ENTRY #SEVENTY-ONE

Here's a picture of Princess watching the birds.

Good Morning,

Princess enjoys sitting at the window and watching the Gold Finches as I type. The weather has been nice here today at two PM the tempeature is 83, and that feels good.


Dear Ray,
Some people revel in the heat while others just wilt. Until recently, I was a wilter. That was because I didn't drink enough liquids. However, with Ken's help, that's changed. He is a master refreshment-maker and neighbor. Now I'm greeting the arrival of August with a whole new, happier perspective. Don't be a wilter -- discover how great liquid refreshment can be with these recipes and ideas.
Smoothies are great year-round but their cheerful color and, often, tropical flavorings make them perfect for summer.
Here are great tips and recipes for creating the tastiest cool special summer drinks.
Fruit juices and coolers are the perfect antidote to the wilting summer heat.
Ice cream drinks are a perennial favorite of young and old.
If you need a basic beverage guide with lots of handy tips, information, and recipes, then you've found it.
Until next week, happy cooking!
Wendy Kalen Senior Food Editor, BHG.com

P.S. Enjoy this newsletter? Forward it to a friend.

The links below will take you to my other journal and my three web pages. DAD.

Dad's Tomato Garden Journal
Dad's Tomato Garden Web Page
Dad's Song Bird and Rose Garden Web Page
Dad's Fried Green Tomatoes Web Page

ENTRY # SEVENTY

Freezing tomatoes for soup and chili

Good Morning,

It's going to be hot today, be very careful don't get to hot.
The picture above is of tomatoes that we are freezing for the chili , soups and beef stew that we will be useing this winter. It is very easy to do. We use quart freezer bags, skin the tomatoes, cook then just a few minuets and then they go to the freezer. It's fun to do, try it. DAD.


Dear Ray,I had a great time with my family at an amusement park last weekend. It was particularly fun for me to see the foods offered. There were corn dogs, pizza, tacos, lemon ice, gyros, barbecued pork, frozen custard, and a pickle-on-a-stick. So raise your milk shake and join me in a salute to the fun summer foods everyone loves.
Here's everything you wanted to know about pizza.
After moving to Iowa we were introduced to corn dogs and I've yet to meet a kid who didn't love them. Try this recipe.
You're sure to find an ice cream or frozen treat here that's just right. And if you've never tried frozen custard, it's a must.
See how easy it is to use your grill to make your own smoked foods.
Finally, explore a wide variety of recipes using tortillas.
Until next week, happy cooking!Wendy KalenSenior Food Editor, BHG.com
P.S. Enjoy this newsletter? Forward it to a friend.

ENTRY # SIXTY-NINE

Princess, one of your Tennessee friends

Good Morning,

Most of you have met Princess, but if you havent here she is. She is supposed to be smiling but Mary woke her up from one of her naps, to take this picture and you know how that is. I would be angry too. She loves Fancy Feast and we always keep her a good supply.

http://journals.aol.com/white6416r/DadsTomatoGardenJournal/

Tomato Tasting.

"Invite guests over to try several tomato varieties.
Poor tomatoes; they often get a bum rap. They're not as hip as hot peppers. But you need not think of tomatoes as barely red disks that sit upon the limp lettuce of a fast-food burger. Nor as bland as the versions found in grocery stores. Tomatoes are so tasty and juicy when they're picked fresh that they can be as sweet as candy or as tangy as a tangerine. With over 3,000 varieties, there are plenty to try. SMILE.
Here's how you can put together a tomato-tasting fiesta that will leave even your tomato-leery friends saying, "Wow!"On a perfect summer day, put up a table and pull out some chairs in the shade. Choose 12 varieties of tomato, featuring guaranteed conversation-starting names such as 'Hillbilly,' 'Bull's Heart,' 'Stump of the World,' Pruden's Purple,' 'Hugh's,' 'Plum Lemon,' and 'Banana.'Slice the tomatoes into wedges and label each variety. Put out some chilled beverages and invite your friends over to sample tomatoes, recipes, and fresh bread. Good way to make new friends."

