Old Fashioned Saltine Snacks

Last night at midnight I got a craving for an oldie but goodie that my Mama grew up on which she in turn made for us as kids and, of course, I made for my own kids.  They are inexpensive, quick and easy to make and, of course, yummy!  Sweet and salty!

I made mine with clean* ingredients, the marshmellows being organic and made with organic cane sugar and no HFCS but you can use whatever ingredients you have on hand ... like I said, they are old fashioned and my Nanny made them way back when she cooked on a wood burning stove so there is nothing fancy about them.  I just choose to eat clean.

The great thing about this recipe is that you can make as many or as little as you want ... I made just 6 cause they were just for me.

Saltine Snacks

Saltine Crackers
Peanut Butter
Marshmellows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place Saltines on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Spread each Saltine with Peanut Butter and place a Marshmellow on top.  I had to cut my Marshmellows in half because the organic ones come a little larger then regular marshmellows.

Place in oven and cook until the marshmellows are toasty, about 6 minutes.

*Clean = Nothing artificial, no chemicals, no man-made ingredients.

Enjoy!!!

Sausage, Cannellini and Spinach Soup

Another Pinterest find and a winner!  You could easily add a small pasta (Ditalini, Conchiglie or even a Fusilli) to this soup and it would be equally delicious!  It's also a very quick and easy soup to make.  Why ever eat canned soup when making homemade is soooo soooo easy? 

Since hubby and I are empty nesters and don't like eating the same thing for days on end ... leftovers one day is wonderful but more then that... NOT.  Every soup recipe on my blog is freezable.  Let leftovers completely cool, then measure 2 cup servings into freezer bags and lay them flat to freeze.  To reheat, just break them into four pieces (while still in freezer bag), place in a small pot and put on low for about 20 minutes ... perfect!  You can microwave to reheat too but I prefer not.  When freezing soups containing pasta or potatoes, after cooling at room temp, place in fridge for a couple hours (or overnight) then measure and place into freezer bags.  This keeps the pasta and potatoes from going mushy ... eeeew!!!

This is a healthy soup especially if you use organic ingredients like we do.

Sausage, Cannellini and Spinach Soup

(adapted from bigsislilsis.com)

5 Mild (Chicken) Italian Sausage Links, removed from casings

1 Tblsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 cup Chopped Onion

2-3 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 can Cannellini Beans, rinsed and drained

2 cans Diced Tomatoes

2 cans Chicken Broth

2 Big Handfuls Baby Spinach

3 Tblsps Fresh Basil, chopped OR 1 Tblsp Dried Basil*

Heat EVOO in a large soup pot and cook Sausage until just about browned, stiring to crumble.  Add Onion and Garlic* and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.  Add Beans, Tomatoes and Chicken Broth, stirring gently so as not to break up the beans.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Uncover and simmer on medium low heat for about 15 minutes or so.

Remove from heat.  Stir in Spinach and Basil.  *When using Dried Basil, add at same time as Onions and Garlic. 

Top with freshly grated Parmesan, if desired.

Cock a Leekie Soup

Outlander Series fans will love this!  For those of you who are not familiar with the Outlander Series, it’s a book series consisting of 7 (soon to be 8) historical novels written by Diana Gabaldon which I am currently reading (I’m on second book) … and I am so hooked!!!  Coming this summer it will begin as a series on Starz.  You can find the trailer about it here: http://www.starz.com/originals/outlander and about the books here: http://www.dianagabaldon.com/books/outlander-series/

                  

I'm of Scot-Irish decent, my maiden name being Scottish and my mother's maiden name being Irish so anything Scottish or Irish interests me especially historical novels set in either country.  My Irish Grandmother cooked a lot of Irish foods and Irish inspired foods growing up but I have never, that I know of, had any foods of Scot origin.  So in reading the Outlander Series, as you fans know, it is based in Scotland, I came across this soup coincidently, at the first mention in the series of my maiden name, so, of course, I had to google it to see if I could find a recipe. 

It was sort of odd that I came across a lot of so called 'traditional' Scottish recipes for this soup calling for rice instead of barley ... odd because rice can only be grown in hot humid climates so therefore, is not grown in Scotland.  And in doing a little more esearch, rice only became available in the 15th century in Scotland and then not readily available for purchase.  Whereas Barley, is a staple crop in Scotland and has been for many many centuries and still is to this day.  So knowing this, I decided that using Barley in this recipe was more traditional then using rice.  I wanted a traditional recipe!!!

