Bacon Lettuce & Tomato Sandwiches

 

7/26/2026

Bacon Lettuce & Tomato Sandwiches

I don't know why I haven't made this for Keshav before. I mean, who doesn't like a BLT? In the spirit of transparency, I made this breakfast for both of us. It was on a Sunday that Keshav had off from work. When this happens on a Sunday, I like to make a special breakfast for us. 

Before tackling these BLTs, I did my research, looking for the best way to make them. In case you plan to make these for your person and want to benefit from my research, here is what I learned:

1. You must use good white bread, this is not to be debated. Put the whole grain seeded bread back in the breadbox for this sandwich. 

2. Real mayonnaise is the only dressing that is acceptable. No Miracle Whip or lowfat dressings. I use Blue Plate Real Mayonnaise. 

3. You want the bacon to be almost crisp--not totally crisp. This makes for a better chew.

4. The most important element: good tomatoes. A poor tomato will ruin the whole BLT, even if you have quality B and L. This is why these are best made in the summer, when the tomatoes are most flavorful. 

We both enjoyed these immensely, and he ate his all up. I am glad to know this, because it can be tricky feeding him tomatoes. Keshav is fine with small dice or sauce, and slices can be hidden between other ingredients, but he shies away from larger pieces that stand alone in a dish. 

The good news is that generally as long as I dice an ingredient small enough, he will eat it, especially if I don't tell him what it is! 

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We are officially in the season of Leo now; it started on the 22nd this year. As a Leo myself, I can feel it, which is something I am thrilled to report because I have not "felt" the season for a number of years. You might ask what it is that I am feeling when I am feeling it, but I would be hard-pressed to describe it--I just know when I am feeling it as opposed to not.  

I can tell you this, though. There once was a time when summer brought me to a new level of aliveness in my body. The most obvious change was an increase in sex drive--I would be horny every fucking day--and a corresponding decrease in clothing. Growing up in Southern California, summer meant sun and surf--we would spend whole days at the beach when I was a kid, browning to a dark tan that contrasted dramatically with the white anti-itch mosquito cream we would often use. 

Many people find the beach to be a special place, because, well, it is. I marvel thinking about how beaches that line the ocean are literally the edge of the continent's dry land. The land continues, of course, but it retreats under the ocean waves, becoming a whole different world. 

For me, the beach has always represented freedom and adventure, and not just in the summertime. Beaches are more intimate and more overwhelming in the winter--there are less crowds to distract from their greatness so it hits you right in the face. Have you ever gone into the ocean at night? For me, there is nothing more vulnerable and yet powerful. It is the closest I have ever felt to the planet's wildness. 

I vividly remember being 16 years old and going to Black's Beach in San Diego for the first time. Black's is a clothing-optional beach, unofficially, and I would often go running in the shallow surf just so I could be cooled by the water splashing up from where my feet landed. I explored new physical sensations at Black's Beach, especially the first time I went swimming nude. You wouldn't think that the removal of a bathing suit would make that much of a difference in sensation, but it absolutely does. I remember it as if it were yesterday--I could feel the water on every inch of my young summer skin. 

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These days, I am less of a beach bunny simply because I am trying to look after my skin after years of exposing it to the sun for hours at a time. But there are other pleasures to be found in the summer season: stone fruits, heirloom tomatoes, spritzes, warm nights, late sunsets, easy dinners, and vibrant blush wines that go down like soda pop. 

This year, even though I don't "believe" in horoscopes, I definitely feel an increase in aliveness in my body as we move into Leo season and the month of my birthday. Maybe it helps that I recently dropped about ten unneeded pounds, and feel more like my old self in my body. I notice I am going shirtless more than I have in years, less self-conscious after slimming my stomach and lower back--why did I think it was okay to weigh 190lbs? 

I feel stronger and healthier than I have in the past five years, assuring me that the steps I have taken to be stronger and healthier were on the right path. 

This year I am not sure how I want to celebrate turning 64--I usually find my self at a nude men's retreat, but I have not booked a spot there this year. I know Keshav wants to treat me to the Wrangler Weekend here in L.A., which is a big line-dancing event, and that might be fun to do for something different. I do know that next year, when I turn 65, I am hoping to celebrate somewhere in Europe, so why not stay close to home this year? 

The beach still calls to me--it is only an hour away by bus or bike, but I don't get out there very often, except in my head. Maybe I will be more intentional about going in August, but the truth is that September is my favorite beach month--the tourists are gone but the heat remains. The locals still come out, and I can run about with no shoes and no shirt, just like I did when I was a kid. It feels private and special, like it is there just for me. 

Spoken like a Leo.