Sushi + Easy = Sushezi

Cooking is an activity, too, right?

A while ago, a dear friend posted a video on my Facebook wall entitled "Redneck Sushi."

While I found the mere thought of smoked beef and barbecue in a seaweed roll revolting,  I was intrigued by this bizarre gizmo they called the "Sushezi," selling for $20.99 on Amazon. I then magically obtained the gizmo. (Read: I mentioned the gizmo to my mom and it showed up two days later via Amazon. Thanks Mom!)

When you first take it out of the box, the Sushezi appears a little gimmicky and not at all like it would actually make anything resembling sushi. It's an embarrasingly American (though made in China, of course) sushi-maker.

But the thing works. And it really is easy. I was honestly shocked.

The Sushezi

The Play-by-Play

Make your rice (short-grain sushi rice), adding whatever seasoning you like (a little rice vinegar, salt and sugar is standard).

1 c. rice makes two rolls

Using half a cup of rice per roll, mash it in the tube and use the plunger thing to make a dent for the filling.

Wet fingers to keep rice from sticking to you.

Prepare your fillings. I made a basic California roll (without cucumber... forgot to grab one at the store) with imitation crab and avocado.

nom nom nom

Layer the fillings on the rice.

It's easier to close if the fillings are all on one side.

Put the plunger in place, close the thing, latch it, turn the plunger to tighten the roll, and then push it out onto your seaweed sheet. Magic.

This large roll uses a whole seaweed sheet.

Then roll up the sheet and trim the excess seaweed.

Use a bit of water to get it to stick to itself.

And slice with a very sharp knife.

Wipe the knife with a damp cloth in between cuts. 

The Verdict

This is by far the best-looking sushi roll I have ever managed to produce... and yummy, too!

The only downside is the size of the roll... they're really big. I do wish it came in a smaller size.

The other thing is once you buy all the ingredients, especially if you're starting from scratch, you could have had a sushi feast at a restaurant for less $$.

I'm not brave enough to work with raw fish, so all of my at-home rolls include either tuna or crab, so being an at-home sushi chef (ha!) can be a little limiting.

I just wiped it off after I was done and stuck it in the dishwasher on the top shelf and it washed up nicely.

It does what it says it does and it IS easy. Fun weekend project and for $20 it's affordable!

Happy sushi-making!

The Edge Rock Gym

As a kid, every summer at a week-long camp we could choose two "interest groups." Mine were the same every summer: the adventure course and rappelling.

So when I drove by The Edge Rock Gym (in that mostly deserted complex by the Ice Rink on Phillips Highway) a few weeks ago while working on a story, I was pumped. Friday when I saw a Groupon for an instruction and gear all-day pass for $15 p/p (regular price for the day pass, including everything you need, is still a really reasonable $25), I was even more pumped! $30 and one day later and we were on the wall.

Have you seen those rock climbing towers in malls and at fairs? The Edge Rock Gym is kind of like that, except an entire gym of climbing walls.


ready to climb!

They asked us to make reservations with the Groupons, and I believe if you are doing the regular day pass package they also ask that you make them.

When we arrived, we signed a waiver and were fitted with climbing shoes and harnesses and each given a carabiner. Then my husband, myself and another couple went through an instruction course, which took about 30 minutes. The instructor was very nice and easy to understand, showing us which knots to tie, how to use the belay ropes and how to properly belay your partner so you don't drop them (that would be no bueno). Even my husband, who has never done any climbing or rappelling, had no problem picking everything up. After making sure each of us knew all the steps needed to keep us safe, he turned us loose.



on the auto-belay wall

On my first climbing attempt, I made it about five feet off the ground and then decided I wanted to "test" the belay system (aka my husband's ability to catch me). It worked/he did. Falling is pretty uncomfortable the first time, so try climbing a few feet up and then falling so you can experience how it feels before you're 20 feet in the air, petrified and clinging to the wall. You don't have to be a muscle man to belay your partner -- they wrap the ropes twice at the top, so the weight is significantly distributed. I had no trouble holding up my husband... and I'll admit, at first I was a little concerned about my ability to not drop him! 



auto-belay wall

There are probably about 10 pairs of ropes situated around the walls so you can climb different sections with your parter. There are also four or five auto-belay ropes, meaning there is a machine doing the job of a partner, so you can both climb. Think it's scary jumping down when your husband is holding you up? The first jump trusting a machine was quite a bit worse. Again, definitely recommend trying it once just a few feet off the ground so you can see what it feels like. The auto-belay was a really uncomfortable feeling. It's kind of like a seatbelt... if you try to sit back into it, it won't "catch". You have to fall or jump, and it takes a split second to "catch" so there was a moment of panic each time for me. But, each time, it worked like a charm, and the more we used it the more comfortable we got with it. 

Three hours later, we were completely wiped out. We knew we were done when our hands were so sore we couldn't get more than three "rocks" up. If you have lifting gloves, bring them. Those would have helped a lot.

Overall, an extremely fun afternoon! This is a great couples' date, and it would also be fun for kids. There were two kids there, both maybe nine or 10, having a blast. It IS hard and it IS a workout, so you do need to be in good health but by no means to you need to be crazy fit. All of the equipment was in good shape and seemed clean, and everyone there was very nice and very helpful!

IMHO - Do it! Fun and affordable activity for kids and adults!

Cumberland Island

Cumberland Island is a magical place, of which there are very few left in the world. Even fewer which are accessible without a private plane and priviledged pocketbook. Just off the coast of St. Mary's, Cumberland Island is an untamed paradise out of a children's book where horses roam free without so much as a second glance at the strange two-legged creatures sharing the pathway, where the only footprints in the sand are yours and maybe those of a racoon and where the graveyard of the Carnigie plantation rivals the beauty of even the most elegant modern mansion.

