Annual Pesto Bash and Other Significant Events

Today is sister Irene's (dogonart to you) anyway, her birthday.  Hippo Birdies, and many many more.

And the other annual event was the Making of the Pesto, at least the opening day of same.  Today it was oregano and sage, one batch of each flavor.  This year I'm not mixing flavors like last year, just going to put the batches up separately then mix and match as I cook.  

I freeze each batch flattened out in a ziploc bag, and when it's frozen, it stands on edge like a library book, takes up no room in the freezer and you can break off exactly the amount you want.  I also, instead of washing out the blender (I do chop first by hand, then finish by blending the walnuts, parmesan, olive oil and leaves) I poured in a few ounces of water and blended that, and I'm freezing the resulting mix, to add to soups or whatever will have water in it anyway.  Waste not want not.

The blender is a very nice one, a freecycle, in fact, I suspect because the original owner moved on up to a food processor after watching one too many food shows...perfectly operating blender. 

This freed up my old one, actually a collectible with one switch for on, and one for off, which went to Handsome Son who loves old items like this especially when they function, which that one does.  You have to hold on the lid, I warned him, since it dates back to before they made the deep lid which didn't fly off so readily..and I just remembered that was a freecycle, too.