As with most recipes, this one can vary from region to region, just like your recipe for meatloaf versus mine, ya know?  But the basis for the recipe is Chicken and Leeks, always!  Hence, the name.

Now I do not cook chicken still on its bones (a strange phobia, I suppose lol) and do not eat dark meat chicken, so I decided to adapt the recipe I found on allrecipes.com to my style of cooking so here it is.  Because cooking chicken on the bone in water renders its own 'chicken broth' I substituted chicken broth for the water that is called for in the allrecipes.com version.  As far as flavor, I followed the original recipe as closely as I could.  The recipe calls for only 1/3 cup of Barley and since I had only eaten Barley and never cooked with it, I stuck to the original measurement.   Next time I'll up the Barley measure to 2/3 cup.


This is a good comfort soup for those warm winter days or when your just not feeling good.  It's very similar to chicken and rice soup but with a slightly different flavor ... because of the leeks.  If you've never had leeks, best way for me to describe them is a cross between celery and green onions but still its own taste and flavor entirely.

It was kinda cool eating a soup knowing that my ancestors ate something like this many many centuries ago.  I will definitely make it again!

So here's my version of Cock a Leekie Soup.  I hope ya'll enjoy it!!! 

Cock a Leekie Soup

4 Chicken Breasts, cut into bite size pieces

6 cans Chicken Broth

1 Onion, chopped

1/3 cup Barley (Next time I will double this)

1 Tblsp Chicken Base

3 Leeks, sliced

2 stalks Celery, thickly sliced

2 tsp Thyme

1 Tblsp Parsley

1 tsp Sea Salt

1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper

In a large soup pot, combine the raw Chicken, Chicken Broth, Onion and Barley.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.

Add the Chicken Base, Leeks, Celery, Thyme, Parsley, Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper.  Simmer for 30 more minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.

Baked Ziti

This is my own recipe and though I've made it for years, I've never really measured anything BUT because I thought I might need to share it, I decided to make notes as I made it so I've got it down as to exactly how I make it.

The key to making great meals is fresh ingredients and I more often then not even use fresh herbs but with the snow and cold we've had here this year my herbs aren't looking so good so I did use dried herbs to make this.  I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to use Fresh Mozzarella and NOT the pre-shredded or block form ... believe me, it makes a huge difference in taste ... huge!!!  Fresh Mozzarella is BEST!!!

Another thing, I never ever use jarred "Spaghetti Sauce" ... I always always always make my own ... it just too easy and taste way better then the jarred stuff.  A lot of times my hubby and I will make a huge pot of sauce and then freeze small portions of it.  That way when we are in a hurry and haven't planned a meal, its quick to put in a pot on simmer and reheat, adding whatever cooked meat we want.

And lastly, I use imported pastas from Italy as they are much better then the non-imported brands.  They have minimal ingredients and hold up better when cooked, do not go mushy!

Baked Ziti

1 lb of Ground Beef

1/2 Red Onion, chopped

3 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 tsp Italian Seasoning (or a bit more)

1/4 tsp Fennel

1/4 tsp Savory

Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste

1 can Tomato Sauce

1 can Diced Tomatoes

1 Tblsp Tomato Paste*

1 Tblsp Grated Parmesan

Handful of Fresh Spinach, optional

12 oz Ziti, uncooked

16 oz Fresh Mozzarella, sliced thinly

Brown the Ground Beef in a splash or two of Extra Virgin Olive Oil until almost browned.  Drain, if needed.  Add the Onions, Garlic, Italian Seasoning, Fennel, Savory and Salt and Pepper with a bit more EVOO and finish browning the Ground Beef.  I don't measure my Salt and Pepper but usually twist both into the sauce 6-7 times (both of mine are in grinders).  I suggest adding a bit of both and then tasting to see if it needs more, remember you can always add more Salt at the table, if needed.

Once Onions are softened up a bit, add the Tomato Sauce, Diced Tomatoes, Tomato Paste and Parmesan, reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 30 minutes but longer makes it better.  I usually simmer mine for an hour or so.

