The Year Ahead

Happy New Year, CT Readers! Hope you all had a happy holiday season.

Here in New Jersey, we are just starting to come out of a deep freeze that we’ve been in since right after Christmas. We’re talking zero degrees and -4 wind chills - definitely not my favorite weather!

I’ve been enjoying reading articles from other writers with their 2017 highlights, and I was just about to start compiling my own recap (Austin, Florida, North Carolina, northern California, Hawaii, lunch at the CIA in New York, and tons of delicious foods here in NJ - I have included a few photos throughout this post from our wonderful 2017 travels), but then I thought, I’d rather look ahead to what’s coming up this year. I’ve always been more of a “looking forward” person. 

Sailing the beautiful waters of Hawaii

Luscious malasadas (Portugese doughnuts) from Leonards in Honolulu

So this month we’re heading off to a small ship cruise of Costa Rica & Panama with UnCruise! We’ll be visiting many of the fabulous national parks in both countries. Costa Rica boasts incredible, diverse wildlife (from monkeys to exotic birds to sloths!), and a tropical paradise home to sea turtles, dolphins, and humpback whales. In-between, there will be kayaking, snorkeling, eating, drinking, and plenty of relaxing in the warm weather (ahhhhhh!). 

Fabulous breakfast biscuit at Buttermilk in Sarasota

The trip caps off with an ocean-to-ocean transit through the Panama Canal. The 48 mile canal is an engineering marvel that took over 75,000 workers to build. My husband crossed the Panama Canal, courtesy of a US government sailing (read: on the way to Vietnam) many years ago and wanted me to experience it, too; I have a feeling this cruise may be somewhat more enjoyable for him :-)

The beautiful Japanese Gardens in San Francisco

To add to our enjoyment of this trip, three good friends will be joining us so I’m sure we will have a fabulous time!

The friendly llamas of Mendocino

Next up, most likely in March, will be a short road trip to the Holy City (Charleston) with another set of friends. We’ve only been to Charleston once and we absolutely loved it. My only negative about this beautiful city from our previous trip was the humidity (definitely not a good hair city!), but the history, art, and FOOD is so wonderful, I will “force” myself to slog through it (believe me, I won’t have to be forced). I’m already starting to make a mind-list of restaurants to hit (Hominy Grill, FIG, Husk, Rodney Scott BBQ to name a few). I absolutely love southern, low country food and there is no shortage of terrific restaurants in Charleston.

Delectable, warm doughnuts and jam at Hotel Ella in Austin

Of course, we’ll probably want to tour one of the gorgeous old plantations (Magnolia Plantation or Drayton Hall?), and maybe (weather dependent) sail out to visit Fort Sumter National Park. Confederate forces fired the first shots of the Civil War at troops at Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861 so this is an important chapter in our history. We didn’t get to Fort Sumter on our last visit due to rain so I’m hoping we can do it this time.

And, finally, in early September we will meet up with another set of friends for a two-week road trip through the "Vacationland" state - Maine! Details are still being formulated, but penciled in as of now, we will start in Portland, meander up coastal Route 1 with gorgeous ocean views around every turn, stopping here and there for lobster rolls, peeky-toe crab rolls, and fresh blueberry ice cream. We’ll visit Rockport (home to Maine’s fleet of tall ships and maybe do a day sail), Rockland (I’d love to stop at the Farnsworth Museum which houses the Wyeth Center, featuring works of Andrew, NC, and Jamie Wyeth), and Camden (just to soak up the beauty of this seaside village). 

Gorgeous sunset in Wilmington, NC

I’m going to try my darndest to snag a reservation at The Lost Kitchen while we’re in the general Freedom area, though it won’t be easy. Then we’ll cross the gorgeous Penobscot Narrows Bridge (the highest bridge observatory in the world, with incredible views up and down the Penobscot River) on our way to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park (the jewel in the National Park system).

Acadia National Park

After that, it’s uncharted territory as we head inland to Moosehead Lake. Planning about 3 nights at The Lodge at Moosehead Lake in Greenville. Moosehead Lake, the largest lake in Maine, is surrounded by incredible scenic vistas including Mt Katahdin, the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, and parts of the Appalachian Trail. This area offers the opportunity to really get away from it all, and experience the wilderness while hiking, kayaking, or what I’m most excited about, going on a “moose safari!” I’ve wanted to do that ever since reading about this lodge a few years ago. Moose can be elusive but hopefully we’ll see one or two.

