Royal Caribbean Cruisers -- How Are Things Where You Are? (was "Routine" ​ 😁 ​day in lockdown... how was yours?)

[Jimbo]

26 minutes ago, Keksie said:

If it were me I would keep the wall (I need cabinets), replace the oven with a cooktop (propane or gas if at all possible), relocate the frig to the other side at the end away from the pantry, put cabinetry under the cooktop, put double ovens in place of the frig and have all the appliances stainless.  I would also change the island to butcherblock.  

That's pretty much what I want to do, replace all appliances and cabinets but my WIFE says the wall and pony wall must go so we have an open floor plan into the living(great) room.

 

Cooktop will be propane. Undecided on Ovens being gas or electric.

 

All appliances will be stainless steel fingerprint resistant.

 

She wants to able to walk in our front door and see both living room and kitchen..............front door is to the left of that dining room table you see in one of the pictures.

 

There also will be cabinets, on this wall where you see the AC return air duct...........will be a 80inch high 24 inch wide 12 inch deep pantry closet, plus a regular upper cabinet over the air duct return.

 

Plus we will have cabinets on both sides of the 10ft long island...minus the space dishwasher's 2ft width.

So I think we will still have plenty of room of cabinet space.

 

The wall above that area, just like the high wall above the other cabinets and that wall where you see that large star will have brick veneer to the ceiling to match the fireplace.

I took the river rock off the fireplace last week, the hole will also be filled in, previous owner had a tube tv in that hole..

Edited March 3, 2022 by Jimbo

[A&L_Ont]

Just caught up on the thread.  A few days away makes for a lot of reading. 

 

Dani, I hope Charlie is doing as well as possible.

 

Jimbo, that shrimp dinner looked delicious.  Can't help you with the kitchen redesign, but it will look great when done.

 

Greg, you knee looks to be coming along great. 

 

Lenny, and I hope that you find some relief and that Tobys is feeling better since the accident. 

 

Crystal, fingers are crossed for an amazing week to come. 

[Keksie]

17 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

That's pretty much what I want to do, replace all appliances and cabinets but my WIFE says the wall and pony wall must go so we have an open floor plan into the living(great) room.

 

Cooktop will be propane. Undecided on Ovens being gas or electric.

 

She wants to able to walk in our front door and see both living room and kitchen..............front door is to the left of that dining room table you see in one of the pictures.

 

There also will be cabinets, on this wall where you see the AC return air duct...........will be a 80inch high 24 inch wide 12 inch deep pantry closet, plus a regular upper cabinet over the air duct return.

 

Plus we will have cabinets on both sides of the 10ft long island...minus the space dishwasher's 2ft width.

So I think we will still have plenty of room of cabinet space.

 

The wall above that area, just like the high wall above the other cabinets and that wall where you see that large star will have brick veneer to the ceiling to match the fireplace.

I took the river rock off the fireplace last week, the hole will also be filled in, previous owner had a tube tv in that hole..

It will be lovely when it is all done.  I do agree with your wife about somewhere having double ovens.  It is just the two of us except for holidays but I use both ovens a lot.  

[bobmacliberty]

I'll try one last time Jimbo, although it seems like you've pretty much locked into the triple stack idea.  We had the Advantium that John and JC have been talking about.  It has 3 different cooking modes that you can use separately or all together.  It's a true microwave oven, and a true convection oven.  A convection oven is the same as a conventional oven (i.e. heating element at the bottom that you adjust to whatever temp you want) with the addition of a fan that spreads the heat more evenly.  The third mode uses halogen lights at the top for broiling/browning/and nearly instant preheating.  Here's an older promo video made by GE that shows what it can do:

 

Unless you truly need 2 full sized ovens a lot of the time, don't get hung up on whether the Advantium is a conventional oven or not.  It works and works well.  We often used the built-in recipes but equally just set the convection oven to a certain time and temperature and tossed in a casserole dish.  Your triple stack will certainly work but since your wife has some of the same height challenges as my wife, she won't be able to see into the top microwave and may have trouble keeping liquids from spilling when putting them in/taking them out.  That would drive my wife crazy and I'd be replacing it in less than a year.

