Tragedy has struck me down. I lost one of my cats to a hit and run this past week. I was devastated. She was only two years old and just a sweetheart. And once again, my one true friend came to the rescue. She has helped me out in so many instances before. I had lost my 15 year old cat just last year and she volunteered a gravesite next to her own cats that she had lost. So once again, she called and said come on up.
I guess we could go into the pet cemetery business. But as we got along with the grisly task, I was crying my eyes out. I apologized to her and she said something that will stick with me for a long time. She said, “If you could bury one and not cry, then you didn’t deserve to have the pet in the first place.” I think that was very profound.
I have not lost one yet that I haven’t cried over and I guess as long as I have pets I will lose them eventually. I know it is a part of life, just like with friends and family but it is still hard. Momma Said, “Sensitive people just wear their hearts on their sleeve.” I guess that is me.
The garden is already starting to wind down and it is just too soon. It seems that time has sped up and I can’t seem to keep up. I feel like the little squirrel trying to get all stored up for the coming winter and it scares me a little. I am a sunshine lover and the winter is not something I look forward to. Momma Said, “I don’t like to be cold and it is such an inconvenience.”
My tomatoes are coming on nicely and I just had my first tomato bacon sandwich. I wait for that every year. I just have to be different, instead of the traditional BLT, I just have a BT because I don’t like the lettuce on my sandwich. I have another recipe to leave with you so you can use up some fresh tomatoes, or if you are not lucky enough to have a garden you can use canned tomatoes from the store. Enjoy.
TOMATO BASIL PASTA
Ingredients
- 12 ounces pasta (I used Linguine)
- 1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes with liquid (You can use fresh if you like as well, much tastier)
- 1 large sweet onion, cut in julienne strips
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
- 2 large sprigs basil, chopped
- 4 1/2 cups vegetable broth (regular broth and NOT low sodium)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Parmesan cheese for garnish
Directions
- Place pasta, tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, in a large stock pot. Pour in vegetable broth. Sprinkle on top the pepper flakes and oregano. Drizzle top with oil.
- Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and keep covered and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes or so. Cook until almost all liquid has evaporated – I left about an inch of liquid in the bottom of the pot – but you can reduce as desired.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper, stirring pasta several times to distribute the liquid in the bottom of the pot. Serve garnished with Parmesan cheese.