Tomato Haul to Tomato Pie

Our walk the other day started out like any other walk. We walk around the whole neighborhood community which consist of about two and a half miles round trip. We see and talk to neighbors we know and wave at the ones we do not know. Everyone around here seems friendly.

We were about halfway through our walk, when we heard a neighbor, that we have never met yell, "Hey do you guys eat tomatoes? We turned around and walked toward their yard. "Sure we do, we love tomatoes". That's when the young boy turned to his wife as she was unloading her car. She pulled out 25 lbs of red juicy tomatoes from Hillside Hydro Co. "Well, y'all can have these", he said. The neighbor also suggested that we can leave them there until we finish our walk and just come back with the car to pick them up later. Nick said, "Oh it's fine, we can carry them home. Thank you so much!"

So we took turns hauling a 25 lbs. box of tomatoes home. We were about a mile from the house.
Boy was that a workout!!!
I have to say the tomato haul was worth it.

We only had to throw out a couple bad ones that had been smashed. We gave away a few to my parents and a few to our next door neighbors. I think everyone had a tomato sandwich that night.

Of course we had to have a good ole tomato sandwich too. I also made a jar of Pico De Gayo. This is one of our favorite Mexican sides. Made with onions, tomato, cilantro and lime juice, It goes great with so many dishes.

I also made a Tomato Pie. I had reached out to my facebook friends for a good recipe. My best friend Anne was the first to respond with an easy recipe. I ran with it.

This was the first time making a tomato pie and it was delicious.
The recipe is originally from Bush-N-Vine Farms.

I made it according to the directions, but instead of dicing the tomatoes, I sliced them.

It was delicious and rich with flavor. I will be making this again for sure. It’s a great way to use up an overrun of tomatoes.
We still have a lot of tomatoes left, but the way we have been eating them, they will not last much longer.

Note: I may have had a few fried green tomatoes too. So yummy.

Rep Announcement

I'm proud to announce that I am now a PuraVida Bracelet Representative. If you follow me on Instagram, you have noticed a lot of post of me promoting these cute little bracelets.

One day I ordered one and later my sister gave me a little set of them. Before I knew it, I was hooked. Then, in no time, I got an email letting me know I have been approved as a rep.

This is perfect for me as I love the beachy vibe of each bracelet. I also enjoy taking photos and promoting brands I love. I may even make a tiny commission and receive free gifts with sales I make. It's all for fun. It feels good to promote something that has a story behind it. Something that helps make a difference in other lives.

PuraVida bracelets was founded in Costa Rica where two Southern California friends went on a college graduation trip. They met two struggling artisans making colorful string bracelets. The two friends wanted to help so they requested 400 bracelets to take home to with them. After putting the bracelets in a local boutique, they sold out in just a few days. This was a movement that celebrated the simple things in life. This is were the name came from. "Pura Vida" is Spanish for "Pure Life". You can read the whole story HERE.

One size fits most as they adjust from 6 to 11 inches around with a small slip knot.
Each bracelet has a waxy feel and is waterproof and sand proof.
Each purchase includes little drawstring dust bag and a set of their popular fun stickers.

By purchasing one of these bracelets you are creating jobs for artisans.
Puravida also gives to more than 175 charities around the world through purchases made.

If you would like to purchase one of these bracelets 

you can visit my special link to the site HERE and get 20% off 

or just go to Puravidabracelets.com and use code: LISADIMEO20. 

Air Fryer Fried Watermelon Rinds

It’s finally Summer! Nothing says Summer here in the South more than fresh juicy watermelon. OK...Maybe iced tea and cherry pie but we will just leave it at that.

I wasn't always a fan of watermelon until the past few years. I have adapted a love for this red sweet melon that is full of health benefits. You can read a lot of them HERE.

Did you know you can eat the entire parts of a watermelon? You can spit the seeds to see how far they go but that's your own game. You can even eat the watermelon rind.
Hold on...this is real.

I read where it was good deep fried, so I had to give it a try.

Word has it, that you can not make these in an air fryer, but I wanted to try it anyway.
Hey, whata ya know, it worked!
I'm sure the greasy deep fried way taste a lot better, but what I created in my air fryer was delicious all the same.

