Answers to your questions Part 1

Julie @ Julie Chats asks "Do you have a favorite pesto recipe? I bought a ton of basil at the Farmer's Market yesterday & want to make pesto with it."
I haven't made Pesto in ages, but if I were to make it now, I'd go with Mario Batali's recipe:

Mario Batali's Pesto
Courtesy of www.mariobatali.com
Makes 1 Cup

• 3 tablespoons Pine Nuts
• 2 cups fresh Basil Leaves
• 1 clove Garlic, peeled
• Pinch of Salt
• ½ cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Combine the pine nuts, basil, garlic, and salt in a large stone mortar and grind with the pestle until the mixture forms a paste. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, beating all the while with a wooden spoon. Add the Parmigiano 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until the mixture forms a thick paste. The pesto can also be made in a food processor. The pesto can be stored in a jar, topped with a thin layer of extra-virgin olive oil, for several weeks in the refrigerator.

Stephanie B @ Rocket Scientist asks: "What are your thoughts on upcoming legislation regarding national healthcare? I would thinking, considering some of the issues you have to deal with constantly, you might have an opinion." Actually this question has me freaking out. Right now because of all our current drama, I've tried not to pay attention to this, at least since they started having the town hall meetings. This has me very concerned. I know I am not alone in my financial situation and I cannot afford to be made to pay for health insurance at this time. I cannot work due to disability, so this complicates things. I know that President Obama seems very gung ho about this, but I can't help but feeling that this is going to go the same way as it went during President Clinton's administration, a whole lot of talk and nothing happening. Because of the way big insurance lobbies Congress, change is just not going to happen in 4 years. One thing I don't understand at all is why a Single person in the state of Illinois does not qualify for Medicaid. Are Single people just supposed to not have medical problems? I don't get that. Something needs to be done so that Single people aren't crippled financially when they have an unexpected illness and cannot afford insurance.

Stacey @ All Stace, All The Time asks "If a train leaves Chicago at 4:00 doing 45 mph...Just kidding! What do you think is the most effective way to make money with your blog without having it look too overwhelming?" Thank goodness you were kidding! I don't do well with word problems. I wish I knew. I've got my blog all crapped up with ads and I'm not earning squat. It really irritates me. I finally fixed my Google Analytics for the diner this weekend and it says my average bounce rate is 88%. That seems like crap to me, considering my stats on how long people spend on my blog (from StatCounter.Com). Even with Adgitize, I've not made enough for a payout yet. Anyone who is using Adgitize, what do you charge for your ads? Maybe my ads are too cheap?

Margie And Edna @ Margie And Edna's Basement asks: Is there anything you'd like to do that you've never done before? Yes. Take a real vacation. One that lasts at least a week long and takes me to a vacation destination. Hawaii would be cool, but I'm not even picky, I'd go to Disney World and Key West again. Hell! I'd even take my kids! That's how desperate I am for a vacation. Of course I'd love to go to a gay travel destination or go on an R Family Cruise, but we're just trying to keep our heads above water here, so sadly, even thinking of such extravagances is absurd.

Petula @ It's A Woman's World! asks: How did you get so many people to follow your blog? :) It didn't happen overnight. I started blogging October 16, 2008. I started out by putting my blog on as many directories as I could. I don't know if that really helps, I thought that was a good starting point. Blog Catalog is also an excellent place to get started listing your blogs. The other thing that people will mention over and over is Comment Comment Comment. Just like in real estate it's Location Location Location, on blogs it's commenting. I've participated in several of Harriet's monthly comment challenges and I must say, those did draw a lot of people to my blog. Harriet is planning a September Comment Challenge, so be sure to check it out at I Am Harriet.

Check back Friday for more answers to your questions!

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