Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to MARCH!!!! My header picture this month is a photo I took of the pretty Crocus blooms in our yard... The Crocuses and Daffodils are the first signs of spring here in Tennessee. I am definitely ready for SPRING...

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Lunch and Summer Blooms


Do you have a very favorite food for lunch???? I love all kinds of food (which is obvious by looking at me--ha)--but one of my summer favorites is an open-faced fresh, garden tomato sandwich... I put it on a piece of home-made sourdough bread and use some low-fat Duke's mayo....... Don't tell my doctor--but I do have to put a little salt on my tomato though....It's to die for!!!!!

I never liked tomatoes at all ---and still won't eat the crappy ones in the grocery stores or restaurants during winter... But--Grainger County, TN tomatoes are fabulous... We don't have a veggie garden here --so we have to find these fresh home-grown 'maters'.... Oh My Heart---they are just so good... I could eat them all day long!!!

What is one of your favorite summer lunch foods??????

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Here's a few more pictures of some of the flowers in our yard right now. Our Roses, Lilies, Daylilies, etc. are our favorites. BUT---we do have other blooms as well. Hope you enjoy some of them today.


FUCHSIA



BEGONIA (If you are ever looking for some color during the hot summer, get some Begonias. They need NO care --and can thrive through a long, hot summer.)



IMPATIENS (I have two pots of Impatiens --which I have kept year-round for awhile. I take them indoors during the winter --but they love being outside in Summer (in partial shade).



VERBENA



SEMPERVIVUM Bloom (Chicks and Hens)

It has been a horribly hot, muggy and dry summer here on the Cumberland Plateau. We did get 1/2 inch of rain on Sunday afternoon ---but yesterday, the rain just went all around us and headed east... We had to water all of the Roses and the plants in pots. Our rain dances aren't working here.. Can you do a rain dance for us --while thinking about your favorite lunch????? Thanks!!!!

Have a great day!
Hugs,

58 comments:

diane b said...

Tomatoes are hard to beat for a summer lunch. I enjoy a Greek Sala too. At the moment hot sweet corn on the cob and a bowl of soup are my favourite winter lunches. I love the colour of the fuchsias. I haven't been able to grow them here. I'm too tired to do a rain dance even though we could do with some too. I have a 3 week contract at school and I get tired by the end of the day. One week to go.

penny said...

It does look scrumptious, Betsy. I enjoy a really good tomato sandwich. My hubby planted a cherry tomato plant for salads and it grew to be enormous, we had little matters coming out of our ears.
Lovely flowers, be well be happy ;)

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

This is unthink of, but is true. My Dad's always liked his food bland because he followeds all those doctors who say do not eat too much salt. Same as my aunt. Later in life, they were both diagnosed with insufficient salt. My Dad had to drink concentrated brine which was awful.

Now, when my husband complains my food is too salty, I tell him, we need some salt.

You have a very healthy tomato lunch.

Tabor said...

We are swimming in tomatoes and my favorites are BLTs and Caprese salad! Both of which we have twice this week. Your flowers are wonderful. Must make you so happy.

Valerie said...

LOVE cut up fresh garden tomatoes and cukes with vinegar salt and pepper. Something my dad got us started on as kids - when we used to have a summer garden.

Oh how I miss growing my own tomatoes!

But these terrible black walnut trees around us wont allow anything to grow (vegetable wise) around them.

I saw someone nearby growing tomato plants in 5 gallon buckets. I may try that next year.

Nothing like fresh tomatoes! I am thankful lots of folks around here grow extras to sell!!

Jane said...

Ah! You beat me to the tomato sandwhich post! Looks good. We have had a bunch of rain, but its so hot that it does little good to green up the grass and plants. Here's hoping for cooler days soon!

Jane

A Brit in Tennessee said...

