Adventure at the Outer Banks - The Final Chapter

Within minutes, a fishing truck stopped and a handsome looking man and his wife came out. With a quick inspection, he went back to his truck and took out several emergency equipment and tools seeing that I had none in the car. Then a Sheriff’s car came and the young officer came out and assisted the fisherman. Between the two of them, they took the bad tire out and put the spare on. Without giving any lecture on how to travel safe with two young girls, I learned from these two men the importance of being always ready for road emergencies. They showed me gadgets that ought to be in any car and I learned a lot. The Police officer gave me the number of a tire shop that stays open till 9:00pm. He then called them and told them to expect us.

I took $50 from my purse and gave it to the fisherman and asked him to take his wife out for dinner. He smiled and refused politely. I gave the money to his wife who also smiled and said, “No Ma’am, we just want to help. Just help another person when an opportunity comes your way. That is your payment to us”.

With the tiny spare tire on, the journey back was slow and cautious. It was getting dark then and we were no longer in the mood for Jack Johnson’s songs. We just wanted to rest. We arrived at Manteo at All Car & Truck Repair. In spite of the hefty $217.90 we paid for two new tires, we were grateful we made it back to Nags Head at 10:00pm after a long day of adventure in the Outer Banks.

A lot of lessons learned that day:
to be always ready for the inevitable.
Be prepared for any situation while on a road trip.
Prepare the car and have the necessary gadgets for any emergency.
Have a cool head.
Do not panic.
As long as you have a smile on your face and a positive attitude any emergency situation won’t be that bad.
Remember, help is always nigh.

Lastly, remember to breathe a silent prayer no matter where you are in any circumstance. The Unseen Helper of all time will not fail you nor forsake you. He can send angels even in a lonely stretch of sandy bar in Cape Hatteras National Shoreline.

By Raylene Ann Rodrigo Baumgart

Bean Salad Recipe

Ingredients
1 (14.5 ounce) can black beans
1 (14.5 ounce) can dark red kidney beans
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans
1 (14.5 ounce) can pinto beans
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 (8 ounce) jar chunky salsa
1 pinch dried parsley

Directions
1.Pour beans into a colander, and rinse under running water.
2.In a large mixing bowl, toss beans and corn together with oil, cumin, chili powder, lime juice, and salsa. Sprinkle with parsley, cover, and chill.

Adventure at the Outer Banks continued...

By 4:00pm we were back to the ferry enjoying the sea breeze and the seagulls that made the ferry their home. We drove around Hatteras Island, visited the famous Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the tallest in the nation and famous symbol of North Carolina. If adventurous and healthy, one can climb up its 268 steps for a spectacular view of the national seashore.

By 6:00pm, I urged the girls to leave and start the trip back to our hotel in Nags Head. I wanted to take sunset photos at Pea island Bird Sanctuary along the way, although I did not tell them my plan fearful that they would prefer to go straight to the hotel for a swim in the pool. They were singing along with Jack Johnson, one of their favorite entertainers. A singer-songwriter, accomplished professional surfer and filmmaker, I have learned to adopt him and his songs during long road trips. After all, I am a “hip mom”. All of a sudden we heard a loud bang and a hissing sound from nowhere.

“Do you think a soda bottle just popped?”, my innocent inquiry.
“I wonder if it’s the tire”, Alexa’s smart reply.

Immediately, I stopped the car at the sandy embankment for inspection. And sure enough, in that lonely sandy road between Avon and Rodanthe, where the tall sand dunes are on our right and the marshy bird sanctuary on our left, we had a flat tire. With long dusty road ahead and clouds were getting darker by the minute, we became three damsels in distress and no man in sight to help us. I thought of dialing 711 to ask for a tow truck and then realized it is such a long, long way from the mainland. I wanted to teach my girls a lesson of being ready for any emergency. So I then blurted out, “Get out of the car and help me put the spare tire in.”

“Have you done it before?” was Kristina’s curt question.
“No, but I’ve seen Papa do it several times in the past. We can do it.”
“No way,” said Alexa.
“It would help if you both get out of the car and show your pretty faces to the drivers who will pass this way. Nobody might help an elderly lady, but these young men will certainly stop to help two pretty young girls like you.” I challenged them.
“No Mom, I refuse to be a damsel in distress. Show me what to do.” Kristina quipped.