[Jimbo]

5 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

I'll try one last time Jimbo, although it seems like you've pretty much locked into the triple stack idea.  We had the Advantium that John and JC have been talking about.  It has 3 different cooking modes that you can use separately or all together.  It's a true microwave oven, and a true convection oven.  A convection oven is the same as a conventional oven (i.e. heating element at the bottom that you adjust to whatever temp you want) with the addition of a fan that spreads the heat more evenly.  The third mode uses halogen lights at the top for broiling/browning/and nearly instant preheating.  Here's an older promo video made by GE that shows what it can do:

 

Unless you truly need 2 full sized ovens a lot of the time, don't get hung up on whether the Advantium is a conventional oven or not.  It works and works well.  We often used the built-in recipes but equally just set the convection oven to a certain time and temperature and tossed in a casserole dish.  Your triple stack will certainly work but since your wife has some of the same height challenges as my wife, she won't be able to see into the top microwave and may have trouble keeping liquids from spilling when putting them in/taking them out.  That would drive my wife crazy and I'd be replacing it in less than a year.

So is the bottom oven both regular oven and convection or just convection?

 

Probably 80 percent of the time I'm the only one that uses our current microwave........so being the same height as our current microwave over the range won't be a problem if we go the double oven under the microwave(3 stack)

Edited March 3, 2022 by Jimbo

[bobmacliberty]

1 minute ago, Jimbo said:

So is the bottom oven both regular oven and convection or just convection?

 

Probably 80 percent of the time I'm the only one that uses our current microwave........so being the same height as our current microwave over the range won't be a problem.

 

You can buy the top and bottom units separately or together as a set, so the bottom unit can be whatever you want it to be.  We had ours separate from each other with the full sized oven at the end of the island and the Advantium above the cooktop.  I don't know if you can even buy an oven anymore that is just a conventional oven.  Almost all ovens today seem to have a convection mode, it's just that many people don't use it. The convection mode just turns on fans in a conventional oven that more evenly distributes the heat for faster cooking.  That doesn't work as well for cooking some things.  I think most of the time, people just don't take the time to figure out how to adjust a recipe designed for a conventional oven to take advantage of the convection setting.

What is a Convection Oven and When & How Do You Use It? | Kitchn (thekitchn.com)

[Keksie]

6 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

You can buy the top and bottom units separately or together as a set, so the bottom unit can be whatever you want it to be.  We had ours separate from each other with the full sized oven at the end of the island and the Advantium above the cooktop.  I don't know if you can even buy an oven anymore that is just a conventional oven.  Almost all ovens today seem to have a convection mode, it's just that many people don't use it. The convection mode just turns on fans in a conventional oven that more evenly distributes the heat for faster cooking.  That doesn't work as well for cooking some things.  I think most of the time, people just don't take the time to figure out how to adjust a recipe designed for a conventional oven to take advantage of the convection setting.

What is a Convection Oven and When & How Do You Use It? | Kitchn (thekitchn.com)

I had a convection setting in Texas and loved it.  I have one here in Florida and find that it cooks way too fast (outside crisp/inside not ready).  I probably have not taken the time to understand it so I don't use it as much as I did the one in Texas.  

[Arzeena]

15 hours ago, Jimbo said:

Dinner Tonight

I made Red Shrimp Scampi

 

 

😁

Looks super delicious!!!!!
One more reason to take the longer route to Florida from NJ next time! But till then, can you post the recipe, please?

[Jimbo]

3 minutes ago, Arzeena said:

Looks super delicious!!!!!
One more reason to take the longer route to Florida from NJ next time! But till then, can you post the recipe, please?

Sure, here it is, I used 2 lbs of shrimp so you just double up the recipe. and I didn't have  whole tomatoes on hand so I just put in 14oz of crushed tomatoes from a can.

https://rantsfrommycrazykitchen.com/red-shrimp-scampi/

 

[Sea Dog]

18 hours ago, h20skibum said:

   By the way, where did you and OB find the best expresso martini with Baileys?   I need to try one of those.  

I don’t think I’ve had one with Baileys yet. Most of mine were at the champagne bar or at the chefs table. The one we had at the the chef’s table was a salted caramel espresso martini which might have had Baileys in it. It was incredible!