Isn't it pecular how the rain comes a gulley-washer not too far down the road from you, and yet nary a drop around your place !
We have been getting thunderstorm rains almost every evening, it helps.
I'll do the rain dance once again and hope it makes it to the Plateau.
Homegrown tomato sandwiches, I could eat them until they run out of my ears :)

Anonymous said...

When I saw the FUCHSIA I wondered if you any hummers come to visit it?

Small City Scenes said...

I guess nothing can beat a fresh Tomato. This is the first year I haven't grown any and now I am missing them. Although it is a bit early for local tomatoes here. I get a CSA box from a local organic farmer every Friday. Just like fruit and veggie christmas. Yum!!
As always your flowers are gorgeous. MB

Peggy said...

Nothing beats a good ole mater sandwich!!! Wish we lived closer and I would keep you supplied in fresh tomatoes. I see the rain going so close by us I could almost touch it everyday. My rain dance doesn't work either. LOL

linda m said...

your summer lunch is also one of my favorites. In fact had a tomato sandwich yesterday. I have 2 tomato plants - one medium size and one cherry size. Can't beat a fresh tomato.

Susan Tidwell said...

Wow, that tomato looks so good! You always have the most colorful posts. Have a great day!

Dar said...

We share the same 'favorite' lunch. There is nothing finer for the tastebuds. And I agree about the store ones, unless they are vine ripened, but those still do not beat the flavor of our own home-grown. I have to also have a sprinkle of coarse pepper on mine. I've been known to even have one for breakfast. Thanks for tantalizing my tastebuds.
BlessYourDay

Mary said...

It's hard to beat homegrown tomatoes. We've been buying them at the farmer's market. Mike has a couple plants growing, but he started them rather late. That fushia is very pretty!

Sunny said...

I almost took a bite out of my monitor!
I love tomato sandwiches with a thin slice of vidalia onion, a touch of salt and pepper and a smear of mayo. Followed by a slice of watermelon. Yummy!
It's hot and humid here, we've been getting some storms late in the day.
☼ Sunny

Arkansas Patti said...

Don't really have a favorite but that is close.
As great a gardener as George is, he should try veggie gardening. Nothing tastes as good a really fresh picked groceries.

Anonymous said...

Tomato sandwiches are the best in summertime! We'll keep on rain dancing!

Thistlebrooms said...

Add a little fresh Basil and Gorgonzola Cheese and you have a favorite of mine!!!

The freshest flavors in the summer that we Dream of in the winter months.

Your flowers seem to be loving where they are...Were finally getting some well deserved rain, only in short spurts though. Things are definitely Drying up here...

My Best~Marilyn

NCmountainwoman said...

Oh, definitely a tomato sandwich. I like mine just like yours but I add some fresh basil leaves. Yum.

Cicero Sings said...

Fresh from the garden tomato sandwiches are hard to beat! Can't say as I have a favourite lunch. A staple lunch may be beans on toast topped with cheese and lettuce.

Roses and Lilacs said...

Hi Betsy. Our weather is the same here. Temps hovering at 90 and the rain just keeps going around us. Very bad!

I wait all year for fresh, home grown tomatoes. Won't eat those nasty things from the store. I love BLT's or tomatoes stuffed with tuna salad or chicken salad. Or just cut up with any other food.
Marnie

Busy Bee Suz said...

There are so many foods that I like..but last week I made a fabulous chicken salad with walnuts, grapes and oranges. YUMMY.
Love your summer colors.

Tipper said...

A tomato sandwich-fresh from the garden-is hard to beat for a summer time lunch.

We need rain here too-like you-it goes all around us!

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

Hi Betsy!

I'm not a big fan of tomatoes but I sure like a cucumber and red onion salad with lots of red wine vineager and a little salt and black pepper in the summer.

MadSnapper said...

in the flower contest, fushia and semp are tied for first place.
in food? mater sandwich wins every time. i have had a mater sandwich for lunch twice in the past 6 days. i could eat one every day. I use real mayo on mine. and salt.
I also love peanut butter and mater sandwich.

