Pesto Sauce

I don't think there is anything quite so delicious as Basil, except of course pie and chocolate. Love that stuff. I just picked a bucket of basil and I am making Pesto. It is so wonderful on a croisant with a little goat cheese, sundried tomatoes and more fresh basil. Here is a recipe that I just adore. I mix it up and spoon it into icecube trays and freeze it. When it is frozen I place the little cubes in a zip lock bag and then I have it whenever the fit strikes me.

Pesto Sauce

4 cloves garlic,peeled

1/3 Cup pine nuts or walnuts (toasted)

1/2 Cup fresh parsley

2 Cups fresh basil (I like lots, so I pack it)

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (fresh is best)

1/3 Cup olive oil

1 tsp. kosher salt

Using a food processor:

1. With machine running, add garlic through feed tube and process until chopped.

Add nuts and chop with garlic.

2. Add parsley and basil and process on/off 8 to 10 times until finely chopped

3. Add grated Parmesan cheese, oil and salt and process until well mixed.

Spoon into ice cube trays and freeze or....use it immediately for pasta, pizza, etc.

Looking through our gate into our neighbors yard

THERE AINT NOTHIN'

LIKE GOOD NEIGHBORS

When you have great neighbors, every day is beautiful.

We first met our neighbor to the south of us one day while

he was out gardening and we did the "farmer type lean on

the fence to chat" thing and Sherm brought his shovel over

to lean on and discuss the trials of gardening. After chatting

for some time he smiled and told us "There aint nothin' like

good neighbors, and he was so right. He shares squash and

cabbages, tomatoes and apples with us each year, and we

share our apricots, pears and peaches with him. Our neighbor

to the north of us shares onions, the most incredible dinner

rolls you will ever taste and as soon as her chickens start

to lay we can have all the eggs we want. I am also eyeing

her corn and I am certain she will be bringing us a few ears.

We have gates that open into each neighbors garden from our

yard to theirs, you gotta be really nice people and trust each

other to do that sorta thing.

Next year perhaps we will have a "real" garden, not just an herb

garden with peppers, tomatoes, and eggsplant. But I am not

complaining, I love what I have, I am truly blessed.

MOORE Apricots ....Whew!!!

One more day at the hot stove and dealing with these lovely orange fruits. I am reminded of my first year in Colorado when I was so excited to see the beautiful, lithe deer bounding through our property but by the end of the fifth year I was calling them other names other than beautiful due to the fact that they loved munching on my flowers, roots and all.
Oh but the apricot nectar and the pint jars of apricots really are lovely and I am so glad I got them done! One more batch of apricot syrup and I am finished just in time to enjoy the onset of the pear world. Am I too old for this? Have I picked off more than I can can? Nah, just a very long day. Carl's car had a bad tire and I had to go into town, 30 minute drive, to pick him up. The next day he took my car and while driving it, he realized it had a serious problem, so it is in the shop also. I am now consigned to drive the big red truck with the giant doolies, dulies, whatever they are they are large side by side tires and the back of the truck is filled with Pooh Pouri that we hauled from my nephews' ranch, that he is the caretaker of, for my garden. I do believe the truck must be 40 feet long or so it seems. But it does give one the feeling of being in complete control. I am one classy chic, but isn't that what my world is all about. Loving the land and the peeps. It's a good life.

Surprises!

We came home from meeting with all our friends Monday night to find a box on our doorstep.
It was mailed from California but someone had written "From the Putnam's" on the top.
We were trying to figure out why they would bring this box to our house. Carl asked if I had done something nice and I said "No, I haven't done anything nice today". Sad. When we opened the box there was a gorgeous pot with a live gardenia in bloom. I called to express my joy in receiving this and they told me the story behind the gift. My friend had ordered (1) plant and they had delivered 45. When she called to ask how to return them they told her to keep and enjoy. How is that? I am so happy I was one of the recipients. I'm waiting for some of my orders to be duplicated like that. Wouldn't it be wonderful to receive 10,000 pounds of chocolate instead of 1,000 and be informed that if we mailed it back it would just melt, so we would just have to keep it. Whoa, I would "melt" with delight.

Canning and Grandsons

I have tried to change things on this blog but having no knowledge of how to do it, I just messed it up. Oh well, I will have to wait for daughters to return and instruct me. Meanwhile.......Yesterday 6 of my darling grandsons, their mother and my cute niece come up to help pick the apricots and make jam. They arrived at noon and we picked many, many buckets of fruit and then proceeded to make jam, only 20 jars, but that wasn't too bad considering we had to make lunch (Weston was in charge of that project) make wooden bird houses (McKay, Taylor and Hunter helped Grant and Charlie put together two of them - The little guys thought the birdhouses made great snail houses - yuck) pick a few pears...( they are small but delicious) do a little skate boarding, play a few games of rummikub, practice on the guitar and key board, hit a few golf balls over the house, and eat multitudes of apricot cupcakes.. yummy! The kids were great, they washed the fruit and cut it up and we did the rest. We finished at 5:00 p.m. and I washed off the last pieces of fruit from my body, dressed and met my hubby for a delightful dinner to celebrate our anniversary. Picked up a movie and came home to collapse on the sofa and watch it. I even stayed awake all through the show. Long Day. Today I am off the do the work for those that can't do it for themselves.

It's Canning Time! The apricots are waiting for me.

Our trees are loaded with these gorgeous golden fruits. Oh how I wish my darling daughters

were here to help me do the canning. It's ever so much more fun to do things with them. But

I have a strong suspicion that my true love will help me with this project. He is always willing

to pitch in, it's just getting him started. He's like the pull start on a rototiller, you have to pull

on the ropes several times to get it to go but once you get the motor going it does the job like no other machine. Let's see......I think apricot jam will be the first thing I do (how can a kitchen survive without apricot jam?) Maybe a few dried apricots for my scones and maybe some luscious apricot nectar. I think perhaps the grandchildren would love some fruit leathers.

Now all I need is the energy to get ME going.