Tomorrow is my birthday and the festivities have already begun! Last night my husband and the boys and I went out for dinner at our favorite local restaurant. At the end of the meal, my children wanted to order (and split) the Coffee Affogato –vanilla gelato drowned in a shot of espresso.
My husband and I pleasantly argued over the merits (none) and shortcomings (caffeine) of this dessert for several minutes while the children observed, amusedly. I was pro-affogato, my husband against. Given that I have tended to be the strict one in the house it was nice to be on the indulgent, lenient side of this debate, even though I lost. They had plain gelato which all-in-all was a delightful treat.
While my husband drove home (north), the boys and I took the long-cut on foot, south and strolled down by the creek. It was an excellent evening. Great fun with my favorite people. Tomorrow the festivities continue; we are having several families over for dinner to test out many new recipes that I have been working on this week. Here is what my email invitation said:
Date: Saturday, August 2nd
Time: 5:30
Where: My House
What: Bring children, bathing suits for them (we’ll have the sprinklers on), baseball mits (for catch)
Don’t: Bring food
No: Gifts Por Favor
So, as you see, we have big plans for tomorrow. I might even sweep the backyard; though probably not. Rather than cleaning, I imagine I’ll be working on more recipes. I’ve been cooking up a storm lately and having great fun in the kitchen. Below is the pesto recipe that I created for tomorrow’s bash.
Lemon Walnut Pesto
Ingredients
- ¼ cup scallions, chopped
- 1 cup parsley, chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh squeezed
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 cup walnuts
Instructions
- Place scallions, parsley, garlic and salt in food processor and pulse until well combined
- Turn on food processor and drizzle in lemon juice and olive oil
- Add walnuts and pulse until incorporated
- Serve with sesame crackers
Equipment
I hope you all have a fantastic weekend and have as much fun with this tangy pesto as we will. Enjoy!
Ana says
hope your birthday was a happy one!
i have everything for this pesto sitting in the fridge right now- think i will try it over pasta for a light dinner tonight. it sounds so refreshing.
Jaya says
Elana – your birthday is definitely an occasion that merits emergence from lurkdom! I have been admiring and enjoying your fantastic recipes and this one is no exception. Thanks for sharing your passion for honest, whole living.
I wish you (at least) a year’s worth of recipe epiphanies and days well spent.
Jaya :)
Okay..... says
Didn’t realize that regular pesto had gluten… Thanks for coming up with a gluten free version… It looks delicious!
elana says
Ya’ara -Thanks so much for your kind words and wishes; I really appreciate your comments!
Anina -Thanks! I am so glad that we met this year, I really enjoy knowing you :-)
Margaret – Yes, indeed.
Courtney -I would probably say nachos smothered in cheese; I could eat that for breakfast, lunch and dinner, day-in-day-out.
Kelly -Thank you so much!
Miriam -Thanks for your blessings and gratitude.
All of you made my day!!!!!
miriam says
Have a great birthday—sending many blessings your way. You have given so much to many people—thanks
Kelly says
Happy Birthday Elana! Love, Kelly
Courtney says
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ELANA!! I have to know… if you could choose one dinner and dessert in the whole wide world for your birthday (assuming food allergies were not a factor), what would it be? This will probably challenge you to think outside of the box because your gluten intolerance is always a factor in determining preferences.
This time of year, my ultimate meal would be mouthwatering, perfectly seasoned Fish Tacos and fresh baked Key Lime Pie with a mound of Homemade Whipped Cream! It will be exciting to see what you come up with. Have a very special day!
:) Courtney
Margaret says
Happy birthday. These are the “good old days” to look back on and wish your children were little again. The voice of experience. Mamaggie
Anina says
Dear Elana
Happy birthday ! I want to wish you a very special day with your family and friends. Thank you for your amazing website and for sharing it with us. Your are the green & gluten free goddess !
Anina
Yaara says
Elana,
Happy birthday!!
I wish you happiness and satisfaction in your brilliant work on this site, May you evolve in this field and the challenge will ever stop..
And on another note – how typical it is to spend your birthday in the kitchen (I certainly do it every year, willingly)
All the best,
Yaara