Cook Ziti as directed on package, drain and add to sauce.  Now is time to add handful of Spinach, if desired.  The Spinach doesn't really change the flavor but adds more vitamins and your daily dose of green leafy veggies.

Grease an 8x8 casserole dish.  Pour in enough sauce to cover bottom, cover sauce with slices of Mozzarella, repeat until you get to top and then finish with a layer of cheese.  (Just like making a lasagna)

Cook at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, until bubbly and cheese is gooey.

* A note about Tomato Paste here ... I rarely, if ever, use a whole can so what I do when I open a can is take out Tablespoons and space them out on a sheet of wax or parchment paper, place a second piece of parchment paper over them, smash down a bit (to flatten), fold them over each other, accordion style, and then place into a freezer bag.  Then I take out what I need as I need it.  It will keep for several months in the freezer.

Chicken Verde Soup

‘Stole’  this recipe from a blog via Pinterest … I changed the name to more suit its ingredients … it was named ‘white chicken chili’ and as you can see from ingredients it does not contain anything to make it ‘white’ besides fact that chicken is white LOL  I used Cannellini Beans cause that’s what I had on hand.  You can easily substitute Navy or Great Northern Beans ... the taste would be just a slight difference and not at all wrong.  This soup is not only EASY (just 5 ingredients) it is also very flavorful ... yummm yummmm yummm ... a definite keeper!!!

I served mine with chopped Green Onions and Diced Avocado ...
second time around I added a sprinkling of Shredded Mexican Cheese!  Yummy!

Chicken Verde Soup

4 cans Chicken Broth

4 cups cooked Shredded Chicken

2 cans Cannellini Beans, drained

2 cups Salsa Verde

2 tsps Ground Cumin

Topping Suggestions: Diced Avocado, Chopped Fresh Cilantro, Shredded Mexican Cheese, Chopped Green Onions, Sour Cream, Crumbled Tortilla Chips

Place all ingredients in a soup pot and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for at about 20-30 minutes.  NOTE: This could easily be made in a crock pot set on low!

Valerie's White Chicken Chili

This recipe comes from a good friend and faithful blog follower.  Every time I would read one of her Facebook posts about having a pot of White Chicken Chili in the crockpot and describing how wonderful it smelled … my mouth would water … so I finally asked her for her recipe and it is so so good!  And second day for leftovers … even better!!!   I made it exactly as it is written but for a lighter version you could substitute Greek Yogurt for the Sour Cream and Half-n-Half for the Heavy Cream … I’ve done this many times in other recipes and it really doesn’t change the flavor much, if at all!

Valerie's White Chicken Chili

4 - 6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cooked & shredded

3 cans Great Northern Beans, drained

2 cans Navy Beans, undrained

2 cans Chicken Broth

1-4 oz can of Diced Chiles

2 tsp Salt

2 tsp Cumin Powder

2 tsp Oregano

1 tsp Pepper

1/4 tsp Ground Red Pepper

1 tsp Onion Powder

1 tsp Garlic

16 oz Sour Cream

8 oz Heavy Whipping Cream

After you cook your chicken mix everything together in slow cooker (or in a pot on the stove).  If cooking in a crockpot, put temp on low and let cook all day.  Stove top … I let mine cook slowly (simmer) for a couple hours.

Serve with Shredded Cheese, Chopped Green Onions, Sour Cream or Crushed Tortilla Chips.

Fresh Homemade Salsa

I don't think I know one single person who doesn't love Chips and Salsa.  There are some really good store bought Salsas out there ... I have one particular favorite that I love when my hands are not up to dicing and chopping BUT my most favorite of all is my own Fresh Homemade Salsa.  This is MY recipe …one that I’ve been making for years and one that I came up with TOTALLY on my own so if it looks similar to or the same as any other recipe out there … total coincidence. 

The basic recipe is mild but let me tell you ... every time I've made it it is all eaten up ... every last drop!  Even my Latino DIL loves it!!!  Sometimes I add a couple spoonfuls of canned black beans (drained and rinsed) and sometimes I even divide it, keeping half of it mild and making the other half medium-hot.  It’s awesome just as it is without the chilling/marinating in the fridge BUT the marinating of the flavors makes it even more incredible!!!  Now normally I make it without measuring a single thing so when I guesstimated the measures to write up and share my recipe, I decided to try it as I've guessed the measurements in my recipe just to make sure it still came out just right and YEP sure enough I guessed perfectly!!!  Hope ya’ll love it as much as we do!!! 

