#149 I'm Off on Vacation after a Splendid Deliverable of Oven Roasted Tomatoes

  
NOTE: It is almost the end of August and that means a slow transition towards cold weather. It's that time of the year when everyone is taking a break and traveling around and I am no exception. I am leaving for some fun and sun this week returning before Labor Day!  Since I will be a little slow in posting and responding to your comments I have lined up some wonderfully unique ideas and hope to post them as soon as I get back from vacation. BTW friends, I will highly recommend that you try this one out at home.  Be sure to share your expert opinions with me right here ... I will look forward to reading all of your experiences with my tomato recipe when I'm back!!   Since there is no 'good' in goodbye I will say       I'll be back!
But before I leave, I will share how things led me to roast these lovely tomatoes........
               

                      What do weight-loss plans and process improvement programs have in common?  Typically they start off well and progress fast but all too often fail to have a lasting impact as participants gradually lose
motivation and go back to old habits. The economy has steered us towards low resources and few Technical Writers,  but are'nt we all still required to come up with a quality control system called "process
improvement" designed to tackle mission critical system hiccups?

                    As the designated lead of one such project I had been studying the precise factors and developing a draft since the deadline was fast approaching. My endurance in writing was being tested and procrastination was slowly taking over. I've been telling myself that it's a team effort and being a Developer I must contribute much more than needed in today's situation so here I am translating Geek to English in the hope of polishing my 'Pulitzer'. Am I the only one who feels this way?

                                            Maybe I am just racing the clock and must find a way to slow down.....
Obviously, that is easier said than done--how can I  prevent myself from spiralling out of control getting grouchy, irritable and overwhelmed with too much work on my plate?

                                             So one evening this week, I left work to relax and recouperate. Sometimes things don't go our way and other times we do better than we knew we could.  At this moment in time, I must rejuvenate to get my rest & relaxation and when things are more favorable I will get back in full swing and get my deliverable out on time.

                                             Is it true that a weakness or imbalance reflects a person's vulnerability to ailments and the body's power to fight infection? Energy healing has a lot to do with how we perceive our being and the world around us. The choice is ours--relax and consume a healthy meal to bounce back right or get sick?  It really doesn't take me much effort to divert my attention to my health. There is nothing an hour of Pilates, meditation (or Chocolate Cake:)) cannot cure. An hour of Mind, Body and Soul Pilates loosened up the fatigue that was built up in my muscles. After Pilates, I had a deep desire to eat healthy vegetables for the much needed Vitamins and Minerals.

                                          How about tomatoes for dinner? Tomatoes do boast loads of Vitamin C and lycopene. A shower later, I am in my kitchen digging around my fridge for tomatoes- a vegetable I always stock up on. Last year I had lots and lots of ripe juicy tomatoes in my yard but at the moment that's not the case. This year I did not plant any vegetables except a small batch of red Indian spinach and Basil. Despite my tomato woes, I was lucky to have picked up fresh tomatoes on the vine from the Farmer's Market.  I tossed them together to roast in my oven with fresh Olive oil, garlic and cracked black pepper and dipped some crusty bread in it for a meal.

                                           I will just about do anything with ripe tomatoes. Awesome, sweet and fleshy fruit or vegetable(call it what you may) they caramelize and become even sweeter when roasted and are loaded with nutrition all because of a phytonutrient called lycopene with antioxidant properties. Restore energy with lycopene...that was my plan.  After dinner, I was all hyped up again! Above all, by the end of the week I handed in the deliverable and it was highly commended by my client!!

Yay ! What a week!!.....glad to know the weekend is here soon and I wish all of you have a relaxing one too! Oops! sorry just realized it is not the weekend yet. I just got excited putting away my laptop for a few days.

Ingredients:
Vine ripe Tomatoes with the vine- 2 lbs
Extra Virgin Olive Oil- 4 Tblspns
Fresh sprigs of Rosemary-2 sprigs about 8 inches long
Garlic cloves- 8 crushed and chopped fine.
Salt and pepper to taste
Day old crusty bread is a must

Directions:
1. Wash and dry the tomatoes that are still attached to the vine. Heat oven to 375 degress F.
Turn them over make a slit across them twice without cutting up the tomato. Do not remove stems.
2. Whisk together chopped rosemary, salt, pepper and garlic with the Olive oil.
3. Stuff the dressing into the slits and place gently on a baking pan.
4. Roast the tomatoes on both sides until the juices run out and
the skin is wrinkled and brown. Now, remove the stem and vines gently and serve.
5. The best part is dipping the crusty bread into the juice and the flesh of the tomato
and eating it warm.......Delicious!