We walked through the garden together and decided to split up the tasks. I stayed outside to finish trimming the plants while Mary made a delicious tomato pie inside. We had an abundance of tomatoes, so making a pie seemed like the perfect way to use them up.
As we walked and talked, I thanked Elvis for his words, “Take my hand, take my whole life too. For I can’t help falling in love with you.”
While outside, I was introduced to another barnyard animal, Mr. Lizzard! He was hiding in plain sight, awaiting a bug to make its first and last move.
“Hurry up, bug, I am hungry!”
Inside, Mary was making the fixings for a tomato pie! The tomatoes are blanched, and the skin is removed. The fresh basil is washed and cut into tiny strips. A 1903 article in the New York Tribune on the food of Italian-Americans described an early version of tomato pie.
We are getting everything ready!
We watched a movie called “Cry Macho” with Clint Eastwood. The book, “Cry Macho” stars Clint Eastwood as a one-time rodeo star and washed-up horse breeder who, in 1978, takes a job from an ex-boss to bring the man’s young son home and away from his alcoholic mom.
Mary preps the onions and basil, and then the layering begins. We have a 50″ roll-around TV in the kitchen area, but we also have a little 30″ TV on the counter/island that we use when preparing meals. We are finishing off the last season of Virgin River which just came out.
It’s a romantic drama built around a young woman seeking a fresh start! She is a nurse practitioner who moves from Los Angeles to a remote Northern California town and is surprised by what — and who — she finds.
Mel, Jack, Preacher, and the rest of the gang will return in a sixth season to premiere on Netflix.
She was chopping and dicing the pie pilling!
The pie is layered with ingredients. Mary is creative and substitutes ingredients often. One layer of tomatoes, onions, and basil followed by two more layers of the same. Then, it is topped with crisp turkey bacon and a cheese final topping.
Everything is fresh from our garden!
Next, we cover the pie with aluminum foil. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and bake the pie for 30 minutes. Once 30 minutes have elapsed, remove the foil and bake the pie for another fifteen minutes to ensure the cheese is melted and turns golden brown!
To the oven, 375 for an hour!
The result of the effort was a magnificent pie! It can be served hot or cold and is quite amazing.
Out of this world, delicious!!!
At 12:15 p.m., we took showers to freshen up and prepare for Remi’s birthday party. Our great-grandson is turning six years old! We ran into some old friends, and although Mary knew their faces, she struggled to recall their names. Robin kindly assisted us as she remembered everyone. She is my “Donna” (from Suits).
It’s hard to believe he will be six!
There were several people present, and we caught up with old friends. Mary has met everyone now, and we had a delightful conversation with Peanut’s best friend.
After a tiring day, we decided to head back home and relax in the hot tub. The water temperature was 90 degrees, which made it easy to get out of the water. However, it was even warmer outside at 93 degrees, and the sky looked ominous as if it might rain any moment. Despite the possibility of rain, we had a calming evening in the hot tub.
The weather was quite warm, and the humidity was high.
It looked as if it could rain any moment!
We got out of the hot tub and didn’t have to wrap up; it was still in the upper 80s at sunset.
After three cycles of the pump, which lasted for about 45 minutes, my partner in crime and I enjoyed a glass of wine while soaking in the tub. We discussed our upcoming vacation plans, including three cruises (California Coast, Panama Canal, and South America): a trip to Hawaii, a visit to Bar Harbor, Maine, to see Colleen and a journey to Ireland and England!
I told Mary, “Grow old along with me; the best is yet to be!”
Guess who?
Every day, I’m convinced that I can’t possibly love Mary more… and I’m proven wrong every day.
After coming inside, Mary prepared an artichoke and checked on the crockpot dinner that we plan to send over to Dianne and David tomorrow. The aroma of the simmering dinner filled the house. Later at night, I woke up at 2:00 am and gave it a stir before returning to bed. I had to resist the temptation of stopping and grabbing a bowl of this amazing dish!
