R(etired)N

When I go over to my cousin's house for their wonderful Christmas and Easter celebrations, I always admire her culinary skills.

My cousin's step son is anaphylactically allergic to nuts. Fortunately, he can have sunflower seeds, which is technically not a nut. Plus (added bonus!) sunflower seeds are much cheaper than pine nuts - by a long shot!! (the same amount of seeds would have cost at least $20!)

Here is the recipe she gave to me - since I was just handed a huge bag of organic basil leaves and and recently bought a bag of already peeled garlic cloves for $1 at the local farmers market!

PESTO

2 cups of fresh basil leaves: Packed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2/3 cup roasted unsalted sunflower seeds
2 garlic cloves (I used 4 because I have so many and I love garlic!)

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped and well combined. Do not puree. To store pesto : place in a jar, top with a skim of olive oil, tightly seal and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.


I put mine in small snack size zip lock baggies - approximately 3 tbsp in each and then put into a large freezer bag or container. You can also put them into ice cube trays and freeze and throw into a glass storage container for the freezer.

When you thaw to use, just add a touch more olive oil. A little pesto goes a long way. It's great added to pasta, or spread on french or Italian bread, and even instead of a tomato paste on a pizza!

It only took me a 1/2 hour (on my work break at home!) to make it!! Easy!!






I always keep shredded Parmesan handy: $6
Sunflower seeds $3
I keep the extra cloves of garlic in the freezer. $1

I bought the mini food processor for only $6. Good investment!


I still have to add the parmesan....oops! forgot it!

It tastes sooooo good! Best of all, it only cost me $10 for the whole batch! If I were to have bought it......it would have definitely come to at least $40 pre-made. And I definitely wouldn't be able to feed the store-bought pesto to anyone with a nut allergy!


Bon Appetit!

Defects are something one sees every once in a while in Labor and Delivery.
It's part of the territory.

Every parent wants a "perfect" baby, and there is often a sadness that is palpable in the room when one of those special little ones is born.

But what if that "imperfection" was actually a godsend??

You just have to go over to this blog and read this story that is quite incredible.

I know, I know...it's all you have been hearing in the news....

Aurora, Colorado.


But - believe me, it's worth the read.

You will never look at an "imperfection" in the same way again.

I can remember a boyfriend of mine that went away on vacation and was going to be gone for several weeks.....I did the same thing - writing a card or letter for every day he was gone....but it had quite the opposite effect!

What I didn't realize, he was seeing someone else - a married woman - on the sly. I can only imagine that he chucked them all in the garbage, unopened.

It was heartwarming to realize that a guy could actually do this for his wife.

What a wonderful thing - to be able to read those letters decades from now! Truly there is something so very personal and romantic about an *actual* handwritten letter, as opposed to a quickie email.

The couple is from Ontario originally, now based out of Victoria on Vancouver Island, B.C. Her husband has been deployed to the Persian Gulf for the next 8 months. See her original posting here.

oh.

Except - it's your last chance to see the baby eagles before they fly away from their nest for good--------------------->

Almost 30 years ago, I had surgery - radial keratotomy (no, not laser! This was prior to that advance in vision care!) - for poor eyesight.

I was *almost* blind.

You know those letters on the wall that they use for checking vision? I couldn't even see the poster (or the wall, for that matter) - my vision was so poor.

I can remember at work, my glasses broke - as they would so often do because they were so heavy and thick - and I couldn't see to give out medications to my patients. I couldn't even see to drive home.

It was like a miracle when I finally had the surgery to correct my vision. I am now still almost 20/20 - even 30 years later.

So, it amazed me when I watched this video - this Blind guy who took a positive spin on his Blindness.

I don't know if I could be so positive. I at least could see a blurry blobby world - with light!

Watch this: (and feel gratitude that you can)

Besides Hockey and Lacrosse, beer has to be one of this country's Icons.

I don't like beer, but I have to admit, these people are very inventive and it has to be the second best National Anthem rendition, after the Wilderness Call one.