Bagel Sandwich: lemony avocado, tomato, and dill

Laid back Summer Sunday get-togethers:  the freshest ingredients,  the coldest iced coffee, the strongest bloody mary’s, the funnest friends, the best music on the sonos…need I say more?  :)

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(WHAT YOU WILL NEED)

Sesame seed bagels
plain cream cheese
tomatoes
ripe avocados 
fresh dill
fresh lemon
kosher salt/cracked black pepper

1) Cut tomatoes into slices
2) Slice avocados and place on plate.  Squeeze lots of fresh lemon juice over to keep from turning brown.  This will also mix with the other ingredients on the sandwich and flavor everything.
3)  Chop fresh dill sprigs

Split and toast bagels.  Top with cream cheese, tomatoes, avocado, sprinkle salt and fresh cracked pepper over all, add dill to top.  

I eat mine open face, but you can also add cream cheese to the other half of the bagel and eat it like a sandwich--doubly good!

Serve this with your favorite brunch drink (bloody marys, grapefruit mimosas, prosecco) and/or some iced coffee. 

You can make your own coffee or use one of the many cold brews available:   I used Stok for this one, and added sweetened almond milk and chocolate syrup.  You can also add whipped cream, White Chocolate Godiva liqueur, Kahlua...or both.  Both is good, its would be like your own long island iced coffee...woohoo!...lol

PS:  other sandwiches that I love and I know you would, too?  I thought you'd never ask...
lox, tomatoes, and capers with whipped cream cheese on a toasted plain bagel
hummus, red bell peppers, cucumbers, and fresh lemon on a toasted everything bagel
corned beef and plain cream cheese on a toasted onion bagel 

But this is still my favorite

Dirty Banana

My friend recently posed this question:  why do frozen drinks taste so much better 1) on vacation and 2) on an island?  I think I can answer with this story…

Years ago, I was on vacation with my then-boyfriend Ned, and we made a stop at the liquor store to buy cigars.  While he was looking around in the humidor, I announced that I was gonna walk around the corner and get a cool, frosty drink.  He tried to put a 20 in my hand, but I said no I already had money, and off I went on my mini-adventure.

I turned the corner and walked up to the window and a crazy cool Jamaican guy named Donovan asked me what I wanted.  I told him I wanted something frosty…he smiled and said I needed a Dirty Banana.  I said indeed I WAS in need of a Dirty Banana but also a frosty drink…lol.  He said no worries, made it up, put a straw in it, and handed it to me.  I took it to the bench that was directly across from him, sat down, and started savoring it.  So good.

Just as I looked up at him, and at exactly the same time Ned came around the corner, Donovan leaned out the window and yelled to me (in the crazy cool Jamaican accent)  “ARE YOU ENJOYING YOUR DRINK, PRETTY LADY??????”  Ned looked at me stunned, like what did he say? Ahahahahahahaha, we laughed til our stomachs hurt we thought it was so funny, and it became the running joke of the week.  And for years after that, whenever Ned wanted to make me laugh, he’d say it:  good morning, pretty lady…happy birthday, pretty lady…and it always worked. 

Ned bought us 2 more drinks and we sat there, talking and drinking and laughing, looking out at the water and the boats in the harbor, lost as we often were just the two of us, in our own little world of nicknames, private jokes, and general silliness.  We were like two teenagers on love crack, and we couldn’t get enough.  Quite obviously, I didn’t end up marrying Ned, but I’ll remember that vacation and all its sweet wonderfulness as long as I live.

So back to the question:   why are frozen drinks so much better on an island vacation??  The love, baby.  It’s all about the love :)

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(WHAT YOU WILL NEED)

This makes a full blender of drinks--

I think Donovan probably makes his with vodka, but I love dark rum so that's what I've always used

1/2 cup dark rum (I use Meyers)

1/2 cup Creme de cocao

1/2 cup banana liqueur 

1/2 cup Kahlua

1 cup half and half 

1 whole banana, peeled

ice

chocolate sauce

Place all ingredients in blender (except chocolate sauce) and blend.

Drizzle a little chocolate sauce in the bottom of the glass and pour your drink over it.

Dust off the Bob Marley: Legend CD (that's right, I said CD) and make some vacation memories with the people YOU love