Few things excite me more than a #tomato.
I don't get out much, but listen, a tomato has so much going for it! First, it's usually bright #red. That is a good color for me. It adds to the soberness of my almost all #black wardrobe, a wardrobe caused by #aging. How can aging have anything to do with what color you wear, you ask? A lot!
For instance, when you are #young, you tend to be more #fashion conscious. You try every new #fad and every new thing that comes along. You don’t care what color you wear, as you are young, fearless, and usually a lot thinner than you will be later in life. You want to stay in step with the #times. As for the tomato. It has a limited wardrobe of green and red, both suitable for any day of the week and any age demographic. No hassle as to what it is going to wear or who it might need to impress. It's either read or green. Take it or leave it.
Tomatoes are either fresh or they're not. No expectations. No worries. But you hit “that age” and suddenly #societies expectations tend to pigeonhole you into being more #conservative whether you are ready for it or not. "We"are expected to stop wearing those thigh-high #stilettos and short-shorts and be a bit more.....let's say....dull. Well, #nobody told ME! So, here I am at "that age" when “#somebody” explains that I should look at dresses a little bit longer than the ones hovering just below my you-hoo! Imagine MY surprise to not have even noticed that my extra belly fat had my polyester dresses creeping up my thighs like a theater curtain call.
After that little friendly #suggestion, (we are no longer sisters,) I realized there IS a societal “#norm” for aging #women. Dresses "should" fall below the knees so as not to show our knobby joints and bulging #veins. Hair "should" be cut short, colored blue, and #permed into ringlets Shirley Temple would envy. We "should" wear more black than normal, as it disguises the #fat growth that comes out of nowhere and lands on our hips without warning. Plus, our shoes "should" be confined to #Birkenstocks, or clogs worn by #Catholic nuns. In other words, we "should" take on the dullness of our #mothers. THAT is why color and aging go hand in hand. Yet, the tomato just ignores whatever anyone tells it and stays on the same course it has always been on. It remains steadfast in its confidence of self. (You know I make sense.)
The next thing about tomatoes is that they are #chameleons. They can be eaten straight from the #vine, fried, boiled, mashed, in soups, on salads, with cheese, syrups, garlic, etc. They can darn well be whatever they want to be. I like that thought. I enjoy the challenge of changing personalities when I am in various situations. I like the thought of being feminine when I dress up for a party or an organizational meeting and I like the idea of looking tough when I swing my boot clad size 8 1/2 foot over the seat of a rugged motorcycle, tie-on that Harley doo-rag and zoom down the backroads like I was riding beside Peter Fonda in Easy Rider. Tomatoes have the advantage of being involved in the variety of life and I like that!
Finally, I like the fact that a tomato is accepted by the #world in any form, size, color, or shape it comes in. #Think about it. Fried green tomatoes? Cherry tomatoes? #Big Bertha’s?
Seriously, if I had a choice to be anything, I think I’d be a tomato. Then people would love me for being #bright, colorful, round, #spicy, sweet, and soft. They might put me in a variety of jobs, blend me into a crowd, toss me into any situation, or squeeze extra work out of me, but they certainly wouldn’t ever call me dull again, like your mother. (My mother was VERY colorful and quite a character, so I had to use yours.)
Just writing this #blog today got me all wired up! I have decided that I’m digging those thigh-high boots out of the trash, running back to Wal-Mart to pick up some #hair extensions, and buying that (longer) bright red skirt I saw in #Belk’s window. I’ll show “somebody” that getting older does NOT mean I can’t be fashionable. I can be a tomato right now! So can you!
So, onward tomatoes!
As I finish up, I want to share a short yummy tomato recipe from a dear friend’s cookbook. We use it as a simple base and dip fresh #Italian bread in it or as a base for a homemade tomato soup. It's a keeper!
#PatFlorio, author of #CucinaAmelia is a friend of mine and a wonderful storyteller of her families Italian history. Pat shares rich stories, as well as her family’s fine Sicilian recipes in this gem of a book. You can buy the book on Amazon. You won’t be sorry! Then pop on over to https://www.Boomer2Go.com and sign up for the updates so you don't miss a story!
Sweet Marinara Sauce
Ingredients:
Small amount of chopped onion
1 lb. can of your favorite brand crushed tomatoes
4 leaves of fresh basil
1/3 T olive oil
Salt and Black pepper to taste
Crushed red pepper, if desired
1. Simmer onion in a medium sized saucepan (don’t brown)
2. Add blended or crushed tomatoes, add a little cold water to the residue left in the can, add to the sauce, salt and pepper to taste.
3. Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes to half an hour. If sauce bubbles, lower flame.
4. Add basil leaves and simmer another 15 minutes. Taste. Add the seasonings you desire.
There you have it! A simple tomato evolves into a wonderful dish! Now you see why I want to be a tomato!
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