Love, Love, Love it.

I could spend all day reading this book. Probably one of my favorite gifts this Christmas...

{ The Making of Where The Wild Things Are }

A New Year's Giveaway

Mrs. Jones gave me two of her amazing new card collections.

I'm so very happy to have them, and can't wait to share them with you!

If you love cards with a personal touch, this is for you! They would also make a fantastic gift, or even frame them-they are just perfect for that!

In fact, I'm so thrilled about her awesome talent I'm going to give a set to you :)

Go to Get Reale Stuff for all the details! Click here.

A DIY Christmas

This Christmas, in an attempt to give more meaningful gifts (and save a little moolah!) I decided to make most of our gifts this year. One gift I made was inspired by a project on a design blog I follow, and I wanted to try it out for some of the ladies on our list this year.

It's a stenciled trivet, made using contact paper, spray paint and ceramic tiles you can get for less than a buck at your local hardware store. I tested out the technique and made this buffalo for myself just to work out all the kinks-I'm happy to report there were none! The other trivets had stenciled images specific to the person I was gifting, to add a more personal touch.

{ Ready for the hot plate heat! }

In My Kitchen: Opal's Zucchini Quiche

This delicious recipe comes from Nan's recipe book (see more about Made With Love here), and is from one of the ladies she went to church with, Opal Rings.

I made it for our family Christmas Eve brunch, and it turned out great! It's simple to make, and tastes amazing! I added a few other veggies when I made it, to give it a little more color and flavor (which is the recipe you'll find below). It's one of those dishes you could switch up the vegetables in and pretty much any combination would work-mine was zucchini/tomato (but I'm sure asparagus, broccoli or whatever is in season would be just as good!)

Ingredients:

-1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

-2 tablespoons butter or margarine

-1 pound zucchini, thinly sliced

-1 small-medium tomato, sliced

-3/4 cup white onion, chopped

-1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

-1 cup ricotta cheese

-1/2 cup Half & Half cream

-3 eggs, lightly beaten

-3/4 teaspoon salt

-1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

-1/2 teaspoon dried basil

-1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

-Dash of pepper

-Sprinkle paprika

Instructions:

Prick bottom of pantry with a fork. Bake at 425° oven for 7 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°.

In a small skillet, saute onions until they are soft. Add zucchini and cook until tender; drain.

Pick out about 10-12 pieces of zucchini and set aside (for the top of the quiche). All remaining onions and zucchini can then be placed in the pie crust for filling.

Add a layer of mozzarella cheese on top of zucchini.

In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, cream, eggs, salt, oregano, basil, garlic powder and pepper.

Pour into crust and smooth so that it reaches all edges of pie crust. Arrange zucchini slices and tomato over the top. Sprinkle with paprika.

Bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Happy Birthday!

Tuesday is Grandma Reale's birthday!

We'll spend this evening with family eating and laughing and talking about just how wonderful she is. When Andy and I got married, she didn't hesitate to welcome me into the family, and automatically loved me just like all her other grandchildren. She's the sweetest!

{ Happy Birthday Grandma Reale! }

Merry Merriment

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you a joyous Christmas full of love and warmth.

xoxo,

Ashley

Luke 2:8-20

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Christmas Eve Surprise!

This year I wanted to do something special for my family-something that has been on my heart for a long while, but this year, I finally found the time to make it happen!

It's a book of all Nan's (my grandma) recipes. I scanned every single one so everyone can have a piece of her handwriting and see the grease splatters that were on the originals (she made little notes; if something was really good she'd write, "This is wonderful" or something similar).

{ I'm passing these out tonight at our Christmas Eve dinner, and cannot wait! }

{ Here's an inside sneak peek! }

A reflection and a prayer

As this year winds down, I've been reflecting on how things panned out for us over the past year. Andy and I were even discussing it on Sunday evening.

In 2009 we have seen the Lord's provision in some truly amazing and ridiculous ways. Two very specific ways God provided for us was in our friendships and in our finances. Andy and I have been completely blessed with more friends than either of us could have ever hoped for.

Real relationships and genuine love for each other; people that we can count on to for prayer, and just to be plain silly with.

We love you all so much--you've seriously been an answer to our prayers.

To speak to the financial piece of the Lord's provision in 2009, I'll just share this one quick story (It's too wonderful not to share!)...Last tax season we found out we were going to owe a significant amount of money, rather than getting a check back like we were used to. It was enough that we couldn't just pull it out of our back pockets and move on, and we really had no idea where we were going to get the funds. It was an awful feeling. We spent a lot of time in prayer that week. On the following Sunday we were at church and during the worship someone came over and handed us an envelope. She said she found it on the floor, and it had our names on it. Not sure if it would be okay to open it during the service, we placed it in my bag and waited until service had ended to see what was inside. As soon as church was dismissed Andy and I headed out to the car to see what was inside this mysterious envelope. In my heart I was hoping it was our miracle. There was a letter inside that read:

"Andy and Ashley,

Please accept this gift.

