5 Minute Crafts Magazine - December 2019

TRADITIONAL HOLIDAY

December 2019 $5.99 (Canada) $3.99 (US)

Delicious Holiday Recipes: Turkey, Eggnog & Ham Simple Christmas Wreath

december 2019

CONTENTS

“During the day, I don’t believe in ghosts. At night, I’m a little more open-minded.”

-Unknown

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DECEMBER 2019

CONTENTS

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style

home

HAIR GOALS When choosing the perfect hairstyle, it’s not enough to simply browse ideas on the internet and pick the one that you like the most. If you want your hair to truly bring out your best features and make your overall look wellbalanced, considering your face shape is a must.

LOOKING AT YOU It seems that cleaning a mirror is an easy task — all you need to do is spray it with a special cleaning agent and wipe it. However, oftentimes streaks are left even when you use a goodquality spray for cleaning glass, while the oldfashioned way of cleaning mirrors with the help of newspapers leads to the appearance of lint and dust.

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OILY GOODNESS Excess oil or sebum on the skin can be due to various factors, such as environmental conditions or the use of unsuitable products for the type of skin you have. This can cause the face to look very shiny and feel oily every time you touch it, especially around the socalled T-zone. However, there are several natural and home remedies that can help alleviate this problem.

But, you should be cautious with using these masks if you experience skin irritation or have suffered allergic reactions in the past.

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GROWING BLOOMS Indoor orchids are among the most beautiful flowers you can grow on your window sill. Some types of orchids don’t require special attention, while others, on the contrary, are quite whimsical plants. However, if you manage to create suitable conditions for them, they will delight you with their flowering more than once.

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health

food

departments

DRUNK IN LOVE Alcohol addiction is a serious thing that can affect all aspects of your life and put your relationships with your peers at risk.

A GREEN BLEND Pesto, which in Genoese means “to crush,” is a classic Italian technique to make sauces with fresh ingredients.

EDITOR'S LETTER

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features

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HOLIDAY GATHERINGS All over the world, people make celebratory meals for Christmas and New Year's Day that are generally considered to be the best and most delicious in their national culinary tradition.

Their reputation has often been proved over generations, with each and every one of them falling in love with their own particular delicacies.

holidays

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2019 GIFT GUIDE 30+ ideas to give this season for everyone on your list

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CHRISTMAS BAKING Nice-looking desserts always complement any celebration table and you don’t need to spend a lot of time and energy to create them.

Oftentimes, you can even use ready-made products as a base and let your imagination run wild.

living

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DECORATE THE DOOR Although it’s not common everywhere to light candles on a Christmas wreath, in many countries, this decoration has become a symbol of winter magic and the upcoming holidays.

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TRICKS & TIPS

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CHILL & DRAW COVER PHOTO © 5-MINUTE CRAFTS / YOUTUBE

PILAR GUZMÁN Editor In-Chief

FOOD DIRECTOR Annabelle Waugh FASHION & BEAUTY DIRECTOR Julia McEwen HOME & GARDEN DIRECTOR Brett Walther MANAGING EDITOR Day Helesic TEST KITCHEN SENIOR FOOD SPECIALIST Irene Fong FOOD SPECIALISTS Jennifer Bartoli, Amanda Barnier ARTICLES EDITOR, FOOD Gilean Watts INTERN Jessica Bronstein ART CONSULTING DESIGN DIRECTOR Brendan Fisher ACTING ART DIRECTOR June F. Anderson SENIOR ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Henrietta Poon CONTRIBUTING ART DIRECTORS Lisa de Nikolits, Leanne Gilbert FEATURES HEALTH EDITOR Kate Daley CONTRIBUTING HEALTH EDITOR Tralee Pearce SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR Jill Buchner ASSOCIATE EDITOR, FASHION & BEAUTY Andrea Karr CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Jacqueline Kovacs

COPY & OPERATIONS EDITORIAL OPERATIONS & ASSISTANT BUSINESS MANAGER Olga Goncalves Costa COPY EDITOR Stephanie Zolis CONTRIBUTING COPY EDITORS Ruth Hanley, Debbie Madsen Villamere ASSISTANT EDITOR Teresa Sousa INTERNS William Dixon, Thalia Gamage, Natalie Wong

EDITORIAL DEPUTY EDITOR Jessica Pollack SENIOR EDITORS Ariel Brewster, Sadiya Dendar, Simone Olivero CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Claire Gagne ASSISTANT EDITOR Kevin John Siazon COPY EDITOR Kelly Jones PROOFREADER Janet Morassutti INTERNS Emily McDonald, Arisa Valyear

ART CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER Colleen Nicholson IN-HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHERS Carmen Cheung, Erik Putz

MARKETING SERVICES & CREATIVE SOLUTIONS General Sales Manager CAROLINE K. BRETON Creative Brand Director LAURA DENTON CONTENT DIRECTOR Kim Alison Fraser MANAGING EDITOR Renée Sylvestre-Williams MANAGER, STRATEGY AND IDEATION Stevie Gorrie STRATEGISTS Sarah Drake, Jessica Lee, Marcela Perez ART DIRECTORS Susan Jackson, Suzanne LaCorte, Peter Robertson JUNIOR COPY WRITER Victoria DiPlacibo SENIOR DIRECTOR, CLIENT DELIVERY Stefany Pierce CAMPAIGN MANAGERS Melissa Carmichael, Ivan McBurney, Rob Stephenson, Inga Terzopoulos

PRODUCTION PRODUCTION TEAM LEAD Carol Zephyrine RESEARCH SENIOR RESEARCH ANALYST Eva Chau MARKETING , COMMUNICATIONS & EVENTS SENIOR DIRECTOR Tracy Finkelstein MANAGER Silvana Sciortino SENIOR SPECIALIST Erin Quinn SPECIALISTS Carlie McGhee, Summer Varty, Alyson Young SENIOR DESIGNER Colin Elliott CONSUMER MARKETING GROUP VICE-PRESIDENT, CONSUMER MARKETING Christopher Purcell GROUP CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Doris Chan PRODUCT MARKETING MANAGERS Yen Duong, Amanda Stone DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER Jason Patterson DIRECTOR, NEWSSTAND SALES Pat Strangis

BUSINESS BUSINESS MANAGER Nancy Baker DIGITAL SOLUTIONS GROUP GENERAL MANAGER, NATIONAL PORTALS Ray Ostor

PRODUCTION PRODUCTION MANAGER Pat Danaher DIGITAL COLOUR SPECIALIST Nicole Duplantis (on leave), Katarina Marinic

ST. JOSEPH COMMUNICATIONS CHAIRMAN + CEO Tony Gagliano VICE-CHAIRMAN John Gagliano PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER, SJC MEDIA Ken Hunt SENIOR VICE-PRESIDENT, REVENUE Lynn Chambers VICE-PRESIDENT, CONTENT & CREATIVE Maryam Sanati MANAGING DIRECTOR, CONSUMER REVENUE Allan Yue MANAGING DIRECTOR, RESEARCH & CONSUMER INSIGHTS Clarence Poirier MANAGING DIRECTOR, MARKETING Nadine Silverthorne DIRECTOR, CUSTOMER SUCCESS Terry Smith DIRECTOR, PRODUCTION Maria Mendes MANAGING DIRECTOR, Branded Content Sasha Emmons HEAD OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Jason Maghanoy DIRECTOR, MARKETING SPONSORSHIPS Jessika Fink

