The Blahs, and Grecian Baked Shrimp

It’s true, I’m suffering from the January Blahs.  Every year I think I will avoid it, and every year I fail.  January is just such a DOWNER!  I’m always worn out from the insane pace of life over the holidays, the working 12+ hour days 7 days a week for a month or more, the social engagements and holiday meals and family stuff and then . . . boom, it’s January and everything comes to a crashing halt.  And then since I’m not busy, I get all wrapped up in “starting fresh” and suddenly I’m obsessing about eating less and drinking less and exercising more and and and . . . phew.  That, and the usual January weather here in the Pacific Northwest (gray, drippy, and very few hours of daylight), and what do you know . . . The Blahs.  Am I alone in this?  Tell me I’m not alone.  *tap tap, is this thing on?*

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Tomatoes–the Last Blast

roma tomatoesDid you notice–it’s October, people!  October!  I can hardly believe it.  I might not even notice, if it weren’t for the slight chill in the air.  We’ve had unusually nice (i.e. dry) weather in Portland, temps around 70 this week and no rain to be seen.  Unheard of.  Where are the drenching downpours, the endless days of nothing but gray?  They are coming, I know they are.  But for now, cool, crisp, sunny Fall!

Thanks to the lack of downpours, my tomato plants have survived my neglect, and I was able to harvest another 30+ romas yesterday.  Yay, garden tomatoes!  So, a bit later than expected, but apparently on time with my local seasonal weather, here is my “last blast” tomato post, with two recipes for that bounty of gems you may have sitting on your kitchen countertop . . .

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Wilted Spinach Salad with Roasted Garbanzos and Tomatoes

wilted spinach salad

I clipped this recipe from our local newspaper’s food section a few years back–you know, back when we still got a paper newspaper.  At some point my husband stopped reading it, and I got tired of the stacks of paper recycling piling up, and so, no more paper delivery.  I get all my news online anyway–part of the trend that is slowly sinking newspaper companies across the country.  Sad, but true.  Every once in a while I do miss the paper-in-the-morning-with-a-cup-of-coffee thing, but really I only miss the food section–which only came once a week–and had started to go seriously downhill anyway.  Ahh, but I digress.  This post is about salad.  Quick, healthy salad, bursting with flavors.

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Pesto Topped Tomatoes

pesto topped tomatoesThese tomatoes are so gosh darn simple to make, I’m almost embarrassed to post it as a “recipe”.  Almost.  If they weren’t so outrageously good, on top of being easy, and absolutely the perfect thing for right now when the basil is overflowing and the tomatoes are just turning the perfect rosy red, just as August is dawning bright and bold . . . well, then I just wouldn’t bother you with this at all.

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