By then, I had the jack out and had positioned it underneath the car while the girls tried to get the spare tire out. Breathing deeply and sending silent prayers to the Unseen Helper, I gave the girls instruction as to how to position the tire.

By Raylene Ann Rodrigo-Baumgart

Curried Quinoa Pilaf Salad Recipe

Curried vegetarian quinoa salad is a healthy and low-fat side dish that is delicious hot as a pilaf or cold as a quinoa salad. This recipe is both vegetarian and vegan. Make sure to rinse the quinoa before cooking to rid it of its bitter coating.

Ingredients:
•1 cup uncooked quinoa
•2 cups vegetable broth
•1 tsp curry powder
•1 tsp ginger
•dash salt
•1/3 cup raisins
•1/3 cup cashew pieces

Preparation:
Bring the vegetable broth, curry powder, ginger and salt to a boil and add the quinoa and spices.
Cover and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until quinoa is soft and fluffy. Stir in raisins and cashews.

Grilled Watermelon Salad Recipe

Recipe courtesy Claire Robinson
Serves 4.

Ingredients
•1/2 (5-pound) seedless watermelon
•1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
•Extra-virgin olive oil
•Kosher salt (specialty salt is great here, if on hand)
•2 cups fresh baby arugula, washed and dried
•1 cup goat cheese, crumbled, preferably a French Chevre
•Fresh finely cracked black pepper

Directions
Stand the watermelon half cut side down on a cutting board and slice away the rind, leaving a solid block of melon. Turn the block on its side and cut it into 8 squares, roughly 3 by 3 inches and 1-inch thick.

Pour the vinegar into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to a thick syrup consistency. Set aside.

Heat a nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle just enough olive oil over watermelon slices to thinly coat and place on hot grill pan. Grill each side about 2 minutes until grill marks appear; transfer to a plate and season with salt.

To assemble the salads, put about 1/4 cup of baby arugula on a serving plate, followed by a grilled slice of watermelon in the center, and top with a tablespoon of crumbled cheese and another 1/4 cup arugula. Add another watermelon slice and another tablespoon of cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Finish each salad with a very light drizzle of olive oil and balsamic syrup. Dust with black pepper and serve immediately.

Longest Day in a Mother's Life - A Diary (August 3, 2010)

This week we begin another exciting series from Raylene. She writes about the longest day in her life, which occured while she was on vacation a couple days ago. I hope you enjoy the story and I hope you will be inspired to send in your own stories that have occured this summer!
-------------------------------------
It was a perfect Monday! This was our second vacation day. The girls and I decided to have a spur-of-the-moment mini vacation in the Outer Banks. The girls wanted to have a bonding weekend before Kristina heads off to UVA. We agreed that as long as they let me do my thing and I let them sleep as long as they wanted, then it would be a fun trip between an aging mother and two teenagers.

Yesterday, we spent our first day beach walking and exploring Nags Head. When it drizzled, we went and then played at the Mutiny Bay Mini golf course. In the late afternoon we headed straight to the famous Jockey’s Ridge State park. There we enjoyed watching the hang gliders. The girls had a great time climbing to the dunes, leaving me behind to take sunset pictures.

The following morning, while the girls were still asleep, I woke up to watch the most beautiful sunrise. A perfect start of a beautiful day . . . or so I though. I did not know then that this was going to be a long, long day. I then drove to Pea Island National Wildlife refuge.

The girls were awake by the time I got back to Nags Head. I convinced them to head straight to Hatteras Island. It is a sandy, barrier bar between the Atlantic Ocean and Pamlico Sound, called the Graveyard of the Atlantic because the cape experiences frequent storms that drive ships landward toward its dangerous shallow depths.

Then we saw the sign for a ferry ride to Ocracoke Island, a tiny strip of a barrier island with 16 miles of unspoiled beaches accessible only by a ferry that runs every 30 minutes till midnight. Having no planned activity, we followed the cue of cars waiting to be transported across. Forty five minutes later, we were ashore and enjoyed this island where the infamous pirate BlackBeard was killed in 1718. Within two hours, we finished exploring this charming little island with dainty little gift shops, marina and bed-and-breakfast hostels. Hungry from the walk, we had a simple lunch at Dajio’s Restaurant. We stopped several times at the many beach areas just to enjoy the serenity of the place. Here, nature is at its best: untamed and unspoiled.

Come back next week for the adventure that ensues!

By Raylene Ann Rodrigo-Baumgart