The Ant or the Grasshopper?

Excuses? I got a million of 'em.

First the grasshopper part: I've been out of town a lot this summer, to Wenatchee and Lake Chelan (pre-fire), then to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and most recently to Louisville, Kentucky, to explore the city and visit Maker's Mark.

Now for the ant: the garden was on (virtual) steroids this summer, producing pounds and pounds of tomatoes, requiring us to eat them fresh, give them away or roast and freeze. Then I got the chance to help my friend Linda home-can about 50 pounds of fresh albacore, which I'll be telling you about soon.

Last, but most certainly not least, last winter I got addicted to homemade tomato sauce made from astiana tomatoes I roasted and froze. Pulling out a bag guaranteed a blast of summer flavor on grey, rainy winter days. Which meant I had little choice but to do the same when they appeared at the Ayers Creek stand at the Hillsdale market this year. Seventy or so pounds of tomatoes later, I have about eighteen quarts of delicious roasted tomatoes just waiting to be used in sauces, stews and soups.

Which, seeing as I'm going to be around for the foreseeable future, you'll be able to read about right here. Cause I've run out of excuses.