Toss or Be Tossed

Just a few photos from life as of late. Although, I have to admit, these are highly selective - other life stuff tossed us around earlier in the week. There's the way I handle stress and the way I would like to handle stress. Grrrrr. Any increments in between make me hopeful for future challenges. Chocolate seems to help sustain those small moments of clarity, too. But all is well and I (literally) now know that I have my health.

Too tired to really cook dinner last night, I knew I could at least chop some vegetables and roast them (top photo). The butternut squash went with pasta, the beets will become a salad and the okra. Gah! Well, the okra never made it to a plate - I snacked on it all while cleaning the kitchen. Yes - it was that good. I just tossed everything with olive oil, salt and pepper. 400 degrees for 35 minutes.

The Heritage Harvest Festival at Monticello (middle photos). Tomato tastings and TJ's vegetable garden. My trusty, adorable and curious side-kick, Willa, and I went last Saturday. I am writing more about it over at Virginia Living Magazine.

Our tomato patch seems to like September as much as I do. The bottom photo is of Cherokee Purples. The Sungolds are going gangbusters with a second harvest, too.

P.S. A comfort meal for the tired soul - Alisa's Basil BLT. With a basil-mayonnaise. My husband hates bread (one of life's great mysteries) and mayonnaise (more understandable) and loved this sammich.