As obedient followers of the Lord,

we feel called to bless you...

Know that you are loved.

Jehovah Jireh - The Lord will provide."

Of course I started crying immediately. This had come at a time when we most needed it. I was amazed that the Lord cared enough about us to put us on someone else's heart.

I'm still blown away by that, actually.

Most of this year has been like that experience. We seek the Lord, and He makes sure we have what we need. Maybe not what we think we need...but what we truly need. It is my deepest desire to someday be able to bless someone else in the way that we have been blessed this year; that God would use us as a funnel in which He showers others with His glorious love. My prayer for 2010 is that Andy and I would grow to seek Him more, love Him more, and trust Him more so that we can step out in faith and walk with a new confidence. This is my prayer for you, too.

1 John 4:7-12

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."

In My Kitchen: Chocolate Crinkles

One of my favorites! I made this recipe for the first time in my 10th grade Global Studies class for our Christmas party. They were Mocha Crinkles back then, but I'm not crazy about the "Mocha" part, so I just omit the coffee from my version (If you like mocha, just add about 1/8 teaspoon of your favorite cappuccino or ground coffee).

These are perfect to share with friends and loved ones with a hot cup of tea!

Ingredients:

-1/3 cup of butter, softened

-1 cup brown sugar, packed

-2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

-1 teaspoon baking soda

-1 teaspoon cinnamon

-2 egg whites

-about 1/3 cup vanilla yogurt

-1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

-3/4 cup sifted confectioners powdered sugar

Instructions:

Beat butter in medium size mixing bowl for approximately 30 seconds with an electric mixer.

Combine brown sugar, yogurt and cocoa powder with butter; mix well. Add baking soda, egg whites and cinnamon.

Gradually begin to mix in the flour, using electric mixer until mixture is too thick (then stir in remaining flour with rubber spatchula). Once completely combined, cover and chill for approximately three hours.

Sift powdered sugar onto a plate. Spoon chilled dough onto powdered sugar plate and roll into one inch balls, covering completely with the powdered sugar.

Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, approximately 2" apart. Bake in 350° oven for about 8 minutes.

Give!

Today Andy and I went to drop off those 25 canned food items for the Mid-Ohio Foodbank! It was a really great experience. We took a tour of the facilities when we were there, and learned some incredible facts about the way things run there. I thought since it was your comments that donated the cans, it would be fun to share a bit of the tour with you!

{ View from the lobby }

Did you know that 43% of the food that is donated comes from local food sources? Or that 44% of the people seeking help from the food bank have had to decide between buying food for their families or paying their utilities? I also learned today that for every $1 donated to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank, they can purchase $8 worth of groceries for people in need; eight times it's original value--That is HUGE! Think of what they could do if everyone would donate just one dollar each...

{ Part of their massive warehouse }

There were a lot more facts than that! To learn more or see how you can help, please visit the Mid-Ohio Foodbank here. I must say that their website is pretty awesome, too!

I know that participating in Cans for Comments this year has really opened my eyes to the needs of the people in my local community, and inspired me to step out and do more! I'll definitely be doing Cans for Comments on an annual basis, such a great idea!

Thanks again to those who donated a can during the drive!

In My Kitchen: Snickerdoodles

'Tis the season to bake! Yesterday at the grocery store the baking aisle was jam-packed with ladies buying their ingredients for delicious Christmas cookies. It was so crowded you couldn't move! Grocery carts parked along the sides of the aisle blocking portions of the shelves and people doing the "Excuse me" dance to reach what they were eyeing...it was quite comical, actually! Surprisingly, no one was huffy or impatient-with the recent snow and the fact that we have officially kicked off Christmas week, everyone has a lot of cheer (I wish it were that way all the time!) At any rate, I successfully gathered my goods and maneuvered my cart through a couple of sweet Grannies and headed home to get the baking underway.

As I have mentioned before, Nanny (my Grandma) was an amazing cook. One thing I remember her baking around this time of year was her snickerdoodles. They are AMAZING! The smell of them baking in the oven really brought back a lot of wonderful memories of her in the kitchen, singing praises to the Lord. Anyone can bake cookies, but she put a lot of love in it (totally not cliché!)

{ Wishing there was computer smell-o-vision so you could sniff here! }

Ingredients:

-1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter, softened

-1 cup granulated sugar

-1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

-1/4 teaspoon baking soda

-1 teaspoon vanilla

-1 egg

-1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

-1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

-2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Instructions:

Beat butter in a medium size mixing bowl with electric mixer, for approximately 30 seconds before adding the 1 cup of sugar. Mix well, scraping sides of bowl.

