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Dinner and a Game
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April 13, 2007 |
by Sara Schweid
It’s about that time again: sunny days, blooming flowers, and budding trees. Well, in theory it is - unless you’re living in the Midwest, where instead of April showers, we’re getting April snowstorms. I’m itching to get outside and read a book on the warm grass or play Frisbee in the park, but I won’t be doing that anytime soon without a parka and some snowshoes. Well if we can’t have spring outdoors, at least we can have spring indoors. Gamelab’s Plantasia is full of colorful flowers, chirping birds, and any number of spring-like things to help ease your cabin fever. Plus I’ve got a deliciously springy recipe for Zucchini Bread that’ll bring some sunshine to your kitchen, even if it won’t come to your town.
Your Delightful Game:
  Holly’s had a pretty successful past few days. This fairy-in-training has completed almost all of the tasks she needs before she earns her real magic: she’s already solved the Sphinx’s riddle, she visited the stone circle, and she defeated a villain. That leaves just one box unchecked: grant wish.
She finds herself in front of a run-down mansion on Floracion Road. Surely someone in here could use a wish, Holly thought, as she marched toward the house. Inside, Holly found Jack, a reclusive fellow living upstairs. When she told him she was here to grant him one wish, he scoffed. How about fixing up all the gardens, he joked, not really caring what this crazy lady did. Determined to complete her training, Holly agreed.
Luckily, you don’t have to have much of a green thumb to help Holly revive the gardens in Gamelab’s Plantasia. There are five different gardens and 50 levels that you progress through, replanting and watering flowers, shooing pests, and rebuilding statues, in order to earn the status of full-fledged fairy.
You arrive at each garden armed with new seeds of various flowers, a trowel and a watering can, and you get to work. First, you must dig a hole in one of the dirt mounds, removing any rocks that might be in your way. Try to group similar flowers together, because when you pick them, you get more points for picking a group than for picking a single flower.
 After you plant the flowers, you must keep an eye on each of them to make sure they get enough water, are picked when necessary (don’t worry, they grow back…although this does seem counterintuitive for planting a garden…), and are protected from pests. Hovering over each plant will give you the icon you need – the trowel, the seed, the watering can, the pesticide, etc. – and clicking on the flower takes the necessary action. When pests come crawling in from the forest, be sure to quickly spray them with pesticide so they don’t destroy your flowers. Interestingly, the pesticide – which I often sprayed on the pests while they were on top of the plants – never affected the flowers, which always emerged smiling.
Actions like picking flowers, digging up rocks, and planting seeds on mounds with like-colored fairy dust earn you mana points, which you can use to upgrade your tools or to buy more seeds. To complete each level you must earn enough mana to rebuild the beautiful stone statues that once stood in the gardens. If you’re able to rebuild the required statue, you have the opportunity to go for the expert statue; if you don’t complete the first statue, you must replay the level.
The graphics are bright, lovely, and cute. The flower types range from pansies and perennials, to cacti and vegetables, and each one is cheery and adorable. The music is idyllic and tranquil, yet vibrant. The gameplay is slow and relaxing – a welcome change from the majority of games that require ridiculous speed for success. A few more variations in the level objectives or abilities would be nice, but overall, this is a cute and springy game that’s sure to help you through until the snow melts. For good this time.
Your Delicious Dinner:
Holly knows nothing tastes better than fresh fruits and vegetables from the garden. And even though it’s not quite spring for many of us, why should we have to miss out on light and fresh seasonal treats? This Zucchini Bread recipe is absolutely scrumptious – the citrus zest really brightens the flavors, and the ginger and nutmeg are great compliments to the zucchini. This dish is sure to bring a little spring to you, even if Mother Nature is holding out on us.
Zucchini Bread
You’ll need:
-1 cup sugar
- ½ cup oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1-2 tsp orange or lemon zest
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ginger
- 1 cup grated or shredded zucchini (about 1 zucchini)
- ½ cup chopped nuts (I’d suggest walnuts or pecans)
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and ginger in a medium-sized bowl.
3. In a separate large bowl combine sugar, oil, eggs and orange (or lemon) zest.
4. Add dry ingredients to large bowl and mix well.
5. Add zucchini and nuts, and mix some more.
6. Pour batter into two greased 5 x 9 in loaf pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes (The bread is done when the tops are golden brown and a toothpick stuck in the center of each loaf comes out clean).
7. Cut yourself a slice of springtime deliciousness!
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