Reservations

The website suggests making reservations for the ferry, which departs twice in the morning from the historic district in St. Mary's. However, be aware reservations can only be made Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. We made the decision to go the night before, so we weren't able to make reservations. It's suggested you arrive 30 minutes early if you have reservations, so we got there an hour before the 11:45 a.m. departure time, prepared to beg for a spot. They were very nice about it and we were able to get tickets, but the ferry was packed so I definitely recommend making reservations if you can. The ferry is $20 per person for a round trip.

IMHO - Make them in advance or show up really early with a back-up plan

What to Wear

waiting for us at the ferry dock



The beach is pretty much a straight shot across from Sea Camp but unless you're planning on going straight there and parking (which would be a shame), wear tennis shoes. There is a LOT of walking involved if you want to get around and you are in the woods. There are snakes (saw two), poison ivy and such, and bugs (I found a tick on my foot when we left). If you don't want to take your sneakers to the beach you have two options: 1) bring flip flops in your bag or 2) carry a small hand towel in your bag. I take one on any adventure. When we went to the beach I took my shoes off and then just used the towel to dust off the sand before I put them back on. Most of the trails are shaded but if you burn easily you might want to consider wearing a loose-fitting long-sleeve shirt. It will also help with the bugs. Same goes for pants. I wore a tank and shorts and left with more than a few bug bites.

IMHO - wear sneakers and cool clothes, carry flip flops

The Ferry

The ferry ride out took about 45 minutes. We sat on the top deck, which was lovely but we definitely paid for it with sunburn later.

IMHO - sit inside or on the lower level



sharing the bike path

Bicycles

We rented bikes for getting around ($14 each for the day). These are available at the second ferry stop, Sea Camp. The bikes are one-speeders with foot brakes, which took a little getting used to since I haven't had foot brakes on a bike since I was a kid. Mostly my stopping consisted of stopping by putting my heels on the ground or crashing into trees (or, once, a lady. Soooooooo sorry about that...). They also couldn't be adjusted, so for someone with bad knees like me, using a bike that was too small for several hours made for sore knees that night. With that said, they do their job making getting around faster and easier, and I would actually recommend them. A few of them had baskets on them as well, which was helpful. Just take them for a spin before you get too far away to make sure the chains aren't loose.

IMHO - rent them

The Horses



outside the Ice House Museum

Since the island is nearly 14 miles long and we were only going to be exploring the southern portion, I was concerned we weren't going to see any of the feral horses or that we'd see one or two from far away. Boy was I wrong. They were EVERYWHERE! When we pulled up, a mother and foal were grazing on the beach right in front of the ferry dock. I took a million pictures thinking they'd be the only ones we saw. After we got our bikes and left Sea Camp, we headed down to the Dungeness ruins and there were more there, along the paths, at the Ice House... everywhere we went! It was pretty incredible. You are warned before you leave not to bother them, feed them or try to pet them. I got closer probably than encouraged to take pictures of them, but they didn't seem to mind. If you got too close, they simply walked away. They are wild though, so especially with kids who are anything like I was when I was younger (i.e. think they are the horse whisperer and want to go pet their new best friend), it's probably a good idea to maintain a safe distance.

IMHO - They're everywhere!

Lunch

There is NO food on the island. Or water, unless you're okay with a faucet outside (the water is treated from Sea Camp southward but I'm not quite THAT adventurous). So anything you want to eat or drink you have to bring yourself. We packed sandwiches in a little cooler and stopped at a CVS a few miles back from the ferry port in St. Mary's to stock up on bottled water and trail mix. Especially on a hot day, all that walking/biking will make you crazy thirsty, so if nothing else, at least bring a few bottles of water. (Another reason to grab a bike with a basket... so you don't have to carry everything around.)

IMHO - bring it! (and water!)

Safety

While I am not going to say there is no crime on the island because I don't know for sure, I will say I'm pretty confident there's not much. Only a handful of people live on the island and most of them are park rangers or folks who run Greyfield Inn. The only people who can visit the island must take the ferry from St. Mary's, another ferry which leaves from Fernandina Beach and only transports Greyfield Inn guests or a private boat. We weren't carrying much of value, mainly just a camera, sunscreen, bug spray and lunch (although I would have been pretty upset if someone had taken my lunch!) but we left our stuff with our bikes several times and had no problems with anyone messing with anything. I certainly wouldn't advise leave your wallet but I think for the little stuff you're fine.

IMHO - your stuff is safe

Sunscreen and Bugspray Suggestions

I have tried many different types of sunscreen and bugspray since I am outdoors a LOT for work and also when I'm not at work. I LOVE La Roche-Posay Anthelios 60 sunscreen. It's not cheap but despite my Irish skin, this stuff really works. I don't use it on my face though... it tends to cause breakouts. I haven't tried the la Roche-Posay face sunscreen yet, which may have a better outcome. I've used Neutrogena Healthy Defense Oil-Free Sunblock on my face for years and it works like a charm.

On the bugspray side, I am a mosquito magnet so I've tried a million bugsprays. My old faithful at work is Off! Skintastic (I like the tropical fresh one because I don't come back smelling like camp) but if I'm going to be outside all day I use the Off! Clip-On Starter Kit and love it. And if I'm going to be out on the beach and will be layering sunscreen and bugspray, I like the clean feel of Off! Smooth & Dry.

Things to bring

Bottled Water
Lunch/snacks
Sunscreen
Bugspray
A towel
A camera!
A little money for bike rentals
Sunglasses and/or a hat
Anything else you think you might need because there are NO STORES!