Fresh Homemade Salsa

(Makes About 2 Cups)

2 cans Diced Tomatoes, drained and finely chopped

1/2 small Onion, finely chopped

1/4 Green Bell Pepper, finely chopped

10-12 stalks Fresh Cilantro, finely chopped

1 Tblsp Lime Juice

Splash Apple Cider Vinegar

1 tsp Dried Celery Flakes

1 Tblsp Sugar

1 tsp Ground Cumin

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and gently stir it all together until well mixed.  Let marinate in fridge for a couple hours before serving to let flavors mingle.

For a hotter salsa add finely chopped fresh Jalapeño Pepper or some ground Cayenne Pepper, to taste.

Love this kitchen tool!  Not sure what it is called ... its a scraper/chopper.
Its pretty sharp and could definitely cut you if you are not careful ...
but not as sharp as a good kitchen knife.  Perfect for chopping the
diced tomatoes into even smaller bits.

And its perfect for chopping the
Cilantro very finely!!!

Storage Idea: I put my Salsa in a Mason jar and refrigerate for up to a week or so.  Because it has a touch of vinegar in it … it will keep that long!

Here's another cool kitchen gadget ... a wide
mouth funnel which is usually used for canning.
Perfect for placing, in this case, Salsa into a Mason Jar!

And there you have it ... finished product!
Ready to marinate in the fridge, pour and eat or store.

Baked Maple and Pecan Brie

I found this recipe on Pinterest (imagine that LOL) and it originates from marthastewart.com.  Now I AM NOT a Martha Stewart fan, in fact, I have admittedly tried several of her recipes prior to this one and they did not pass my taste test at all BUT this one is a definite winner!!!  Thank you Martha!  And ya'll ... I didn't change a thing!!!  I made it for our Family Christmas Eve gathering and it was a hit ... someone even requested it again for our New Year's Eve gathering though I didn't make it a second time ... I just wasn't up to fighting the crowds in the grocery store ... AGAIN.  But let me tell ya ... this recipe is a definite do again and again and again!!!  Love it!!!

Baked Maple and Pecan Brie

1 small Wheel of Brie

1/2 cup Pecan Halves

3 Tblsps Light Brown Sugar

3 Tblsps Pure Maple Syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place Brie on a rimmed baking pan. Bake until softened - about 15-20 minutes.  Let cool for about 20 minutes.

While Brie is cooling, place Pecans on a baking sheet and toast for about 7-10 minutes.  Sprinkle Pecans over Baked Brie.

In a small saucepan, combine Sugar and Maple Syrup and cook until Sugar dissolves and mixture becomes foamy, 1-2 minutes.

Drizzle warm Sauce over Brie and serve with Crackers or slices of a Baguette.

Feta Veggie Dip

I was looking for an alternative to the same old Ranch Dip recipe for fresh veggies and came across this (though I changed it a tiny bit) on Pinterest.  Delicious!  If you love Feta Cheese, as I do, then you will absolutely love this alternative Fresh Veggie Dip ... better than Ranch, to me!

Feta Veggie Dip

6 oz Feta Cheese

4 oz Cream Cheese, softened

4 Tblsps Milk or Half-n-Half

1 clove Garlic (minced)

1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1/4 tsp Dried Thyme

1/4 tsp Dried Parsley

1/4 tsp Dried Oregano

1/4 tsp Sea Salt

1/4 tsp Black Pepper

Combine all ingredients and blend together using a food processor, until smooth.  Serve chilled with fresh veggies.