Tableside ice cream at the CIA

Of course, we’ll want a little pampering after all that outdoorsy-ness, and luckily the lodge offers that, too.

So that’s our itinerary (so far) for this year. Your intrepid food/baking/travel reporter will be back soon with a full download. Until then, wishing you good food, warmth, and happiness in 2018!

Weekend in Maine, September 2014

Downeast Maine is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. Around every bend in the road is another awesome view. From the New Hampshire border to Bar Harbor, the coast is just one fabulous water view after another. Not to mention the winding country roads that a week ago were just starting to sprout their leafy fall oranges, yellows, and browns. Just driving around Blue Hill, Castine, and Orland, lowers my blood pressure.

But, of course, no weekend away for me is complete without great food. And, man, did we hit the mother lode on this trip!  We were disappointed that our favorite peeky toe crab shack in Bayview was closed already for the season, but we persevered and rewarded ourselves with dinner at The Lost Kitchen in Freedom. Set in a renovated 1834 gristmill so perfectly picturesque, you can’t help but want to linger. Erin French, chef/owner, has created something very special in this little off-the-beaten-path town. Walking over the footbridge, on a crisp early autumn evening, and then down a few steps to the Foundation Wine Cellar, I had the distinct feeling this was going to be a culinary experience.

Foundation Wine Cellar

Due to the town’s blue laws, the restaurant has no liquor license, but they’ve assembled an impressive wine list from which you can purchase wine to go with the evening’s menu. The very cool “wine cave lady” guided us to a terrific Pinot Noir (Folk Machine) from Central Coast California. With our bagged wine, we headed up to the restaurant. This is where the real magic happens.

In this gorgeous space, Ms French has built a beautiful open kitchen where she prepares dinner Wednesday through Saturday evenings for a very lucky 30 diners. Everybody sits down at 6pm, and the food begins to flow. We started with a deliciously porky pate, served with good, crusty bread, two kinds of mustard (stone ground and Dijon), and cornichons, alongside a bowl of delicious Mediterranean olives.

Lost Kitchen Pate

Next to arrive at our table was a lovely offering of cherrystone clams drizzled with a delicious lemon-butter sauce. Fresher, sweeter clams I have not tasted.

A few minutes after devouring the clams, Ms French came by with two teaspoons on a platter.  The spoons were filled with a frozen dollop of apple cider-rosemary sorbet. OMG (I really am beginning to hate the OMG thing, but sometimes it just fits)!  When I mentioned to her that so far everything was wonderful, she giggled and said, “I’m so glad you are enjoying it, and we haven’t even really started yet.”   Well, if we hadn’t started yet, I couldn’t wait to see what lay ahead.

It’s at this point, that Ms French clinks a wine glass and welcomes everyone to her restaurant. She tells us about her journey thus far, and then regales us with the night’s menu. You feel like you are at an intimate secret party that you were lucky enough to score an invite to.

The first “official” course of the night’s menu was Fried Basket Island Oysters served with a Crabapple Kohlrabi Slaw and Horseradish Aioli. The oysters were beautifully set on a bed of seaweed and sea salt, like a painting.

Fried Oysters

 

Endive and Red Lettuce Salad

The second course was an Endive and Red Lettuce Salad topped with luscious Pulled Duck Confit, a sprinkling of the last gorgeous raspberries of summer, tart purple plum slices, and topped with pecorino and honey.  Yes, it was wonderful.

 

Skillet-roasted Hake

Our last course was beautiful skillet-roasted Hake with adorable baby fingerlings, buttered croutons, and a mélange of olive, tomato, and spinach.  The fish was cooked perfectly, and the accompaniments were just right.

 Just when you think this meal could not get any better, you are presented with a delicate Earl Grey Crème Brulee for dessert.  And when you must leave this little oasis of food heaven, to make your transition to the real world a bit easier, a to-go bag of wonderfully crisp ginger cookies is presented to each diner. Ours didn’t make it past the parking lot.

