If you know me at all, you know I can't resist a big bowl of noodles. Last month, La Crema asked me to come up with a ramen recipe that would compliment their awesome Pinot Gris and I was absolutely up to the challenge!

I made a big batch of broth and actually found some gluten-free ramen noodles, so we had regular and GF options. Then I set out little bowls of toppings so that everyone could make their own bowl, exactly how they liked it. I was actually surprised at how easy and delicious it turned out!

Ender wanted some, too. Can you blame him?

This post is brought to you in partnership with La Crema. Find my ramen recipe on their blog today! Make some this weekend and let me know how you like it--tag me (@mflynnpete) and La Crema (@lacremawines) on Instagram so we can see!

Photos by Sarah Gatrell for Freckled Italian.

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The other day Rob and I were walking home from lunch at the Thai restaurant in our neighborhood when I surprised myself by wishing for autumn. Charlotte has been muggy and hot and although I usually make it until the fourth of July before I start wishing the summer away, I really kind of meant it in that moment.

But then big, fat, cool raindrops started falling from the sky and thunder cracked off in the distance, and the warm sidewalks sizzled with that wet pavement smell that only happens in the spring and summer, and when we got home I peeled off my wet clothes and crawled under the covers of our unmade bed, listening to the rain come down until I fell asleep.

And I remembered that spring is full of a magic that can't be rushed.

“This morning the green fists of the peonies are getting ready
to break my heart
as the sun rises,
as the sun strokes them with his old, buttery fingers

and they open —
pools of lace,
white and pink —
and all day the black ants climb over them,

boring their deep and mysterious holes
into the curls,
craving the sweet sap,
taking it away

to their dark, underground cities —
and all day
under the shifty wind,
as in a dance to the great wedding,

the flowers bend their bright bodies,
and tip their fragrance to the air,
and rise,
their red stems holding

all that dampness and recklessness
gladly and lightly,
and there it is again —
beauty the brave, the exemplary,

blazing open.
Do you love this world?
Do you cherish your humble and silky life?
Do you adore the green grass, with its terror beneath?

Do you also hurry, half-dressed and barefoot, into the garden,
and softly,
and exclaiming of their dearness,
fill your arms with the white and pink flowers,

with their honeyed heaviness, their lush trembling,
their eagerness
to be wild and perfect for a moment, before they are
nothing, forever?”

— Mary Oliver, Peonies

Ender just turned six months old, and I can't believe he's been part of our lives for a third of a year. The time has flown by and at the same time I feel like we're just starting to get to know his weird, hilarious personality.

• Weighs 38.5 pounds.
• Just lost what I think were his last two puppy teeth in what ended up looking a little like a crime scene--he was playing with his friend, Lyla, who happens to be predominantly white and ended up covered in his blood.
• Graduated from puppy school and won the "Puppy Push-Ups" category of the end-of-program contest, which means he did the most sit/lie down combinations for 30 seconds. It really did look like he was doing push-ups.
• Follows my mom around like a shadow any time she visits. She actually stopped by on her way to the beach last night and he cried when she went to bed.
• Re: birds, his once-innocent wonder has transformed into stalking and pouncing attempts. It's still pretty cute.
• Went to the kennel for the first time over Memorial Day Weekend and made so many friends, both dog and human. Maybe they do this for everyone but it seemed like the staff was actually really sad to see him go.
• Really loves plush toys but destroys them in about five minutes. He's also a big fan of big rawhide bones and any toy that has a braided rope attached to it.
• Is terrified of mirrors/windows/framed paintings that haven't been hung yet--he sees his reflection in them and absolutely loses his shit. The other day we were waiting for the elevator in our building and it was dark outside and he saw himself in the window and he ran toward it, barking, before running back to us and hiding behind Rob's legs.
• Falls asleep in our bed with me every night but happily goes into his crate when Rob comes in (he's a bit of a night owl).
• Is starting to shed and I don't even care. Worth it.