Saturday, May 24, 2008

living and learning

It's interesting these sayings one hears and doesn't think about, like "cheap as dirt". Yes, apparently dirt is very very cheap! Shows me. I picked up a ginormous bag yesterday and lovingly transferred my slightly cramped tomato plants to their rightful places in separate pots. They're so beautiful, and not even so stunted for a few mishaps along the way (icy cold nights with the window accidentally open, and Satchmo deciding to munch on a few of them, ack). I've never grown things before, but I hope I get tomatoes by the end of the season. At the very least they make the apartment look great!

So that was the living part. The LEARNING part is hoboy, I should listen when a cookbook author describes something as a warming defense against winter weather, and possibly not make that on a gorgeous sunny evening. I mean, it used up all these mysterious odds and ends of things I had, and I tallied the total cost of this meal to be pennies (so really nothing lost), but I just wasn't in the mood for braised seitan with chicory and brussel sprouts. The broccoli polenta was awesome, though. Thank goodness for freezers, maybe there'll be a cold night later on.

And this isn't living nor learning, but actually the exciting lead-up to what has immediately become my new obsessively favourite dessert thing ever ---

Banana chocolate chip bread pudding! Oh yes, oh yes yes yes. Feel the mapley cinnamony soft deliciousness through the computer screen? I hope so, I would devise a device to do so if I could, forget wonka bars through the television, I wanna make bread pudding for everybody.

Seriously, I'm completely gah gah for this, I've had it for lunch for the past three days (with, you know, some bean salad so I don't drop dead of malnutrition). Thumbs up again, Vcon!

28 comments:

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

Oooh, your tomato plants look fabulous!!

Oh man, I've been DYING to try that Banana-Chocolate-Chip Bread Pudding recipe from Veganomicon - what kind of bread did you use/do you recommend using??

Anonymous said...

Huh, and here I didn't even know that bread pudding recipe was in Veganomicon! Truth be told, I haven't really put my purchase to use enough to even justify it... It's a shame, since the recipes always look so good.

Jes said...

I know exactly what you mean about cold weather food when it's warm. I have what feels like eight million gallons of lentil stew in my fridge leftover from when I was sick. Time to move them to the freezer!

The bread pudding looks delish!

Anonymous said...

The best dirt is compost dirt. =) I'd pay people to give me their scraps so I could get some quality soil!!

Oh my goodnessssssssssss. Just the words "banana" "chocolate chip" and "bread pudding" are making me salivate beyond belief. Mmmm.

Anonymous said...

I have been eyeing that recipe for weeks now, yet never brought myself to make it. Now I must. MUST!

Your tomato plants are awesome.

Alicia said...

When I master the banana bread (which I will thanks to you, thanks for the recipe!), I will dedicate myself completely to the Banana chocolate chip bread pudding, I swear!

Carrie said...

I must try that bread pudding!! It looks so delicious....

I'm growing tomatoes for the first time this year too. :)

I've been meaning to try the broccoli polenta, good to hear it tastes good.

Anonymous said...

Ooooh! I'm container gardening for the first time this year too. I should take pictures of my tomato plants too. :)

And I am in LOVE with that bread pudding. It is so ridiculously delicious (and easy too!). Mmmm. Now I'm hungry. :(

sarchan said...

Pretty plants!

I've been wanting to make that bread pudding forever. Unfortunatley I mostly buy sprouted grain bread. One of these days the forces of the universe are going to align and I will have stale bread that is bread-pudding-worthy at the same time as overripe bananas.

Ruby Red said...

Yes, please - use your Wonka Vision powers to beam me some of that bread pudding! Your photos are stunning too!

Maybe I'm just an oddball, but I totally have been disregarding the nature of my meals. I've been having oatmeal and hot soy lattes all summer, even though it's a steamy 95 degrees F here. Oh well. I would totally eat your braised seitan and Brussels meal!

aTxVegn said...

I made that bread pudding and it was amazingly delicious. Your tomato plants look great. I hope you get to enjoy fresh tomatoes soon.

ChocolateCoveredVegan said...

Um oh my God that Banana chocolate chip bread pudding looks to-die-for. I think I need to buy the cookbook just for that recipe. Wow...

Anonymous said...

I love the way tomato plants scent up a room. It smells like... a garden!

That recipe looks deelish. I just borrowed the VCon cookbook and havent yet found anything I like. Maybe I wasn't looking in the desserts section!

Anonymous said...

AAHHHH I was daydreaming in church this morning about making that very bread pudding! It does look dreamy...

Anonymous said...

Oh man, I NEED to make that bread pudding.

Carrie™ said...

I'm not a fan of bread pudding, but that picture makes it look so good...I could change my mind. May I ask where you got the recipe for broccoli polenta?
Good luck with your tomato plants. I'm in an apt. also and I bought some herbs in pots and they seem to have all shriveled up and died. I don't know what I did wrong. I have other plants thriving here that I've had for a gazillion years. I'll have to try again.

Theresa said...

Uh, yum! Everything looks so good! Especially that bread pudding. Did you know it helps tomatoes to grow if you tie them up to sticks? It keeps them from toppling over. We just use an old broom handle, but there are fancy trellises you can buy too.

And I'll take some of your warming defense, winter has nearly begun over here!

Anonymous said...

oh! your tomato plants look so healthy! my dog ate mine, when they were still so little :(

anyways, the breadpudding looks awesome!

Anonymous said...

Good luck with your tomatoes! I wanna grow something too, but it's so damn hot here-I don't know what would survive!

Ooo The bread pudding looks good!

Amey said...

Amen to your freezer comment. Freezers are awesome. I made two loaves of sourdough bread, sliced 'em up and froze them the day before I left for a trip. Now I came home to fresh bread in the freezer!

Speaking of bread, that bread pudding looks totally amazing. MMMM!

Rural Vegan said...

Your tomato plants are so cute. I haven't been able to plant anything yet with this stupid cold weather lingering forever. I'll live vicariously through your tomato plants!

Cakespy said...

OMG that bread pudding!!! The just-baked picture is making me faint. I almost can feel that mapley cinnamony soft deliciousness! ...almost (*cries*)

Taylor said...

Tomatoes need lots of sun to produce fruit! If you have outdoor space, set them out when the weather warms up.

MeloMeals said...

That polenta looks so good!

Hungry Hungry Dancer said...

HEY! i had parsnip today and i couldnt help but think of your parsnip pirate!!!!!

Anonymous said...

wow, that banana chocolate chip pudding looks frickin' awesome! i want it now!!!!!!!

Vegan_Noodle said...

Your little tomato plants are so cute!

Oh, and now I'm dying for some of that bread pudding....

Anonymous said...

Wow. That bread pudding looks like heaven on a spoon. YUM.
(Note to self: make IMMEDIATELY...)

--Erin