Chris said...

Oh! Betsy, would you like to trade one of your yummy tomato sandwitches for a day of pouring rain? If so contact me. It's been pouring down all day here and only13 degrees. Oh well this is Scotland after all. Your flowers have cheered me up, thank you so much.

Jen said...

I love a good chicken salad sandwich! Hard to come by.
They are dong the monsoon rain dance in Tucson; it is Very dry there. But lots of rain here today in KY along with the dreaded humidity. Ho Hum...

Together We Save said...

Your tomatoes look yummy!!

Reanaclaire said...

Lovely..they look so real that i feel like plucking them out.. lol..

Snap said...

BLT!!!!!! Your blooms are gorgeous...

ox

DayPhoto said...

Tomato sandwiches are my favorite...followed by corn on the cob!

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/

Ruth's Photo Blog said...

OK,now that I am good and hungry for a Tomato sandwich,I have to do a rain dance for you… :) I think on this post I would have to choose as my favorite,the tomato sandwich.Yummy.
BLessings,Ruth

Anonymous said...

My favorite summer lunch is fried chicken fingers. Hardees has good ones. I enjoy Fuscias and Begonias. I just planted a flat of Begonias and of impatiens. The Fuscias are very tender plants. We had all in CA where they grow very well. Thanks for the tomato tip. Yes, we are all doing that "Rain dance"!

amelia said...

I love tomatoes too but french fries are my favourite, breakfast lunch and dinner but I try to keep it under control!!! :)

Thoughtfully Blended Hearts said...

Wishin for a 'mater sandwich while doing a raindance here...:-)

Becca's Dirt said...

Can you see me dancing. tap tap tap. Well I am dancing and it ain't gonna help here either. With temps this hot the gardens need watering almost daily. I just finished eating a BLT. I love a blt sandwich. I am not suppose to be eating the seeds from the tomatos but I did anyhow and hope I don't get ill. Beautiful blooms. I love begonias for that very reason. They are a no fuss plant and keep giving all summer long even if they get neglected.

Stephanie Suzanne Designs said...

Hi Betsy,

Yes, I'm coming up for some air. :0) Odds and ends sewing and decorating stuff on the main but we still have to put down a hearth in the great room for the woodstove..get the guy to order all the pipe for connection, etc.

Downstairs is next but it's really not that bad as far as being cluttered with stuff...the winterizing is the big job.

We have the Grainger Cty tomatoes over here too...there are a few farmer's markets that have good stuff. We hope to do a bit of container gardening this fall and start next year with a summer harvest.

I love your flowers...especially the fuchsia.

Thanks for visiting with me!
Stephanie ♥

LV said...

Wish I had one of those tomatoes. I love them anyway I can get them. It is hard to find any really good tasting produce anymore. Certainly not like we used to raise ourselves. Love the flowers.

Neal said...

Now you've gone and done it....made me hungry for fresh tomatoes. :)

Pedaling said...

mmmm,,,I'm with you,
nothin' like a home grown fresh tomato sandwich.
So healthy, even with a little salt on top!

Big Dude said...

It's just hard to beat a good mater sandwich

Mari said...

My parents always grew tomatoes and they were the BEST ever. I love homegrown, and not the ones in the stores. There is NO comparison in taste. That sandwich looks awesome.

nanny said...

We have really enjoyed our tomatoes this year (course we enjoy them every year)ha
You should plant some in a big pot....celebrity tomato plants do very good in a pot of miracle grow.. they have produced lots and lots of great ones this year! I've tried other kinds and they just don't do well in flower pots....
Give it a try next year! Salt, pepper, yum, yum.
My favorite sandwich is BLT, esp. with fresh tomatoes!!!(and lots of mayo)

Sey said...

