by Elizabeth Heiskell
Flipping through the book, I saw beach picnics and hunting lodge spreads and gorgeous, gorgeous garden parties and I thought...okay, another Martha Stewart Perfect Life Book.
(sigh)
Oh well, I thought, maybe I'll find a good appetizer. But then Ms. Heiskell, food contributor for the TODAY show, charmed me with her wit. Take this little introduction to tomatoes:
"Debutante Farmer Bloody Mary Mix"
When my husband, Luke, and I started our vegetable farm we had a very clear plan. He would grow the vegetables and I would sell them. Luke planted 10,000 tomato plants and I got in what I call "the prison van" and headed to Memphis to sell the tomatoes. When I wasn't selling the tomatoes, I was canning the tomatoes and when I wasn't canning the tomatoes, I was drinking vodka straight. If you never have been faced with 4,000 pounds of tomatoes and no place to take them, you don't know real terror. I was on my porch with vodka in my hand when Luke walked by with a very worried look on his face. His gaze rested on the almost empty glass in my hand. With a heavy sigh, he said "Some people like to add ice and Bloody Mary mix to their vodka. You should make your own Bloody Mary mix." And that is how Debutante Farmer Bloody Mary Mix was born. This is what we know: if the tomatoes don't kill you, they will make you stronger. Bloody Marys are the only thing you can drink at 9:00 a.m. and no one will look at you funny."
Ha.
Then, next to the recipe for Daddy's Bloody Marys, she writes a little aside:
"This is my favorite hostess gift. Most hostesses who are getting ready for a lovely party have been running around all day, hardly had time to eat a bite of food, and it's doubtful she's gotten her eight glasses of water. There are pillows to fluff, children to yell at for using the guests' towels in the bathroom, scented candles to strategically place to hide the wet dog smell, and when you combine all of this, you have one hell of a hangover on your hands! This is the perfect remedy and a most-wanted gift in an adorable basket. In the basket, place a bottle of Bloody Mary mix, a bottle of vodka, limes, pickled okra, BC Powder, Rolaids and coconut water...Hangover Helper!"
Flipping through the book, I saw beach picnics and hunting lodge spreads and gorgeous, gorgeous garden parties and I thought...okay, another Martha Stewart Perfect Life Book.
(sigh)
Oh well, I thought, maybe I'll find a good appetizer. But then Ms. Heiskell, food contributor for the TODAY show, charmed me with her wit. Take this little introduction to tomatoes:
"Debutante Farmer Bloody Mary Mix"
When my husband, Luke, and I started our vegetable farm we had a very clear plan. He would grow the vegetables and I would sell them. Luke planted 10,000 tomato plants and I got in what I call "the prison van" and headed to Memphis to sell the tomatoes. When I wasn't selling the tomatoes, I was canning the tomatoes and when I wasn't canning the tomatoes, I was drinking vodka straight. If you never have been faced with 4,000 pounds of tomatoes and no place to take them, you don't know real terror. I was on my porch with vodka in my hand when Luke walked by with a very worried look on his face. His gaze rested on the almost empty glass in my hand. With a heavy sigh, he said "Some people like to add ice and Bloody Mary mix to their vodka. You should make your own Bloody Mary mix." And that is how Debutante Farmer Bloody Mary Mix was born. This is what we know: if the tomatoes don't kill you, they will make you stronger. Bloody Marys are the only thing you can drink at 9:00 a.m. and no one will look at you funny."
Ha.
Then, next to the recipe for Daddy's Bloody Marys, she writes a little aside:
"This is my favorite hostess gift. Most hostesses who are getting ready for a lovely party have been running around all day, hardly had time to eat a bite of food, and it's doubtful she's gotten her eight glasses of water. There are pillows to fluff, children to yell at for using the guests' towels in the bathroom, scented candles to strategically place to hide the wet dog smell, and when you combine all of this, you have one hell of a hangover on your hands! This is the perfect remedy and a most-wanted gift in an adorable basket. In the basket, place a bottle of Bloody Mary mix, a bottle of vodka, limes, pickled okra, BC Powder, Rolaids and coconut water...Hangover Helper!"