• After you cut up your watermelon, wash the rinds and cut into fries.
• Roll in flour/cornmeal mixture (equal amounts of each mixed together).
• Salt and pepper and place in air fryer (or recommended deep fryer).
• If using an air fryer, coat each side with cooking spray.
• Cook in air fryer 400 for 25 minutes (or until brown) flipping over every 5 minutes.
• Let cool for few minutes as the inside is extremely hot.
• Enjoy alone or with your favorite Ranch dressing or dip.

Oh boy was it good! Seriously!

What did it taste like?
Honestly, It did not taste like watermelon at all. It tasted like sweet fried squash! It was awesome and makes a delicious healthy side dish or TV snack without any guilt!.

Oh and did you know that watermelon rind is good for your sex life? 

EAT MORE WATERMELON!

Estate Sale Finds

Nick ventured out on his morning walk while I stayed in cleaning the house, dancing and singing all to myself! That's usually how I start my Saturdays.

While I was dusting, I got a text. It was Nick letting me know that there was an estate sale in the neighborhood if I want to check it out. He mentioned there was a couple small coffee makers that our daughter had requested wanting. She does not care if it is new or used, as long as it will make her a cup of coffee. Hers broke and she needed a replacement. She doesn't like the fancy ones with the timers. She just wants an off/on switch.

I threw on some decent clothes and headed up the road. Sure enough there was two nice little coffee makers waiting for a new home. I picked the better of the two and headed to the pay table.

This coffee maker costed me $2.00. After a good wash and sanitizing, it’s like new.

Before leaving, I noticed a table of old costume jewelry. I'm a sucker for old jewelry but rarely wear it. I found this set of clip on earrings and thought about my mom. She does not have pierced ears and likes small dainty clip-ons. I thought these were really pretty and looked like her.

I purchased these gold/rose clip on earrings for .75 cent and she liked them and actually had a necklace to match.

Oh but that's not all. I also kept eyeing an old coat pin. I could tell it was pretty old by the shape of the pin itself. It had five little hand painted wooden Russian nesting dolls hanging from it. I kept questioning myself if I really want it or not. That's when Nick walked up and told me to just go ahead and get it. It was different. So I did.

This little charm was only $1.00.

That's all I picked up this day. I usually like to go searching estate and yard sales for vintage tea towels. As summer approaches, there will be more sales spotted around the neighborhood.
You never know what kind of goodies I might find. 

Daddy Did You?

This is not deja vu. You may have read this one before. 

Today is Fathers Day.

I'm sitting here thinking about my dad. How great a dad he is and how glad I'm his daughter. Shamefully, I also think about some of the ways I acted out and treated him in my rebellious years. I'd undo a lot of things I said and did in my teenage years. I thank him for his patience. He loves us all unconditionally and I never doubted he did.

Me and my sister were going through old photos and she came across this one. 

Here is a picture of my dad in his 20's. Wow, he was so young. Isn't he good looking? 
(He has that Clarke Gable look dontcha think?)

I was not even a twinkle in his eye. 

He was young and handsome (still is handsome, but old). He has so much life ahead of him here in this photo.
I wonder if hes happy how it all turned out? Would he do it all over again?

As I look at this photo (which I hope he don't mind me sharing), I cant help but think what he thought his future would hold. Did he know or even wish to be a father some day?

I stared at the photo for a long time while wondering what was on his mind back in those days.

DADDY DID YOU?

Did you ever think 

you'd have four children?

Two boys two girls 

two with straight hair 

two with curls?

Did you ever wonder

of those four children?

Any idea at all?

Two would be lefties,

Two would be tall?

Did you imagine 

Where they would work?

What they would become?

They will all have homes

and a good income.

Did it cross your mind

the emotions they would cause?

Without even trying

make you laugh

or leave you crying?

God knew before you

that you would be a Dad.

I'm thankful for this plan.

You gave us guidance

and we took your hand.

            -Lisa~

Soon we will be heading off to church to honor the fathers and praise the main Father up above. 

Later the whole family will meet up for dinner at one of daddy's favorite pizza joints with the rest of the dads in the family and celebrate! The father job is hard and the good ones need to be praised.

Happy Fathers day!

