Pesto Lovers!

WE love basil - we love pesto - - see my favorite motz basil salad that we just added a little spice to by adding hard peppercorn salami and it is fabulous!

Here is the lasted best pesto recipe that we had last night at Family Dinner on Stebbins. Yum!
Saute the small pieces of chicken breast and make some penne (protein enriched Barilla brand for a great meal!) Serve with fresh baked french ciabatta bread with butter & fresh garlic.

Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe
INGREDIENTS
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Special equipment needed: A food processor (Check Amazon.com's sale on Cuisinart food processors.)
METHOD
1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.
2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Makes 1 cup.

"Poop"

Honeymoon Slideshow from San Diego & Phoenix

Flamingos

Photos from Coronado Island - the pink flamingo is such a beautiful bird!

Nancy E Photography on the Mt. Snow website!

Searching around today for the date that Devo begins and I noted one of my photos is being used on the Devo page! Very cool indeed. This photo of "Coach" Janice and some of her girls with Maddie Rhee in the back I took on "Jump Day!"

Eagles on the Connecticut River

Nancy E Photography -
What beautiful animals, you can see the tag on one of them and they were so high in the air it was difficult to get a close up photo - they are very large birds indeed!

Sue Ann & Jeremy's Wedding

These are my favorite photos from Sue Ann & Jeremy's wedding. The rain continued that night and they had their ceremony inside after having planned it on the beach, and it was really a very special service. They both wrote the ceremony and a friend, Justice of the Peace performed the service. It was great to finally meet all of Sue Ann's sisters (5) and the DJ played some really fun songs that Steve & I danced the whole time that we were there. Judy came up from Atlanta and rode with us over from our hotel to the event and we met some really cool folks at our table. Sue Ann & Jeremy are now on their honeymoon in Mexico - - what a perfect match!

Hilary & Sarah - live from Saturday Night!

This is hilarious! I love Sarah posing at the end, and Hilary breaking apart the podium....

Sue Ann's Shower!

Photos from the event -
Manifesto gifts
Pic of Sue Ann & Me
Dog House Dice Website to check it out (SO very funny!)

Manifesto (for a great relationship)

I made the trip to Meriden CT to Sue Ann's wedding shower with her office friends this morning. I put together a kit to give as a gift and trying to incorporate some "rules to live by". Then I had a great idea to incorporate this Manifesto from a super movie (Jack & Jill vs the world) that we watched the other day. See below my note to Sue Ann. I also thought this could be a great activity at a shower asking people to offer their own rules - or give someone one rule and you can give the guest of honor the Manifesto as part of the shower. I listed the presents that I wrapped and put in the package too! Each person could give a gift that relates to their "rule" too - many ways you can incorporate the idea. I thought it was very cool. Others loved it too.




September 4, 2008

To Sue Ann
Happy Shower! Happy Life!
You are the greatest that a friend could be and I am so happy to share in your time with friends at the shower here today… but more importantly to be able to support you at every chance that you may need me (whether you reach out or not)… remember I am here for you!

Steve & I watched this movie the other day and my original idea was to put together a marriage survival kit, but I thought this had a much better spin to it where the positive nature shines in each rule. I added my own rules and you & Jeremy can add your own too in sharing with Jeremy… Sharing, loving, & communication is key!

Manifesto( for a great relationship
(from the movie Jack & Jill vs the world)

Rule 1 Be Honest
Rule 2 Believe in Fairy Tales
Rule 3 Accept Time as our Friend
Rule 4 Make Sure the Nooky is Good
Rule 5 Promote Beauty. Wage a Sustained Campaign Against Ugliness
Rule 6 Abandon the Pursuit of Happiness & its False Promise
Rule 7 Show compassion, Except to Pirates
Rule 8 Less TV
Rule 9 Always be willing to admit when you are wrong

(My additions)
Rule 10 Have a sense of humor (Doghouse Dice)
Rule 11 Keep it Spicy! Change it up! (Hot Pepper Jelly)
Rule 12 Listen to the music that makes you wanna dance! (A home made CD of my fave dance music)
Rule 13 Remember It’s ok to drink cheap wine (GOOD cheap wine!) McManis (she turned me on to it so she totally loved it!)
Rule 14 Take a lot of photos, & keep a journal of your life – so you NEVER forget all the good times (little photo album with a photo of her and Jeremy)

Don’t forget to make up your own!
Smile on!
With love, your friend –

Nancy E. Cook

Sunset on the Pacific

Grackles, Bunnies, Road Runners & Seagulls

The last of my collection of animal photos from our honeymoon in Cali and Phoenix.
Grackles - from the ninth hole green breakfast spot at the Phoenician. The waitress had all the sugar bowls weighted down to stop their thievery. Although the males are gorgeous in color and I love this photos - they are like the pidgeon, a scavenger for food at our table and squawk real loud!

We also saw road runners and this other species (maybe a quail?) that were hanging out with the rabbits on the golf course. Tons of animals just running around as we were the last on the course, but the bunnies were real comfortable just stretched out enjoying watching us play the game. very cute.

The bottom photo is one of my faves from Carlsbad where you can see the ocean behind where the bird sat to watch the pelicans dive.