I spent this weekend in the North Carolina highlands escaping the brutal temperatures in the Piedmont. 72 degrees at the top of Beech Mountain was paradise considering Mendenhall reached 100 degrees. My friends Jamey and Phil were gracious hosts – not only allowing me to bring Winston for the weekend – but also letting me cook in their kitchen!  We ate ourselves silly – Ina’s Mac & Cheese and Fennel and Tomato Salad, Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, Buffalo Shrimp Appetizers and another great brunch on Sunday! In between we climbed hills and tried to work off a few of the calories.

The Saints came marching in during the evening cocktail hour. While it was the first weekend  this year that the Saint made an appearance,  it might be on the back shelves until Jamey and Andrew recover from being “over served.” For those of you who didn’t get stomped on my The Saint this weekend, I recommend it for the long weekend coming up!