...
>        So here is the prize question... the winner will have my eternal
>gratitude (I'll pull a thorn out of your foot someday):
>
>        Does anyone know of a single-chip solution to interface the PIC
>output (5V) to the MOSFET gate (around 12V) with plenty of source and
...

Well, close, but I won't claim the price since you'll need two of them:
Maxim has a few chips that do exactly that, e.g. the MAX62x series (there
may be others, but I just had a look in the '94 databook). These contain 4
drivers and a charge pump to increase the driver voltage to 11 Volts above
supply (IIRC, MOSFET supply).

Hope this Helps.
Bye
  Markus