Visit us at 5minutecrafts.site

St. Joseph Communications can be reached at 15 Benton Road, Toronto, M6M 3G2

5 Minute Crafts is published by St. Joseph Communications, 15 Benton Road, Toronto M6M 3G2. Montreal office: 249, rue Saint-Jacques, Bureau 201, Montréal H2Y 1M6. Vancouver advertising office: 180 West 2nd Avenue, Vancouver V5Y 3T9. Contents copyright 2019 by St. Joseph Communications; may not be reprinted without written permission. Article proposals and manuscripts must be accompanied by self-addressed envelopes and sufficient postage; otherwise they will not be returned or acknowledged. While the publishers will take all reasonable care, they will not be responsible for the loss of any manuscript, drawing or photograph. ISSN 0009-1995. Single copy price: $4.99 + tax. Full subscription prices: Canada, 1 year (10 issues), $15 + tax. In U.S., 1 year, $45; foreign countries, $75. Indexed in the Canadian Periodical Index. Printed in Canada by St. Joseph Communications, Print. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada. 5 Minute Crafts receives unsolicited materials (including letters to the editor, press releases, promotional items and images) from time to time. 5 Minute Crafts, its affiliates and assignees may use, reproduce, publish, republish, distribute, store and archive such unsolicited submissions in whole or in part in any form or medium whatsoever, without compensation of any sort. This statement does not apply to materials and/or pitches submitted by freelance writers, photographers or illustrators in accordance with known industry practices.

EDITOR'S NOTE

Communicate with each other TheSoul Publishing’s content is entertaining, fun, and amusing — however we acknowledge that, on occasion, has also been factually incorrect. This self-reflection surfaced last week when select media outlets attempted to falsely label us as a foreign propaganda machine. While this label is absolutely untrue, and honestly hurtful, these same media outlets did accurately bring to light factual mistakes in a very small portion of the videos which we created. The published videos, often presented by an animated talking banana, focused around history — specifically Russia, United States, and several additional countries. The videos were loose with facts and at times conveyed incorrect information.

Of the thousands of videos we produced in 2019 — showcasing DIY projects, crafts, puzzles, riddles, beauty tips, and even animated avocados — these historically questionable videos make up less than .001%. That being said, whether just a single video or hundreds, we take the utmost pride in getting information correct for our audience. So we have taken down the content in question and are currently reviewing our internal fact-checking process across all of our channels. In addition, we made an editorial decision to no longer post any historical focused content.

T

We would also like to provide further insight into our business model.

Similar to other digital content creators and publishers in our industry, TheSoul Publishing has multiple ways to monetize across its social media platforms, utilizing the wide range of monetization products and solutions offered by our platform partners. For example, YouTube monetization includes programmatic ad sales via Ad-Sense, posts with paid product placement. While on Facebook, we utilize the platform’s in-stream advertising and we also monetize via advertising provided by ad networks. Having said that, we work closely with our platform partners and strictly adhere to their policies. heSoul Publishing would like to address some recent headlines and rumors regarding our company.

TheSoul Publishing is a fast-growing digital media company that produces entertainment focused content for a global audience.

Headed by the CEO & co-founders Pavel Radaev and Marat Mukhametov, who are of Russian origin, TheSoul Publishing headquarters and international management team are in Cyprus with additional offices in Europe, Russia, and the United States — as well as over one thousand amazing team members working remotely around the world.

Our popular content channels viewed across such platforms as Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram include 5-Minute Crafts, Bright Side, 7-Second Riddles, 123 Go!, Avocado Couple, Frankenfood, Slick Slime Sam, Smart Banana, and Doodland. In addition to English we produce content in 17 languages including Spanish, Portuguese, French, Russian, Arabic, Korean, Italian, German, Japanese, and Chinese. Over 90% of our global watch time happens outside of the United States.

We’ve never worked with any government or semi-government organization of any country or produced content curated for a thirdparty except for advertising partners. Advertising partnerships are clearly disclosed and comply with both social media platforms and local regulations.

Lastly, the infiltration of fake foreign political advertising and propaganda across any social media platform to any country is unacceptable. Although disappointing we have to address this — to be clear, this is not what TheSoul Publishing does, did, or will ever do.

TheSoul Publishing is a digital creator with the goal to entertain global audiences.

We thank our loyal viewers, partners, and those learning about us for the first time. In 2020, we look forward to sharing with you more enjoyable content and for you to further get to know TheSoul Publishing brand.

PILAR GUZMÁN Editor In-Chief

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DECEMBER 2019

style HAIR GOALS When choosing the perfect hairstyle, it’s not enough to simply browse ideas on the internet and pick the one that you like the most. If you want your hair to truly bring out your best features and make your overall look well-balanced, considering your face shape is a must.

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STYLE

Round face shape

Oval face shape

Square face shape

How to determine: If the width of your face is almost the same as its length, you don’t have defined cheekbones, your facial features are soft, and your hairline is rounded, you’re likely to have a round face shape.

What to focus on: To make your face look more balanced, you may want to try to make your face appear longer and add more angles.

What hairstyles to choose: Go for layered hairstyles that will help add angles to your face. You can choose a relevant style regardless of the length of your hair.

If you have middle-length hair, try a bob hairstyle. The layers should start slightly below the chin. You may also want to curl your hair away from your face to make your face appear slightly longer.

Long hair is a good option too because it helps to elongate the face. If you like curls, go for the loose style because tight curls may make your face look fuller and rounder. You may also want to try a side part to attract more attention to the center of your face.

Bangs are a good option for this face shape. Just go for side-swept bangs and not for straight-cut bangs because this asymmetrical hairstyle will help highlight your cheekbones and lips.

How to determine: If you have a tall forehead, your cheekbones are the widest part of your face, your face length is greater than its width and your jaw and chin aren’t sharp, you’re likely to have an oval face shape.

What to focus on: Your face has perfect proportions so most hairstyles are likely to look good on you.

What hairstyles to choose: You can go for extremely short hairstyles because of your face shape without worrying that your face might look disproportionate.

But if you want to make your look softer, leave the top part of your hair in your short haircut a bit longer.

If you have long hair with layers, make sure layers start at your chin so they nicely frame your face and highlight your features.

Sleek hairstyles are also a good option because they draw all the attention to your face and bring out your features.

When it comes to bangs, you can go for almost every option you like including edgy mid-forehead short bangs. But it’s better to avoid heavy bangs.

How to determine: If your face has almost similar length and width, you have a strong jawline, your forehead’s width is almost the same as your jaw’s width, and there are almost no curves in your cheekbones, you’re likely to have a square face.

What to focus on: You may want to try accentuating your cheekbones and softening your jawline.

What hairstyles to choose: Try side parting to soften your features. But make sure it’s not too deep, otherwise, you may accentuate the angles of your face.

If you have long hair, you can add layers to frame your face and bring more attention to your cheekbones. Also, make sure the ends of your hair are light and tapered.

If you want to wear your hair shorter and still flatter your jawline, go for a bob that ends slightly above your shoulders or touches them.

Make sure the hairstyle is textured. Curls are also a good option. Just don’t make the curls too wide and focus on adding volume to the roots of your hair.

When it comes to bangs, choose a side-swept style.

It’ll help break angles on your face and make it appear softer.

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Diamond face shape How to determine: If your cheekbones are wider than your forehead and your jawline, your chin is narrow and pointed, and the length of your face is almost the same as its width, you’re likely to have a diamondshaped face.

What to focus on: You may want to try to draw attention away from your cheekbones and make your forehead and jawline wider.

What hairstyles to choose: Short hairstyles, like lobs and pixie cuts, look great on diamond faces because they help to make the jawline softer. Just avoid blunt hair ends and go for more textured alternatives.