Adapted from food.com 

Homemade Caramel Sauce

Start with a heavy pan

Organic Sugar in the pan

As Sugar breaksdown it will look crumbly ... this is normal to the process of caramelizing

See how it is starting to liquify but yet still has clumps ... keep cooking, be patient

Sugar has completely liquified and caramelized

Adding Butter will make it bubble up bigtime ... make sure not to burn it ... adjust heat if necessary

Adding the Milk will make it bubble up even more ... turn down heat to low

Remove from pan and transfer to a heat resistent container

After cooling for a couple minutes, whisk it really good to get a smooothe consistency

There ya go ... Homemade Caramel Sauce ... NO HFCS or other gunk in it ... all natural

Caramel Sauce

1/2 cup Organic Sugar

3 Tblsps Organic Butter

1/2 cup Evaporated Milk (or Organic Heavy Cream)

NOTE: The Evaporated Milk was what I had on hand left over from a recipe.  If you want to make it totally Organic (and richer in flavor) then use 1/2 cup Organic Heavy Cream in place of the Evaporated Milk.

Place sugar in a heavy pan (I use cast iron cause it heats up most uniformly).  Cook on medium low heat until sugar has completed dissolved and become a liquid and caramelized.  It takes a while but be patient.

Add Butter but turn heat down a bit ... it will bubble up like crazy.  Stir until Butter is melted.

Next turn heat completely down as low as possible and add Milk ... cook for a couple more minutes stirring constantly.

Remove from pan into a cooler container (make sure it is a heat proof container) ... I used a Pyrex measuring cup.  Let stand for a minute or two to cool then whip it with a whisk for about 20-30 seconds. 

Sauce will thicken as it cools.  You can refrigerate any unused portions and just zap it in the microwave for a few seconds, stir and enjoy again!

Here's how I used mine but its also great for dipping apples, pears or other fruit in
or pouring over your favorite ice cream or dessert

Italian Drunken Noodles

I found this recipe on Pinterest and the original came from the blog The Cozy Apron  Her pics are much better than mine ... beautiful pics... but Course my hubby has a hard time waiting for me to take pics so they are usually taken in a rush.  I changed it up a tad just because hubby loves Hot Italian Sausage and its a little bit too hot for me so I did half Hot Italian Sausage and half Organic Ground Beef ... here's my version... it was amazing.  If my hubby will eat it two days in a row (leftovers on second day, of course) then its got to be awesome believeyoume!!!  Love love love this recipe!

Drunken Italian Noodles

(Serves 6)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Hot Italian Sausage Links (1/2 lb), casings removed

1/2 lb Organic Ground Beef

1 lrg Onion, sliced thinly

1-½ tsp Sea Salt

1 tsp Italian Seasoning

½ tsp Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

1 Red Bell Pepper, cored and thinly sliced

1 Yellow Bell Pepper, cored and thinly sliced

1 Orange Bell Pepper, cored and thinly sliced

4 Garlic Cloves, minced

½ cup Chardonnay Wine (real stuff, not cooking wine)

2 cans Organic Diced Tomatoes with Juice

2 Tblsps Parsley

¼ cup Fresh Basil Leaves, julienned, divided

8 ounces Pappardelle Noodles, uncooked (next time I will only add 4 ounces of the Noodles ... 8 was too much for our taste)

Place a large, heavy-bottom pot over medium-high heat.  Add about 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  Once the oil is hot, crumble the Spicy Italian Sausage and Organic Ground Beef into the pot in small chunks (you want to keep the sausage fairly chunky).  Once the crumbled meats are browned, remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and place into a small bowl and set aside.

Next, add the sliced Onion to the pan with the drippings and sprinkle with the Sea Salt (which helps in caramelizing veggies), and allow them to caramelize ~ roughly 5 minutes or so, stirring to keep it from burning (add a touch more EVOO, if necessary).  Once Onion is caramelized, add Italian Seasoning and Fresh Cracked Black Pepper and stir to combine.  

Next, add in the Sliced Bell Peppers, and allow those to sauté with the Onion for about 2 minutes until slightly tender and golden; next, add the Minced Garlic, and once it becomes aromatic, add the Wine and allow it to reduce for a few moments; next, add in the Diced Tomatoes with their juice, and return the browned meats back to the pot, and gently fold the mixture to combine; allow it to gently simmer for about 3-4 minutes to blend the flavors, then turn the heat down to low as possible.

To finish the sauce, drizzle in about 2-3 good tablespoons of the EVOO, and add in the Chopped Parsley and about half of the julienned Basil; stir, and keep warm while you prepare the noodles.