Easy Tzatziki Sauce

One of my favorite sides when I visit a Greek restaurant is the Tzatziki Sauce they add to the Gyros or on the side as a dip. I'm not a big fan of Gyros but I love Greek pita bread dipped in this creamy  sauce.

Tzatziki sauce is a creamy cucumber sauce usually made with yogurt and added spices.

I have had this sauce from a local grocery store before but the taste just did not add up to the restaurant style so I went searching for a recipe. I found many different ones but they all seem to make too much of a batch. I just wanted a little bit for my dinner as it does not keep more that a couple days.

I took bits and pieces of other recipes and broke them down to smaller portions until I found the right ingredients for a small jar. And the fact I only had a small yogurt in the fridge. 

I think it turned out great.

With homemade Tzatziki sauce, the main instruction is to make sure that the cucumber and yogurt are drained well. You do not want watery sauce. Mine turned out watery but it did not take away from the delicious taste.

Easy Tzatziki Sauce

1- 5 oz. Plain Greek Yogurt.

1/2- Finely chopped Cucumber (remove the seeds)

1- Pressed Garlic Clove

1 Tbsp- Dill Weed

Juice of lemon a wedge

pinch of salt

Make sure to squeeze all the water out of the chopped cucumber.

You can mix by hand but I added it all to a food processor until creamy. 

refrigerate for an hour for best results. 

Enjoy. 

Tzatziki Sauce (or cucumber sauce) is great on salads, sandwiches or used as a dip for breads and veggies. I will be enjoying this at dinner tonight with my Felafel's 

Beach With a Chance of Rain

We enjoyed another long weekend at the beach. The forecast called for rain and storms everyday.
When we arrived on our campsite it was cloudy skies and misty rain.

I started as usual of hanging the close line, putting out the mats and chairs while Nick levels out the camper. Then I get the thumbs up to let out the slide.

Oops, the slide did not come out. We just looked at each other and rolled our eyes. If you have a camper, you know there is always a chance of something going wrong. Nick pulls out the tool bag and crawls underneath to investigate.

He took the slide motor off for a closer look. It seemed to be ok, so he put the motor back in place and the slide finally came out. We think the motor could be weak or just some debris was keeping it from turning. We have a new motor on hand just in case. I love that he thinks ahead like that and is always ready for the unexpected.

We did have rain every day but only in the afternoons. Each morning we woke up to sunshine and blue skies. Nick would go ahead of me on his walks then I would meet up with him after I tidyed up.

Then.....I always make a run for the ocean.

I found some really cool shells. I put them back after I snapped a photo. A couple of them still had hermit crabs inside so I let them live.

I'm really excited to have found a piece of drift wood along the coast. Driftwood is a rare find on these beaches. 

This is pretty much the view each afternoon. It was almost perfect. We did not let the clouds dampen our beach vibes. I love the cool storm breezes. We would sit and watch the black skies move in as long as we could. 

"Life is always better at the beach".

The pineapple bag pictured can be purchased at RiceLovebags. 

Click the link and get 20% off any items. 

Or use my coupon code: LILIDI_MEO at check out. 

Every purchase made helps feed a family. 

Sunday Lunch

The weather has been hot here in North Carolina and very sunny. It is just too pretty to stay inside especially on a nice Sunday afternoon.

After church, Nick and I decided we wanted just a sandwich for lunch. Unfortunately it was grocery shopping day so we were out of sandwich fixings. That's when we decided to go out for another adventure to find a little spot to sit down and have a lite bite.

We ventured out to a little town close by to try a place everyone raves about called the Table and Market. As we walked inside it took us back in time. This restaurant was structured using old materials recycled from the towns historic buildings.

The bricking and roof are all original structure of what used to be an old supermarket. The shelving are from the town library which was the first library in the Piedmont of North Carolina. The bar tops and wine racks were taken from a Parr Yarn Mill.

We found a spot to sit down on the outside patio. It was so peaceful as we observed our surroundings. Service was great and the food was delicious. Oh, and we did get a sandwich but it was not a small sandwich. 

I ordered the BBQ sandwich with a side of slaw and Nick had the Italian club with a side of tomato. It was delicious and the meat was fresh deli meat prepared right there in the restaurants deli. 

