Happy Monday! Busy weekend again with more home improvements. But before I start showing those pictures, I want to share a recipe featuring our Flavor of the Week: basil!
This is one of those herbs that’s supposed to be really easy to grow, but I’ve always had trouble growing them in pots. Either the soil was filled with bugs, slugs destroyed them, or it was just too hot for their roots. I used to always buy huge bunches for $2 in Chinatown and they had both Thai and sweet basil varieties. The Thai basil has darker, thicker leaves and a more “peppery” taste. I made pesto with both varieties, and couldn’t taste much of a difference.
Here is a quick n’ easy no-cook topping for your pasta that can be kept in the fridge for a few days. If you don’t have enough basil, cut it with some baby spinach (they’re milder than the grown-up kind!) Add some cream and warm up before adding cooked pasta, or serve over chicken. Any way you slice it, it’s delicious!
Add more or less basil, if you like (less here.) The lemony creaminess of the pine nuts can shine on its own.
Lemony Pine Nut Pesto
The lemon combines perfectly with pine nuts, but feel free to use pecans, walnuts or cashews. Inspired by Pine Nut Cream recipe from Going Raw by Judita Wignall.
3/4 cups raw soaked pine nuts or other raw soaked nuts
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 garlic clove, mashed and chopped
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup basil leaves, torn
1 cup baby spinach leaves, torn
Add nuts to a food processor or blender and pulse or blend on medium-low until pasty but coarsely chopped. Add lemon juice, garlic, salt, and oil. Blend for a few seconds until combined. Blend in basil and spinach, turning off machine and scraping down sides when necessary. Enjoy on pasta, as a veggie dip, or sandwich spread.
On to home renovations!
KITCHEN: I primed more of the kitchen, as well as the cat’s litter box:
Primed cabinets on the right and wall on the left. And there’s our new fridge!
The cabinet doors went from red to white on the cats’ litter box, Trixie was the first to try it out.
Put a new pattern on the display cabinet:
The original burlap looked dull against a white wall so I replaced it with some fun polka-dots!
Primed the formerly red plant stand and covered the glass top with the same fabric used in the cabinet.
YARD WORK:
The other morning Trixie and I noticed this beautiful purple hibiscus in the back yard:
Looks healthy, but I think it would like more sun.
I’ve seen tons of these plants in red, white, and yellow at Lowe’s but didn’t think anyone would buy one to plant outside…won’t the freezing temperatures kill it? Apparently not!
Purple hibiscus
There were some other trees crowding it out and blocking the sun so I asked my husband to clear the area around it. Now there’s plenty of sunlight to reach the hibiscus, and looking at the newly cleared space is giving me some outdoor ideas…
The whole area behind the hibiscus is now cleared. It would make a lovely sitting area.
I am not much of a flower-planting person but after seeing this hibiscus, I think I’d want to add more color to this part of the back yard…and maybe add an herb garden!
July 30, 2012 at 17:37
I’ve never actually made pesto with pine nuts before lol. I feel like I should get on that.
Your display cabinet and stool are so cute!
July 30, 2012 at 18:12
Thanks, I updated the cabinet/plant stand late Sunday night…sometimes I just hang out in the kitchen, staring at things and thinking about what I can spruce up. I never made pine nut pesto before either, I was inspired by a pine nut “cream” recipe in the “Going Raw” cookbook by Judita Wignall. (I think I’ll add that comment to my post!)
July 31, 2012 at 00:23
Your pesto looks wonderful! I also add spinach to give the pesto more body. And I have used pecans and walnuts when I couldn’t get my hands on pine nuts. I really like your remodel- especially the polka dot accents! The plant table, the curtain, the display cabinet- all of it!!
July 31, 2012 at 07:21
I love using pecans in recipes, and sometimes use frozen spinach to “stretch” what little basil pesto is left in the fridge! Thanks for your nice comments about the remodeling. I have to do it little by little, depending on the time and $$ available. ;)
July 31, 2012 at 10:29
Looks like you are keeping very busy. We love pesto. It has so many uses, is quick, simple and can be made with so many different things. You an use it as dip, on pasta, as spread on sandwiches, as a last minute touch to steamed or sautéed veggies that you want to brighten up just a touch, etc. You can make it with sun dried tomatoes, basil, arugula, parsley, cilantro, spinach, etc. It just goes on and on and on.
July 31, 2012 at 15:16
Yes, pretty busy with our home! I love the versatility of pesto, and the variety of ingredients makes it even easier to whip up in no time.
August 1, 2012 at 16:52
I’ve been throwing around the idea of trying out the cabinet and counter top transformation stuff, I think I might wait until next year though, we have such good quality cabinets and our laminate counter tops are in great shape, the colors just need an update, as well as new hardware! I cant wait to see your project finished!
August 1, 2012 at 18:20
I know what you mean, such a shame to waste good, solid cabinets! Our cabinets are in pretty decent shape, but they definitely need some sprucing up. Painting is a lot more work than those 15-second commercials make it out to be, and I’ll keep you posted on my progress!