Sunrise in Beaufort

Sunrise on Taylors Creek

Thanks to a few long days in the ICW we arrived in Beaufort, NC Wednesay evening.  No questions about route or destination accompany today's dawn.  We plan to be Beaufort residents until next fall.

Cheers to all the friends new and old that we encountered on the trip.  Thanks to C'est la Vie for another fine voyage. 

We hope to keep C'est la Vie on the water until mid summer and then haul her at Bock Marine during hurricane season.    I look forward to a couple Cape Lookout trips and some day sailing prior to the haulout.

See you on the water.

Marking Control Lines on C'est la Vie

 While Anne piloted us ever northward along the ICW, I took advantage of the mellow conditions to properly mark the reefing lines on C’est la Vie’s mainsail.   To aid in efficiently reducing sail, it rarely seems that enlarging sail area is done under pressure, we mark the reefing lines at the cleat on the boom.  The first reef line receives a mark for the full sail and for the reef point.  The second reefing line receives a mark for the full sail, the first reef, and the second reef point. 

mainsail reefing lines marked with indelible ink

Initially we make the marks using a sharpie marker.  After a couple months of sailing and assessing the position of marks it is time to properly mark the line with some whipping twine.

Marking with whipping twine has the advantage of being both easy to see and easy to feel.  When working at night or under duress feeling the marks saves time and effort.

The tools required are scissors and a sewing awl.  Using a high quality whipping twine will enhance the quality and longevity of the marks.  

Resources with quality directions on whipping line can be found on the internet, example - Finish Whipping Method 1.  Look around and pick your favorite.

A hint for finishing the whipping is to use a sewing awl to pass the ends of the twine through the line. Using the sewing awl, I pass the ends through the rope three to four times.  

passing the ends of the whipping twine through the rope

This trick keeps the whipping from unraveling and gives the mark a clean look without loose ends hanged about.

completed mark 

 We use this technique to mark various lines around C’est la Vie – reefing lines, halyards, dinghy painter,  topping lift, etc.

new marks on first and second reef lines.

Five Fathom Creek, SC to Cow House Creek, SC

After being caught off guard by Tropical Storm Alberto last evening, we awoke early eager get under way and place additional miles between C’est la Vie and the storm warnings.  Watching the morning sunrise over the marshes of Cape Romain it was easy to judge which direction to run.

Here is the view to our northeast towards Georgetown, SC

Sunrise over Five Fathom Creek, SC

And here is looking southwest towards Charleston, SC

Rain Bands from Tropical Storm Alberto

 No brainier.  We were underway by 06:00.  Being a morning person I took the first watch.  The 20 knot northeast winds on our nose made the 60 degree morning temps feel brisk.  Between naps Anne kept me supplied with warm tea.

Anne napping in the quarter berth

We anticipated rough conditions combined with a headwind in Winyah Bay.  The bay exceeded expectations.  We entered the bay at a high slack so waiting would have only added tidal current to the challenge. Initially we tacked up the channel under a small jib.  The waves were very short period 2 to 3 feet on the bow so tacking with a bit of foresail  made for a better ride.  Closing in on Geogetown the waves dimished along with the fetch so we completed the final couple miles motoring into the wind.

Rather than fight the afternoon ebb tide  we ducked into Georgetown Harbor and tied up at one of the free city docks.  Big Tuna Resturant’s atmosphere drew us in so we grabbed some lunch.  While not bad food the atmosphere was more impressive than my cheeseburger or Anne’s crabcake sandwich

. 

The highlight of our Georgetown layover was the opportunity to catch up with Susan & Lynn, friends from Beaufort that have relocated.  They are currently working to create the GeorgetownMaritime Museum. 

Tide waits for no-one so by 16:00 we were steaming out of town ready to ride the flooding tide up to an anchorage in the Waccamaw River.

Tropical Storm Who? ... What?

We just became aware of Tropical Storm Alberto off the Carolina coast.  He is forecast to move closer to SC over the next 18 to 24 hours, then pick up speed on a NE track.  We are currently anchored in 5 Fathom Creek in the Cape Romaine NWR or about 20 miles north of Charleston, SC.  This is not a good place to be if Alberto decides to alter course.  We plan to move further north and inland to Georgetown, SC early tomorrow morning.  Welcome to hurricane season.

What to do with all the free bread...