 

 

15 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

We're doing the ABC trifecta in May on Mariner. 4 sea days to boot

 

I love this itinerary!!

[Arzeena]

2 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

I love this itinerary!!

Me 2. Doing this at the end of the month, with Cartagena and Grand Cayman (likely subbed for Bimini) thrown in.

[Sunshine3601]

23 minutes ago, Arzeena said:

Me 2. Doing this at the end of the month, with Cartagena and Grand Cayman (likely subbed for Bimini) thrown in.

Have you been to Cartagena?   We were there Jan 2020 and did the tour of the old walled city.  Beautiful buildings, cathedral is gorgeous but boy they do pressure sell you with you tshirts, etc.  I bought several bags of coffee at a little cafe that I found down a little side street.  I would love to find that coffee again.  delicious!

Also really enjoyed walking around the bird sanctuary near cruise terminal.  That was a great day!

[Ozark_Kid]

8 hours ago, HBE4 said:

 

Agreed. 

 

Also, what happened to Speed Bumps? Usually the last team to arrive on a non-elimination leg always had to perform an extra task. 

 

And I just realized no U-Turns either. 

 

I noticed that Speed Bumps were nothing more than a time delay and until you mentioned it I forgot all about the U-Turns.  It was a good finish.  I liked the outcome but would not of been disappointed to see either of the other two win.

[DaniDanielle]

They said Charlie has some kind of infection but they don’t seem clear on what it is.  You would think with all the tests, MRI, cat scans and X-rays they would know.  He finally is in a room but I can’t go until 1:00.  Now the antibiotics are messing with him.  Hopefully, I will get to talk to someone in the know🤞
I wish I could just be participating in the oven talks than dealing with this.

[Ozark_Kid]

3 hours ago, Lionesss said:

Now waiting to start watching Survivor when the season starts.

I like Survivor and looking forward to it.  I have been enjoying the new twists they have been adding the last couple of years.  The first 32 seasons they would move around and film in different locations but this will be the 10th straight season filmed in Fiji. 

[A&L_Ont]

On 3/2/2022 at 8:33 AM, bobmacliberty said:

 

Not sure what we will do yet as this is our first time attending and the website is not very detailed.  We'll figure it out as we go.  We will miss the Bonhams and Gooding & Co. auctions since they are on Thursday and Friday respectively and we have other plans.  We will preview the RM Sotheby's auction cars but have not registered to attend the actual auction since we won't be bidding.  I think it will be live streamed somewhere.

 

The auction companies typically have a link to which you can watch live at home.  Some you have to register to watch and some you don't. Enjoy your time at the concours. They will/should have either books or magazines describing the cars and their respective classes.

 

Typically they are given at the front gate when you arrive, and sometimes they have them strategically placed along the Concours grounds.  If you see a car that you want to read about check the book, and you will give you a history of it.  Each class is typically well marked at each end so you know what you are looking at. A few years ago I was actually invited by the selection committee to bring my 1970 Boss 429 to the Island to compete in the muscle car class.  I respectfully passed because it was days before our B2B cruise. 

 

On 3/2/2022 at 8:33 AM, bobmacliberty said:

Thanks for the videos.  Although I'm not a "car guy", that looks like an interesting channel to watch.  I'll keep an eye out for Peter and crew and say hi if I find them.

 

LOL, that would be funny if you did see them in passing. 

[Arzeena]

23 minutes ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Have you been to Cartagena?   We were there Jan 2020 and did the tour of the old walled city.  Beautiful buildings, cathedral is gorgeous but boy they do pressure sell you with you tshirts, etc.  I bought several bags of coffee at a little cafe that I found down a little side street.  I would love to find that coffee again.  delicious!

Also really enjoyed walking around the bird sanctuary near cruise terminal.  That was a great day!

Yes, many times. Love Cartagena. Agree on the vendors and there were a lot of kids asking for a dollar.
Post the coffee shop pic. If I am able to I will bring you a packet. I used to get Juan Valdez brand. Till I found it at the Roebling Market (across the river) for a cheaper price.🙃I have also found a lot of spices, marinades and things from the islands at that market. If you are ever in the area check it out.

