For the Love of Basil

Last week, we held another Flavour Bible Sunday.  My sister was our guest.  Basil was our flavour.  And with no further ado, here is the menu...

Basil Martini - Blended ice with vodka, 1 whole lemon, about a teaspoon of sugar and some basil leaves.  Mixed about half and half with tonic water in a short martini glass.  Delicious!

Appetizer - fresh baked egg bread, homemade mozzerella balls, tomatos from our garden and basil (bought, not grown, since we just used all of ours to make pesto!), drizzled with balsamic and olive oil.  Yum yum yum.

 Main Course - ravioli we made ourselves, stuffed with mushrooms (crimini and portobello), goat cheese and...basil, of course!  Topped off with pesto (ours was basil, Kasari's was red pepper).  Both fantastic.

And for dessert....blueberry and basil compote with ricotta cheese.  Guests were suspicious, but won over in the end.

I really do have to work on my photographs - they're always a case of "oh no!  we didn't take a picture!  stop eating!"  Hopefully next time, I'll do the food justice.  In the meantime, you'll just have to trust me.  It was fan-friggin-tastic.

How unimportant

I just read a lovely little blog post that I want to share.  Actually, I can't decide if it's entirely lovely, because it points up something that disturbs me, but also comforts.  It's an odd thing.  The post is about how nothing in the writer's life is actually important, including plastic, his car, his tv, etc.  Which is disturbing at face value.  When he explains why, of course, it's not really the object, but what it enables in his life, and the things that "really matter" come shining through.  But still, he is left realizing that it's all important.

It got me thinking. 

Anyway, read it, if you have a minute (it's short), and see what you think.

http://shavingsanddust.blogspot.com/2010/07/importance.html