If you have long hair, try adding layers staring at the jawline. Curling your hair and making it more voluminous is also a great option because this hairstyle will help balance your cheekbones.

Go for high sleek ponytails to draw more attention to your facial features and enhance your cheekbones.

If you decide to go for bangs, choose side-swept styles or long bangs. They’ll hide a part of your forehead making it appear wider and will help to frame your eyes, attracting more attention to the face.

Heart face shape How to determine: If your forehead and your cheekbones have almost the same width, your jawline is narrow, your chin is pointed, and your face’s length is slightly greater than its width, you’re likely to have a heart face shape.

What to focus on: You may want to try to balance your face and accentuate your cheekbones.

What hairstyles to choose: A pixie haircut looks great with the heart-shaped face because it helps you emphasize your cheekbones and highlights the eyes.

If you prefer long hair, choose long layers to elongate your face. Going for a side part may also be a good option to balance your face.

When curling your hair, focus on making your hair fuller at the bottom to make the narrow part of your face appear wider.

Go for long side-swept or wispy bangs to partly cover your forehead and make it appear less heavy.

STYLE

OILY GOODNESS

Excess oil or sebum on the skin can be due to various factors, such as environmental conditions or the use of unsuitable products for the type of skin you have. This can cause the face to look very shiny and feel oily every time you touch it, especially around the socalled T-zone. However, there are several natural and home remedies that can help alleviate this problem. But, you should be cautious with using these masks if you experience skin irritation or have suffered allergic reactions in the past.

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STYLE Banana and lemon Your skin naturally produces oil as a means of protection and hydration. If that oil is produced in excess, it might build up in your pores and end up causing acne and inflammation of the skin in general. Lemon is known for helping clear clogged pores, but be careful to not be exposed to direct sunlight right after using the mask as lemon can stain your skin in that case. On the other hand, bananas can also absorb the oil. You can make a face mask to reduce this discomfort on your skin by following these steps: 1. Mash 1 banana with a fork.

2. Add 10 drops of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of olive oil, and mix until you obtain a homogeneous paste.

3. Apply to your face and leave on for 15 minutes.

4. Rinse with lukewarm water and gently pat dry.

Honey and oats Oatmeal is known for properties that allow it to absorb excess oil from the skin and help soothe inflammation. It also works as an exfoliant by removing dead skin, which makes it a great ingredient to add to your DIY face masks. Honey, on the other hand, has antiseptic and antiinflammatory properties that could come in handy as well.

Use both natural ingredients by following these steps: 1. Mix ½ cup of ground oatmeal with ¼ cup of hot water until it forms a paste.

2. Add 1 tablespoon of honey and stir.

3. Massage your face with the mixture for 3 minutes or leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Then rinse with warm water and carefully pat your skin dry without scrubbing.

Egg whites and lemon Egg whites and lemons can help tighten pores, meaning that pores that are very open could look smaller with the proper care. In turn, the acid found in some citrus fruits like lemons or limes can absorb excess oil from the skin, as we previously mentioned. There is also evidence pointing toward the idea that lemon actually has antibacterial properties, which can be beneficial for people with acne, for example.

You can make a mask for your face using the following procedure: 1. Mix 1 egg white with 1 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice.

2. Apply it on your face and let it dry.

3. Remove with warm water and dry carefully.

Tomato and sugar

Aloe vera Aloe vera is commonly used to treat sunburns as well as various skin conditions that include but are not limited to excess oiliness. Its antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and antibacterial properties make it an excellent alternative to chemical treatments that alleviate acne in an efficient and natural way.

Use this natural ingredient on your face, as follows: 1. Apply a thin layer of aloe vera gel before going to bed.

2. Leave it on overnight.

3. Remove it in the morning by rinsing with warm water.

If you know you suffer from very sensitive skin, we recommend testing it on your forearm before applying it to your face.

The acid found in tomatoes could help your skin absorb excess oils from the upper layers while at the same time unclogging pores. On the other hand, the texture of certain types of sugar could act as an exfoliant, which will leave your skin clean and smooth as long as you apply it correctly. Remember that you could also exfoliate your skin too much, and that will be counterproductive. If you want to make this mask, follow these steps: 1. Mix 1 teaspoon of sugar and the pulp of 1 tomato.

2. Apply on the skin with circular movements.

3. Leave on for 5 minutes.

4. Remove with warm water and pat dry with a towel.

Almonds and honey Almonds are a very common ingredient in beauty products. This is because they can help exfoliate your skin and absorb excess oil as well as get rid of certain impurities.

In turn, honey serves as an excellent natural moisturizer, leaving your skin soft and hydrated. To prepare a mask with these ingredients you have to: 1. Grind 3 teaspoons of almonds in a blender or food processor into a paste.

2. Mix with 2 tablespoons of honey.

3. Apply to your face and leave on for 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Rinse with warm water and dry thoroughly.

Oatmeal and baking soda Both ingredients contain compounds that help exfoliate your skin. This, in turn, removes dead skin cells and unclogs the excess oil or impurities from pores. To prepare a mask with these you have to: 1. Mix 2 teaspoons of oatmeal and 1 teaspoon of baking soda in a bowl.

2. Add a few drops of water to form a paste.

3. Gently massage the mixture onto your face and let it dry.

4. Rinse with warm water and finish with a moisturizer.

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home

LOOKING AT YOU It seems that cleaning a mirror is an easy task — all you need to do is spray it with a special cleaning agent and wipe it. However, oftentimes streaks are left even when you use a good-quality spray for cleaning glass, while the old-fashioned way of cleaning mirrors with the help of newspapers leads to the appearance of lint and dust.

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HOME You’ll need

1 — spray bottle and glass cleaning agent 2 — rubbing alcohol 3 — spongy wipe or sponge 4 — a microfiber cloth 5 — white (table) vinegar 6 — shaving foam

How to wash the mirror

Step 1. Remove the traces of hairspray and other dirty stains by wiping the surface of the mirror with a cotton pad or a microfiber cloth dipped in rubbing alcohol.

Step 2. Apply the glass-cleaning agent on the mirror with the help of a spray bottle. Wipe the surface dry with the microfiber cloth. Move as if you are trying to draw the “S” letter on the mirror, from one edge of the mirror to the other. Simultaneously try to grab and remove excess dirt from the mirror’s surface.

Step 3. When you finish, move away and look at the mirror from different angles — make sure the surface is evenly cleaned. It’s ready!

How to make a glass-cleaning agent

You’ll need: 1/2 glass of distilled water 1/2 glass of white vinegar How to make it: Mix the ingredients in one container and pour the liquid into a spray bottle.

The main advantage of this agent is that it is an eco-friendly and simple composition, and the absence of streaks on the glass after using it. The smell of vinegar disappears in a couple of minutes after applying it to the surface.

Useful tips

If you find it difficult to clean water stains due to limescale, mix 1 part white vinegar and 1 part water (preferably distilled) in a container. Wet a sponge in the liquid and slowly wipe the glass. Make sure the sponge stays wet. To remove stubborn stains, apply a sponge to them and keep it there for a few minutes.

Stains from toothpaste and fingerprints can be quickly removed from a mirror if you wet a cotton pad in a small amount of rubbing alcohol and wipe the surface with it.

It’s better first to get rid of noticeable and stubborn stains and then evenly apply the cleaning agent to the entire surface of the mirror and wipe it dry. Otherwise, there could be streaks left over after the cleaning process.

To prevent the bathroom mirror from fogging up, apply shaving foam to it, then wipe dry with a microfiber towel or cloth. The mirror won’t fog up for a long time.

Later, simply repeat the same procedure.

Don’t use tissues or old newspapers to clean and wipe mirrors. They can leave lint, dust, and leftovers of paper with ink. Instead, it’s better to use a thin wipe made of microfiber.

HOME

GROWING BLOOMS

Indoor orchids are among the most beautiful flowers you can grow on your window sill.

Some types of orchids don’t require special attention, while others, on the contrary, are quite whimsical plants. However, if you manage to create suitable conditions for them, they will delight you with their flowering more than once.

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HOME What type of light an orchid needs

How to maintain humidity

If you are not sure whether the light from your window suits the orchid, do a simple test. In the daytime, when the sun shines brightest, place your hand a couple of inches above the plant and look at the shadow it casts. If there is almost no shadow on the plant, then the light intensity is too low; if you can see a dark clear shadow, the light is too bright and harsh. If a small shadow of a light gray color falls on the orchid from your hand, the light is perfect for the plant.

If possible, don’t use tap water, which may contain impurities harmful to the plant. It’s better to spray it with boiled or settled water.

Orchids love light, but direct sunlight is dangerous for them — too much of it causes the leaves to sunburn. It’s best to place these plants in the areas with diffused light or on windows that face east or south.

How to water orchids correctly

Despite the fact that the natural environment for orchids is tropical forests, these plants don’t need abundant watering at home. Their roots can rot from too much water.

To prevent this from happening, use one of the 3 most popular watering methods.

Submerging 1. Take a bowl, bucket, or any other deep container. Place the pot with the orchid into it (make sure that the pot has drainage holes).

2. Pour water at room temperature into the deep container so that the level of water is slightly lower than the brim of the orchid pot.

3. After 10-15 minutes, remove the orchid from the water and allow it to drain for 5 minutes. Then return it to its home.

4. Depending on where the orchid is placed and the time of year, submerge it once a week.

Pouring 1. Make sure that your orchid pots have drainage holes through which excess water can leave the pot. If there are no drainage holes, consider a different watering method or think of changing the pot.

2. Pour approximately one cup of water into each orchid pot weekly.

3. Avoid getting water into the crevices of the leaves. If this happens, grab a towel and dab any excess moisture away to prevent rot.

Ice cubes Ice cubes straight from a small or medium-sized ice cube tray are a great way to water orchids. They improve absorption, help to avoid overwatering, and prevent root rot.

Pop in one cube twice a week on top of the potting medium underneath the leaves.

Look at the orchid’s roots to find out whether the plant needs watering. Roots that are green are getting just the right amount of water. If the roots are soggy and brown, the plant is getting too much water. If the roots are grey or white, the plant needs more water.

To tell if it’s time for watering, stick your finger in the potting mix, pull it out, and rub your fingers together. You should easily be able to feel if there’s any moisture. If you don’t feel any, it’s time to water your orchid, and if your fingers feel moist, check again another day.

Apart from watering, orchids also need regular moistening of the leaves and aerial roots. To maintain a favorable environment, it’s necessary to spray the plants with water a couple of times a day.

How to feed an orchid

Experts recommend feeding orchids regularly and using complex fertilizers that don’t contain urea. You can use either a fertilizer designed specifically for orchids or a universal fertilizer for indoor plants.

Orchids will do far better with too little fertilizer than with too much. Many growers recommend the weakly approach, applying a dilute fertilizer each time they water it, rather than applying a full dose once a month.

Pay attention to the state your plant is in before feeding it.

When you notice the orchid is actively growing, fertilize it. If you spot that the orchid is in poor condition, avoid fertilizing. Also, if you’re using liquid food, don’t pour it over the plant’s leaves, as this will burn them.

How often you need to repot an orchid, and how to do it right

You should not transplant orchids without a serious reason to avoid excess stress to the plant. It’s worth changing the potting mix every 1 to 2 years on average. During this time, soil particles get destroyed and a sufficient number of dead roots are formed, which need to be removed during transplantation. Also, the orchid needs to be transplanted when the pot becomes too small for it. When the flower seems to begin to crawl out of the pot, it’s time to transplant it.

Important: It’s better to transplant an orchid after the flowering period, but before it has a dormant period.

When repotting a plant, follow this scheme: 1. Choose the potting mix and pot for the orchid. If you’re repotting a plant into a bigger container, keep in mind that the plant will have to stay in this pot for about 2 years.

2. If the new mix is dry, moisten it by soaking it in water for 1 to 2 hours before transplanting. You can also remove excess dust from the mix by using a fine-mesh strainer and rinsing it under running water.

3. Disinfect the tool with which you will be pruning the orchid roots. You can heat it on the stove, boil it, or soak it in a disinfectant solution for 20 minutes. Orchids are very susceptible to viruses, so a sterile tool should always be used when transplanting and pruning.

4. Carefully remove the orchid from the pot. When necessary, cut only the stems or roots if you can’t loosen the orchid from the pot. Or you can cut the plastic pot which has become too small for your orchid to remove the root system with minimal damage.

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HOME 5. Rinse the roots with warm water to remove any remaining medium.

6. Use only a sterilized cutting tool when trimming. Only trim soft and brown roots, yellow leaves, and shriveled pseudobulbs.

7. Gently place the roots inside the new pot and make sure it’s of the same depth as the old pot. Put enough potting mix into the pot so that it reaches the base of the orchid.

8. Gently press the potting mix in and around the roots with the use of your fingers. Tilt the pot carefully from side to side to ensure the plant won’t flop around.

How to choose potting mix for transplanting

A fresh, fast-draining but water-retentive potting mix is essential to the healthy root system necessary for good growth. It can be a bark-based mix, a peat-based mix, or some inorganic, basic hydroponic method.

When choosing potting mix, keep in mind the orchid species you have. Bark doesn’t hold much water and drains quickly, which makes it a good choice for orchids like Phalaenopsis and Cattleya that need to dry out between waterings. Other orchids, such as lady’s slippers and nun’s orchids, like more dampness and will do better if you don’t let them dry out. Moss is a good choice for these species because it’ll supply them with moisture for a longer period of time between waterings.

How to cut an orchid

Spikes of the majority of orchids (excluding Phalaenopsis) don’t re-bloom and require cutting. Phalaenopsis will generally re-bloom given a little extra care. When the last flower fades, you can leave the spike (stem) on and it will still continue flowering, but the stem gets very ungainly and the flowers get smaller.

Before cutting, evaluate the state of the spike. If the spike is brown or yellow, it’s most probably unhealthy and requires pruning. If so, it’s best to cut an inch above the base of the stem. If the spike is green and healthy (with no signs of sickness or drying), you should trim the stem just above the notch/node where the first flower has bloomed. This will allow a new shoot to emerge.

Important: When you make the cut, be sure to cut diagonally.

A plantlet called a keiki will sometimes grow on a flower spike. Initially small, it will grow several leaves and then roots, at which time it can be removed to propagate a new plant. Once the roots grow a couple of inches long, gently remove the plantlet with a sterile knife and pot in a container.

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holidays 2019 GIFT GUIDE

30+ ideas to give this season for everyone on your list

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2019 GIFT GUIDE

For fashion & beauty L'Occitane Holiday Fragrance Trio L'Occitane, $60, theshoppingchannel.com

Verbena & Lavender de Provence hand cream and shower gel

Cluster chandelier earrings RW & Co., $14, rw-co.com

Crabtree & Evelyn hand cream, $8, crabtree-evelyn.ca Crabtree & Evelyn bath and shower gel, $20, crabtree-evelyn.ca

Shoes

The Bay, $130, thebay.com

This Moment watch

Sleeveless dress

Swatch, $75, swatch.com

Cameo, $220, mendocino.ca

Leather gloves FCUK Zipped Up, $78, frenchconnection.com

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DECEMBER 2019

Soft scarf

H&M, $15, hm.com/ca

2019 GIFT GUIDE

For home & decor

Snowglobe Art deco decanter set Indigo decanter, $40, chapters.indigo.ca Indigo lowball glasses, $35 (four-piece set), chapters.indigo.ca

PC, $12, loblaw.ca

Silver Menorah Crate & Barrel, $53, crateandbarrel.com

T-Fal OptiGrill

T-Fal, $250, canadiantire.ca

Holiday tea towels

10-in-1 bartender tool

Target, $6, target.ca

Bar10der, $50, thebay.com

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DECEMBER 2019

Softest throw Portfolio, $32, indigo.ca

2019 GIFT GUIDE

For kids & the whole family Smartphone gloves and cover H&M, $15, hm.com/ca

Jabberwocky: A BabyLit Nonsense Primer

Jennifer Adams and Alison Oliver, $12, amazon.ca

Stamp set Fire station and truck Hape Toys Fire Station, $100 US, hapetoys.com Hape Toys Fire Truck, $35 US, hapetoys.com

Bleeker Jr. chewbeads necklace

Chewbeads, $24, chewbeads.com

Target, $7, target.ca

Felt fox headband

Giddy Up and Grow, $26, etsy.com/ca/shop/giddyupandgr ow

Air hockey table

Redline Acclaim, $228, walmart.ca

Dinosaur hoodie H&M, $10, hm.com/ca

My Even More Wonderful World of Fashion colouring book

Nina Chakrabarti, $23, thebay.com

Graffiti snowboard Canadian Tire, $40, canadiantire.ca

Mini constellation map

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DECEMBER 2019

Restoration Hardware, $24, restorationhardware.com

DRUNK IN LOVE

health

Alcohol addiction is a serious thing that can affect all aspects of your life and put your relationships with your peers at risk.

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DECEMBER 2019

HEALTH Make a plan.

Sit down and carefully choose a plan that works for you. Think about things you can do when you feel like drinking and set goals. For example: Determine the day you will be starting your alcohol-free life.

Plan what you will do if you feel like drinking.

Keep a record of your doctor’s recommendations.

Write down your intermediate goals, such as going one week alcohol-free, one month, 3 months, etc.

Get rid of any bottles of alcohol you have in your house.

Avoid this kind of trigger. Make it impossible to drink at home by getting rid of all bottles and cans of alcohol.

If you feel like giving up, remember the reasons why you’re going through this process in the first place.

Find support in the people around you.

This decision requires help and support from your friends and family. Let them know how you feel during this process and write down a list of people you can call when you feel like drinking. Talking to these people is a great way to discuss your problems. You can also ask them to meet you and you can do something fun instead of drink.

Learn to say no.

Learn how to be comfortable saying “no, thanks” when someone offers you a drink.

Don’t hesitate to say no or you’ll have enough time to think about an excuse to drink. Be proud of your progress.

Find and practice selfcare strategies.

Long walks and meditation are very good practices for such cases. You can also repeat positive affirmations before bed. For example, recall how proud of yourself you are and the good things you’ve accomplished.

Remind yourself that this process can be long and you may experience some setbacks. Remember all the reasons why you’re doing this. Some of them may include: You want a better family life and to have more time and energy to spend with your kids.

You want to perform better at work.

You want to be healthier.

You want to have full control of your actions, etc.

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DECEMBER 2019

Talk to your doctor.

This is one of the most important steps. You should talk to your doctor about this decision.

The withdrawal of alcohol can be very dangerous as it can slow down your brain. A doctor can make the process much safer.

Avoid social situations where people are going to drink.

You should avoid situations where you’ll meet with people that are going to drink, like while eating out at restaurants, going the pub, etc.

Avoid temptation at all costs.

Reward yourself.

Acknowledge your progress and how great you’re doing. Start rewarding yourself for every goal you reach, like when you hit one week of being alcohol-free, one month, and so on. For example, buy yourself some new clothes with the money you’re saving from not drinking alcohol.

December 51

DECEMBER 2019

Christmas Yule Log from France

Spicy and thick eggnog from the USA and Canada

HOLIDAY GATHERINGS

All over the world, people make celebratory meals for Christmas and New Year's Day that are generally considered to be the best and most delicious in their national culinary tradition. Their reputation has often been proved over generations, with each and every one of them falling in love with their own particular delicacies.

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DECEMBER 2019

Juicy turkey with cranberry sauce from the UK

Turkey is the queen of the Christmas table in the UK. From there, the custom of eating one on the 25th has spread to the greater part of Europe and America. We offer the classic recipe - it has nothing extra in it, allowing you to relish the delicious and juicy meat above all.

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DECEMBER 2019

If it's turkey in America, then in Germany, the true king of the festive table is a fragrant apple-stuffed goose.

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DECEMBER 2019

Aromatic applestuffed goose from Germany

Juicy turkey with cranberry sauce

A large turkey Olive oil (melted butter) 1 onion 1 lemon salt and pepper according to taste fresh or dried herbs: parsley, rosemary, thyme, sage

1. Rinse the turkey and then pat it dry with paper towels. Bend the tail and rub the inside cavity with salt and pepper. Place the herbs inside (if you have dried ones don't spare them when rubbing the meat), cut the onion and lemon into quarters. Put aside one quarter of each.

2. Push the tail inside so that the juice doesn't evaporate through it when roasting. Сlose the hole in the stomach as much as possible by securing the skin with toothpicks (or you can sew it). Tie the legs together with string.

3. Pull up the neck skin a little and push the remaining onion and lemon quarters into the throat. Cover the hole with skin.

4. Rub the turkey with salt, pepper and spices and brush the whole body with oil (you can be careful with the salt and it will be still delicious). Place with breast side down on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Tuck the wing tips towards the back to avoid them burning during the roasting process.

5. Put the turkey in an oven preheated to 390°F (200°C). An hour later, reduce the heat to 300°F (150°C). At this stage, you can cover it with foil, if you wish. But don't forget to remove the foil half an hour before it's ready to get that goldenbrown colour. After another hour, remove the turkey from the oven, turn it breast side up, place it back in the oven and roast until it's ready.

6. How should you calculate the time it needs to cook? It takes about an hour for every four pounds (two kilos) of weight, that means that 13-pound (6-kilo) bird will be ready in about three hours.

7. And the last stage — after taking the turkey out of the oven, don't rush to serve it. Cover the turkey with foil and leave it for half an hour. This way it will be juicier and tastier.

For the cranberry sauce 7 oz (200 g) cranberries 2 red onions 1 apple 3 garlic cloves 1-inch (3 cm) ginger root 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil Sugar and salt according to taste 1/2 cup of cold water

1. Peel the apple and remove the core. Cut into cubes. Cut the onion into wedges, and the garlic into thin stripes. Mince the ginger.

2. Heat some vegetable oil in a sauté pan.

Add the onion and fry; add the garlic, ginger and apple. Cook for another five minutes.

3. Add the cranberries, and pour in the water. Bring the sauce to the boil over a high heat and stir for about ten minutes until the mixture is thickened.

