Apparently I’ve been busy the past two weeks. I think my last post was July 24th. I know there was a trip to visit with my youngest sister and her family, but the rest has flown by with all the basics of life. Chores, errands, cleaning, cooking, some packing, a little quilting, just the usual stuff, plus a lot of my annual doctor visits.
So, for my first post in August, I want to talk about making pesto. My house smells fabulous. This is how I think Italian houses must smell all the time, and my sense of smell is saying, “Yuuuummmmmm!”
I surfed for recipes for pesto and learned that there is a classic version that most people use. Garlic, lots of basil, pine nuts, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, Parmesan cheese and olive oil are the ingredients.
I bought a pot of basil in May, intending to plant it outside, but it kept residence on the shelf between the sink and the kitchen window. My sister, Frankie, repotted it for me when she was here, and I’d been watering it. It was long and leggy and had started to grow shoots off the stems, so I had a LOT of basil. I was shopping with a friend yesterday and saw Colavita olive oil on sale for a great price, so I decided this was Pesto Weekend!
I peeled the garlic and cut off the root end. I have a VERY basic food processor. It has no amenities. It is either off or on, and you can pulse the contents, but that’s all it has to offer. I use it about once a year, so I didn’t really want to spring for the terribly expensive one that I’m sure Cook’s Illustrated would like me to use. It chopped the garlic very nicely. Next I added the basil, which I had snipped from the stems. It took four cups. The only thing the recipe didn’t explain was how densely packed the leaves should be, so I went for a medium amount of compacting. The processor chopped the leaves finely.
At that point you add the pine nuts, Parmesan, salt and pepper and blend it all together. It looks odd, and was trying to form a ball. The final step is to add, with the motor running, one cup of olive oil. Almost immediately I got something that more resembled pesto. Once all the oil had been added, I unplugged the machine, took the top off, and scraped down the sides. I reassembled it and gave it another whirl to be sure everything was well incorporated. It was beautiful, and smelled heavenly.
The recipe advised freezing the pesto in ice cube trays. Each “cube” takes about one tablespoon of pesto. I ended up with 18 tablespoons. To prevent the basil from turning dark, you cover the pesto with a light film of olive oil, and then cover the ice cube tray with plastic wrap. I pressed the wrap down onto the oil to push out the air, and then put the trays in the freezer. When they are frozen, I’ll pop the pesto out of the trays and store them in a freezer bag to use as needed. I’m positive I’ll be using it in my minestrone soup, and probably on pizza dough as the base of an appetizer.
I think next time I will try packing the leaves more tightly. And, next time, I may try doubling the recipe. Although, homemade pesto has a shelf life of about six months. I may need to keep an eye on the basil season at the Farmer’s market, to see if I could make the next batch closer to the end of September. That batch would take me through March.
2012 shall be known as “The Year of Pesto!” *G*
For the complete recipe, visit The Yummy Life. Here’s the site if you’d like pictures of the process.
Deer
I was in the office and Dear Husband was off on an errand, when the phone rang. DH called and told me to look out the front window at the pear tree. I went to look. Two female deer were eating pears that had fallen to the ground. I watched for some time, and wondered if they had waved at DH as he drove down the driveway. Then, from stage left, DH slowly drove past the deer. One looked at him, as if to say, “Buzz off! I found them first!” The other deer was a little more skittish, and moved further away from the driveway. But, both deer were there, eating, for some time.
Either they are very young and inexperienced, or they are very hungry. They could be both, I suppose. It’s quite uncommon to see deer out in daylight hours like this. There were at least three hours of daylight left. Our lot is not manicured. There is a lot of cover for the wildlife, and I know they move through our lot to the forest preserve south of us. I hoped that if I was quiet, they would move around the house to find the birdseed that had been dropped on the ground, or they might even prune the sage for me. The apples must have satisfied them, because they left the herb garden alone.
World Without End
I’ve just finished re-reading “The Pillars of the Earth” by Ken Follett. It was a book I thoroughly enjoyed a number of years ago. The story is of the plots and political intrigue involved in building a cathedral at Kingsbridge, England in the twelfth century.
I wanted to re-read it before I picked up “World Without End,” which is a sequel set two centuries later. I’m about three hundred pages into the story (the book is 1000+ pages), and I’ve been struck by the thought that all the machinations are extremely similar to what is being shown in the trailers for a TNT mini-series called “Political Animals.” Lying, back-stabling, changing political sides for personal gain, alliances for political gain, I’m sure you get the picture.