Earl Grey Creme Brûlée

 

I can usually tell if a restaurant is going to be good way in advance of actually arriving.  It’s just a feeling or vibe that I get – I really can’t explain it. My culinary sixth sense was right on this time.  The Lost Kitchen has all the elements to become the Chez Panisse of the east – a talented chef, a well-trained staff, the bounty of the Maine coast’s sea and land, and warm, gracious hospitality (something that eludes far too many restaurants).  As Ms French says at the end of her welcoming speech, here’s to Freedom.

Sunday morning we started our long drive home. There are not many places open for breakfast along Rt 3 between Belfast and Augusta at 6am, so we dragged our coffee-deprived bodies a bit farther to Biddeford. I squirrel away restaurants in my mind for future trips and I had a breakfast spot in mind for us. The Palace Diner in Biddeford is Maine’s oldest diner, originally opened in 1927, and brought back to life by current owners, Chad Conley and Greg Mitchell. These two are not your average diner owners; they have real culinary chops, having previously worked at Hugo’s in Portland (Conley), and Gramercy Tavern in New York (Mitchell).

There are just 15 counter stools and we nabbed two with prime viewing into the little window into the kitchen. There, we could see Conley and Mitchell, calmly prepping, cooking, and laughing. Cool music is playing from somebody’s iPhone hooked up to a Bose speaker. The Sunday brunch menu is pure diner delight, kicked up a notch. I chose the Challah French Toast with Maine Maple Syrup, while my husband chose the Corned Beef Hash (natch).

Let me tell you about the French Toast – a huge thick slice of custardy eggy Challah, with a crème brulee crust that I could not get over. Luckily, I opted for the single slice, instead of two, but I mopped up every crumb and left my plate spotless. THE best French Toast ever!

Palace Diner French Toast

Palace Diner Corned Beef Hash

Now, if there’s corned beef hash on a menu, my husband is going to order it; he just can’t help himself. But all too often he is sorely disappointed. Not this time, my friends. A chunk of tender, savory corned beef, with minimal potatoes, topped with done-right eggs over easy, and terrific rye toast. Really good coffee from Tandem Roasters in Portland rounded out our “good-bye, Maine” meal.  I was tempted to order a side of the Brown Butter Banana Bread for the ride home, but that damned common sense prevailed (I’m so regretting it!) 

My sixth sense was on target here, too.

The Lost Kitchen

22 Mill Street

Freedom, Maine

207-382-3333

Serving Dinner Wednesday-Saturday

The Palace Diner

18 Franklin Street

Biddeford, Maine

207-284-0015

Serving Breakfast and Lunch Wednesday-Sunday

Cranberry-Orange Pecan Bread (and other assorted stories)

Well, it's been awhile since my last post, but I've not been idle. Let's see, I've been to Maine and back, I had an exquisite lunch at Vita in Basking Ridge, and enjoyed some fun and tasty pre-theatre dishes at Bar Breton in NYC. And, of course, I have a delicious recipe to share with you. Where to begin?

Let's start with the northeastern most state in the union: the Pine Tree state (or its advertising slogan "Vacationland"); yes, I'm talking about Maine. It was only a short trip a couple of weeks ago, but the weather was beautiful and there were still some nice foliage views to be had. We took a ride along Rt 15 through Penobscot and Orland to Castine, home to the US Maritime Academy and quaint New England architecture. No real food stories here as it was post-season and other than Dennett's Wharf, nothing was open. But a picturesque ride nonetheless.

We again enjoyed a terrific dinner at Red Sky in Southwest Harbor - see earlier post here. I love the warmth and personal attention you get here from the owners.

A lovely find for lodging has arrived in Belfast: the Belfast Bay Inn. Belfast is a charming little town about two hours north of Portland (and very close to our home in Stockton Springs), full of artsy-type shops, a very cool martini bar called 3 Tides, and a great vegetarian restaurant (Chase's Daily), but no decent lodging. Finally, someone has seen the light and opened a luxury all-suite boutique hotel on Main Street. That someone is Judy and Ed Hemmingsen, former owners of the award-winning Bluenose Inn in Bar Harbor. They took an historic building and transformed it into exceptional accommodations. If you find yourself in the Belfast area and want to wrap yourself in comfortable luxury for the night, please visit the Belfast Bay Inn. Now all we need in Belfast is a high-end restaurant, the likes of Primo in Rockland or Francine in Camden, and Belfast will become a destination for like-minded travelers.

