Max had some stiff competition Thursday night when Larry and Lisa brought their real poodle for a visit. Max was not amused.

I've been making a lot of Gazpacho this year, especially with watermelon which has been outstanding this summer.  What's better than a ripe watermelon on a hot day?  And you make soup with the leftovers!

Tom took this picture of the causeway between East Marion and Orient.  So Pretty.

My favorite banana bread recipe is from Bill Yosses who was the pastry chef at the White House during the Obama years. Ah, remember them?  Anyway, a tribute to those years and that banana bread.

So baking here in Orient is a bit harder than Chapel Hill.  Some ingredients are not available anywhere especially vegan stuff for Nell. Couldn't find vegan sour cream anywhere but Tofutti cream cheese was finally procured at a King Kullen many miles away.  

Making a Banana Monkey Tail cake takes me to my happy place.  It's a towering plate of pleasure that delights everyone who tries it.  It won a prize at Cooking Channel when I worked there in 2012.

It's very tall cake and a bit messy to ice but the nutella and whipped cream cheese frosting kind of makes up  for in flavor what it lacks in neatness.  Neatness doesn't always count.  Taste does.

Tom has been kayaking and I've been goat spotting. These kids took one look at Max and ran behind their Daddy or Mommy (I really don't know).  I think they belong to Go Fresh so go figure.

Made a wonderful pasta dish last week with goat cheese, asparagus, thyme and lemon. Thank you, goats!

I want to try these on the grill very soon!

Flowers from our garden in Orient

We're settling in this week and there's lots to do but we did have time for a bike ride today at the easternmost tip of the North Fork in the Orient Beach State Park. Osprey parents were spotted in their huge nests but turtles crossings were pretty quiet.

Max is finding it pretty comfortable here despite the early morning fog horns from the ferry dock. All is well in this little slice of heaven...except for the ticks.  Nothing is perfect.

So, we are building a new kitchen in Orient, NY where we plan on making and serving many wonderful meals for many wonderful friends.  Oh, forgot to say we bought a little house there for the summers where we will see our Nell and her Raul and many NY friends...also our newish NC friends will be visiting!  Stay tuned.