We will definitely go back to this one again. They had a good looking brunch menu I’d like to try. It’s just hard to eat “brunch”. I’m old school where it’s either breakfast or lunch. Nothing in between unless it’s a stale danish with a cup of coffee. 

Birthday Sandals

My 50th birthday has come and past. It was in May. I had a wonderful time and lots of cake. So far, 50 ain't that bad.

As a birthday gift, my husband wanted get me a pair of summer sandals but he didn't have any idea where to start so he just gave me some money to pick for myself. I was in limbo on what style I wanted.

I tried on hundreds of wedges and shopped every store in three different towns. No luck. I just could not make my mind up on a style or color and if I did find something I liked, they didn't feel good on my foot. The struggle is real. Am I right girls?

I had almost given up on getting a new pair of sandals. I mean, It's not like I don't already have seven pair. As we were walking through Belks department store, Nick pointed to a pair of cute little platform sandals . "I like these" he said. I walked over to take a closer look. I was not sure about the printed design since I'm such a plane Jane, but I did agree that they were rather cute, so I grabbed a 7.5 and tried them on.
Perfect! I like them. Though they have multi colored yellows and browns, they will still go with so many different outfits.

“Do you know, it’s hard taking a photo of your shoes yourself? The neighbors must have thought I was crazy as I struggled to keep a balance”.

I wore my new sandals to church Sunday with a dress I had bought a couple of years back from a cool store we used to have in town that carried several new boutique vintage style dresses cheep. I really miss that store. This skunkfunk brand dress is regularly $59.99. I got it for $3.50. What a deal!

Platform espadrille Sandals: Jelly Pop

Tribal Print Dress- SkunkPunk

Fruit Coasters

I haven't really be feeling up to par the past few weeks. My Menier's has been at about a level eight. It will literally just wipe me out. I fight it. I still go on my walks and keep doing my normal daily activities except drive. I do not trust myself behind the wheel during my episodes so I get my sweet husband to take me to work. There I struggle to get things done because my concentration level is berserk.
What is Menier's Disease? Check it out HERE.

I have a few Ambassador task to complete with a new company I have been playing with lately. I will share more on this one soon. I feel a little overwhelmed and need to do some thinking.
In the meantime I have done some relaxing and enjoying a little crocheting for my own good. It gives me time to clear my mind. I do a lot of thinking while I crochet.

I made these fruit coasters to add to my Etsy shop. Are they not just the cutest thing ever? They scream summer picnic to me.

They were fun to make and I plan to do other fruits later. My attention span is about that of a two year old. I get bored making the same things over and over so I move on to something else.

Once I shared these cute fruity rounds with my social media followers, someone reached out to me and asked if I could make some Kiwi coasters. "Sure", I said. That was actually in my next plan. I made them using the same pattern as the fruits but the details were just different.

They turned out cute and as soon as I posted them online, they sold. I wasn't even finished writing the description before I heard the "Cha Ching" chime in from the app alerting me that they had just been bought. It was from the lady that had asked me to make them.

HERE is the pattern I used for the coasters if you would like to make some for yourself . If you can't crochet and want a set, I still have the fruity ones listed. I plan to make some pineapple and pear ones soon.

Beauty and The Bee

Every day as we walk, we past a home where an old man and his wife passed away and left no one to care for their now abandoned house. It has been over a year.

We shake our head in disgust as we walk around this neglected yard that corners the street. We gripe, "I would have already called the city to get this cleaned up". or "What a mess! This is ridiculous and makes the neighborhood look bad". The complaining goes on every time. I guess you can say it at least gives us a conversation.

Rounding the corner and eyeing what once was a well kept yard full of roses and mixed flowers, we noticed some life in the mix of rubble. It was a bumble bee working diligently to gather pollen from an onion flower. I left my phone at home to charge so I asked my husband to be a photographer. He pulls his phone from his waistband and steps in to the snaky brush to get a closer aim. The complaining stopped and our conversation focused on the bee the rest of the way home.

I think God throws out little reminders for us to stop looking at the negative in things and focus on the beauty. The bee didn't care what his surroundings were, he just knew he had a job to finish and all he needed was in that place.

"The flower doesn't dream of the bee. It blossoms and the bee comes". 

                                                                                      ~Mark Nepo