We had all this amazing bread and I wanted the bread to be the star! So, side show pasta and bold beautiful baguette!

I cut the bread in half, to save it for later and the sliced that half in half lengthwise. Using my squirt bottle of olive oil I drizzled on a healthly dose, spread on minced fresh garlic and squeezed on chopped basil. Oh the aroma was intoxicating! I then spread it with a butter knife and sprinkled on some parm on one and the other half I added roasted red peppers and parm. Poped them in the oven at 325 and 10 minutes later. Wow, the best garlic bread I have ever tasted. So, yes this is kindof like the pizza we ate the night before but...did I tell you just how much I love pizza?

So, I would say this was a hit! Got to love free bread!

We served this with fettucini and red sauce. Which was tasty but not as good as the bread!

Friendly Friday

We spent Thursday night just south of Charleston. Chomping at the bit but the swift, flooding current  in Elliot Cut would not  allow us to make the 15:30 opening of Wapoo Creek swing bridge.   Due to rush hour restrictions the next opening wold be 18:30. It was ok to anchor early and get a good nights sleep.

A new friend of our Daniel, who we met in Marathon, arrived in Charleston earlier on Thursday.  Eager to catch up with Daniel, we started early in the morning to work with the tide and bridge. We tied into the Ashley Marina with time to do laundry, take a shower and meet new folks!

 Daniel came over around 15ish to go walking around town.  One of my favorite things to do! So, off exploring we went and discovered great allyways, amazing buildings, wonderful iron works some with much flourish ans curly Q's and then we found the shops and boutiques. Ah, such wonderful things to catch my eyes. I didn't expect to come across was an artisian bakery. Oh the breads in the window. I was staring and I am sure my jaw was slack. The boys had gone ahead and I was admiring the view. They took in the wonderful sight and suggested we go in. Yes, great idea. Alas, it was closed, bummer. Maybe tomorrow? Of we went slightly dejected. Then all of a sudden as if in a movie. We heard a womans voice yell, "Wait, come back!" Huh? We turned around and it was the woman from the bakery. She was willing to open back up for us! YES!

Well, she informed us she was closed and she would like to give us some bread. What? I was giddy. I was high as a kite, really. She wanted to know what kind of bread we wanted and told us what was left and I said one of everything. But really through fits of giggles I asked for a sliced loaf and an orange rosemary and I asked her if I could please pay for it. No way,  she was giving it away and the 2 patrons in the store also got to go baguettes! We went home with 2 baguettes, 2 loaves of sliced and one boule of orange rosemary bread. Welcome to Charleston!  Normandy Farms Artisan Bakery you are amazing!

After that we looked around and Daniel spied the Charleston Beer Excahnge. Wow, bread and beer does it get better than this? Jeff and I love Green Flash IPA and they had it so we got two of them two locally brewed beers and two from breckenridge. We were on cloud nine.

Beer & Bread - bounty from our Charleston visit

Next stop on this journey? Dinner. We went to Mellow Mushroom had a super dinner of pizza and beer, get this it was happy hour so all the beers were half off! This was beginning to feel like the best day of my life.

While walking back to the marina we stumbled upon Kudo - Coffee & Beer.  Intrigued we ventured inside. Jeff ordered a decaf, the barista brewed it with a bit of cinnamon and the flavor hit the spot.

On our walk home we talked and talked and went to Daniels for some tea and by the time we strolled to our boat we were dog tired. Yup best day ever!

Thai-ing Thursday

This was hands down the best meal I have served aboard C'est la Vie. It takes about 10 minutes total cooking time and one pan but days of prep and boy oh boy was it worth it! It is a Thai chicken and noodle salad and I want to do it again using tofu and adding mung bean sprouts.

Our friend Jeff, with whom we shared an condo last fall, as well as new friends aboard SV Contigo both grow their own sprouts. I want to do this and will endevour to make it a habit as I hate to run out of fresh food to eat and sprouts, radish, mung bean, alfalfa, broccoli all have such appeal. I can't wait to figure this into my routine! Let me get back on track...delish food ahead!