"Cheers to Tomatoes"-from Outodoor Central, Ladies Home Journal-LHJ.com-Source-BHG

Bye Bye DAD

ENTRY #SIXTY-EIGHT

Tomatoes are still ripening.


Good Morning,
No need to wait for tomatoes to ripen: There's plenty to do with green ones.
Below are two unusual green tomato recipes.

Baked Green Tomatoes

¾ cup coarse buttery cracker crumbs
4 large firm green tomatoes
Salt and pepper
½ cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter

Cut green tomatoes in ½-inch slices; arrange green tomato slices in a greased baking dish. Season sliced green tomatoes with salt and pepper and spread each with about ½ tablespoon brown sugar.Cover sliced green tomatoes with crumbs and dot with butter. Bake at 350 degrees until green tomatoes tender but still firm, or about 25-30 minutes. Serves from four to six.

Green Tomatoes with Goat Cheese

Here's an elegant side dish that puts all those extra green tomatoes you have to use, according to Cheri Sicard on the Internet's Practical Kitchen material. This recipe serves 4.
4 medium green tomatoes
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano leaves
1 cup crumbled goat cheese
4 teaspoons olive oil
Salt and coarsely ground fresh black pepper

Cut tomatoes into ½-inch thick slices. Coat a shallow baking dish with cooking oil. Place tomato slices in a single, overlapping layer in the bottom of the baking dish.Sprinkle tomatoes with vinegar and scatter minced oregano over tomato slices. Top with crumbled goat cheese and drizzle with olive oil.Broil 5-8 inches below a preheated broiler and broil until tomatoes are hot and cheese is just starting to brown, about 7-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

I would like to give credit for the two recipes and other information above to The Tennessean, a real good newspaper published in Nashville TN, and Mr. Bob Battle who writes a extra good column for the paper. A few days ago he was telling us so many things about Tomatoes, that made me smile. A little later I will tell you a little more, and we'll have some more pictures soon.

Bye Bye DAD

ENTRY # SIXTY-EIGHT

Tomatoes are still ripening.

Good Morning,

No need to wait for tomatoes to ripen: There's plenty to do with green ones

Below are two unusal green tomato recipes.



Baked Green Tomatoes

¾ cup coarse buttery cracker crumbs
4 large firm green tomatoes
Salt and pepper
½ cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter

Cut green tomatoes in ½-inch slices; arrange green tomato slices in a greased baking dish. Season sliced green tomatoes with salt and pepper and spread each with about ½ tablespoon brown sugar.Cover sliced green tomatoes with crumbs and dot with butter. Bake at 350 degrees until green tomatoes tender but still firm, or about 25-30 minutes. Serves from four to six.


Green tomatoes with goat cheese.

Here's an elegant side dish that puts all those extra green tomatoes you have to use, according to Cheri Sicard on the Internet's Practical Kitchen material. This recipe serves 4.

4 medium green tomatoes
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano leaves
1 cup crumbled goat cheese
4 teaspoons olive oil
Salt and coarsely ground fresh black pepper
Cut tomatoes into ½-inch thick slices. Coat a shallow baking dish with cooking oil. Place tomato slices in a single, overlapping layer in the bottom of the baking dish.
Sprinkle tomatoes with vinegar and scatter minced oregano over tomato slices. Top with crumbled goat cheese and drizzle with olive oil.
Broil 5-8 inches below a preheated broiler and broil until tomatoes are hot and cheese is just starting to brown, about 7-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

I would like to give credit for the two recipes and other information above to The Tennessean, a real good newspaper published in Nashville TN, and Mr.Bob Battle who writes a extra good column for the paper. A few days ago he was telling us so many things about Tomatoes, that made me smile. A little later I will tell you a little more. Below is the link to The Tennessean. Look it over.