Most of the people here eat Rice for lunch and dinner. That is the staple food in our country and we eat bread for breakfast and snack time only. But we can pair tomato with other yummy dishes, however when it's summer and the weather is hot, all that is appealing to me is a cold water.

btw....don't worry I won't tell the doctor you used salt on your mayo...! ha-ha-ha.

Take care and God bless you!!!

Carletta said...

I wish you were here Betsy because I'd share some of my garden tomatoes with you. Your sandwich looks delicious. I'd add a little lettuce and bacon - that's my favorites.
Your fushia (I always think they look like little dancers) is beautiful!
We've had a good bit of rain. As a matter of fact Hubby has had a hard time getting the lawn mowed. Wish I could send you rain too. :)
Have a wonderful evening!

Ginny Hartzler said...

My favorite picture today is the fushcia. You always have such yummy and eye candy pictures, like reading a high class magazine!! I won't eat raw tomaotes. I guess that's because of what George Carlin said. The inside looks like an unformed, gelatinous mass! But I like them cooked! I must say that the sandwich looks delicious, though! Phil MUST salt his, and not only that, he has to have the salt shaker by the plate and salt each bite. This is so he can taste the grains of salt before they dissolve!!! The only ones in the grocery store that are real good are the hot house, or greenhouse tomatoes. They are wonderful, but pricy. Have you ever tried them?

Diane said...

Well, now you hit the nail on the head! Tomatoes, I LOVE tomatoes! And these look really good, rich, meaty and tart. That sounds like a meal fit for a king (or in your case queen!) Diane

JDS said...

Gotta love tomatoes. We planted our own vine this year and our 5-year-old loves eating what it churns out. Thank you for leaving a comment abut the waterfalls post on my travel blog. I am in the process of working my way to your waterfall posts, but first I have to say that is a really nice picture of the sempervivum - I think the way the petals are blurred in the background adds something to it.

Teresa @ Grammy Girlfriend said...

Stunningly beautiful and I do not even like tomatoes...but I love your pictures

Pat Tillett said...

I love tomatoes.
I also love your photos!

The Quintessential Magpie said...

Let's see, Betsy. I love chicken salad. That's one of my favorite summer foods along with fruit salad with fresh fruit, never canned.

A good tomato sandwich is divine, and that one looks GREAT!

XO,

Sheila :-)

Glenda said...

You just can't beat a tomato sandwich in the summertime!! And your homemade bread must have made it even tastier!

Even in the heat, your flowers are so beautiful!

carolina nana said...

Fresh tomato sandwiches are one of my favorite foods also. Our tomatoes are late this year because we've had so little rain.We got about an inch last Saturday and none since,like you it has been all around us but not a drop here,oh well.
Blessings to you ,have a wonderful Friday.
Marilyn

SquirrelQueen said...

Yum, there is nothing better than a fresh tomato. I love them on sandwiches but in a salad is my usual choice.

Your flowers are beautiful Betsy. I would do a rain dance for you but I don't think they are working since we need rain too.

Janie said...

I'll rain dance for both of us. We could use some, too.
The tomato sandwich looks tasty. My favorite is a PB&J on the trail!

Rose said...

We keep getting rain...however, it rained early yesterday and continued to look like rain, so I dried my clothes in the dryer. Wouldn't you know it did not rain another drop all day long?

I love BLT's in the summer when I have my own tomatoes to put on them...we also like to chunk up a tomato and put salad dressing over it...I usually choose Italian for that while Roger chooses Thousand Island dressing.

Rose said...

Oh, I forgot my favorite....I love to cut up all the vegies: tomatoes, cucumbers, cauliflower, bell pepper, onions plus anything else that you might like, and soak them in Italian dressing...it is really tangy but so refreshing. I will fix a big bowl of that and it will be gone before you know it.

Julie said...

If you haven't tried this Betsy, you MUST! Toast your bread, and make a fresh tomato sandwich using some butter on your toast, and salt and pepper on the tomatos and that's all. Sooooo good!!!!!