In geographic order, New York City is next. We had a great time at a (way) off-Broadway play called "Penny Penniworth," an hysterical send-up of every Dickens story you've ever read. The play closed last weekend after an extended run but the cast is hopeful that another production company will pick it up soon. If it returns, don't miss it. Before the play, we had dinner at Bar Breton, a nice, little brasserie-style restaurant in Chelsea. Gallettes are the house specialty - buckwheat crepes with an assortment of savories. We had the special which was filled with short ribs - delicious. Entrees sampled included the hangar steak, and pan-seared cod - all very good.

Finally, making our way back to New Jersey in this culinary travelogue, I am thrilled to tell you about a fabulous lunch at Vita Restaurant in the Dolce Hotel in Basking Ridge. I had lunch "in the kitchen" of Vita, sitting up close and personal, to take in all the action of a delicious lunch presentation by Chef Paul Bogardus and his talented staff. We began with an appetizer of Warm Crab Cake with Roasted Corn, Porcini and Ricotta Fondue. This was followed by a main course of Mushroom and Plum Stuffed Roasted Pork Loin with Pancetta and Rosemary Grits and Pomegranate Glaze - doesn't

this sound like the perfect Fall dish? Dessert was (as they say) the pièce de résistance: the Art of Flambe with House-made Crepes - classic crepes suzette, cherries jubilee, and bananas foster - oui! Everything was just divine. If you find yourself in the Basking Ridge area, put Vita on your short list of must-visit restaurants.

And in preparation for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, I will leave you with a lovely little bread - perfect for a quick nosh with coffee before you get started on the day's cooking, or add some freshly whipped cream and serve it as part of your holiday dessert offerings. This Cranberry-Orange Pecan Bread comes from one of my favorite food sites, Leite's Culinaria.

From the cookbook, Grand Central Baking, the batter goes through a number of whippings to incorporate the wet and dry ingredients, and it produces an extremely ethereal batter - when you look at it, it almost resembles a yeast dough (see picture).

Light in texture, not too sweet/not too tart, and like a bonus, the recipe makes two loaves. So you can pop one in the freezer to enjoy at a later date.

I'll be taking my frozen loaf with us to the islands where we'll be celebrating Thanksgiving on the beautiful, warm beaches of St John.

I doubt I will have time for another post before we leave, so I will wish you all now a very Happy Thanksgiving! May your table be full of happy friends, loving family, and good food.

Cranberry-Orange Pecan Bread

get the recipe here!

The Rain in Maine...

...falls mainly on our vacation. Apparently, the Jersey rain followed us north.But even though our vacation was a wash-out, and therefore, cut short, we still managed to get in some must-do eating. So, without further delay, here now, the promised follow-up to my Maine travelogue (apologies up front for the weird spacing -- a Blogspot quirk).

The first stop: a late dinner at Wo's BBQ on Verona Island. This was not on the original food itinerary, but after getting a much later departure out of NJ and 8 hours in the car, all we wanted to do was get something to eat and relax. Wo's popped up on the main thoroughfare from Rt 1 to Verona Island about two years ago. Just a man and his smoker by the side of the road. Of course, we had to investigate. It seems Wo relocated to Maine from Florida with a desire to bring real smoked pit BBQ to Maine. We skidded into their parking lot just as they were closing, but Mrs Wo took pity on us and offered us some dinner to go. Those pulled pork sandwiches, topped with cole slaw, and Wo's homemade, just-spicy-enough, chipotle BBQ sauce hit the spot. I was so delirious from the ride that I wolfed down the sandwich without taking any photos!

The next day we returned to our planned itinerary. Lunch at Crosby's Drive-in in Bucksport was first up. Crosby's is an old-fashio

ned kind of place (no web site): park your car, place your order at the window, wait for your number to be called, pick up your tray-o-food at the counter, and find a spot at a picnic table or eat in your car. Feast your eyes on the glorious

fried seafood in these photos. Fried seafood is a staple up and down the coast of Maine, and we have sampled it in many locales. But we keep coming back to Crosby's. The clam roll is my favorite - huge,

sweet clams with just

a light coating of breading to keep all those little clams together. Another big hit is the scallop roll - moist, delicious scallops, gently fried, not a hint of grease anywhere.

