I'm not saying that bland-looking food is bland-tasting food, but it seems as though that should be true.

I thought of this as I was putting some nachos into the oven last week. Chips and cheese? Monochromatic bland-looking. Boring. But with tomatoes, jalapeños, purple onion, and olives on top? Well...

Pretty.

Then last night I was going to have one of my favorite treats: toasted naan with hummus and feta. Something that's far from bland-tasting, but it looks incredibly bland. So I diced up some tomatoes and onions and mixed with some olive oil and Mediterranean herbs to make it look better...

Much better.

And tastier too.

Life is too short for boring-looking food.

Ever since my life-changing tomato salad yesterday, I keep looking out my back window at my plants.

And then in my head I start screaming "HURRY UP! HURRRRRRYYYY!!!"

Because they're just out there teasing me with their unripe selves...

Hopefully on Sunday there will be enough.

If not, I guess I'll go out and scream at them in person.

I told the story of my cherry tomato plants in a previous entry.

Long story short, I decided to try growing tomatoes in my Aerogarden (which I've only used for herbs). Alas, the plants grew into the grow lights, burning them. I ended up planting them outside and it didn't go well because they weren't used to the heat. I thought they were goners.

But then they rallied! I got a couple tomatoes off them, then ignored the plants.

Yesterday I noticed that I had a lot tomatoes on them and made a note to harvest them today. There's a baked tomato and feta dish I like, and I thought I'd smear it on toast for dinner.

I planted them too far apart because I didn't want them growing too close together. Turns out I planted too far apart. And I should have bought a wire cage to help support their weight.

Regardless, they turned out beautiful. I thought that bugs and birds would have ate them, but nope!

And I couldn't do it.

I couldn't cook my harvest. The tomatoes were SO beautiful and SO tasty that I decided to make a fresh tomato feta salad instead (tossed with EVOO, Mediterranean herbs, red pepper flakes, and a little minced garlic, then topped with a balsamic glaze)...

Cannot possible enunciate how phenomenally delicious this was.

Next year I'll be planting at least ten plants... probably more... because I could eat like this all Summer and still want more. Store bought tomatoes cannot compare.

Or maybe I need a greenhouse so I can eat like this all year long?

Somebody buy me a greenhouse.

Happy Juneteenth! It still blows my mind that the Emancipation Proclamation was signed on January 1, 1863, but the last of the enslaved population in the USA wasn't freed until June 19, 1865... over two years later. And, from what I can tell, there were no consequences. Zero

Today I harvested some tomatoes from my garden. Well, I harvested some cherry tomatoes from my garden...

My plants started out in my Aerogarden inside. But even at maximum extension, the plants grew into the lights, burning them...

And I got tired of cleaning up after them. So I transplanted them outside...

They did not do well. Indoors it's air conditioned. Outdoors it's unrelenting heat. But eventually they kinda(?) adapted? Meaning that they didn't die and gave me tomatoes. And this weekend I'll probably have seven more. Maybe it's enough for a salad!

I hired a landscaper to change some plants around and plant more in new places to fill out my back yard.

Everything is doing well except some little purple flowering things that are just getting fried. I'm told that eventually they should snap out of it, so here's hoping...

There's quite a bit of variety in all the plants, and they're all pretty great. Though this guy is so wildly different that I think it may be my favorite...

I'm betting it looks incredible when all those flowers start popping open!

I don't like flavored sodas.

Cherry Coke... barf (ANY of those wacky Coke flavors, like "Cosmic," are awful). I did like Coke with Lime, but that was an accent taste... not something trying to take over the flavor.

I think the only truly flavored version of a soda I like is Baja Blast Mountain Dew.

Until now. Because Tropical 7Up? Delicious...

Tastes like POG mixed in 7Up. Love it. Will be very sad when 7UP inevitably discontinues it. I may like this better than regular 7Up Zero.

I may be back from a few days vacation and mentally preparing myself to return to work, but the bullets cannot be stopped... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• Andor! The first thing I did after getting home from vacation was take a nap. I had been up for 23 hours and needed sleep. The second thing I did? Watch the final three episodes of Andor...

And, yes, this is officially the best thing to ever come out of Star Wars in my humble opinion. So as not to spoil anything, I'll wait a while before breaking down my thoughts (and I do have them). Suffice to say that you should watch this. Whether you're a Star Wars fan or not.

