This is a panorama taken in November 2017. I was standing on the edge of the yard at sunrise, as you might have guessed. Notice the intact piers--with one exception, a victim of Hurricane Irene in 2013. All available resources were directed towards getting the house back in usable condition and the living space elevated, so the pier is still awaiting its turn.

This image was taken a few days after Hurricane Florence. Piers and yards took a beating. The houses didn't fare much better, but are all still standing.

Just a part of life on the river!

I came across this bottle of R Collection Lot No. 7 Field Blend tucked away in my collection. It was pretty dusty, so I knew it had been resting there for some time. We are longtime fans of Raymond Vineyards and tasted there many times when we lived in California. We were even members of their wine club for several years before relocating.

The R Collection wines are Raymond's more reasonably priced alternative to their top-tier wines. I think they are a really good value, especially if you find one on sale at your local wine shop or grocery store, as I did this one. This 2011 vintage red blend was delicious and well balanced, and it went very well with the grilled steak and vegetables we had for dinner.

I highly recommend this or any other Raymond Vineyards wine. Give one a try, and I think you'll agree!

We really enjoy an ice-cold IPA to start the evening here on the river, and we've discovered many that we enjoy. Our current favorite is Sierra Nevada Brewing Company's Torpedo Extra IPA. Whether we're out on the deck watching the pelicans dive for fish or just standing in the kitchen deciding what to cook for dinner, this "aggressive yet balanced beer with massive hop aromas of citrus, pine, and tropical fruit" always hits the spot! And Sierra Nevada's aggressive marketing means we can often buy a 12-pack for for only $13.99 at several local supermarkets.

Well--it has been a while since my last post. I hope to post more regularly from now on, as life allows.

St. Patrick's Day is one of my favorite holidays, mostly because of the food! Here's what we are having.

The centerpiece of the meal--corned beef and cabbage, served with red potatoes and carrots. Mustard or horseradish for the corned beef, as desired.

Wash all the great food down with an Irish beer. My choice is Guinness, but there are many other options, such as the Smithwick's Irish Ale and others shown below.

This wonderful soda bread recipe comes from an incredibly vital 90 year old Italian woman who lives next door to my mother-in-law. It's delicious and easy to make, and is also very flexible--substitute as needed. To see the recipe, click "Read More" below.

I'm trying a new recipe from my current favorite bread book today. It combines Bob's Red Mill ten-grain cereal with whole wheat and unbleached enriched flour.

This is one of the delicious and healthy no-knead bread recipes found in Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François. I've made a few of the recipes in the book and loved them all, especially the Honey Whole Wheat and the Whole Wheat with Olive oil. I use the latter to make pizza, focaccia, and flat breads, a couple of which you can see below.