Later that same day, we drove north toward

beautiful Bar Harbor and had dinner at Red Sky in Southwest Harbor (view full menu here). Let me come right out with it: this restaurant and this meal rank in my top 5 dining experiences. They hit every note right. When I first read about Red Sky in the July issue of DownEast Magazine, I thought it sounded good, but I had no idea how good. Run by Elizabeth and James Lindquist (she of the front of the house and he manning the stoves), and a very capable staff, they welcome you into their "home," and make you feel like you never want to leave. The restaurant encompasses a beautiful, warm space - deep burgandy walls behind the bar, lovely muted pastels in the dining room. They have installed a wonderful "comfortable-ness" to this restaurant. The owners and staff exude a zen-like calm that pervades the building.

The night we dined there, James greeted us at the door and sat us. Not dressed in chef's whites, I had a pang of fear that he wasn't cooking that night and our meal might not be what I had hoped for. Not to worry, he apparently has trained his kitchen staff very well. James set about to offer us a cocktail or a sample of the Malbec he was pouring that evening and to tell us about the restaurant. Then he left us to relax, enjoy our wine, and peruse the menu.

A small basket of wonderful, crusty bread with a dish of perfectly softened butter appeared at our table delivered by our very pleasant waitress (you notice, I delightfully have no idea what her name is...) who returned to her home state after living in Austin, Texas for awhile. There was absolutely no rush on her part for us to order even though the restaurant was filling up fast for the evening.

We began our dinner with two outstanding appetizers: House-made Duck and Pork Sausage with a Cranberry Pear Relish and Spicy Whole-grain Beer Mustard, and the Sauteed Maine Shrimp over Sweet Potato Parsnip Latkes with Spiced Peanut Sauce (see photo of shrimp). Both dishes were delicious and we lapped up every morsel, but the stand-out ingredient was the mustard from the first dish. It was, by far, the most delicious, interesting mustard of its type we've ever had. When we raved about it and asked our server where it came from, she said it was house-made (I don't think there is much here not house-made).

With a start like that, I could hardly wait to see our entrees. We were not disappointed. Barry had a hard time deciding between the Baby Back Ribs slowly braised, then finished on the grill with a maple glaze, and the Grilled Round of Lamb marinated in Dijon, EVOO, Roasted Garlic and Rosemary, with a Cider Mint Reduction. Our server, based on her years in Austin, heartily recommended the ribs, but Barry ultimately decided to go with the lamb. Even though my Libra-like tendencies usually kick in at critical decision points, this evening I had no trouble making a choice. From my first pass

at the menu, I knew I'd be ordering the Seared Tuna with a "lively" Lime Ginger Glaze, Sesame Soba noodles and a Cucumber Salad. OMG - pay careful attention here, people: these two dishes were THE BEST of their kind either of us EVER had ANY

WHERE. I don't give in to superlatives easily, but it is so well deserved here.

The lamb was from Colorado where James lived for a time. The tenderness of the lamb combined with the unusual and delicious cider mint reductio

n was just outstanding. Now, about that tuna. I have enjoyed seared tuna many times, and at some of the best seafood houses around, but this was unlike anything else. First of all, the size of the portion was huge. Grilled perfectly rare, butter-soft, and seasoned just right, there was not a bite left when I was done. Not to mention, the soba noodles and cucumber salad. I was a little wary of the soba noodles as I ordered, given previous experiences with them, but these were incredible - delicious flavor and light, light, light.

Room for dessert? What do you think? You people know me so well. There were several good choices on the dessert list, but using my laser-like dessert-scoping abilities, I zeroed in on "James' Gingerbread." With a description like this: "served toasted with our own caramel sauce and cream cheese whipped cream spiked with apple brandy,"

how could I choose anything else? It had me at "hello!" I am not normally a big fan of caramel, but this was so soft and mellow; and when grouped with the other ingredients, I was hooked. I'm sure you've had gingerbread before -- the plebian versions served around the winter holidays. I've had my share of those, too. This just wasn't on a different plane, this was from another galaxy. This was GINGERbread - emphasis on the fabulous, biting ginger taste at the back of your throat. But wait, there's more. The whipped cream cheese? This was ethereal. I've been a baker for many years (and a cheesecake baker at that) but I've never had cream cheese like this. It was like little clouds of sweet air lightly landing on my plate.

