So now I have more tomatoes than I know what to do with - we are picking one of these full every other day. Here is another family favorite tomato recipe.

Mom's Tomatoes & Mozzarella

4 large tomatoes

1 clove garlic

1 tblsp wine vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

3 tblsp olive oil

scallions

1/2 cup chopped parsley

pepper

fresh mozzarella

Mix together garlic, vinegar, salt. Add olive oil and mix. Pour 2/3 mixture over tomatoes. Scatter onions, parsley and pepper. Slice fresh mozzarella and place on top of tomatoes and pour rest of dressing over. Enjoy!

Need new books, DVDs, CDs and more? Now is the prime opportunity to stock up as the Friends of the Mid-Columbia Libraries host their second annual Giant Book Sale of the year. This fundraiser is a win-win, allowing you to stock up on gently used books for your baby to your tween, young adult and even yourself! Get your hands on great DVDs, CDs and books on tapes to help make long road trips less daunting!

The Mid-Columbia Libraries will use the money raised during the book sale to provide valuable support for library programs and resources. The sale includes items from Keewaydin Park, Kennewick, Pasco and the West Richland libraries and will take place October 1st through the 3rd at the Kennewick Library located at 1620 S. Union Street. On Friday and Saturday the sale will run from 9 am to 4 pm, and on Sunday the 3rd the sale will run from 1 pm to 3 pm.

FINALLY! We have red tomatoes! For a while, I was doubting whether or not we'd be able to use any of the hundreds of tomatoes we have....they've been green forever, and it seemed like more just kept growing without any turning. But alas, they have started to turn. We actually went out and picked enough last night to make some Herbed Tomatoes with dinner. This is my grandmother's recipe and it is so yummy:

Memere's Herbed Tomatoes

6 Ripe tomatoes, peeled and sliced (I do not peel mine, just slice 'em)

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/4 cup snipped parsley

1/4 cup snipped chives

2/3 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup vinegar

Place tomatoes in bowl, sprinkle seasoning and herbs. Combine oil & vinegar, pour over. Cover and chill for 3 hours, spooning dressing over a few times. Enjoy!

It never gets easier to prepare kids for the ever looming vaccinations they must endure. But there are several things you can do to help make checkups cheerier for your wee ones. If your child is gearing up for pre-Kindergarten shots, have a conversation with them about what to expect and the light at the end of the tunnel. Besides only stinging for a short while, many youngsters might look past the pain to know there are stickers, a sucker or even the added bonus of an ice cream trip post doctor visit.

If you have a newborn who doesn't understand why you're letting someone stick a needle in their legs, have your arsenal of soothing products reading such as their favorite toy, lovey and a bottle or breast milk ready to ease their pain. If you're toting older children to the pediatric checkup, have a conversation with them about what brother or sister might endure and how they can help distract the younger sibling from the pain.

Pediatricians may even suggest a little Children's Tylenol prior to the shots being administered to help alleviate the uncomfortable feeling the shots bring on. Many doctors and nurses, such as the ones at Columbia Basin Pediatrics, are great about allowing you to stay in the exam room after the shots are given so that you can calm baby or child down.

We did this last year.  It was so fun! Find the registration form for this year here.

The Children's Reading Foundation of the Mid-Columbia will hold its annual Books & Vines event this Thursday, September 9^th, to raise funds that support literacy and reading programs within our community.

The event will take place at Bookwalter Winery from 5:30 to 9:00 and includes a family-style meal, wines and live music. Dinner will be prepared by Chef Frank Magana with Picazzo 7Seventeen, wines from Bookwalter Winery and the music of Bluestone. Guests can bid on auction items with 100% of the proceeds supporting the local charity.

The event is generously supported by Bechtel National, Inc. with additional sponsorships by Sun Pacific Energy and Bookwalter Winery. Tickets are $100 and are available by contacting the Reading Foundation at 222-7323.