Pesto. Plain and Simple.

Sometimes these moods just come over me.  There are songs that I can't get outta my head.  I want to listen to music all the time.  I went through this phase where I didn't want to listen to my ipod while running.  I think it was because I was doing a half marathon and it just seemed really amateurish to see people running in a marathon with their headphones on.  LAME people.  So I went through about a year of running and not listening.  I still downloaded music but didn't listen that much.
Recently though a couple of friends and I went to Buffalo for a girls day, which means shopping.  Not my favourite thing to do but these are two of my favourite people and they promised me dinner and booze AND I didn't have to drive.  I was in.  They asked me to get a playlist together for the drive.  This is right up my alley.  I sat down and started going through my stuff.  I realized once again that I love my music.  I love listening to music.  Sometimes it makes me want to hit things.  Sometimes I cry.  Sometimes I just feel so happy that I want to jump up and down - I guess that's called dancing in some cultures.  Sometimes I just have to get up and wind my hips.  Needless to say I'm not dinner music kind of person. I'm all or nothing.  I have trouble compartmentalizing.  So, I get way too distracted when music is playing and I'm supposed to be chatting with people.
Ultimately, I don't know if they enjoyed the music or not.  There isn't much popular music on my ipod so it was probably 'educational' for them.  I thoroughly enjoyed sitting in the back seat of my friends car and zoning out to some of my favourite tunes.  So since our trip I've been listening to music non-stop and started using my ipod while I run.  Ahhh - I missed it.  I think that music captures a time and an energy in your life - it's like a snapshot of sound (did that make sense).  When I listen to my songs I think of the people that were with me then, the situations we were in... you know.  It's an energy that creates more energy.
 I was shocked when my friends told me they didn't really listen to music at all.  Maybe a lot of people are like that.  I'm not going to come out and say that my life needs a soundtrack but I want it to have a soundtrack. It's important to me that whatever it is about music that touches me and moves my body and makes me cry and remember and love be a part of my life as much as possible.  Just sayin' and I won't bore you with my ultimate playlist or anything.

I made this pesto yesterday.  Coolest part?  Half of the leaves were from my own basil pot.  Sweet.  It's seriously and stupidly easy and if you make a couple of batches you'll have enough to get you through the year.  The best.

Pesto (adapted from all over the place)
makes about 2 1/2 cups of pesto

5 - 6 cups basil leaves
1 cup (or so) olive oil
1 1/2 cups walnuts (you could use pine nuts here - it's more traditional)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese (I was using freshly grated)
6 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
2 tsp salt or to taste

Put the basil leaves and olive oil in a blender.  Mix until it's a puree.
Add in the walnuts.  Mix until it's a puree.
Add in the parmesan, garlic and salt.  Mix until it's a puree.
Taste to make sure it's all good.

Place in freezer bags and freeze in 1 cup portions.

I have peppers people... PEPPERS.  They're going to turn red at some point... hopefully.