Meet Chappy-our new guy!!

12 weeks old today!! He is awesome and adorable at the same time as he is frustrating and exhausting. The fact that having a puppy is so closely similar to having a newborn is scary and amazing at the same time. Yes, it has only been 48 hours since he has been in the house but yet it feels like weeks or even months! Chappy napped today in his crate, twice, so I feel like a new person. Well, I would feel like a new person but I was up all night the last two nights so I am feeling like a tired new person! Now if he would only stop chewing the rug and the sofa.....Distract, distract, distract.... Squirrel? Name that movie.

Challenges come in all shapes and sizes. All challenges are relative to the person as well. Moving to a new city with two children is a challenge. Having a daughter hit her pre-teen years is a challenge. Having a new puppy is challenging. Of course none of these are arms and legs. None are life threatening but they are still challenges that can cause emotional stress. The key is to not let the stress define you. Boy that can be so hard sometimes. It is incredibly difficult to get from under the stress to face the challenge with a clear head. There is a book by Anne Lamott called Bird by Bird. This is the back cover. I love this paragraph and have sent it to many a friend going through a difficult time as well as have read it for myself as well. Bird by bird, friends, bird by bird.

Time to put on Wild, Wild Love by Pitbull and get cooking!

This is one of the kid's favorite recipes. Easy and quick and perfect for a weeknight. It is from Barefoot Contessa's Foolproof and it is called.....

Straw and Hay
Kosher Salt
3 T unsalted butter, divided
4 oz prosciutto, cut crosswise in 1/2 inch thick matchsticks
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 large) (I use less)
1 T minced garlic, 3 cloves
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
4 oz Italian Gorgonzola dolce, crumbled
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
8-10 oz tagliatelle or fettuccine, such as Cipriani
2 cups frozen peas, defrosted (8 oz) (I used a combo or fresh and frozen)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving (store grated is fine with me!!)
1/4 cup julienned fresh basil leaves

Fill a large pot with water, add 1 T of salt, bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, melt 2 T of the butter in a large 12-inch sauté pan over medium heat.  Add the prosciutto and cook for 5 minutes, separating the slices with tongs, until crisp. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Add the remaining T of butter and the onion to the sauté pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

Add the cream, Gorgonzola, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and the pepper, and bring the sauce to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, until thickened. Turn off the heat.

When the sauce is almost done, add the pasta to the pot of boiling water and cook according to the package directions.  Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta, allowing some of the water to remain.  Pour the pasta into the pan with the sauce. Add the peas, Parmesan, basil and prosciutto and toss well. If the pasta seems dry, add some of the reserved pasta water.  Taste for seasonings and serve hot with extra Parmesan.

Enjoy and have a spectacular day!!!