Ratatouille-With Emphasis on the Oooey

For the past ten days we have been eating vegetables and drinking only water ala Daniel in Babylon. It is a lenten experience of sorts. A few years ago the Goober discovered Lent and we participated by giving up TV and video games. Since then the Goober has done a little more research and decided that he could not find a single reference in the Bible of anyone giving up TV (and we have added the HDTV and a Wii which would need giving up). So instead the STP and Goober decided to give up a food related item. And that led to eating like Daniel. So our diet consists of things that grow in the ground. Fruits, Vegetables, and Grains. Rice, potatoes, oatmeal, salads, banana sandwiches--all good. Meat, eggs, milk, milk chocolate, and diet Pepsi--not on the menu. This makes cooking a real challenge, since the STP is gluten-free, and the Goober hasn't eaten a vegetable since he ate sweet potatoes from a jar with the Gerber baby on the label. We decided to try it for ten days and see if we look better than everyone else. (Go ahead and read Daniel, chapter 1)

So I found a recipe for ratatouille, and I made it. I have never seen nor eaten ratatouille. So I really didn't have anything to compare it to. I thought it turned out okay. The Goober said it did not look like the stuff from the movie, and I felt obligated to remind him that the movie was ANIMATED and I did not have a rodent pulling my hair to help me make it. He responded with gagging noises and said not to even tell him what the brown things were. The STP picked out all the green peppers and said it tasted better than it looked, but I'm pretty sure he shared the Goob's thoughts on how it looked.

So tonight I was feeling a little discouraged about supper. What do you want? Nothing. What are you hungry for? Nothing. What do you want--nothing. I would rather have nothing than what we've been having. (I was counting the days and this is day 10.) Open the fridge and look in. Oh, good--spinach, zucchini, cucumbers, leftover chinese vegetables that no one wants, and some tofu. Yes, tofu. Like toe foood.

So we made pasta and served it with Prego sauce with chunks of tofu. The STP had quinoa pasta shells, and the Goob and I had regular pasta shells. And we liked it. The Goober had two helpings of pasta WITH sauce, and tofu. And then we looked at each other and decided we did look better than everyone else and we would continue on for 10 more days.

So I'm open to recipe suggestions from all my vegan friends. Wait... do I have any vegan friends?