What do Waterways’ Holiday Parade of Lights Cruises and delicious corn chowder have in common? A joyful holiday season of good will and good food!
Every December for over 60 years, thousands of people in neighborhoods, cities and towns along the shorelines of Lake Washington, Lake Union and Puget Sound gather around roaring bonfires awaiting the magic and the music of the Christmas Ship Parade. Choirs on board the brilliantly decorated Spirit of Seattle, the lead ship of the flotilla, give performances of beautiful holiday music for everyone’s enjoyment. With our coastal location and waterfront communities, the holiday parade of boats has long been a tradition to bring communities together and to celebrate good cheer in the Northwest. It is one of the largest holiday floating parades in the world!
Waterways Cruises will join dozens of boats of all sizes, including paddle boards, canoes, and kayaks, all dressed up in their finest of holiday décor. Our Captains are experienced Santas, moving our yachts into the parade and positioning just so to get the best views and to hear the music.
Dazzling lights from all the boats, shoreline scenery, and city skylines light up the sky and the reflections of the lights on the water is amazing. Sip on hot apple cider, hot chocolate or a warm coffee cocktail and watch the spectacular show from the decks of our yachts or from the comfort of our dining salons.
Oh, the joys of living in a maritime community! Have a wonderful holiday season and remember, “the best gifts are time spent with family and friends”, so join us for a relaxing time, good food and good times.
Speaking of good food, we would like to share with you the recipe for Waterways’ signature corn chowder, which is served on our Holiday cruises. This gets rave reviews and is the ultimate in comfort food!
Waterways’ Holiday Corn Chowder
Ingredients:
1 cup corn, drained (use fresh corn when in season)
½ tsp liquid smoke
1 white onion, diced into ¼” pieces
1 cup potatoes, diced into ¼” pieces
¾ cup bacon, chopped
1/8 cup chopped fresh Thyme
3 qts heavy cream
¼ cup flour
Salt and pepper
Serves 10
Mix drained corn with liquid smoke and place on a sheet pan into a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes. Remove and let the corn rest. In a heavy-bottomed pan on medium high heat, add chopped bacon until it becomes brown. Add the chopped onions and potatoes to the bacon and drippings, and sauté until the onions are a light brown color. Add the corn and fresh thyme to the pot and sauté until everything is thoroughly mixed. Sprinkle the flour into the pot and make a roux in the pan. Mix until the flour has a light brown color. Add cream and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning. After it begins simmering, you only need to stir every other minute. Add salt and pepper to taste. To kick it up a notch, you can add a dash of Tabasco sauce or Worcestershire sauce.
Happy Holidays everyone!
