I ate a...what?

You know, life is funny sometimes. It's those little unexpected moments that sneak up on us, remind us how fragile and awkward we are, and leave us laughing. Thanks, God, for a sense of humor!

The other evening, Margo made our family paninis for dinner. (Getting a sandwich press was one of the best kitchen gadget purchases ever!) She served up a thick slab of portabello mushroom and cheese on chibata bread with pesto. She even went out to her new little herb garden and plucked fresh basil for our sandwiches.

Yeah, Margo's started an herb garden. It's this little multi-tiered clay pot out on our back deck. She bought the seeds and has been raising everything with great care for several weeks. These sandwiches were the first big experience of her herb harvest!

Now, I didn't want to say anything at the time, but my sandwich had an unexpected taste. It wasn't a big deal; it wasn't really unpleasant or anything, and I barely noticed it. But I did notice it.

Then, yesterday, as Margo looked out our back window, she started laughing. It seems her basil plant had sprouted... a flower? A bright purple blossom? She kept laughing and said, "I thought it was unusual that the basil was growing a bit like a vine." It turns out that she got her seeds mixed up. Instead of planting basil in that spot, she had planted a morning glory.

Yup, that's right. My wife served me a toasted mushroom and morning glory sandwich. We all had a good laugh (but I'm betting we'll all be a bit more suspicious the next time Margo tries to serve us something she grew herself.)

EDIT: In the comments, Karen graciously pointed me to the Wikipedia entry on Ergine with a very thoughtful caution. Here's the fun part of the entry: "LSA, also known as d-lysergic acid amide, d-lysergamide, ergine, and LA-111, is an alkaloid of the ergoline family that occurs in various species of vines... As the dominant alkaloid in the hallucinogenic seeds of... Ipomoea tricolor (morning glories)... it is often stated that ergine and/or isoergine (its epimer) is responsible for the psychedelic activity." Oh, great. A psychadelic compound with a history of recreational use. Good thing Margo slipped me the leaves and not the seeds, eh? And I was already thinking we were going to be cautious of her home grown ingredients. Bwa ha ha ha ha!