Obsessed with 'maters

One of the good things about being single is finding yourself wide awake at 4 a.m. and being able to get up and start doing things without disturbing someone who most likely would enjoy sleeping a couple or few more hours (if I've mentioned this before, oops, but I do think about it often). So it was this morning. Of course, the CWIM is always ready for me to get out of bed as it signals meal time. Sometimes I insist on some personal ablutions first but keeping things simple often wins, which means feeding her and getting her face in a bowl, rather than butting my arms or feet.

And there they were on the counter, just as beautiful as yesterday, but a day older. What to do with tomatoes, especially when hunger won't hit for about 8 more hours? What's in the fridge? What's in the garden? Well, of course... tomato and feta salad! With snippets of garlic tops in place of scallions, a bit of finely chopped hot pepper, a few gloriously huge basil leaves, balsamic vinegar and olive oil (if you ever catch me typing EVOO - shoot me - but assume I mean extra virgin), salt and pepper. There could have been a cucumber added but I think I bought the worst cuke ever (1/2 a day and it went south, far far south, to the land of instant compost. Held very gingerly when tossed garden side - yick).

For some reason, Milka's gets feta in every once in awhile and it's cheap! One of life's mysteries. Usually I cut it into cubes and dump it in a jar of seasoned olive oil and vinegar, but I hadn't gotten around to that step yet. It doesn't matter because by the time I get around to eating this, at lunch or in the afternoon when I get home, it will be well marinated in the drizzle of vinegar and oil. Maybe I'll find a perfectly ripe avocado to add to it. Oh, it's good to have goals!



By the time I was done snipping and clipping and chopping and mixing, it was just breaking into pre-dawn, light enough to water the garden and to see if I could take some photos. I did and I could.

Basil looking fine

Mockingbird singing the day in

Bougainvillea bloom high in the genipa tree

Happy Monday!