I knew that, but I still won't eat it.

Have any of you started canning? I remember a few of you said you were doing some this winter. How about pickled carrots? They actually sound really good.

I do love that kneadless bread is all the rage. Especially when it's got cheese in it.

Have you ever wondered what a day in the life is like for a location scout? Fascinating.

And for those who are still curious about canning. Here is a well-written beginners guide, with a brief history too.

Onion and black pepper scones. Gluten free too!

The kettlepizza. I really want one of these, just in time for summer. What a great idea.

Foodie pick up lines. Cute very cute.

Need new slippers?

Ways to boost up your salad dressings.

Have a great weekend!

Merry Christmas

I'm very blessed to have friends like you.
It truly is all of you that keep me going creating new recipes.
Your positive comments and admiration are a blessing to me.
Thank you all so very much.
Merry Christmas!





Lately the sunsets (and warm weather) here on cape cod have been amazing. This is Corporation Beach in Dennis, MA.


Hard to believe it's winter, but I'll take this weather.


Even some of my surfing buds are still catching some swells over at cape cod national seashore: nauset beach.


Wouldn't it be nice if this warm weather stayed right up until spring?


Most parts of cape cod are all closed up for the season--its like a ghost town. Nice though for long walks on the beach. Photo of Chapin Beach Conservation Land, Dennis, MA.


And of course we still get a ton of rain and fog here. Local guy clamming in Harwich, MA.


But after the rain, the sun finally comes out, and boy is it something spectacular--each and every time. This is a beautiful summer home on the beach in harwichport, ma. Wouldn't it be nice to vacation here?

Spring can't come soon enough for me.

Merry Christmas! And happy new year too!