Ok so 2 days ahead I defrosted a chicken breast that I had frozen. Once defrosted I washed it off and patted it dry and sliced it thiny across the grain.  I then placed it in a ziplock with the asian dressing and marinated it over night. The meat took on the dark hue from the soy sauce( I used braggs but tamari would have been preferable) which made me think I had made an error. Once I had that meat cooking in the pan 2 minutes per side I realized that color cooked off and took on browning caused by carmelization. The aroma was fantastic. I was really quite proud of myself! When the chicken was done cooking I placed it on the cooked noodles added the veggies and extra dressing. The salad was done! I served it with veggie potstickers that I found in the frozen food isle at the Marathon Publix in Florida.  This meal had complex flavors, crunch, color and made me so happy!

The potstickers are dumplings that can bee cooked in the oven,  fried or steamed. I liked the idea of using the chicen frying pan to steam them. 2 things happened I cleaned the pan with the boiling water and cooked the dumplings!

The rice noodles cooked in boiling water are tricky as you need a big pot and lots of water and it takes about 2 minutes to cook and it is easy to overdo it. I could not take that chance. I used chinese rice noodles that were very long and I cut them prior to "cooking" them. I actually used scissors! And instead of cooking them I placed the noodles in the serving bowl covered with fresh water and let sit for 15 minutes or so. They were soft and were al dente, just perfect! I used about 3 ounces or half the bag so I can attempt this again! I also love this as I have a gluten free meal up my sleeve!

The dressing is as follows: 2 full scallions thinly sliced, 4 minced garlic cloves, .25 cup rice vinegar, 1 tbsp brown sugar( I would use honey next time), 2 tbsp lime juice, 1 tsp anchovy paste (I just mashed up the anchovies left over from pizza night, you could use fish sauce too) and .5 tsp red pepper flakes
Place this all in a screw topped container and shake. Use half of it for the chicken and the other half for the dressing of the salad. It smells ok when you make it and amazing after sitting for a day.
The rest of the salad I used 6 baby carrots thinly sliced not jullianed, 1 cucumber seeded and thinly sliced a squirt of basil that I have a refrigerated tube of (amazing on the boat!) But the recipe called for .25 cup of basil,

For garnish, fresh mint leaves from the plant I got in ft pierce, scallion greens sliced thinly, red pepper flakes, pistachios ( they call for peanuts but I am allergic) and it calls for bean sprouts and yes that would have been nice. I would add lime wedges as garnish and I think it would add a brightness I am pleased really really pleased!  

That smells delicious

Anne is excited about tonight's dinner.  She is trying a new recipe and it smells delicious.

Afternoon Thunderstorms Chasing Us Down

Another day of northward progress in the ICW and another round of afternoon thunderstorms.  The Lady's Island Bridge in  Beaufort,  SC does not open between 07:00 and 09:00.  In hopes of making Charleston, SC we rose early and cleared the bridge by 06:30.  Unfortunately our plan to make Charleston Harbor was stymied by the Wapoo Creek Bridge's 15:30 to 18:30 restriction on openings. So with no access to Charleston Harbor and thunderstorms astern we dropped the anchor just south of Elliot Cut.

SV Romance Sea and a thunder storm off our stern as we approach Charleston, SC

Wednesday was wonderful

Pizza day! Pizza Day what a day its Pizza day. We like pizza and its great to have premade crust on board as it is a fast easy meal. These crusts either boboli or the other brands do last a full month. Not because of the preservatives but no air gets in. I guess salt is a preservative but anyway, read your ingredients, know were your food comes from and all of that business...

Pizza, one of my favorites and because I needed anchovy paste for tomorrows dinner I got to have some on my pizza. This was going to be a very good dinner indeed! My pizza had sauce, mushrooms, onions, cheese, pineapple and anchovies.  Jeffs had sauce, mushrooms, onions, turkey pepperoni and cheese. We both had huge grins on our faces tonight!

No photos from my phone as I gobbled it up too quickly!

Terrific Tuesday

Ok, I tried a new recipe and it was incredible! So happy. I used the red chinese long beans and rice and a salad.  The camera on my phone is now working again. Phew!

I cut up the beans and sauteed them with 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp garlic for 1 minute. I then added .25 cup of water 1 tbsp soy and 1 tbsp minced ginger. And covered for 5 minutes on medium.  Serve over rice, jasmine would have been perfect but I used wild rice. And bring to the table some hot sauce or crushed red pepper flakes. And our salad had a ginger dressing and dried ginger diced. Yum!

Enjoy this one its a keeper

Starting a day on the GA ICW

Yesterday's thunderstorms have cleared.  Time for an early start on a day of motoring north in the ICW along the Georgia coast.

