Here is my basic recipe for pesto. Drippy, the last picture is garlic and I pretty much double what this recipe calls for. I also usually substitute walnuts for the pine nuts and have never used brazil nuts, I have just added more walnuts or tried some other nut like SF seeds or cashews, they are all good, but I think I prefer walnuts. I also season mine with salt and pepper to taste. PESTO INGREDIENTS * 3 cups chopped fresh basil (I don't chop it before I put it in the processor...whats the point?) * 1 cup extra virgin olive oil * 1/2 cup pine nuts * 1/8 cup Brazil nuts * 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese * 2 tablespoons minced garlic * 1/2 teaspoon chili powder DIRECTIONS Place the basil in a blender. Pour in about 1 tablespoon of the oil, and blend basil into a paste. Gradually add pine nuts, Brazil nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, chili powder, and remaining oil. Continue to blend until smooth. Make some and it is OH so YUMMY! I also freeze some, but found ice cube trays to be too difficult. So now I use an ice cream scoop and put scoops on a cookie sheet to freeze. Then I bag them up in a ziploc. I had fresh pesto all through January and now I have it again! Enjoy, eyeballs: who is currently eating last night's leftovers and whose feet will soon be dirty because she just spent her play money at the nursery!

Seriously, Christmas dinner here is the day after when my husband gets home. We eat at dinner time (5 or 6 pm). If you do show up (it is an invitation, after all), be prepared for a rude awakening as the dining room table is full of brug cuttings. You will have to sit in the living room & balance your plate on your lap. Doing this puts it at the perfect nose-height for a 150 lb Newfie (who drools & will steal shamelessly). We consider cat hair extra insulation for the winter & it is applied liberally to every available surface. You will be taking a free sample with you when you leave. Those of you who are "pee shy" had better "go" before you leave home & be prepared to hold it. We have 10 cats (I do fostering & will be encouraged to take one with you when you leave) & no one gets privacy (picture all those cats watching your every move). Also please be aware that homemade means there's hair in it (& possibly worse). In other words, you were warned. LOL Linda

Thanks for your comments, everyone. I have been going non-stop since I posted this, with 2 soccer games, a baby shower and a kid's birthday party on Saturday, and my son's First Communion and ensuing party on Sunday. Thankfully, my in-laws made the ham and a fantastic lasagna, along with eggplant fritters for the party yesterday. I made a ceaser salad with homemade ceaser dressing, Sol's honey rolls, shrimp cocktail, pineapple upside down cake and Amish Friendship bread. My mom made insalata caprese and a blackberry cobbler. And I purchased frozen Torta Stella from Costco as an additional appetizer. We had 17 adults and 4 kids. Everything turned out so tasty. Nothing quite like a homemade lasagna from an Italian mother-in-law. And when I get her recipe for those eggplant fritters, I'll be sure to share. They were inhaled! Nancy

You are convincing me that I need to purchase that book for myself! I think vegetable recipes probably lend themselves to "process" over "recipe" because of amounts and such. Stretching our brain is a very good exercise and I need to do it more often! The pictures are lovely and glad you are happy. Boy, I was lucky to you as a partner!