Eye spy with my little eye Ontario Tomatoes and Strawberries! This is the best time of the year for such things. Lovely to taste and behold. Sigh…as a visual person I am constantly on the lookout for eye porn 😉 This leads me to a topic so important that I feel compelled to share. Over the years I have neglected my eyes, taking their health for granted. Near-sighted with a marginal need for glasses while driving, I let eye appointments lapse, assuming this was a cost I could afford to put on the back burner.
This year all of that changed. The optometrist performed an eye pressure test, you know the one with the puff of air? The results determined mine was elevated, which can be an indicator of the onset of glaucoma. With a history of eye issues in my family, this hit like a ton of bricks. The doctor recommended having digital retinal imaging to provide a baseline to make sure there was no deterioration of the optic nerve.
Preserving my eyesight is the goal. He said had I waited years to come in, they would not have had the opportunity to get a baseline and it would be difficult to pinpoint the progression of any damage. So, while this was not amazing news – I am happy to report that today my eyes are healthy and I am in a great position to target any future changes and undergo treatment before loss of sight becomes an issue.
We live in a world of such beauty and magnificence I don’t want to miss a minute of it. Don’t skip your eye appointments and get baseline retinal imaging of your eyes. We all hear about heart disease, cancer and strokes – but eye health is sadly under represented. Wish more people were aware of the importance of this issue. Over 2.3 million Americans have glaucoma! Sight loss is preventable with treatment. Live each moment with awareness and appreciation for the many gifts we have and don’t forget that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
With that being said, I am sharing my all time favourite sannie. The one and only BLT. A feast for all of the senses. A good BLT uses tomatoes – A GREAT BLT uses seasonal, local tomatoes. I don’t eat BLTs in the winter. They are simply not the same.
Secrets for a Simply Great BLT:
* Use good quality bread – some of my favourite choices are: seeded flat bagels, challah or pumpernickel. I love it lightly toasted.
* Use good quality double thick bacon and don’t skimp. Nothing worse than a BLT that runs out of bacon crunch! We are lucky to have access to Perth Pork Products. They raise Tamworth pigs which are particularly tasty for smoked meat. Fry bacon until it’s super crisp. No chewy bits for me!
* Use room temperature, thick cut, local, seasonal tomatoes – I love the worn looking heirlooms. There’s nothin’ better.
* Use iceberg lettuce. I’m super old fashioned – the taste – crunch and resilience of iceberg can’t be beat
* Use lots and lots of homemade mayo. Epicurious has a terrific recipe here. If you must use store bought – nothing better than Hellmann’s IMHO.
