Im just back from a wonderful weekend in the North Carolina highlands with some of my favorite friends. We spent three days drinking cocktails with views for miles, grilling on the most fantastic patio grill and mornings climbing in hopes to burn off a couple calories.

The first night we enjoyed gin and tonics with grilled bacon wrapped scallops drizzled with cayenne pepper. After the drive up, this appetizer couldn’t have been easier. Here’s the tip: The Fresh Market sells the skewers pre-made! You don’t have to soak the wooden skewers, deal with the wrapping or the skewering. Just grill, brush with a little butter and garnish with cayenne oil and a little chopped parsley. Looks pretty fancy, right?