There are very few restaurants (most of them are in Italy) where before the meal is over I'm exclaiming, "I can't wait to come back here." Red Sky has been added to the list. Scratch that: I must come back here. I'm already scheming to see if I can wrangle a birthday dinner here in October (ah, Fall in New England...).

When the waitress brought our check, she deftly planted a small to-go container on our table. What did it contain? Some of that terrific mustard...which I am hoarding for a virtual trip back to Red Sky to tide me over until I can return.

The Maine Food Travelogue

Can you believe July 4th is almost upon us? I can't. How did we get to July so quickly? And, I want to know why the summer flies right past us like a speeding locomotive and winter drags on like honey seeping out of a jar... it just doesn't seem right. That's my rant for today.

On a more positive note, we are heading to Maine for the holiday weekend and I am really looking forward to it. I don't even care that the weather prognosticators are not promising nice weather for the Down East area. Check out the photo above: that is sunrise over the Penobscot River (taken in April 2009) - how beautiful and calming is that. The minute our car crosses the border from New Hampshire into Maine (after stopping, of course, at the fabulous NH state-run liquor store for some provisions for the weekend), I feel a sense of pending relaxation coming over me. The thing about Maine is that around every bend in the road there is another absolutely beautiful view. Whether it's Somes Sound (the only natural fjord in North America), or the Fore River that runs through Portland, or the incredible high-rise view of the Penobscot Bay as you come over the crest into Belfast, I am in constant awe of the beauty of Maine.

Of course, no weekend jaunt of mine would be complete without a food itinerary, and you know I have one. I'm sure you know that Maine is famous for lobster, but did you also know that clamming is huge there? You haven't lived until you've had a succulent, sweet, tender fried clam roll. Our favorite is from Crosby's in Bucksport. An old-fashioned drive-up where you order at a window and then wait for your number to be called. They also make a delicious scallop roll. Crosby's is about 5 minutes from our house so I'm sure we'll get there at least once for lunch.

A new (to me) spot we'll be trying this trip is Bagaduce Lunch (don't ask me where that name comes from) in Brooksville. They were recently awarded "Best Lobster Roll" by Travel & Leisure Magazine, and a James Beard award for best casual food. You know I'm there. I hear the restaurant is set next to the "famous reversing falls," and a very scenic picnic area.

Also in Brooksville is 4 Season Farm, an organic produce farm market run by Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman. Barbara and Eliot are well known horticulturalists and organic farmers and have pioneered the return to organic farming in Maine. We'll be making a stop here after lunch.

For something completely different, we will head to one of our favorite restaurants but not for the usual dinner. The Inn at Ocean's Edge in Lincolnville is a gorgeous resort set smack on the shores of the Penobscot. Their restaurant, The Edge, is where we usually go when we want something a little fancier than a clam roll at Crosby's. The Edge is fine dining but with a comfortable fit. There is nothing better than settling in at one of the outside tables with a wonderful cocktail and admiring the views before being every so gently beckoned to come to your table for dinner. But I think this weekend we will visit The Edge for their famous Sunday wood-burning oven pizza night. If I've learned anything about dining at The Edge over the last 2-3 years, it's that Chef Bryan Dame and his wife, Natasha (who is the sommelier and handles front of the house) do everything first class with the utmost attention to detail. So I'm sure their pizza will be quite above board.

There are two new places on our agenda this trip. One is Red Sky in Southwest Harbor (Martha Stewart's summer retreat). An outstanding review in the July issue of DownEast Magazine prompted me to call for a reservation. The reference to "unstuffy elegance" and the chef's vision of "ingredients as “back-up singers” that harmonize in a dish rather than overpower it" sold me.

A quirky little Mexican restaurant in Sargentville is also on the list. What I love about this place mainly is the name: El El Frijoles. Get it? So not only do they have a sense of humor, but their food is reported to be quite good. And it's down the road from the Eggemoggin Country Store which is famous for its doughnuts! Yes!

So, there you have it. Quite an ambitious culinary itinerary, don't you think? But I'm up to it. And my trusty camera is back from the repair shop so I will have a complete photo essay for you upon my return.

While you're relaxing this weekend, or eating or swimming or gardening, don't forget to raise a toast to our founding fathers. I hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend!