Another Friday post....and some pesto

well shoot a mile...I seriously just typed this entire post and backspaced over a misspelled word and the whole ding dang dong blog just disappeared!!!!

Even though it's the first time around for you, this is my second post of the day!!   Yeah, I'm really sorry about the lack of posts, I have the best of intentions but then.....life keeps happening.  That's ok, I like life and I like to keep it happening.

So, I made pesto for the very first time ever.
It was easy enough....easier if you have a food processor not a blender.
I have a food processor now.
I may or may not  be a kitchen gadget junkie.  What can I say...I love love love me some gadgets!

I've wanted a food processor for awhile but there are just so BIG and so expensive I just couldn't justify the whole purchase.  But yesterday as I was shopping in the wall marts I wandered into the kitchen appliances (probably a horrid flashback of making pesto with the blender) and found this lovely babe.         
Yep, it's a small 8 cup food processor by Black & Decker and it can be yours for just 30 buckaroos.
PERFECTO and SOLD!!!  Into the buggy it goes.
(by the way...do you say buggy or cart???  I think buggy is more southern or country hick but that's what I say...cart sounds so formal)
I sliced cucumbers with it last night to test it out.  I'm in love...yep...it's awesomely perfect.  It slices, shreds and chops and doesn't take up a ton of room to store.

So onto the pesto...get out your food processor or do like me and drag out a smoothie blender (it works but it's a little frustrating)

2 Tbsp coarsely chopped pine nuts

2 garlic cloves, peeled

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

4 cups basil leaves

1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon salt

The pictures get a little lax about here as it is kind of hard to run the processor, pulse, take pictures all at the same time.  If my lovely photographer (ahem...MERE!!!) would please come back to help me this would be much easier.   :0)

With the motor running drop in the pine nuts and garlic through the feed chute

Process until finely minced, add the olive oil and pulse 3 times

Add the basil, Parmesan cheese and salt and process until finely minced.

Scraping down the sides (and cussing the blender) as needed.

A

Now you can take it out and enjoy the flavor of summer pesto or you can do like I did and plop it in a nice freezer container and pop away for later.  I have a few recipes that call for pesto and these small containers hold the perfect amount so when I need some this winter I don't scream at the price in the grocery.  But seriously I know why this stuff if so expensive!!  A whole lot of basil makes a tiny bit of pesto.   You can refrigerate this but it needs to be used within a week.

Now one other fun thing....

we got a cotton candy machine

Did I mention I was a gadget junkie??  Seriously and these are just 2 of the 3 gadgets I've bought in the past two weeks!!!   The other one will be up soon and I'm in love with it so much it gained a coveted spot on my counter tops!!

But this...this is just FUN!!!  I mean we've been cotton candy making fools.  It works well but you don't get a lot  at once but it's fun to make and the cleanup is so easy!!   I got ours at World Market and it's just been a blast to play around with and experiment.   

We've used jolly ranchers, life savers, plain sugar, sugar sprinkles, and warheads to make the cotton candy with.  The one above was my largest creation and I used blue sprinkles. So far the lifesavers produce the best tasting concoctions.  I've been reading that you can mix some kool aid with sugar and use that in the machine for flavor and color so I got some kool aid yesterday and I'll let you know how it goes.   But if you feel like being a cool mom (even to teenagers..spend the 40 bucks and get this. It's too fun!!!)    My husband and I are loving it too but don't tell the kids!

Well, I gotta go run and get some housework done around here my friends and I'll promise to write sooner rather than later. Enjoy your weekend, we're off to Schlitterbahn tomorrow!!!

Peace, Love & Yummies!