But that’s really not the point of this story. This story is about a $6 can of tomatoes.

Angie taught our group how to make the most amazing tomato soup I’ve ever eaten. The recipe called for a large can of plum tomatoes, and Angie used a brand she imports from Italy (which Well Seasoned of course sells in its retail store). They taste unbelievable, but each can costs $6.

Now $6 is pretty steep for a can of tomatoes, compared to the $1.49 bargains at most of the major grocery chains in Vancouver. They’re just tomatoes, after all. I mean, what kind of sucker would be crazy enough to buy tomatoes that expensive?

Me.

See, for me, buying a $6 can of tomatoes wasn’t about paying $6 for a can of tomatoes. I’d built a connection with a local business, who taught me how to use these tomatoes in my own cooking? I value that.

By buying these tomatoes at this local business, I’m supporting my community and a business that’s willing to sell a can of tomatoes for $6 because it’s the best! And Well Seasoned cares about that. I value that.

Sure, the tomatoes themselves aren’t local; they’re imported (from Italy), but Angie knows everything she needs to about where those tomatoes come from to know that they’re some of the best you can buy. I value that too.

You know what’s in that can of tomatoes? Tomatoes. That’s it. No chemicals, no preservatives, no artificial colour, no added sugar. So much cleaner than a $1.49 can of tomatoes, and the kind of food I want to put in my body. I value that.

Of course, not everybody is willing or able to spend $6 for a can of tomatoes. If I was on a tight tomato budget and didn’t have $6, I wouldn’t have bought them. I can go just about anywhere and find cheaper tomatoes. But it’s about more than just the price. It’s about the value, and I do my best to purchase goods and services from businesses that care about what I care about.

What do you value?

Kate and Scott are big into the outdoors, and spend a lot of their time hiking and camping, so Scott’s plan to propose to Kate in the middle of nowhere made perfect sense.  Turns out that ‘the middle of nowhere’ was actually Widgeon Lake, which is only 10 minutes by float plane from downtown Vancouver!

I flew up first and waited at the lake for Scott + Kate to fly in, then captured Scott popping the question from my cleverly-hidden position in the bushes.

All the bug bites were totally worth it; this was one seriously awesome day, and definitely a highlight of 2011.

I told her not to worry, and I was right!  Robin + Pho’s wedding was probably the hottest, sunniest day we had all summer; it was fantastic.  They got married at Deer Lake in Burnaby, which is always an amazing place to be on a nice day.  Congrats, Robin + Pho!