What grieves me is that things don’t seem to have changed in a millennium. I can only hope that this book, like the first, also ends with the good side finally winning the day after working through great strife. Too bad we can’t re-write our current political situation!
Sloth
I’m just a sloth tonight. I have a few things I need to do, and can’t seem to pull myself together enough to get them done. I washed the bedroom curtains on Thursday, and still haven’t put them back up. They’re cotton, and it would take about 10 minutes to press them, and another five or so to hang them. Push me out of this chair, won’t you?
We finally got some rain this past week. The weeds perked right up. I was going to weed early this morning, but was a sloth then, too. Hopefully, I’ll get some of it done early tomorrow. I’d like to get some mulch down to slow down the evaporation.
I’m still packing. A few boxes here and there. I think I’m dragging my feet because I hate the thought of leaving this house. Thanks to my sisters and one of my nieces, most of the main floor has been packed, and I need to focus on the basement.
My exercise guru was away for ten days, so I got to lead class for five consecutive sessions. The class was just great. Almost everyone came, no one got hurt, and everyone seemed to have a good time. I love it when a plan comes together!
I have two small quilts that are ready to be pin-basted. One is for family and the other is for Scraps on a Mission. The group meets here on Tuesday, so I’d like to be ready to quilt.
I hope to visit with my youngest sis, Frankie, before she begins her new job. She’s been hired as assistant principal for a school just ten minutes from her home! YEA! Yea, to the hiring, and yea to the chance to visit! It will be a short visit, too bad we can’t go for weeks! She feeds us like royalty, and arranges for entertainment, too!
Okay, this sloth is heading off to get some work done. I hope you’re all having a great weekend.
Subbing for My Exercise Guru
I am delighted to be invited to fill in for our exercise guru when she has to be away. I’ve filled in here and there, generally doing one class every two months to satisfy our employers. I use the music she provides and recreate the exercises she’s done. I don’t add anything new to the sessions, I just keep us moving while our Guru is away.
For the very first time, our Guru has decided to take 10 days off just for herself. She arranged to take a yoga seminar with some friends in New Mexico, and then her husband flew in to spend the rest of the vacation with her. They wanted to see Sedona and other parts of the area. So, I am leading FIVE classes in a row!
Usually I do a set of exercises that I am familiar with, but for some off the wall reason, I decided to try to recreate her current session, which meant learning to call four new cardio songs. Things went surprisingly well on Monday. On Wednesday, I goofed in a place that was unexpected, but recovered. On Friday, we’re exercising along, and the music was still playing when I had called all the moves for that song……wait……WHAT SONG!?? I did the breathing exercises, and totally skipped the warmup. We were doing the first cardio to the wrong music! All I could do was laugh. Those around me who realized what was wrong were smiling. No one complained, when I lead them through that set of exercises a second time.
I figure that no one else wants the responsibility of charting the exercises, so they are willing to let me play with the class. I’m going to return to my earlier program for the last two sessions, and just have fun with the class.
Thanks, Guru! I hope you had a great vacation!
Scraps on a Mission – First Half of 2012
Wow! I’m just blown away by the ladies of Scraps on a Mission! I met with them late in February, and asked if they wanted to continue this year, in honor of Mary Rinn, our founder, who passed away just before Christmas. There was a universal “Yes!” I had kits for quilt tops ready. and everyone took something home with them to finish before our March meeting.
We have lost one member, and gained another, so there are six of us sewing small quilts for the pediatric ward at the local hospital,and for a nursing home/rehab center. We hope to have the quilts blessed at church in late October or early November, and they will be given away before Thanksgiving.
So far, we have TWENTY SEVEN finished quilts! And I think there are easily ten more being worked on, and possibly more than that. Most of those 27 quilts have been made in just four months. I can’t believe how many we’ve gotten done. What a way to honor Mary, while we help those in need. I have three quilt tops left to sandwich and quilt. Two of them are larger than those we normally work on, so my output is going to slow down a bit, but the other ladies may pick up the slack for me.
I’m very blessed to have met these ladies, and to have the opportunity to work with them to help others!
Packing
I’m still working on it. Most of what I’ve been doing lately isn’t apparent. I’ve been working on closets, and filing in the office. I have seven rooms close to being finished. I may use the rest of today to put away things in those seven rooms, to see how close I am to being ready to show the house. Unfortunately, I still have two closets and the basement to clear out, and I think I will pack up part of the office and studio as well. Both rooms have things I don’t use on a daily basis, and by clearing off the shelving, I’ll have a cleaner, more organized look.
