Month: July 2015

Recipes from your herb garden: Earthy, powerful Sage & Walnut Pestos

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When it comes to sage, I think people either love it or hate it. Its powerful, musty scent and flavor is not for middle-of-the-roaders. We have lots of it growing in our herb garden so we went on the search for some pesto recipes for stuffing mushroom caps that we love to grill and serve alongside meat or fish or just on their own with crusty bread. Each of these recipes includes parsley to lighten the intensity of the sage and walnuts for added depth. Pesto no. 1 is for purists and unadulterated sage lovers. The addition of parmesan (pestos nos. 2 and 3) adds creaminess and subtlety whereas adding lemon (pesto no. 3) inserts a bit of punchiness. Our favorite is No. 2. Let me know which one is yours… Sage Pesto No. 1 D.I.Y. Sage Pesto from thekitchn.com Makes about 1 cup Ingredients 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1/2 cup roasted walnuts 1 cup fresh sage, loosely packed 1 cup fresh Italian parsley 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 cup olive oil Preparation: Mince the garlic and the walnuts in a …

sewing

Pretty abstract-print blouse that’s perfect for business or leisure time

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Here I am, striking as close to a proper model’s pose as I can manage, to show the neckline gathering (front and back) and waistline tucks in this pretty abstract-print polyester blouse I made using Butterick’s See & Sew pattern B6156. I’m not a huge fan of polyester, but this one is so lightweight I think it can be worn even on a warm summer’s day. I bought the material at Fabricville in Montreal during a terrific sale in April (I had to borrow my sister Pamela’s sports bag to bring back all the fabric I purchased, mostly stretch cotton). I slightly let out the collar and armholes and added some width at the hips. A little more width at the waist might have prevented the slight forward tugging, but then the waistline would have been less fitted. Ah, the trade-offs! I think it’s great as a casual blouse with white jeans and would also be suitable paired with a deep blue blazer for a business meeting. I’m looking forward to making it again in a beautiful pistachio green fabric my sister Andrea has set aside …

Mango-recipes2-on-creative-living-geneva

Sweet, Creamy Mango Delights for Hot Summer Days

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Sweet tasting, ripe mangoes have arrived in abundance on Swiss grocery shelves so now’s the time for mango lovers to indulge in recipes that really bring out the lusciousness of this rich, creamy fruit. Both recipes below are quick and easy to make (though decidedly not low calorie) and the mango mousse is very refreshing after a BBQ on a hot summer’s afternoon or evening. I hope you enjoy them. Mango Lassi Fills 2 large glasses Before we start in on this I have to say that when I first made the original recipe the end result looked and tasted nothing like the photo suggested it would. Methinks a stock photo, nice as it is, was used instead of what the chef actually whipped up in the test kitchen. So to get it looking and tasting as I anticipated, I’ve made a few adjustments to the original recipe. I think the result is pretty tasty, lighter and cooler than the original. You can add more spice if you like your lassi a little punchier. Ingredients: 1 large …

sewing pattern

A cool, chic sleeveless dress that’s just right for a Swiss heatwave

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Little did I know (though I might have expected) that a heatwave would be rolling our way now when back in May I ordered online this pattern by Cynthia Rowley for Simplicity UK. I was in the mood for something a little different and View B, featured on the envelope photograph, with its eye-catching cut-out sleeves, seemed miles away from what I would usually wear. When push came to sew, however, I questioned my judgement, (you do that, too?) and doubted that it would look as good on me as it would on the model. Worse, I wondered, would it just look weird? So I opted for the chic little sleeveless version, View D, and am now, in the middle of this hellaciously hot week, glad I did (though I haven’t entirely given up on sewing View B). Never forget: study the finished garment measurements! As usual, I had to adjust for my personal body measurements, which in this case meant having three different sizes, increasing from top to bottom to accomodate my pear-shaped body. I cannot overstate the importance of comparing the finished garment measurements …