   
• Murdery Goodness! The second thing I watched? Murderbot on AppleTV+. I was surprised that they are deviating from the excellent source material like they are... but I don't hate it. The show is just a separate thing. Not always in a bad way. Especially with the opening credits, which looks like it was made with dolls...

I can see where some diehard fans of the books will not like it, but I still think it's worth a watch.

   
• Super! The final Superman trailer has dropped...

This looks so good. I may actually end up in the theater for this one.

   
• Blast From the Past! Something that got brought to my attention... somebody has an old Blogography Bad Monkey hat for sale on eBay...

Wasn't expecting that! And $25... I think I sold them for half that?

   
• Duke's! If you think that I went all the way to Honolulu, Hawai‘i and didn't have lunch at Duke's, just like the good ol' days, you don't know me at all...

That Falafel Sandwich was ever so dreamy!

   
• Puka Dog! If you think that I went all the way to Honolulu, Hawai‘i and didn't grab a Puka Dog, just like the good ol' days, you don't know me at all...

I mean, yeah, it's called "Hula Dog" outside of Kauai now, but it's still a delicious veggie Puka Dog.

   
• Maters! When I got home, I noticed that tomatoes were starting to grow on my AeroGarden. At last...

I'm still not convinced that AeroGarden is feasible for anything but herbs, but here we are.

   
And now? Back to my post-vacation blues.

Disney's Aulani Resort on Oahu has plenty of dining options, and there's always at least one "plant-based" option on the menus for vegans and vegetarians, so you won't starve if you share my dietary choices. Furthermore, service is impeccable everywhere you go. Even at the one bad food experience I had, the server was beyond great. Food, generally is pretty darn expensive, but worth the price. You're paying to stay inside the Disney Bubble here, but I think that they put in the effort to at least give you some value for the money.

Here are the restaurant options I saw while visiting for my all-too-brief stay.

‘AMA‘AMA — 5 course, $130 (not including drinks)
Insanely expensive, but some of the best food you'll eat with service and views to match (we had a beach-view table). I started with a Waipoli Greens Salad, substituted the Ginger Chickpea Spread for the mushroom appetizer I couldn't eat, had a Local Vegetable Fricassee for my entrée, then the Pineapple Tart for dessert. Everything was perfect except reservations. I booked through the app at the only date and time available... 8:00pm on Wednesday, then saw it in my future plans. Before I left for Hawai‘i, I got a "Robo-Caller" call that I didn't pick up. Once I listened to the voicemail from ‘AMA‘AMA wanting confirmation, I immediately called back and confirmed. At which point my reservation disappeared. I eventually confirmed at the desk that my reservation had been canceled with no explanation, but got them to re-activate it. Finally stopped by the concierge desk because the reservation never appeared after too many shenanigans, and they got me a new reservation at 6:00pm for the same day (out of pity, I'm guessing). This nonsense was unacceptable, even though it resulted in a better time. Phenomenal experience though. You may even get an adorable teeny-tiny gecko friend to join you...

Makahiki — 3 course, $80 (not including drinks)
The only disappointment during my stay. My starter of a Roasted Tomato Soup was excellent. My dessert of Warm Mickey Brownies was great. But my entrée of Vegan Sausage Pasta? Inedible. Not even joking. No idea if it was cooked wrong or what, but the vegan pasta was tough, bone-dry, and gummy like glue. The sausage was rubber. Horrific. Could not believe it was served to me. Furthermore, when it comes to the view you can't see much past the greenery, so it wasn't as nice as what you could get elsewhere. Maybe the Character Breakfasts are good, but I would only eat here if you're not vegetarian.

The ‘Ōlelo Room — Price Varies
Gorgeous, intimate bar off of neighboring Makahiki. The malasadas donuts at breakfast were the best on the island I've had outside of Leonard's. But it's the drinks that are out of this world. We put ourselves in the hands of master mixologist, Aukai, who started with a menu drink... then took us on a custom cocktail journey built around the alcohol we started with. Two nights of some of the best-crafted cocktails I've ever had. Highest possible recommendation, but prepared to keep coming back and spending way more money than you plan because it's that good.

Off the Hook — Price Varies
This is a poolside and ocean-view bar which serves elevated bar food. Lunches are great. Plant-Based Burger ($23) is much better than average. Drinks are tasty.

