This weeks post while I sit here on watch pondering life is going to Social Media.

 

 

Isn’t it amazing how it can bring so many people together who have not even physically met before, now I know this is not always the case for every one.

Summer of 2019 has definitely shown me the power of social media and everyone coming together to help one another out especially in the yacht chef network.

It was a couple of summers ago now I think…hard to say…. when  I met Lauren from @sailingfooddiaries, I got a private message via instagram asking where I was and if I was actually in St Tropez as my latest post quoted, I was and so we met on the dock for a quick chat and ice cream. Since then you could say we have been chatting almost every week about food and ideas, tips and tricks. Along with surviving the life of sole chef, when all you want is that magic fairy to come along and clean up your galley for you so you can make it to your bunk quicker.

My instagram is a collection of foodie, yoga, travel inspired people and posts, what started as a way for me to use the platform as a portfolio for my food is doing just that.

Back in 2006 when I first started working on boats I didn’t even own a smart phone had probably only just figured out what Facebook was, we used to go to the bar to get wifi to send some emails and thats where my nights went.

I set up my instagram page in 2016 I was very late to the party, technology isn’t always my friend. Since then however it has grown into a hugely useful networking platform with lots of other yacht chef, yogi enthusiasts and travellers from all over.

Given this year so far I’ve not spent more than 8 weeks in one place its so useful to be able to keep in touch with people via the platforms of social media, I don’t always have a fixed phone number, neither do a lot of the people that I meet, we change locations so often that its just easier to message via instagram to keep in touch.

Its also a great way to keep up with people given our nomad lifestyle.

Coming back up the East Coast I’ve been back in touch with a lot of people I haven’t seen in a very long time and thats only possible due to the powers of face book and instagram as I’m talking like 10 years ago!!

 

So if you have the chance to pop over and have a cup of coffee with your mates then do so, if your connections are more like mine via the magic of the inter web, please drop them a message, in this day and age we are all so connected its almost scary, but nothing better than alittle note from a friend.

 

Happy Friday Eve to you all, I hope the weekend brings good things.

 

cupcake x

 

 

 

 

 

A week ago now I found out about a local open air movie that was on.

The Game Changers, safe to say its been a game changer alright.

We went along as a crew with very open minds and not a lot of idea what this was going to be about except looking at the views of protein.

Well out of 10 crew we now have 6 who are either pescatarian or vegetarian.

The impact of this film on the boys has been rather interesting to watch, maybe it was in the delivery that got them to think about the amount of meat they are consuming, I’m not sure but it has definitely made them think twice about the amount of animal protein they are eating.

 

I have over the last few years also cut down in the amount of red meat I have been eating, in India earlier this year I was vegetarian for the 6 weeks that I was there, more so to avoid the deli belly than anything but it did get me thinking and made me realise that I didn’t miss meat all that much.

Returning to NZ I didn’t feel like the pile of lamb chops I would have normally eaten once I’m home with a bbq at hand.

Changing eating habits takes time and what suits one may not always suit another, its a process of trial and error.

What I do know is that I have changed my view on vegetables and create more salads that I now feel like eating over avoiding.

Salad to me used to be lettuce tomato and cucumber, now it can range from pumpkin to beetroot to couscous, theres so many options with some many delicious combos.

Being in the Usa there are also a lot of plant based protein products available, meatballs, burgers, sausages etc.

Meat free Mondays are slowly making a take over… I still cook some chicken or a little meat as there are a few who won’t let go completely and live on vegetables just for one day, but were are making progress one meal at a time!!

 

So maybe give it a go, meat free Monday or if thats easy cut out another option later in the week, try have one meat free meal a day, so many options and its really not that difficult once you get started.

happy veggies!

cupcake. x

 

So once again I have been so bad at keeping this updated but I’m back and we are on land with some super speedy wifi so I don’t really have any excuse now do I!!

 

We are back in the yard in Newport RI, for those of you that don’t know this is where my yacht chef journey began about 13 years ago. So to come back in here has been rather nostalgic for me.

Im in a very different place and different job to when I was here the first time around, but Newport is still just the same and its been  ever so special to catch up with some old friends from my early days here.

The more I travel around the USA the more I realise why some people don’t ever leave the country, each state is so unique in its own way that you really don’t have too!

This summer took me to places and to see things I would only have dreamed of, thats for another post later on!!

 

I wasn’t sure on returning to the Usa as my love for Europe is so strong, but here I am, and its safe to say its been emotional and a journey of coming full circle.

I’m now working on one of the white boats I only looked at with dreamy eyes back then, I have the big galley, the continuous hot water and the air con! small things in life!

So stand by to see whats coming up, theres been a lot of investment into myself after this summer season, I’ve started a holistic health coach course also and I can’t wait to share with all of you what comes my way with this.

Big Plans, Big Dreams!

cupcake. x