Cheap & Legal: My Plants Actually Grew!

I have several plants in pots in my backyard. I bought them from Roses (a 6 pack of each plant for $1.75) and have been watering and feeding them and trying to take care of them. However, since studying began, I have neglected my vegetables for days at a time. I have cucumber, tomato, jalapeno pepper, and cayenne pepper plants. I thoroughly expected them to fail. The jalapenos are the only plants I've had success with in the past. Imagine my shock when I came to tend to my plants yesterday and found this! [Pics from the dinner at Provence are still coming, but this was just too exciting.]

I swear these popped up in 4 days. They were not there on Sunday. No lie.

The jalapenos have sprung up! and this cucumber is ready for picking.
According to its label, these bush cucumbers are supposed to be 4 inches. This one is more than that.

One of my several tomato plants is bearing fruit as well! There are a few little tiny tomatoes trying to grow too.
I have a feeling this bigger one is going to rot before it turns red though. I don't know how to fix that.

Yes Yes YES! I am so proud.
The cucumber plants started off looking the weakest and now they are climbing all over my other plants.

So then I prepared my cucumber for immediate eating in the best way I know how. Besides cucumber sandwiches. Got out my old olive jar and filled it with sliced cucumber with some white vinegar, rice vinegar, some sugar, black pepper, and flakes of red pepper. I also added thinly sliced onion and garlic. They are so good the morning after sitting in the fridge all night.

Obligatory picture of the process.

Finished product. I'm having them with my lunch as I type this.

Oh, and this is what we had for dinner tonight. Although it's not homemade pasta, I thought we needed some whole grain. It's got onions, a ton of mushrooms, diced tomatoes, garlic, spinach, tomato paste, and regular tomato sauce... and of course some wine. Nothing special, but it was tasty.