KA WA‘A, A Lū‘au — Buffet, $190 (general seating) or $219 (preferred seating)
The Polynesian Cultural Center has what's probably the best lū‘au on the island of Oahu, but it's produced by The Mormons, so no alcohol is served. The entire point for me is getting plowed on unlimited cocktails which, surprisingly, Disney has available at Aulani. What they also have is a beautiful show that feels respectful to the art of hula, albeit with a small amount of Mickey and Minnie injected, which is a little inappropriate(?). I've done this lū‘au before but, not surprisingly, I don't remember much about the food. This time I can confirm that the food was pretty darn good for a lū‘au! And there was enough vegetarian options to satisfy me too. The price is crazy-high, but the production values are top-notch and more kid-friendly.

Ulu Cafe — Price Varies
This is a "grab-and-go" cafe/market which also has pizzas that are surprisingly good quality. My 12-inch Cheese Pizza had tasty sauce and a great crust. Don't know that it's worth the $20 price tag, but it's one of the cheaper meals at the resort.

Little ‘Opihi's — Price Varies
This is a beach-side stand that serves Pineapple Dole Whip or Pineapple Dole Whip swirled with Vanilla Soft Serve ($8). What can I say, it's awesome.

Mama's Snack Shop and Pāpālua Shave Ice — Price Varies
Just cute little snack shops with fries ($8) or other fried snacks like fish or chicken ($20) or shave ice ($8) in the pool area. I wasn't here long enough to eat at either, unfortunately, but the shave ice is in the shape of Mickey Mouse, so how bad can it be?

One of my favorite things to do on vacation is eat. Disney's Aulani Resort makes it worth the trip if you don't look at the prices until you get back.

To be continued. Tomorrow I'll look at the entertainment at Aulani.

I've been eating more and more vegan than vegetarian... cutting the amount of dairy and eggs I'm eating by at least half. And most of that is eaten outside of my home, because I'm not buying much any more.

This morning I had to make an early run to the nearby Big City so I could pick up some things for work. On my way home I stopped by Wendy's for breakfast, which is always an egg and cheese biscuit. Sure you risk a scorching case of diarrhea and there's enough sodium to harden your arteries almost immediately... but I've got Imodium in my car and they're delicious enough to be worth the risk of heart disease.

What I love about Wendy's is, unlike xMcDonald's, you're not forced to pay for ham or bacon that they then remove from your order. Nope. They charge you for exactly what you're getting because it's a menu item.

Usually I get one chocolate milk and one regular milk with my breakfast. I mix them together to get choccy milk that's not too chocolatey.

But this morning I had a Coke Zero, because milk is not something I enjoy as much as I used to. At home I never buy it, and instead use soy or almond milk on my cereal. And because of that I seem to have lost my passion for the stuff. The cheese and egg on my biscuit sandwich is plenty.

I'll still eat ice cream, of course.

If you can call a Wendy's Frosty "ice cream."

I think it's more like "ice-cream-adjacent."

I feel so terrible harvesting lettuce to eat.

I raised them from baby seeds! But it's delicious and a lot less expensive (when excluding the hydroponics stuff, at the start). I think by the end of the year I'll be breaking even on my investment, then paying pennies on the dollar compared to buying at the store with today's prices...

And is it weird that even when I'm eating burgers at home I put them in a waxed paper pocket? I just like eating burgers that way for some reason. Keeps me from making a mess!

My tomato plants are coming along nicely. Hopefully I'll be able to make a salad soon!

As I previously mentioned, I bought a couple Aerogardens because I wanted to grow my own herbs. The cost to have fresh herbs has escalated to unaffordability, so when Aerogarden when out of business, I bought two 6-pod units. Mostly for cilantro, rosemary, and thyme, but for fun I went ahead and planted some lettuce, tomatoes, and parsley.

Can you guess which seeds sprouted and which havent?

Here's hint one... LETTUCE...

Here's hint two... TOMATOES AND PARSLEY...

Sigh.

No cilantro. No rosemary. No thyme.

Oh... and I planted some spinach too. That also hasn't sprouted.

Guess I'll try again with the cilantro, but this time I'll soak the seeds for a few days to see if I can get them to sprout before planting.

In other news... I'll bet that butter lettuce ends up tasting delicious!