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage

ENTRY #SIXTY SEVEN

Look what I had on my table for dinner tonight! These are Better Boy Tomatoes. Smile




If I Had my Child To Raise Over Again

If I had my child to raise all over again,
I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.

I'd finger paint more, and point the finger less.
I would do less correcting and more connecting.

I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I would care to know less and know to care more.

I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.

I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars,
I'd do more hugging and less tugging.

I'd see the oak tree in the acorn more often,
I would be firm less often, and affirm much more.

I'd model less about the love of power,
And more about the power of love.

--Diane Loomans

http://journals.aol.com/white6416r/DadsTomatoGardenJournal/

ENTRY # SIXTY SIX

You can see by this photo that the tomatoes are beginning to ripen.



Good Afternoon,
Our tomatoes are begining to ripen, and we are glad. We will be showing you more pictures on this journal and also on Dad's Tomato Garden Journal.


This link below will take you there.

http://journals.aol.com/white6416r/DadsTomatoGardenJournal/

ENTRY # SIXTY FIVE

Good Morning.

Here is my thought for today, thanks for taking the trouble to come here to see it. DAD.

A good friend of mine sent this to me and I want to share it with you,he did not want me to give him credit for this as it was forwarded to him and he does not know who wrote it, but I am going to give him credit anyway......Thanks Boyd.

THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD.

A group of students were asked to list what they thought were the present "Seven Wonders of the World." Though there were some disagreements, the following received the most votes:

1. Egypt's Great Pyramids

2. Taj Mahal

3. Grand Canyon

4. Panama Canal

5. Empire State Building

6. St. Peter's Basilica

7. China's Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student had not finished her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list.

The girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many."

The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help."

The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the 'Seven Wonders of the World' are:

1. to see

2. to hear

3. to touch

4. to taste

5. to feel

6. to laugh

7. and to love."

The room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. The things we overlook as simple and ordinary and that we take for granted are truly wondrous!

A gentle reminder - that the most precious things in life cannot be built by hand or bought by man.

"Each day comes bearing it's own gifts. Untie the Ribbons".

I think that this a good thought for me.

DAD.

ENTRY # SIXTY FOUR

Good Evening,

Here is a little poem that I like very much.

Take Home A Smile
Edgar Guest



Take home a smile; forget the petty care
The dull, grim grind of all the day's affairs;
The day is done, come be yourself awhile:
To-night, to those who wait, take home a smile.
Take home a smile; don't scatter grief and gloom
Where laughter and light hearts should always
bloom;
What though you've traveled many a dusty mile,
Footsore and weary, still take home a smile.
Take home a smile -- it is not much to do,
But much it means to them who wait for you;
You can be brave for such a little while;
The day of doubt is done -- take home a smile


http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/horticulture/nf43.htm

Some have ask about end rot in tomatoes, here above is a link that might answer your questions. Dad.

ENTRY # SIXTY THREE

Good Afternoon,

This has been a warm day in the Tennessee Valley. At 5:40 PM the temperature is 83. We have partly cloudy skies and have had light rain off and on today.
Our tomato garden is looking good and we gathered our first ripe tomatoes of the season today, these plants were put in the ground on April the 15th 2005. Seeing those good home grown tomatoes makes me smile.

If you would like to see some of these plant showing their progress click on the link below.

http://journals.aol.com/white6416r/DadsTomatoGardenJournal/


My e-mail address is- white6416r@aol.com. Let me hear from you.

DAD.

ENTRY # SIXTY TWO

Good Afternoon,

We have been showing some pictures of our tomato garden on "Dad's Tomato Garden Journal". The tomatoes are beginning to ripen so we will begin showing the red ripe tomatoes right away. If you would like to view some of the comparison pictures of the tomatoes while they were growing click link below. You will see different stages of their growth. I will be happy to try and answer any questions you might have about growing tomatoes. Contact me either by e-mail or comments.
DAD

http://journals.aol.com/white6416r/DadsTomatoGardenJournal/