4. Season with sugar and salt according to taste. Allow to cool before serving.

Spicy and thick eggnog 6 egg yolks 0.9 cup of sugar 1.5 cups of rum or brandy 2 cups of milk 2 cups of 30% cream 2 pieces of clove Cinnamon and nutmeg according to taste 4 teaspoons of vanilla essence

1. In a saucepan, mix together the milk, cinnamon, cloves and vanilla essence (1/4 teaspoon). Place on a low heat and remove just before it starts to boil.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together the egg yolks and the sugar, whisking briskly until you get a fluffy foam. Gradually pour the milk into the egg mixture, keep whisking without stopping.

3. Pour the mixture into the saucepan and place on a medium heat. Warm without boiling and whisk continuously until the mixture takes on a creamy texture.

Remove the cloves from the mixture, pour into a large jug and chill in the fridge for 2 hours.

4. Later, while mixing thoroughly, add the cream, remaining vanilla essence, nutmeg and white rum. Keep the eggnog in the fridge overnight. To prevent the alcohol from evaporating, cover tightly with cling film or a lid.

5. Pour into cups and sprinkle with cinnamon or cocoa powder before serving.

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DECEMBER 2019

Christmas Yule Log

For the cake: 5 eggs 1/4 cup of sugar 1 teaspoon of vanilla sugar 1 cup of flour 2 tablespoons of butter (and a bit more for glazing) For filling: 2 cups of raw chestnuts 1 tablespoon of honey 2/3 cup of milk 2 egg yolks 4 tablespoons of sugar 1 teaspoon of vanilla sugar 1 teaspoon of potato starch 1 tablespoon of dark rum 1 cup of 33% cream cocoa powder, frosting sugar, white and dark chocolate, hazelnuts or almonds for garnishing

Roasted ham from Finland

Gingerbread cookies from the United Kingdom

1. Make cross-shaped slight cuts on the side of the chestnuts. Cover them with cold water, bring to the boil, simmer for 20 minutes until soft. Drain the water, leave to cool, then peel and grate with a metal sieve. Mix the resulting puree with honey.

2. In a saucepan with a thick bottom, mix together the milk and starch, add the egg yolks, and both the regular and vanilla sugar.

Place on a low heat and cook, constantly whisking until the mixture becomes thick.

Remove from heat, add the chestnut puree with honey and rum, and stir until smooth.

Place in the fridge for two hours.

3. Using mixer, whisk chilled cream into a solid foam. Gradually, add the cream into the cooled mixture, stirring downwards. Place the filling in the fridge for another two hours.

4. For the cake: in a deep heat-resistant bowl, mix together the eggs and the regular and vanilla sugar. Set the bowl in a water bath over a saucepan of slightly boiling water and whisk with a mixer until the mixture becomes warm. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and continue beating until the mixture has cooled and doubled in size. Add the flour and mix gently, then add the chilled melted butter.

5. Line a rectangular baking pan or baking sheet with parchment paper greased with butter, pour in the cake mixture. Place it in an oven preheated to 350-375°F (180-190°C) and bake for five to seven minutes.

6. Remove the baking pan from the oven and immediately turn the sponge cake onto a rack. After five minutes, carefully roll up the sponge cake without removing the parchment and leave it like this for five to ten minutes. Then roll out. This will allow you to roll up the cake when it's cool without breaking it.

7. Pour out a cup of the filling over the cake, flatten with a spatula and roll it up, gradually removing the parchment. Tightly wrap the roll in kitchen foil and place in the fridge for an hour.

8. There are several way of decorating this cake.

You can cover the roll with the remaining cream and put hazelnuts on top (as in the photo), or sprinkle with almonds. Or you can make it look like a real "log". To do this, cut the edge of the roll into one-inch (two cm) thick slices and attach them on top with filling to look like the "knots" of the log. Cover the entire roll on top with the remaining filling, leaving only the edge cuts and the tips of the "knots" uncovered. Apply a wavy pattern with a fork, and sprinkle with cocoa and frosting sugar.

Aromatic applestuffed goose 6.5 to 9 pounds (3.5 to 4 kilos) goose 1 onion 2-3 aromatic apples 1 teaspoon of cumin Salt and ground pepper according to taste 1 shot of strong alcohol (brandy, rum, cognac) 2 tablespoons of flour

1. It's better to soak the goose in heavy salted water overnight — it will be softer this way. Cut away the excess fat from the body (neck and tail), cut off the wing tips and remove the giblets. Rinse and pat dry.

2. For the stuffing, chop the onions and apples into large pieces, add the cumin and mix thoroughly.

3. Rub the whole body with salt and ground pepper (you don't need salt if you already soaked the goose). Using toothpicks or skewers, cover over the throat with skin. Stuff the goose and sew up the hole. Tie the legs together with string.

4. Prick the skin using skewers or another sharp object so that the fat melts better.

Place the apple-stuffed goose breast side down in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) and roast for 50-70 minutes.

5. Once the specified time has passed, carefully turn over the body and roast for the same amount of time, sprinkling the goose with drips of the juice that has run out from time to time. Then cook until it's ready (when you puncture the meat, the juice should be transparent), the cooking time depends on the oven and the size of the bird.

6. While the goose is in the oven, you can make the sauce. Start with the broth.

Place the chopped wings, giblets, fat, spices in a pan and fry with carrot and onion. Fill it with water, bring to a boil and cook for ten minutes.

7. Mix together about 10 tablespoons of goose fat which dripped off during roasting, with two tablespoons of flour.

Place on the heat, add a shot of alcohol, salt and a couple of ladles of goose broth. Stirring regularly, cook until the sauce thickens.

8. Once the goose is ready, leave it to cool for 10-15 minutes, having covered it with foil to make it juicier. Serve with sauce, stuffing can be used as a side.

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DECEMBER 2019

Roasted ham

11 to 17 pounds (5 to 8 kilos) of cured ham 2-4 tablespoons of mustard 2-4 tablespoons of brown sugar 2-4 tablespoons of bread crumbs Cloves for decoration How to make it: 1. Place the ham fat side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Put in the oven and roast for about 40-45 minutes at 300°F (150°C).

2. Remove from the oven and leave it to stand. Remove the skin and subcutaneous fat, as much as you see fit.

3. Mix together the ingredients for coating and rub them over the ham. Put it back in the oven at 435°F (225°C) for ten minutes, or until the whole ham turns a golden-brown colour. Decorate the surface of the ham with cloves.

Version 2: Using dough Many believe that the ham tastes even more delicious if cooked in dough. The dough not only allows the juice to evaporate, but also absorbs the extra salt.

Mix together 2 pounds (800 grams) of rye flour with water to make a soft dough.

Then roll it out until it's 1/5 inch (1/2 cm) thick, and cover the surface of the ham with it. Do not add salt into the dough. If the ham is too salty, the dough layer will absorb the excess salt.

The sauce: Gravy can be used to make a delicious sauce (NB: if you are make a salty ham, the broth will already be very salty). A trusted method is to add a little apple essence, ginger and mustard into the broth and serve with the ham.

Gingerbread cookies

3 tablespoons of honey 2 tablespoons of sugar 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and ginger A pinch of ground nutmeg and coriander 1 teaspoon of baking soda 2.5 oz (70 g) butter 1 egg 1.5 cups of flour

For the icing: 6.3 oz (180 g) frosting sugar 1 egg white 1. Mix together the honey, sugar and all the spices in a saucepan. Allow to simmer, stirring from time to time, until it melts and starts bubbling.

2. After boiling, add the soda to make the mixture rise, then add the butter and stir until it dissolves. Remove from the heat and leave it to cool.

3. Add the egg and mix it in well. Pour in the flour and knead the dough. Leave it for 10-15 minutes.

4. Roll out the dough, cut the figures out and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake cookies for 10-13 minutes at 350-375°F (180-190°C).