Monday Blues

No photo on this post. For some reason the camera on my phone was not working. We left Florida for the Georgia ICW. So pretty and twisty and long. After a long long long day of motor sailing I was wanting something quick and easy. Canned soup? Mac and cheese? Leftovers???

No I made the named dinner. Lindsay green tofu, Jamar brussel sprouts, and christie moldovan asparagus. It turned out so great.

The veggies were from the farmers market from Ft. Pierce! As was the spice blend and lemons.
The way I made it as a one pot meal was, I made the tofu first and placed it in a serving bowl, then added the nutrional yeast right before serving. Then I made the brussle sprouts cutting the spouts in half then dousing them with the juice of a lemon some salt and tossing with minced garlic. I used 3 cloves. Then swirling some oil in the used pan which was still hot I sauteed the spouts till they were bright green about 6 minutes I added the garam masala that I purchased at the farmers market.  The smell of all the different spices filled the cabin. There was some heat to the spice mix as both jeff and I got a tickle in the backs of our throats.  I was looking forward to trying these!

I had placed the snapped asparagus the rind of a lemon and the juice of a lemon, salt and some olive oil and wrapped them in foil.  I then turned off the burner placed the foil package on the burner and the pan of hot spouts on top to cook in the foil.

After about 10 minutes or so jeff had the sail stowed and a drink in his hand. We were both beat. I plated the dinner and took lots of pictures and even a video but alas they did not work. You will have to take my word, it was a tasty dinner!

Anchor Management - part 1

Arriving at Rockhouse Creek (New Smyrna Beach, FL) late in the day we were not surprised to discover two other boats already anchored.  The creek narrows quickly as is flows towards Ponce Inlet, visible to our east.  The proximity to the inlet means the tidal current in the creek flows swiftly with changing tides.  Another intriguing aspect to add to the growing considerations in this nchorage are recent comments on Active Captain from vessels that claim to have hooked their anchors on a large diameter underwater cable left from dredging operations.   Time for some anchor management...

First step - motor around the anchorage and gather intell...  What is the topography of the bottom and depths around the anchorage?   What method of anchoring are the other vessels in the anchorage are using?  Vessels using a single anchor will swing very differently from vessels using two anchors.  Which direction will the wind and/or current push a vessel at anchor?  What is the state of the tide?

Here is what we found - We are arriving 1 hour before low tide. The catamaran to our east, in the narrow portion of the creek, resides on two anchors while the monohull sailing vessel to the west, near the ICW rides on a single anchor.  The wind will set us to the west while the current will drift us eastward.  By looking at the other vessels at anchor we see their are floating westward off their anchor - thus the wind is overpowering the current.  The shoal noted on the chart at the southern mouth of the creek gone providing more room than anticipated near the mouth of the creek.

Second Step - identify the spot to anchor and make a plan... Having successfully anchored here in the past on a single anchor, we choose to use a single anchor this evening.   Unsure of the two anchor method used by the catamaran, we select the wide area where the creek meets the ICW south of the other monohull.  Reaching the spot to drop the hook, we note the depth, 6.5 feet and use the Man Over Board (MOB) feature of the GPS mark the location.   Time to calculate the amount of anchor rode required.  This calculation is know as the "scope".   C'est la Vie typically uses a 7:1 scope ( 7 feet of anchor rode for each 1 foot of depth at high tide.)   The depth of tonight's anchorage is 6.5 feet at low tide + 3.5 feet to account for the tidal range = 10 feet deep at high tide X 7 feet of rode = 70 feet of rode at the water surface.  Once the anchor is set C'est la Vie will have the ability to swing 70 feet in any direction from the anchor.  Does this area have enough depth at the low tide to keep C'est la Vie safely afloat?  Due the the proximity of the previously charted shoal we are concerned about shallow water within our swing radius.  Using the MOB mark on the GPS as the center point we slowly motor circle 70 feet out.  The GPS gives us the distance to the MOB mark so there is little guess work making a accurate circle.  The depth at low tide within our swing radius in never less than 5'.  C'est la Vie draws 4" so we are satisfied with the depth.  These calculations are all made easier this evening because we are coming in at low tide.