Talking about coffee.....some years ago we did a CC tour with Claudia. She is very full of herself and at times like the librarian who gave out negative points (LOL!), but it was an excellent tour and I would do it again. But the coffee vendor she recommended at the end of the tour and everyone bought from in the square.....it was saw dust!

 

[HBE4]

37 minutes ago, Ozark_Kid said:

 It was a good finish.  I liked the outcome but would not of been disappointed to see either of the other two win.

 

Agreed.  I've been watching the Holderness family (Kim and Penn) YouTube videos for years so they've been my favorite since the start. I never thought they would make it past the first few legs. lol

 

But I would have been happy with any of the top 3 (top 4 actually) winning it all.

Edited March 3, 2022 by HBE4

[HBE4]

Well, it didn't take long for Kim & Penn to drop this little tune. The first of several coming for our listening and viewing pleasure. Or annoyance, depending on your tastes. lol

 

 

[A&L_Ont]

8 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

Well, it didn't take long for Kim & Penn to drop this little tune. The first of several coming for our listening and viewing pleasure. Or annoyance, depending on your tastes. lol

 

I stopped watching the amazing race a long time ago, but not having watched the series I have to say this video sums up their win. It actually looked like great season this year. 

[Jimbo]

7 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

 

I stopped watching the amazing race a long time ago, but not having watched the series I have to say this video sums up their win. It actually looked like great season this year. 

Agreed, feel like i just watched the whole season....wow, look at the time I saved for other things.

[Sunshine3601]

27 minutes ago, Arzeena said:

Yes, many times. Love Cartagena. Agree on the vendors and there were a lot of kids asking for a dollar.
Post the coffee shop pic. If I am able to I will bring you a packet. I used to get Juan Valdez brand. Till I found it at the Roebling Market (across the river) for a cheaper price.🙃I have also found a lot of spices, marinades and things from the islands at that market. If you are ever in the area check it out.

Talking about coffee.....some years ago we did a CC tour with Claudia. She is very full of herself and at times like the librarian who gave out negative points (LOL!), but it was an excellent tour and I would do it again. But the coffee vendor she recommended at the end of the tour and everyone bought from in the square.....it was saw dust!

 

I will look for the coffee shop info.  Thank you!

 

[dani negreanu]

14 hours ago, xpcdoojk said:

Jimbo, if you are cooking for 6 or 8.  My set up is darn near perfect.  If you are cooking for 20+, and you want my mother’s perfect yeast rolls with a ham and a turkey for Christmas, then the double oven is the way to go.  

 

@Jimbo

 

Back to our regular scheduled program -- Jimbo's [double]ovens 😁.

 

I think that JC ( @xpcdoojk), Bob ( @bobmacliberty) and others have raised very valid points.

 

Me, every the practical, I'll ask myself -- how many times I'm using the [one] oven, and how many times the microwave, on a daily base.

 

I'll leave the "selling point" consideration of the added value of a house with double ovens.

 

You are investing more NOW for those, and you've got absolutely no guarantee, that, when the time comes and you'll want to sell the house, the future buyers will NEED a double oven. Might be a DINK couple, traveling the world during the week and eating out on week ends..., for example.

 

[derorim]

On 3/1/2022 at 7:41 PM, Jimbo said:

Also, we had an inlaw suite in the basement with a full kitchen............so that is another oven. lol.

Lots of things I don't understand.............but my wife wants the double oven...........What am I to say? lol

 

Another thought is to put the Double oven and Microwave set up in the corner on an angle............I have seen some kitchen set up like that, So in this picture the ovens, micro would be to the right of the fridge in this picture in the corner with a lower cabinet and upper cabinet of some sort between fridge and ovens.

 

We do have a little room to move the fridge to the left if we have to.......the dining room is in that white space yo see to left of fridge and at the end of the island.

 

 

I have a setup similar to this picture. I do a lot of meal prep standing to the right of the sink, and suggest you move one of the stacks of drawers to that side and slide the dishwasher and sink down in order to give yourself more workspace.

[lenquixote66]

15 hours ago, jagsfan said:

That’s good news. I hope he’s been able to become absorbed back in to the life he had to leave. He seems to be a level headed decent guy. 

Yes,very intelligent.He is in a relationship with a Meteorologist on CBS.