5. Make the icing. You need to mix together the frosting sugar and the egg white in a deep plate, then whisk them using mixer until the mixture becomes soft and has a fluffy texture. Pour the mixture into an icing bag or a regular plastic bag, then decorate the ready-made cookies. If you're worried the egg might not be ready to eat, you can put the cookies back in the heated oven for a few minutes.

Danish pork

4 pounds (2 kilos) gammon 1 carrot 1 onion 1.8 oz (50 g) ginger 8 tablespoons of lime (lemon) juice 2 tablespoons of brown sugar (honey) 30 pieces of clove 1 lemon

1. Peel and chop the carrot, onion and ginger. Place the gammon in a large saucepan, cover with water, add the chopped onion, carrot, ginger and six tablespoons of lime juice. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and cook for 2.5 hours until the meat is tender. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool in the broth a little.

2. Preheat the oven to 430°F (220°C). Remove the gammon from the broth, place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan and gently remove the skin without damaging the fat layer. Using a knife, make cuts in the top layer of fat in the form of diamonds, and stick cloves between the cuts. Cut the lemon into four long pieces and add to the meat in the pan.

3. Mix together some brown sugar, honey and the remaining lime juice, and cover the entire surface of the gammon with this mixture. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes until the surface of the gammon is glazed.

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DECEMBER 2019

Delicious potato salad from the Czech Republic

Potato salad is one of the most famous dishes made in the Czech Republic, and certainly, no Christmas feast passes by without this meal. It can be served as an individual dish, or as a side to another Christmas Czech dish - fried carp.

4.5 pounds (2 kilos) of 1. Boil all the root vegetables, potatoes without allowing them to be 2 carrots overcooked. Allow them to cool.

1/2 celery root 2. Cut everything into small cubes.

1 parsley root Mix together the mayonnaise and 1 onion yoghurt (or sour cream) in a 2-3 pickled cucumbers ratio of 1:1, and add a tablespoon 2 eggs of mild mustard dressing. Season 3.5 oz (100 g) yoghurt without with salt and pepper to your sugar (or sour cream) taste, and for the finale add 3.5 oz (100 g) mayonnaise grated apple.

2 sour-sweet apples 1 tablespoon of mustard Salt and pepper according to taste

food A GREEN BLEND Pesto, which in Genoese means “to crush,” is a classic Italian technique to make sauces with fresh ingredients. While originally it’s supposed to be prepared with a special mortar, today it’s possible to use a food processor or a hand blender to make the sauce in under 3 minutes.

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DECEMBER 2019

FOOD

Pesto alla genovese

Pesto rosso

Ingredients 1 or 2 medium cloves of garlic, peeled Coarse sea salt, as needed 3 oz basil leaves (from about a 4-oz bunch), washed with water still clinging to the leaves 2 tbsp (30g) pine nuts 3/4 oz (about 2 tbsp) grated Parmigiano Reggiano (see note 1) 3/4 oz (about 2 tbsp) Pecorino Fiore Sardo (see note 1) 3/4 cup (175ml) mildly flavored extra-virgin olive oil Food processor (see note 2)

Ingredients 14 oz sun-dried tomatoes (400 g) (see note) 2 tbsp pine nuts (30 g) 1 1/2tbsp peeled almonds (20 g) Food processor A couple of basil leaves to taste (optional) Olive oil to taste (optional) 1 1/2 tbsp capers (optional)

Notes 1. Originally, pesto Genovese called for Parmigiano Reggiano cheese only. However, using Pecorino Fiore Sardo is also advised by some because of its sweeter, fruitier, less harsh flavor. If you can’t find it anywhere, you can also just use Pecorino Romano instead, but increase the Parmigiano Reggiano to 1 ounce, and cut the Pecorino to 1/2 ounce. As an experiment for this article, we tried using Grana Padano, which is cheaper and easier to find.

2. The method you use to grind the basil leaves will definitely have an impact on the result. A pesto made with a mortar and pestle will often turn out to be more clearly infused with the flavors of all the ingredients than if you use a food processor. The classic Italian set featuring a marble mortar and a large olivewood pestle remains the best tool to use.

Instructions 1. Remove all stems from your basil bunch.

If you’re using a food processor, place all the ingredients in, except the oil. If you’re using a mortar, the order in which you pestle the ingredients matters. Start by crushing the garlic and sea salt until you obtain a full paste, then add the pine nuts, then the basil leaves, in small batches, until they have all been crushed to fine bits.

If you’re using a food processor, blend until you obtain a smooth mixture, but, while blending, slowly drizzle in olive oil to emulsify it as much as possible with the flavors of the ingredients.

If you’re using a mortar, only now can you add the cheese and the oil, drizzling it in as you work the pesto.

2. Once you’ve obtained a fairly smooth, creamy, emulsified sauce, your pesto is ready to be served with pasta or any other dish you like.

Notes 1. This pesto is typically made with sun-dried tomatoes drenched in olive oil and seasoned with capers, oregano, garlic, and vinegar.

These are called “Pomodori secchi sott’olio.” If you can’t find them, you can use regular sun-dried tomatoes previously rehydrated in water until soft. You’ll then have to add the rest of the ingredients when making your pesto.

Instructions If you’re using Pomodori secchi sott’olio, add all the ingredients in the food processor and mix until you obtain a smooth paste and you’re done.

If you’re using regular sun-dried tomatoes: 1. Make sure to let them soak in water for a while until they soften.

2. Then add all ingredients to the food processor, except the oil.

3. Mix until you obtain a smooth consistency.

4. Blend again, but now slowly drizzle in the olive oil to emulsify it as much as possible with the flavors of the ingredients, and you’re done.

You can enjoy your pesto with pasta or any other dish you like.

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FOOD

GOOD THINGS FOR 2020

Nice-looking desserts always complement any celebration table and you don’t need to spend a lot of time and energy to create them. Oftentimes, you can even use ready-made products as a base and let your imagination run wild.

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DECEMBER 2019

FOOD

Christmas trees from sugar cones and whipped cream

Santa Claus from muffins, cream, and coconut flakes

1. Melt white chocolate and add green food coloring to it.

2. Take an empty waffle cone and dip it into the chocolate.

3. Decorate it with colored sugar and sprinkles. You can also use coconut flakes or glaze. Once it’s decorated, wait for it to dry.

4. Fill the inside of the cone with whipped cream.

1. Decorate the ready-made muffins with buttercream frosting and dip the top in coconut flakes.

2. Rotate the muffin so that the flakes cover its top with an even and thick layer.

3. Make a hat out of red mastic and secure it on one side of the muffin.

4. Make Santa’s legs from candy canes and attach them on the opposite side.

Make white boots from mastic and attach them to the end of the canes.

Snowmen Candy from cookies wreath and creamy glaze 1. Place 3 cookies with a creamy interlayer on a skewer — first put 2 large cookies, then one small. This will be the basis for the body of the future snowman.

2. By holding the skewer, dip the cookies located on it into the white glaze (storebought glaze will work just fine in this instance). Let them dry.

3. Draw the buttons, eyes, and nose of the snowman with colored glaze or frosting.

4. When serving, place pieces of breadsticks by their sides — they will be the snowman’s arms.

Advice: It’s easy to draw the smaller details with sugar pencils.

Now make 3 balls: 2 small ones from black mastic that will be Santa’s eyes, and one big one from red mastic that will be Santa’s nose. Adjust the balls on the muffin.

Advice: In order to prevent the hat from falling off, you can strengthen the fixation by putting it on a toothpick and then attaching it to the muffin.