Remember Active Captain reported the possibility of a large chain on the bottom.  When we are worried about the anchor fouling, then we add a trip line.  The trip line clips to an eye on the anchor and runs up to a float at the surface. This line can be used assist in freeing the anchor if it becomes stuck. We use a small fender as a float. C'est la Vie does not have a designated trip line.  We use various lines depending on the depth of the anchorage.

From left to right - snubber line with chain hook, trip line with float, and partial view of windlass

Ok let's review - we have the spot to drop the anchor marked on the GPS, we plan to use 70' of rode, we are confident the area is deep enough at low tide, and the trip line is rigged.  Now to plan the mechanics of actually dropping the anchor. We prefer to approach the drop site from direction C'est la Vie will drift once the anchor is set.  Thus noting the other vessels are drifting  west we will approach from the west.  Now we are GTG (good to go) for dropping the hook.

Mothers day

We arrived Fernandina Beach on Mothers Day. I called my mom as soon as we made landfall.  Then on to more pressing matters, laundry! We had amassed quite a bit since Titusville. How is that possible? I don't know but it happened. We had been traveling the waterway among a few boats and knew them by boat name as Jeff likes to chat on the radio.  When we docked and we heard the name of one of the boats we had seen and were excited to chat with them as they had Oriental, NC as their home port.  Jeff hailed them as they were getting a mooring ball they said that we would see them later. Good.

Back to laundry. In the wash house I met Karen and chatted with her about which way she was headed and she too was going to Beaufort, NC and then on to Burlington, Vt. She was fun to chat with and I switched from wash to dry.  Planning on a shower next I walked back to the boat to hear, "C'est la vie? You called us earlier we are on Contigo." Oh goody we get to chat with these folks. After turning the boat around we all walked into town for ice cream. This is something Jeff and I have never done before but it was great to chat with Hunter and Julie and hear about their winter in the Bahamas. Here is a link to their travel blog - Cruising Contigo.

We headed back to the boat to dress for dinner and Jeff took me out. It was nice to be off the boat and walking around. We ended up  dining at Cafe Karibo. I had a Ceasar salad and onion rings. These might be in the top 10 best onion rings I have ever had. Jeff had a burger.  We both we quite happy and fat after our meal. Happy Mothers Day!

Testing testing

Ok, on to new andd exciting things. Israeli couscous with red string beans, feta and pistachios. This was a 15 minute meal. I am not kidding.  It was so refreshing as a main meal for dinner on a hot day. Jeff thought he would prefer it as a side dish with something else possibly chicken or fish. I can see that but I was happy with this and a side of sliced bread from the farmers market!

So, I cooked 1.5 cups of israeli or pearl couscous in salted boiling water for 4 minutes. Then adding .5 cup cut up red chinese long beans from the farmers market to the water for another 2 minutes. I drained it and added it to the silicone bowl to cool. Onced cooled add 1 cup spinach, .5 cup chopped mint, .25 cup diced sundried tomatoes, 1 seeded cucumber sliced, 1 cup cubed feta, .5 cup pistachios, .5 cup red wine vinegar, 2 tbsp olive oil and ample cracker pepper. Toss together and serve.

We had it for lunch the next day and added lots of fresh squeezed lemon. That really added the zip it needed!

Please try this, it was great!

Baking aboard

I decided I really wanted some muffins. Craving them infact. Ever since we were in titusville and passed a bakery. I almost got some scones at the farmers market but restrained myself as I have all that aboard. I just need to get over it and do it myself, kindof. To keep my sprirts up first time baking on this trip I bought a mix. I am not certain if my plan will work but I purchased silicone baking cups and I am going to use them instead of a muffin tin. I am sure many people have used these and have been successful. My worry, will they really release so that I don't have to use my precious fresh water to clean them. Can I use the salt water to wash them and the a fresh water dunk? Will it be perfectly easy and then I will be forced to enjoy muffins all the time??? The horrors

I decided today was the day to make the lemon poppyseed muffins. If these work out I have ripe bananas for tomorrow to make into tasty treats!

So, I don't carry eggs aboard but I do carry yogurt so I will sub yogurt and a bit of ripe banana for eggs. I don't carry milk but I do have powdered buttermilk and powdered skim milk. I also carry rice milk but have not found that I like using that for baking.

Also, I don't have the box the mix came in. Why?? Well I HATE cockroaches and they are attracted to the glue on cardboard boxes. We remove packaging material asap when we transfer food on board. I do not want bugs on my ship! 

