Olive oil dreaming

What does olive oil with chilis taste like? How about olive oil with lemon? Mmmmm. Wait, what about olive oil with thyme? Or mandarin oranges? It’s 2 am and for the past hour (and give or take a few weeks), I’ve been going back and forth to the Nudo website. I’ve got olive oil on my mind and it’s all the doing of one inspiring and tummy-tickling book.

Inspiring and yes, it made me hungry.

The Dolce Vita Diaries is the story of Cathy and Jason, a couple who left their successful careers as TV producers to pursue their dream of becoming olive farmers in Italy. Did they know Italian? A little. Did they know how to make olive oil before going to Italy? In theory. Did this get in the way of them finding a home in Italy and owning their own olive grove? Not at all. Fueled by their love of food (olive oil in particular), a joint sense of adventure, and their positive outlook, Cathy, Jason and their toddler Rosie grow roots in Italy, establish their olive oil business called Nudo and prove they’re just as tough as the olive trees they grow.

Their business success of course was based on one creative and compelling idea: Adopt an olive tree. Simple. Strong. Intriguing.

If you adopt an olive tree, you get the olive oil from that tree for a year! Plus more! This is a screen cap of Nudo’s website’s front page.

The book chronicles their journey to the grove. This includes sharing their first inspiration for the olive grove dream, how they learned the art of making olive oil, making new friends in their intimate town, dealing with four seasons in an unmodern area, looking for the perfect cappuccino around town, and so much more. My favorite parts were always the eating parts. Whenever they’d talk about food, I would read the page over and over. Such a yummy read.

Four out of four stars!
I think we’ve all had that desire to just jump out of our day jobs and pursue a passion, an interest, a wish we know would just make our lives more exciting and meaningful if it came into fruition. I was so involved in their journey that I hated the book to end. I wanted to learn more, more, more! The foodie journey was also terrific. I’m just glad reading about food doesn’t make you fat otherwise I’d weigh a ton after reading this book. The recipes were so interesting but the stories behind the ingredients and procedures were what brought the whole foodie reading experience to life. I wouldn’t be surprised if this gets turned into a movie. I’ll surely be first in line!

You will be mine… Screen cap of products from the Nudo website.

This is the set of olive oils I’ve been eyeing for the past hour (and one month) now. I hope to order my own Nudo products soon, and yes, maybe even adopt an olive oil tree. For now, I’ll keep on rereading The Dolce Vita Diaries. It hasn’t left my nightstand yet as I love going back to various stories in the book. As for their website, I’ve got it bookmarked. Poring through the Nudo website is my bedtime reading! Then I’d be able to drift off to slumberland where I’ll probably dream of olive oil with chilis, lemon or thyme. Mmmmm. I’ve got olive oil on my mind even in my dreams. Go read the book and you’ll see! You’ll be olive oil dreaming too.

Learn more about Nudo here:
Website: Nudo — Adopt an olive tree
Blog: The Dolce Vita Diaries
More about the book: “The Dolce Vita Diaries” on Amazon. I bought mine from Fully Booked, Power Plant Mall.
Twitter: @NudoItalia
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NudoItalia

Hi! I'm Toni Tiu, and I've been blogging at at Wifely Steps since 2003. This started as a blog to help newly weds adjust to married life. It has evolved into a home and parenting blog. I write about things close to my heart -- good eats, good reads, family, marriage, and the little things that make everyday happy.