Prepare the Pappardelle noodles according to instructions on package; then, drain the noodles very well, and add them directly into the sauce, using tongs to gently toss and combine the Pappardelle noodles with the sauce and all of the ingredients in it; check the seasoning to see if you need to add any additional salt or pepper.

Garnish with a sprinkle of the remaining julienned Basil and top with shaved Parmesan, if desired.

Real Italian Pesto

What better than a simple Italian traditional Pesto?

"Ligurian Pesto is the second most popular sauce for pasta after the tomato based one and, certainly, the most popular one when it comes to cold sauces.  The name Pesto derives from the Italian verb to crush, "pestare", because for a real Ligurian Pesto, the ingredients have to be crushed using a wooden pestle and marble mortar.  The classic ingredients for Pesto alla Genovese are basil grown in Liguria (Ocimum Basilicum) hence the name, coarse sea salt, pine nuts, garlic, Ligurian extra virgin olive oil and grated Pecorino Romano cheese of the best quality."

SOURCE: http://www.italymagazine.com/italy-featured/liguria/recipe-pesto-alla-genovese

Traditionally, Pesto was made using a Mortar and Pestle (some still make it this way) ~ thank goodness for the invention of Cuisinarts or better known as food processors or even blenders (yes, you can make it in a blender as well because Pine Nuts are very soft nuts).

Photo courtesy of http://theshiksa.com/images/2011/05/Pesto-Mortar.jpg

I have made fresh "Real" Italian Pesto many times over the last 15 years ...that's when I first started growing my own fresh Genovese (or Sweet) Basil ... never following a recipe as Pesto is one of those things that isn't an exact science ... well at least fresh pesto isn't ... a recipe calling for 2-3 small cloves of garlic, for instance, heck cloves really vary in size from bulb to bulb, so its basically about taste.  I've used the pre-minced Garlic that you can buy versus the freshly minced and in my opinion, freshly minced Garlic is BEST!

However, I've never frozen it so I checked out a few websites and found, on lacuocaciccia.com the secret to keeping it bright green after freezing ~ blanching the Basil prior to preparing!!!  Here's my version ... its delicious!

Let's get started ...

Real Italian Pesto

2 lrg bunches of Organic Genovese (or Sweet) Basil (about 2 cups tightly packed) Leaves ONLY

2 heaping Tblsps Pine Nuts, lightly toasted*

2-3 Garlic Cloves, minced just before adding

4-6 Tblsps  Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pinch (or two) Sea Salt

About 3 Tblsps Pecorino Romano/Parmigiano Cheese

* To toast Pine Nuts, place a drizzle of EVOO in a skillet and heat on medium heat.  Toss in Pine Nuts and toss around ... they toast up quickly so do not take your eyes off them.  You want them to be just lightly browned (tanned).

The amounts of Sea Salt, Pine Nuts, Garlic and Cheese are approximate ... Best way to get it just like you like it is to start out adding half of recommended amounts and taste test ... add more ... taste test add more ... you may find you use more or less then recommended.  Sometimes too, I have found, that the Basil can be the taste factor in adding the other ingredients ... as some years it just tastes better than others ... which is true for growing anything (herbs, fruits or veggies).

Boil a pot of salted water.  Prepare a large ice bath while water is heating (ice and cold water).  Once water is boiling, add the Basil for 8-10 seconds ONLY.  Remove and immediately plunge into the ice bath, swirling leaves around for a couple seconds.  This stops cooking process.  I use tongs for this.  Remove and drain of excess water.  I use a Salad Spinner (love my spinner).  If you do not have a Salad Spinner you can use either a Fine Mesh Strainer or lay on paper towels.  

In a Cuisinart (or blender), lightly process some of the Pine Nuts, Garlic and a tablespoon (or two) of the EVOO.  Add all the damp, blanched Basil and blend again on high-speed, slowly adding more Pine Nuts, Garlic, EVOO and Sea Salt, to taste.  

Makes 2 (4 oz) jars.  Leave about 1/4 inch between jar seal and Pesto as once it is frozen it will expand (like most things) and you DO NOT want broken jars.  Also, make sure you top off the Pesto with a thin layer of EVOO before sealing and freezing ~ keeps Pesto from browning on top.

Yum ~ doesn't that look delicious?