The most difficult things so far has been baking heeled over and waiting for the oven to get to temperature. We are sailing right now and thank goodness for a gimbled stove! I have a nagging feeling, guilt maybe? I feel like I am wasting resources waiting for the stove to heat up. I am just using the propane without any net result. Oh well C'est la Vie.

The recipie called for 425 for 15-20 minutes after 10 min I turned off the propane to the oven and will check it at 15 and then again if I need to in 20. There are not any eggs so if they are not fully cooked no harm will come to us. The recipie also says to cool 5 min before removing from tin. I wonder if I follow that for my silicone cups...

Yes. Cool them and then wow! they come out with nary a crumb on the cup! I am so excited!!

Matanazas Inlet Anchorage - one of our favorite ICW anchorages

Transiting the 45.3NM along the ICW from Rockhouse Creek (New Smyrna Beach) to Matanzas Inlet  took us 8 hours and 33m.  The vast majority of the time we were able to motor sail under the head sail.

We rarely pass up the opportunity to anchor at Matanzas Inlet.  The area is seldom frequented by other vessels traveling the ICW so room in the anchorage is not an issue.  The bottom is sand and we have never had an issue with setting an anchor.  There are both ocean and inland beaches within walking distance.  Fort Matanzas, a small stone garrison constructed by the Spanish to defend against sneak attacks on St. Augustine.  is open to the public via the National Park Service.

Sandwiched between St. Augustine to the north and Flagler Beach to the south, the area is popular with beach goers on the weekends, but always clears out around nightfall.  Many of the beach goers prefer the inland side for their sunbathing, cookouts, cast netting, sand castle construction, dog walking, and general making of merriment.

During our last two visits to the anchorage we have found it difficult not to notice a new user group - photographers.  The sunsets across the Matanzas River are beautiful.

Sunset at Matanzas Inlet - May 11, 2012

So it seems natural to have the portrait and wedding photographers using the area as a backdrop.  Last spring while eating dinner outside we watched a shoot go from casual beach cloths to leppard bikini to nude.  It made for interesting dinner conversation.  Fast forward to this spring - as waning afternoon temps shoo beach goers off the sands and the sun melts into the western clouds, the photographers return.  Off our bow a couple clad in matching turquoise and white outfits are posing for what has to be pre-wedding photos.  Scanning around to our starboard side the photo shoots become a bit more intriguing -a woman in jeans and a lacy black top standing on a chair in the water surrounded by green balloons.  Continuing to pan across the beach past the crowd of beach goers grilling out and we find a young couple he in boy shorts and her in a thong bikini taking turns photographing each other posing provocatively along the water's edge.

Add another entertaining aspect to anchoring in Matanzas Inlet.

All day in space

We spent a most wonderful day touring the kennedy space center. We got home and what to have for dinner? How bout some rubens? I had peppered turkey on board that subbed for the corned beef, we had just purchased some swiss cheese, I made thousand island dressing kind of,  we had sourkraut thank goodness, but no rye bread just whole wheat.

I have kosher dill pickels that come in little cups enough for 2 servings I opened one up and minced a few for the dressing. I added some ketchup and the garlic and herb mayo mixed it all together, not bad.
On my frying pan I can cook 2 sandwiches a bit scrunched up but doable. I drizzled on the olive oil and placed the sandwiches into the hot pan, yum.

Bread, dressing, meat, sourkraut,cheese,dressing bread. Done
Served with a honeybell from the farmers market and the rest of the pickles and that was dinner!

Eggplant Mozzarella melt

Another glorious farmers market dinner. So happy we stopped in Ft. Pierce!
This is great aboard and fast for sure.
Slice the eggplant then dip in salted buttermilk and then panko bread crumbs. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes. I placed foil on a baking sheet and then used pam on the foil. Cut a loaf of bread in half, I used the asiago bread from the farmers market. Then spread on some pasta sauce, I like newmans own sockarooni.  Pull the eggplant out of the oven and layer the cooked slices on the sauce I overlapped the slices and still had some leftovers. I kept them for later. Then spread on some mozzarella cheese and placed back in the oven for another 10 minutes. I turned off the oven kept the melt in there till I was ready and made a side salad. When we were ready for dinner about 15 minutes later I pulled it out and dressed the salads. This was sooooo good! It really hit the spot!