Ta-da! Homemade pesto! Slowly but surely I have been learning to make things I would normally buy from scratch; for cost reasons, for my health, and for the satisfaction of making my own food.

REAL presto- um…pesto, is made with romano cheese. Unfortunately, cheese is one of the things I should not eat. My home made version went something like this:

Go to store. Search bulk section for pine nuts (something I’ve never bought before). Procure two large bags of basil (would like to grow my own when I have more outdoor space to cut down on cost/plastic use). Go home and mix them together with some olive oil, salt and pepper in the food processor. Voila! Prest- PESTO. I am keeping small jars of it in my freezer for whenever I make pasta. Or meatball sandwiches (with mayo).

Yes it takes longer than using pre-made, but when you sit and pick the leaves from four cups worth of basil you discover a whole new appreciation for the goods you consume.

Lessons Learned: The little leaves near the stems are very bitter compared to the rest of the leaves. Leave them out. They are just too fresh for my taste.