Tomatoes in November

Quite a while ago I planting some cherry tomato seeds. I watered them. I tended to the stalks. I whispered sweet nothings to the buds. And...nothing. After weeks of progress the buds remained green. I waited three weeks for the fruits of my labor to turn red. Finally, I gave up; I hate to admit it, but I did. Alas, I was too lazy to dispose of this tomato plant and so I left it on my patio.

Then, on Tuesday, as I looked out the window (procrastinating my departure for work), I noticed a fleck of yellow. I moved closer to get a better look and...couldn't believe it. The biggest tomato was beginning to blush. So I brought the plant inside, picked off all the dead branches, and gave it a drink. The leaves bounced back pretty quickly and more green tomatoes began following in the footsteps of that one, brave tomato (who was very tasty, by the by).

What's that hiding behind a leaf?

A ripe, red cherry tomato...in late November.

Evan and I split it for dessert on Friday night. It was juicy and super sweet.

Two days later: more tomatoes turning red.

This one is next.

Then these guys.

Christmas Tree Fund

I've been lobbying for a real Christmas Tree for years. Our small (previous) apartment was always a convenient excuse for Evan to shoot down my desire for a non-artificial tree. Instead we've been putting up a mini, artificial tree--which is cute, but not my idea of a proper Christmas tree. This year we are in a bigger apartment with lots of room to spare...prefect for a modest douglas fir or white pine. 

So I've started a Christmas Tree Fund: a way to collect my spare change at the end of the day and make my dream of a green Christmas a reality. I can almost smell the pine needles...

Cure for the Common Cold

I woke up this morning with a stuffy nose, headache, and sore throat. Yuck. Time for soup. Thankfully I had frozen veggies and chicken broth on standby. I started by sweating a handful of chopped onion and some garlic in a tab of butter. I added a sprinkling of kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and dried thyme. Then in went a bunch of frozen mixed veggies and some uncooked rice, followed by chicken broth. 

As I waited for the mix to come to a boil, I rummaged through the fridge to see if there was anything else I could throw in. I found some left over lamb from earlier in the week, parsley, and a parmesan rind--which I've read adds a yummy silkiness to soups. I let everything simmer for a bit, discarded the softened rind, seasoned to taste, and served myself a bowl. 

Time to eat and get well.