Buying vs. cooking

One of the items we received in our CSA Box this week was basil. So it was mandatory that we make pesto. We already had olive oil and basil and some garlic, so I went to the store for some pinenuts and parmesan cheese. While I was there, I got some more garlic, too, just in case.

At the store, I noticed them selling already-made pesto. For about $6. "I bet it doesn't have pinenuts in it, though,"was my justification. It did. But we already had the basil, plus I'm trying not to have so much processed food (and there were definitely additives in the store-bought pesto). So I bought pinenutes. For about $6. And parmesan cheese. For $6. Now I didn't use them all, so I have some still for another recipe, but it made me think about the whole situation. I enjoyed making the pesto, and the extra few bucks won't break us, but I guess this is why planning menus in advance to really use everything you buy is a good idea.