Source: coolhunting.com via Douglas on Pinterest
Source: coolhunting.com via Douglas on Pinterest
For more food items, check out my Pinterest Board – Food
It is a story as old as America itself. When we dream, we dream big. Big houses, big cars and, in the case of The $64 Tomato, big gardens. In this book, author William Alexander details his love/hate relationship with his garden. I knew I was going to love this book within the first chapter, when I found myself laughing out loud time and time again. Alexander perfectly captures the idealism and absurdity that usually accompany any home improvement project.
I must say that, after my childhood of helping my Grandmother and my Father in the garden and even, reluctantly, maintaining my own small garden plot as a child, I found it a bit ludicrous that anyone would actually set out to “design” a vegetable garden. In my experience, you usually just mark out an area, have the neighbor plow it up and disc it down, lay out some string lines and plant. Aesthetics were rarely, if ever, an issue. Now you bring in experts, test the soil, try exotic new varieties of plants and, so it seems, endure many failures.
While the book is funny, it is also a trifle sad. There is an underlying current of hubris which seems to thrive in the heart of every American. We like to think we can conquer and control anything, even nature itself, when, in reality, we can only hold back nature for short periods of time and even then, only in relatively small areas. It is also a story of having eyes too large for our stomachs. Rows and rows of zucchini that must be given away, if not forced on the neighbors. Yes, we love having fresh food from our very own gardens, but it seems we have no self-control. If “some” is good than “more” must certainly be better.
The $64 Tomato is entertaining and enlightening because it is so true. Anyone with any aspirations to gardening will recognize themselves in its pages. Gardening, like life itself, is about struggle and this book details many struggles with bugs, grass, weeds and neighbors. Even then, I can guess that these were only a small portion of the troubles that occurred in the real garden. Television writers, like my wife, constantly deal with this issue. Just because something happened in real life, often times the viewers will never believe it. I would guess there are more stories that this gardening author has yet to tell.
The saddest part, but one that rings true, is the author’s struggle in finding balance between gardening as a task and gardening as a joy. I know that I experience this every day in my own garden and I am sure you do, too. It is a rare gardener who can find joy in pulling weeds time and time again That said, don’t let the dandelions get you down. Pour a nice, cool lemonade (preferably made from your own lemons), sit back in your favorite chair and enjoy, if just for a moment, the garden you have created. While I certainly hope you don’t spend $64 for each tomato you harvest, this book can make you laugh and give you solace in the knowledge that most gardener’s are happily suffering right along with you.
More 2012 Gift Guide Items:
Wacom Bamboo Splash Pen Tablet
One of the least expensive of Wacom’s digitizing tablets. This is great for creating digital artwork, tracing hand-drawn artworks and I also use it to create virtual “white board” video presentations on my computer. My 14-year-old son has been getting into digital artwork — for both artistic and video game design — so this looks like a good match for both of our uses. This is on my own personal wish list this year. A perfect reason to get out there and draw something! (SMILE)
More 2012 Gift Guide Items:
Here are my favorite shared Food items for October 2012.
Please let me know in the comments if you find any of the particularly useful. I’ll keep my eye open for similar items — Douglas
Here are my favorite shared items for October 2012.
Please let me know in the comments if you find any of the particularly useful. I’ll keep my eye open for similar items — Douglas
Here are my favorite shared items for September 2012.
Please let me know in the comments if you find any of the particularly useful. I’ll keep my eye open for similar items — Douglas
I am always looking for a way of getting that bad, bad, (yet good) taste in a good, better, healthier package. While these are certainly not something you would want eat every day, it is a lighter, baked, version of traditional deep-fried mozzarella sticks. I have made some baked mozzarella sticks in the past, which were OK, but I think these wonton wrappers would give them a nice crunch and percent the cheese from oozing everywhere, too. Definitely something I am going to try.
Source: olivetheingredients.blogspot.com via Douglas on Pinterest
If you are wondering what Food and Recipes I am finding interesting online, follow my Food Board on Pinterest. There you’ll find all the cook recipes that I am thinking of making, food projects to make (like homemade Limoncello) and new interesting food products.
Here are my favorite shared items for August 2012.
Please let me know in the comments if you find any of the particularly useful. I’ll keep my eye open for similar items — Douglas
Here are my favorite shared items for July 2012.
Please let me know in the comments if you find any of the particularly useful. I’ll keep my eye open for similar items — Douglas
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