Add the egg and vanilla and mix completely.

Add flour gradually, mixing with electric mixer until too thick, then mix remaining using a rubber spatchula. Using your hands, shape dough into a ball. Cover and chill for about an hour.

In a small bowl or plate, mix together 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Make one inch balls of dough, and roll through cinnamon sugar mixture (generously coating all sides of the ball). Place on parchment lined cookie sheet, two inches apart.

Bake in oven at 375° for 10-11 minutes each. Makes approximately three dozen cookies.

We did it!

Oh, yes.

We have collected 25 cans for the Mid-Ohio Foodbank thanks to all your lovely comments!

Great job helping feed the hungry...I am so very pleased :)

Andy and I went to the store today and purchased the cans in which you donated, I'll be dropping them off on Monday.

Thanks for all your help in this program! It's not too late to get involved! If you'd like to sponsor your own Cans for Comments drive, please visit Cans for Comments here to learn more. It's easy peasy and you'll be doing a great thing!

{ Utterly THRILLED! }

&...

It's officially cookie time at the Reale household, so be on the lookout for some new In My Kitchen action soon!

Cans for Comments Update!

Just a reminder that you can still help me raise donations for the Mid-Ohio Foodbank until Friday (That's tomorrow!) at 11:59pm. So far you guys have all jumped right in with all your wonderful comments...

THANK YOU!

Your simple comment is making a difference in the lives of others, by providing food for the hungry.

Finding my groove!!

I've just completed another painting! I feel like I am really finding my groove here, and I couldn't be happier.

This is another concept on my little list of things to create, he's been appropriately named Jay...and he is now hanging in our living room. I really enjoyed painting this one-the colors are just so cheerful. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

{ I lahve to reeead zee science fictiooon }

Oh, and don't forget for each comment you make on my blog (any post) between now and Friday at 11:59pm is good for one can of food for the Mid-Ohio Foodbank-through the Cans for Comments program!

Old School Christmas

I am beginning to realize what a nerd I really am! I say this because I absolutely love time travel. Not the jump into the DeLorean and set a date you wish to return to on the flux capacitor, revving the engine to a speed of 88 miles per hour time travel (although, I so love Back to the Future!)...but the kind of time travel where you just step through a gate and you're instantly transported back in time. A museum where you can experience life as it was before technology took over the world. (I think I've proven my nerdiness, so let's just move on...)

Saturday night we planned a double date night with Andy's Dad and Step-mother. We went to the Ohio Village for three hours of life as it was in the late 1800s. It was great! We enjoyed carolers, hot apple cider, delicious sugar cookies, and characters from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol who roamed about the village telling their stories and sharing information about what life was like not that long ago.

I had the best time, and was so blessed to share it with two lovely members of our family. We didn't take too many photos, it was just too dark, but it was a wonderful evening nonetheless!

{ The gravel streets were lined with these lovely candles, it was beautiful }

{Janet decorated the Christmas tree with strings of popcorn and cranberries }

{ Pomanders...so fragrant and beautiful, I love it! }

{ The carolers in the town hall }

{ There is nothing more lovely than candle chandeliers }

Make something festive!

This is a centerpiece I made for our kitchen table using some found pine cones (with just the right amount of dried sap!) and a few cinnamon sticks. It's easy to make yourself, and you'll get to enjoy the pine and cinnamon scents all season long!

What you'll need:

Pine cones (Go on a walk and find some, that way you save money and get some exercise--two birds!)

Large cinnamon sticks (Check your local craft store)

A large vase (Got mine for $2 at a rummage sale)

A table runner, or strip of fabric (I picked this one up at World Market for $24)

Once you've collected all the supplies, place about three pine cones in the bottom of the vase, then add a couple cinnamon sticks. Keep layering until vase is full. Place on table runner and surround with a few left over pine cones.

Cans For Comments

I was just checking out a lovely blog I recently discovered and I came across a post about Cans for Comments-an amazing program where people who blog can actually do something wonderful with their sites! I've been trying to figure out some things I can do to help others this Christmas season, and this really inspired me.

Here's how it works: For every comment you (a real person/non-spammer) make on my blog (not just limited to this post but all my posts for basically the next two weeks) between now (December 7th) and Friday, December 18th, I will donate one canned food item to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank. Simple as that!

On December 19th I'll post a blog to let everyone know how many cans were donated, so you'll know the final outcome, so check back in if you're interested.

Oh, and I would definitely recommend telling your friends about this and/or getting involved with this project on whatever level you feel lead-it's for a great cause!