Mother's Day Gift Ideas

We here at UT Press hope all of your mothers are book fans, because we have some fabulous selections to recommend as Mother’s Day gifts. (Mother’s Day, in case you haven’t noticed, is coming up soon on Sunday, May 12!). Our classic recommendations for Moms cover the domestic gamut – cookbooks and gardening guides – but we’ve also got a few titles that go a little bit deeper.

Food

Oaxaca al Gusto by Diana Kennedy
Certainly not another collection of casserole recipes, Diana Kennedy’s magnum opus of Mexican cuisine truly delves into the cultural gastronomy of the diverse and remote state of Oaxaca. Organized by regions, these three hundred plus recipes will provide your Mother with an almost guru-like knowledge of the three pillars of Oaxacan cuisine —chocolate, corn, and chilies.

The Herb Garden Cookbook by Lucinda Hutson
Long before the urban farm and DIY foodie movement, Lucinda Hutson published this book, which provides both helpful gardening tips for growing ingredients for your kitchen, and plentiful recipes to test out your skills. Lucinda provides artful guidance for menu planning and creative recipes for exotic herbs, as well as practical advice for harvesting and storing them. 

Stirring It Up with Molly Ivins by Ellen Sweets
Everybody’s mother is capable of putting someone in his/her place, or should be. Molly Ivins was no exception. Although she had no children of her own, she played surrogate mom to her friends’ children. As the witty political reporter, her scathing Texas Observer pieces put untrustworthy politicians in their place. Longtime friend and fellow reporter Ellen Sweets shares Molly’s recipes (traditional Texan and fine French cuisine!), escapades, and inner strength.

Memoir/Nonfiction

Let the People In by Jan Reid
As one of the ultimate inspirational but real women, Ann Richards changed the face of her state as the first ardent feminist elected to high office in Texas. The Texas State Historical Association awarded author Jan Reid the Liz Carpenter Award for Research in the History of Women for this absorbing biography of a mother who balanced the pressures of government, overcame her personal demons, and raised four children while remaining a funny, unique, and beautiful public figure.

Welcome to Utopia by Karen Valby
This book by Karen Valby, a senior writer at Entertainment Weekly, is a no-brainer in terms of gifts for Mom. Quintessential American stories of family and community are tenderly rendered as Valby saw them play out in the small Texas town of Utopia. The book’s real life protagonists and their stories are very moving, revealing just how much they affected Valby in light of her original assignment: to find an American town without popular culture.
 

Gardening

Texas Gardening the Natural Way by Howard Garrett

If your mom has a green thumb, no matter where she may garden, Howard Garrett’s complete organic gardening guide is the end-all, be-all for conscientious gardening. Covering everything from trees, soils, design, shrubs, annuals and perennials, herbs, grasses, fruits, nuts, and vegetables to organic pest control and plant diseases, all fully illustrated with 833 full-color photos.

Additional recommendations:
Dear Dirt Doctor by Howard Garrett
100 Love Sonnets by Pablo Neruda
Don’t Make Me Go to Town by Rhonda Lashley Lopez

Houston Chronicle :: Texas Bug Book

Texas Bug Book

By Howard Garrett and C. Malcolm Beck
Buy It Now

Aphids aren't all bad
By Tracy Hobson Lehmann

Gardeners know aphids as tiny, squishy pests that can suck the life right out of plants and, as if that weren't enough, leave behind a sticky, nasty mess.

That's why it's surprising to hear a nursery owner embrace the soft-bodied insects. Roberta Churchin, co-owner of Shades of Green Nursery in San Antonio, appreciates their role in the good-bug, bad-bug drama that plays out among the stems and leaves.

"Aphids are a primary food source for beneficial insects," Churchin says, and those good bugs are important to controlling other insects that damage plants.

Ladybugs and their alien-looking larvae eat aphids. So do assassin bugs, which sound vicious but also chomp mosquitoes, large beetles and their grubs, according to Malcolm Beck and Howard Garrett's Texas Bug Book ($29.95 University of Texas Press). In their larval stage, lacewings - one of the prettiest insects in the garden - eat hundreds of aphids a day. The larvae, sometimes called aphid lions, also have a taste for damaging whiteflies, cabbage loopers, mealybugs and some beetles and their larvae.

Aphids get partial credit for Churchin's switch to a chemical-free nursery environment about 20 years ago. She had noticed lacewing larvae on a mandevilla stem covered with aphids and left them so they could be photographed for a TV segment. The next morning, the aphids were gone.

"We realized we didn't have to spray anymore," Churchin says. Insects, like bacteria, adapt, mutate and become resistant to sprays, she explains. "But they can't get resistant to beneficial insects."

Aphids, which feed on tender new growth, are tenacious, but they can be controlled with a strong blast from the water hose or by releasing ladybugs.

Spray the affected plant with water before releasing ladybugs; these little beetles need water. The adults will eat some aphids, but even more will be eaten by their larva.

Read more at chron.com »