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DECEMBER 2019

1. Wrap a candy with 2 sheets of red tissue paper on the bottom and secure them with a rubber band that way it’s shown in the video above. You’ll get a flower. Make 20-25 of these flowers (the final number should depend on the size of the wreath base).

2. Take a wreath base. You can cut it out of carton paper or get a Styrofoam billet.

Secure the flowers on it with the help of glue.

3. Attach a golden bow. It’s ready to go!

This wreath can be used to decorate a table, it can be hung over the front door, or it can be used as a sweet gift.

FOOD

Reindeer made from chocolate rolls and salted pretzels 1. Take a chocolate roll and dip one of its ends into melted chocolate.

2. Attach 2 mini marshmallows to it while the chocolate is sticky. With the help of tweezers, place 2 balls of dark mastic on the marshmallows to make the eyes.

3. Make a bigger ball from red mastic and place it under the eyes so that you get a nose. On the top, secure salted pretzels instead of horns.

4. Let the chocolate dry and place the reindeer on a plate.

Christmas trees with butter cream and candy 1. Take a muffin and decorate the top with buttercream.

2. Pour colored candies into an empty waffle cone and secure it to the muffin with the top of the cone facing up.

3. Add green dye to your buttercream and apply it to the cone using a pastry bag and a nozzle used for making meringues.

4. Move from bottom to top in a spiral.

Make sure your tree is textured.

Glazed New Year’s presents

Cookies from colored dough

1. Cut a chocolate bar into equal small cubes.

2. Dip each of them in a red glaze (again, store bought glaze is fine to use here).

3. Put each cube on the bottom with the help of a fork. Then get it back with the help of the same fork. Place them on a plate.

4. Draw ribbons and bows with the help of frosting so that the cube starts to look like a small present. Try using different colored frosting.

1. Make 2 types of dough for cookies: an ordinary one and a red one (add food coloring while mixing liquid ingredients).

Roll out the red dough and cut it into equal strips.

2. Fold back a part of strips from left to right, as shown in the photo above.

3. Cut the white dough into strips. Take one strip and put it on the left edge of the red dough and then cover it with the red strips that were folded back previously.

4. Repeat this until all strips are braided with each other.

5. Place the baking parchment on top and roll the dough through it with a rolling pin, so that it becomes homogeneous but retains the pattern at the same time.

6. Cut out cookies with the help of cookie cutters. Remove them with the help of a spatula.

7. Place the cookies on the parchment.

Keep in mind that cookies tend to get slightly bigger as they bake, that’s why you shouldn’t place them too close to each other.

8. Put them to bake in the oven until they are ready.

Advice: Place the candies in the fridge for a little while before serving.

With the help of a fine sieve, gently sprinkle the icing sugar over the Christmas tree to simulate snow before serving.

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DECEMBER 2019

living

DECORATE THE DOOR The tradition of making pine wreaths before the winter holidays appeared almost 200 years ago. In 1839, Lutheran theologian Johann Hinrich Wichern came up with entertainment for children who were looking forward to Christmas. He made a wreath from an old wooden wheel and decorated it with candles. Every morning, in order to help the children feel that they were getting closer to the holiday, Wichern lit an additional candle on the wreath. This way, the children could track how much time was left before Christmas.

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DECEMBER 2019

LIVING

Christmas ball wreath Materials a base for the wreath Christmas balls (about 15-20 pcs.)

3 Christmas decorations in the shape of stars Christmas tree tinsel scissors glue gun with glue rods satin ribbon

Alternatives: To make the wreath more interesting, you can use 2 types of Christmas tree tinsel and several types of balls of different colors.

Instead of the balls, you can use natural materials like cones, acorns, nutshells, etc.

You can completely cover the wreath with decor. To do this, take 2 times more balls than we took for our model.

1. Wrap the base of the wreath with Christmas tree tinsel and secure its ends with a glue gun. Note: If you don’t have a special base for the wreath, you can make it yourself. To do this, cut out 2 rings from cardboard, glue them together, and wrap them with paper tape to make the base more voluminous. Then use it as a regular wreath base.

2. Remove the tops with loops from the Christmas balls and start gluing them to the wreath one by one. First, attach 3 balls to the wreath: 2 of them should be approximately at the same level and 1 should be placed slightly higher between them.

3. Place the balls of the second row higher in the spaces between the balls of the first row. Instead of one of the balls, you can glue a star.

4. Continue placing balls on the wreath.

To make the wreath more voluminous, don’t glue the decorations in one line, but also use the sides and a part of the back surface of the wreath.

5. When about half of the wreath is covered with balls, you can stop. Take a piece of satin ribbon and tie 2 small bows with it. Carefully glue the bows together, attaching one of them to the other in such a way that the loops are at the bottom.

6. Rotate the composition so that the part with the balls is at the bottom. Glue the bow in the middle of the tinsel part.

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DECEMBER 2019

LIVING

Spruce wreath Materials a base for a wreath scissors wire cutters or garden pruners twine white acrylic paint dish sponge glue gun artificial spruce branches decor: artificial berries, cotton balls, cones, cinnamon sticks, dried orange rings, star anise, etc.

Alternatives: You can use real branches of pine, spruce, and juniper cedar instead of the artificial ones. However, when using natural materials, keep in mind that the needles will begin to crumble after a couple of days.

Textiles and wooden elements are great for decorating a wreath made of pine needles.

1. Disassemble large spruce branches into smaller branches. If necessary, use wire cutters for this 2. Start gluing the spruce twigs to the base. Place the first ones in such a way so that they go out from one point in different directions. Place the rest of the twigs in the intervals between the tops of the previous ones. Lifehack: To make the wreath more fluffy, apply glue only to the underside of the branches.

3. To make the wreath neat, glue the branches in one direction and try to cover the entire visible part of the base with them.

4. Before you start with the decor, think about the details. Cover the tops of the cones with white paint (use a sponge and acrylic paint). Decorate the cinnamon sticks with twine.

5. Glue decorations to the wreath. It’s easiest to start with the larger elements. Select 1, 2, or 3 pieces and position them on the base, securing them with a glue gun. Place the smaller ones around the larger pieces so that they complement and emphasize them.

6. You can first decorate several groups of details and then combine them into a general composition or sequentially, moving along the circle, decorate the wreath. Important: Make sure that the elements are located chaotically and overlap in different parts of the composition. If, when decorating a wreath, you decide to stick to symmetry, you need to do it very carefully. The slightest inaccuracy will be very noticeable.

7. Please note that to create a voluminous composition, decorations should be located not only on the front surface of the wreath but also on its side sections. Berries, cones, and other elements can significantly protrude beyond the wreath. This won’t be a mistake, but, on the contrary, will make the composition more dynamic.

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TIPS & TRICKS

How to make a gorgeous rainbow-colored notebook in just five minutes

Sometimes we all need a little bit of color to brighten up our day.

MATERIALS Several pieces of colored paper Long thin wooden sticks A ruler A pencil A reel of string or wool.

1. Fold one piece of paper in half.

2. Draw a vertical line using the ruler about 1.5cm from the fold. Mark out notches every 1.5cm down the line.

3. Cut out small triangular pieces from the fold up to the line, making sure that there is space between them.

4. Do the same with all your other pieces of colored paper, and put them together.

5. Take one of your wooden sticks and pass it through two pieces of paper like so: 6. Do the same for all the other pieces of paper.

7. Tie a small knot on the uppermost stick using your string.

8. Thread the string through the sticks, alternating between passing it around the front or the back, like so: 9. Tie a knot at the end, and cut off any excess string.

10. Put something eye-catching on the front page. All done!

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CHILL & DRAW

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