A New Day

Wow. Yesterday was a really awful day. I can't believe how bad it was. In fact, I am still feeling its effects today. Certain obstacles are coming into play today too but I am not going to let them define me or my day. When I have bad days, it is usually because many little things occur at the same time to drain and challenge me. The really big stuff doesn't qualify as a bad day because that is another whole category and is dealt with in a different way. I fully appreciate that my problems are not poverty and hunger and crime but that are still my problems! It is all relative in life and my problems shift as my life shifts. Please know I am incredibly grateful for my world, every single day.

So, yesterday I found out that we have bats in our shutter and squirrels in our attic. Poor Chappy threw up 2 times, and almost pooped in the house again, and as he has figured out how to get out of our fence, he did so multiple times. These are just a few of the obstacles that I encountered.  By the end of day, I was truly exhausted and really just wanted to go to bed. I had my bananas, nutella and fluff after lunch which lifted my spirits a bit but I was still feeling tired.

But then, I started cooking. I lit my candles and made a really yummy meal for my family and it made me feel just a little better.

I realize that I can be hard on myself and the managers in my brain like to point out my mistakes or tell me I need to do better, be better, at everything.  That can compound whatever I am feeling and make a bad day even worse. But I know that these are my parts and I need to understand and show them compassion instead of telling myself that they don't matter. Compassion is such an important emotion. Something we tend to overlook in sharing with others and ourselves too. Compassion to ourselves is paramount to inner happiness I think. Being kind to self and being kind to others. A good goal.

Having a puppy is like having a baby but this time I am not having my two beautiful babies all over again. This time is about bringing a new puppy in the family. It is amazing how fixating on pooping and feeding can feel like child-rearing. You get trapped in the analysis paralysis of it all. I can love him and train him and feed him but I don't have to fixate and worry and be perfect. Perfect is the enemy of good, right? He is doing so well and as challenging as it is to have a puppy, it is also a wonderful addition to the family. To see the joy he brings the family and the positive energy he adds to our home is special and I do love him. We are just getting to know each other and it is the beginning of a beautiful relationship, I am sure!

Now let's talk about that dinner. Put on Best Day of My Life by American Authors and get cooking!!

As you know, I love Italian food. With the weather being extremely summery, I felt the need to make pesto. I served with a roasted cherry tomato dish from Martha Stewart Living Magazine this month and a Caesar salad. You can put tomatoes on the side or on top of the pasta. Here we go.

Pesto - from Barefoot Contessa's Parties (this is Barefoot week, clearly!!)
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup pignolis
3 T diced garlic (9 cloves) (I used less)
5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1 1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I used half and half Parmesan and Romano but used more like 1 1/4 cups)

Place the walnuts, pine nuts, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.  Process for 30 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is finely pureed.  Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute.  Serve, or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.  (In all honesty, I processed all at the same time and it tasted great.)

 Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce - Martha Stewart Living Magazine, May 2014
1 pound, 6 ounces cherry tomatoes (I used 2 containers and should've used more)    

3 cloves garlic, smashed (I minced) 

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 T balsamic vinegar

1 T fresh thyme (I used what I had fresh - sage, chives and parsley and I used 2 T)      

2 tsp packed light-brown sugar

1 tsp coarse salt

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix together tomatoes and garlic in a nonreactive 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Whisk together oil, vinegar, thyme, brown sugar, and salt in a bowl. Drizzle over tomato mixture.

 

Bake until tomatoes are softened and caramelized, about 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature. Sauce can be stored in refrigerator up to 5 days; let cool before storing.

 

 

Enjoy and have a really happy day!