Thanks to 4 hurricanes last winter many of the 450 boats in the yard and doing work instead of sailing. If you get stuck in a project just come down to the “clubhouse” and ask around, some one is bound to know how to help. If not someone else’s problem is always a good excuse to stop and brainstorm. Bathroom breaks can often take an hour once you’ve discussed a blister job, or the rigging issues or whatever is the topic of the moment.

One day the notice goes up on the fridge – Pot Luck on Saturday. Now this is normal in a boat yard. Put a group of boaters together and a potluck is inevitable. Pot lucks happen just because. Because there’s a group of boaters. Because it’s time to eat. Because we’re social animals and put lucks are fun. Sometimes pot lucks have a reason. So it was with this one – it was Ukranian Christmas. So what if we’re in southwestern Florida? We have a Christmas tree that no one has thrown out yet and someone has some Ukranian in their heritage. Gerri (our token Ukranian) posts a list of Ukranian foods and we all sign up. There’s a couple of items on the list that are left blank – wheat soup? Pot luck Saturday arrives and the tables are set. Gerri has a vat of perogies boiling. Bob’s mushroom gravy is to die for (he must have been Ukranian in a past life). I’ve done a huge beet salad as my part. Dave is grilling salmon in absence of the traditional whitefish and all 40 of us are getting into a festive Ukranian mood.

The door to the clubhouse swings open as another contribution is brought in. Now some of the items on the food list had a few of us puzzled, how do you make wheat soup? And while having a list of unknown dishes is a fun challenge for those who like to cook – it leaves the cruiser who can’t cook with a dilemma. Of course cruisers are known for creative solutions. So 2 items on the list – jellied salads and vodka were ingeniously combined for …. Jello shooters!

The perogies are finished and the cruisers are fed. The conversation gets louder and the tray of jello shooters is making the rounds. The buffet table is cleared and the karaoke machine is fired up. The shooters make another round. Boxes of wine are passed (way more space efficient than bottles) and another case of beer appears. The twang of some hurtin’ music sounds from the karaoke machine and Zack the yard hound joins in. Another pass of the shooters and we’re singing away. Yet another pass of the jello and we think we’re pretty darn good.
Hours pass, the tales get taller and the tray gets lighter. By midnight we swear we’re all Ukranian.

How to Make Jello Shooters:

1. Open a small package of any flavor Jell-O into a bowl.
2. Pour in 3/4 Cup boiling water.
3. Stir to dissolve.
4. Let cool to almost room temperature.
5. Add 3/4 Cup of vodka or preferred spirit.
6. Pour into individual cups or molds.
7. Freeze or chill until firm.