This week we hosted visitors from Michigan. No, from Florida. No! From Michigan! Actually both statements are true. They are those rare and lucky people who have two homes (three if you count the one on wheels,) and travel between them in an exceptionally well appointed Prevost motor home. They’re Ron’s first cousins to be exact, and we had a terrific time reconnecting, laughing, and certainly indulging.

No reunion is complete without cocktails on the deck and we quickly discovered that a good martini becomes great with the addition of at least 5 olives. Any less and you’ll be kicked out of the RV park. Or is that kicked in…I’m not sure!!!

I cooked the first night, but by the time I plated it was too dark for even the most die-hard photographer. And so that menu’s imagery will languish in memory. I pan seared filet medallions and finished them in a cabernet mushroom reduction, topped them with a brightly colored chimichurri sauce, oven-roasted red peppers, and served it over white rice. For dessert I added some brandy to caramel sauce, served it over vanilla bean ice cream and topped it with a wafer of chocolate chip shortbread that I had made previously. It was DIVINE.

On the Sunday following their departure, feeling a little melancholy they could only stay two days, I decided to mix and bake the beer bread mix they had given us, carried carefully to our door from their home in Petosky, MI. Once baked and half the loaf consumed with butter and honey I knew the rest would help me create an indulgent and elegant breakfast, which echoed the flavors of fall. With a rich but deeply flavored syrup of pumpkin butter, real maple syrup and a splash of good brandy, these buttery squares fetched a lot of MMM’s, and OOooh’s when I topped them with pecans.

Check out the how-to photos in this slide show below, and all the fun family photos!