Perfect Pesto

Here's the general recipe:

• 2 cloves garlic
• 4 cups packed basil
• 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts, cooled
• 1/4 cup parmesan
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt (or more to taste)

Chop the garlic in the food processor.  Add everything else.  Taste and adjust.

Substitutions:

• walnuts or pecans for pine nuts
• juice from 1/2 lemon for parmesan (increase salt)
• flavored oils, anyone? (think... chili)

I prefer lemon to parmesan, personally.  (Which is just plain weird!)  Also, I don't measure my basil.  I use two big double handfuls, and usually have to add a little more olive oil.  Depending on the flavor of the basil, you might use more or less.  Generally this makes between 1/2 and 3/4 pint pesto.  

Enjoy!

Need Pranayama Exercises?

Download by going to my Public Dropbox and getting the BRTT_June2_2.mp3 file.

Favorite iPhone Apps

I have no catchy title... feel free to suggest one :)

I have a couple of apps I find really useful for various aspects of practice and I thought I'd share them.

Yoga Timer - the yogic metronome.  This is great for a yin or restorative practice where you want to spend x minutes in a pose before moving to the next one.

Way of Life - a goal tracker.  Prove to yourself that you really can meditate for 9.75 minutes every day.

... and my favorite...

Muscles by RealBodyWork - see muscles of the face, arm, torso and leg.  Pay a few extra dollars and get animations of common movements and the muscles that make it happen.  (Apparently they also make nerves and other systems, too, if anatomy is your thing.)