There’s still a lot of work to be done in the basement. At least it will be cool there. I need to create an area to pile up things to be thrown out, and one for things to be given away. The rest needs to be boxed up. I hope I can find the roll of tape for boxes that’s hiding down there. I turned my back on it one afternoon and it disappeared!
So, we’re still making progress, but it’s slow.
Something to Talk About
Do you find yourself talking about the weather these days? A lot!? It’s got to be in the top two things that I talk about the most lately. I know that blogging about the weather is a dull choice of subjects, but our weather is so astonishing I really feel the need to comment.
First, while everyone around us seems to have had a shower now and then, we have gone without rain for close to a month, possibly more. When my sisters came to help me with the gardens, my youngest sister saw to it that the sprinkler was set up and moved. That was two and a half weeks ago, and we were really dry at that point. I was astonished at the response of the gardens, and I realized that I was going to have to water some part of the gardens every day.
Earlier this week the weather forecasters said that we would have 30% chance of showers on Friday and Saturday. Yesterday in the early afternoon, a storm blew in and rained hit or miss over the northern and western suburbs. Usually 30% chance reads as “Don’t count on any rain today.” The Cubs deserted the field because the cell over the ballpark was violent.
Shortly after 1:00, we finally had a short gentle rain. It lasted about 20 minutes. I was away, having lunch with a friend, and when I returned the only way I could tell it had rained was a plate-sized puddle at the end of the driveway.
We decided to go out at 4:00 on an errand for the company. Dear Husband rode shotgun to keep me company. I’ve made this particular trip hundreds of times, and wasn’t worried about driving. On our way home we ran into a little rain, and then more rain, and finally into a LOT OF RAIN!! At one point I was relieved that the guy ahead of me had on his hazard lights so I could see him and maintain a safe distance. The rain came down even harder until I couldn’t see his lights! I thought about pulling over, but I was on a stretch where there were no turns or side roads. I moved to the inner lane to avoid creating rooster tails with the standing water. The sewer openings just couldn’t keep up with the downpour.
When we got home, there were a few tiny branches here and there, but there was no serious damage. I was glad to have the rain. We weathered it (pun intended), and my gardens perked up.
We have the possibility of more storms this afternoon and tomorrow. I don’t count on it, but it would be really nice to have more rain. Could I put my bid in for about six days of gentle rain?
Do you think our climate is changing permanently, or is this year a fluke? Do you think that industrialized nations have caused this change? Do you think that all the building we do in cities and suburbs, and the interstate roads, affect our weather? Personally, I think we need to be supporting much more study on these subjects. I bet I could surf and find 100 frivolous grants which would have been better spent assessing man’s impact on the weather.
Congratulations!
Congratulations go to my baby sister who has just landed a job as an assistant principal. It seems prudent to not mention at which school, but I am confident that this unmentioned school has just gotten an incredible administrator!
It was fun to listen to her this week, and hear how the direction of her thoughts have changed from teacher to principal.
Congrats, Frankie. I’m so very proud of you!
Joy 1
If you have loads of time, read the entry “Joy 2” which follows. If you want the highlights, continue reading here. *S*
I am blessed with two of the most amazing sisters, and a niece, who ever lived!!! I am in the process of packing my house so that I can put it up for sale. It’s been a slow process, and my youngest and oldest sisters, and my youngest niece offered to give me a hand. My-Sister-The-Nurse arrived Wednesday morning with her grandson, and stayed through dinner time on Thursday. My youngest sister, Frankie, and her daughter, whom I will call The Artist, arrived before dinner on Wednesday and were here until 1:30 or so on Saturday. MSTN returned to be with us this morning.
They assisted me in packing kitchen utensils and dishes, china, the items in the china cabinet, and the last of my mother’s clothing. They also helped to clean out five gardens, covering one of them with a cubic yard of mulch.
That’s the bare bones of how we spent our days. Add to that watching Jane Eyre, making meals and chattering as fast as we could, and generally enjoying each other’s company, and you have the basic picture.
But, how do I describe how very thankful I am to have been given such incredible help? How do I tell them how much I love them for giving me the gift of their presence, their time, and their counsel, without getting maudlin about it? Think about it……these three women gave me almost 50 hours of assistance, in the most good-natured, pleasant way, and have helped to move me forward to our goal. What a blessing they are, and how very fortunate I am to count them as my sisters and friends!