What does Christmas mean to you?

It's hard to sum up what Christmas means to me.  It's of course about Jesus and faith but it's also about family and love.  There is so much magic this time of year and I can hardly contain my excitement!  Here are a few of my favorite quotes about Christmas:

"I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year." - Charles Dickens

"My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others.  Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?" - Bob Hope

"Christmas, children, is not a date.  It is a state of mind." - Mary Ellen Chase

 "Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful." - Norman Vincent Peale

"And when we give each other Christmas gifts in His name, let us remember that He has given us the sun and the moon and the stars, and the earth with its forest and mountains and oceans--and all that live and move upon them.  He has given us all green things and everything that blossoms and bears fruit and all that we quarrel about and all that we have misused--and to save us from our foolishness, from all our sins, He came down to earth and gave us Himself." - Sigrid Undset

How gorgeous is this little Nativity set up?  We have a beautiful Nativity set that my mother had saved and bought my great grandmother when she was 18.  I'd like to save and do the same for my momma next year!

What does Christmas mean to you?  

Just a note: I'll be back after Christmas!  I hope you all have a blessed holiday and I look forward to continuing this lovely relationship with all of you in the New Year!  Thank you all so so much for reading From Scratch.  It means the world to me :)

Things I've learned in July

For as fast as July felt like it went, it also feels like it has been so long.  I think in between the craziness that July brought, it also had some phenomenal lessons.

1.  I am not ready to have kids.  This is obvious I guess, since I'm not married or whatever and I'm only 21...but July made me really aware of this fact.  At the beginning of the month Tim and I took a trip to Buffalo to visit my family and I have a ton of little cousins under the age of 7.  It doesn't take long to realize how much of a handful kids really are, even if they are cute as a button.  I just remember looking at Tim and saying "we should wait until we are 1,000 years old."

2.  I shouldn't drink caffeine.  Sometimes I like to test my limits with this stuff but all it does is make me anxious.  

3.  4th of July is a pretty fun holiday.  4th of July, for obvious reasons, is a pretty decent holiday, but growing up we never put much focus on it.  This year, maybe it was because we were on vacation and I was with family, but 4th of July was really good.  

4.  I miss my family in Buffalo.  Since we've already been on the subject of Buffalo I feel like it's safe to just throw out there the fact that I really miss my family.  I don't think this was new information to me, but this vacation made it particularly hard to leave.  I love being around the little cousins and my aunts, uncles and grandparents.  I feel so in my element when I'm there and you throw Tim in the mix and I'm just sold.  

5.  Fast food is both a good and awful idea.  A couple weeks ago Tim and I were feeling spontaneous and were like "omg...let's get Burger King" and for two people who never eat fast food we didn't think it was a bad idea.  And it wasn't a bad idea until like an hour later when both of us were on the couch dying.  

6.  Sometimes it's nice to spend money on yourself.  I've been saving these bullets in my phone for the whole month and for the life of my I can't remember why I put this one.  I hate spending money...but I guess there's a point to it.  I'm generally the type of person that likes to give to other people.  I love how happy it makes them, but every once in a while it's nice to give to yourself.  

7.  Life isn't perfect, neither am I.

8.  Growth is important.

9.  Turning 21 isn't so bad.  It's nice to be able to order a drink in public!

Happy Mother's Day!

This is my favorite picture of us, mainly because I look so much like her and I can't even handle my face.  What a brat!

I wanted to take the time to wish all the momma's out there a very happy and relaxed Mother's Day this weekend!  I, of course, have to give an extra special shout out to my very beautiful mom!  She has been a source of guidance and support my whole life and I am a lucky girl to have had her by my side as my partner in crime.  Her and I are so different but so similar at the same time and while that can cause our personalities to clash, most of the time it is a riot.  I couldn't ask for a better woman to laugh through life with even when the moments aren't so funny.  She'd probably kill me for saying this but the woman has total self esteem issues which never made sense to me.  She is so beautiful, inside and out!  My mom can literally put a smile on anyone's face and leave it to her to chat up every single person she can.  She's the friendliest person out there and as a teenager (because teenagers don't appreciate their parents) I think that used to embarrassed me. It doesn't though, at least not now.  It's her best quality.

As a kid, I used to, tragically, attempt breakfast in bed for her special day but have since learned to stick to some flowers and a nice card.  She never wants much (I think all mom's say this) but we always like to do a little something for her regardless of what she says.

I hope everyone has a beautiful day tomorrow! A very happy Mother's Day to Tim's wonderful momma as well as my grandmother's and aunts!

<3

Easy, delicious crumb cake

When I decided that I wanted to make Easter brunch for my family with Tim I knew that I wanted to stick to breakfast foods.  I also knew that I wanted to find a simple dessert to balance all the intense, rich flavors of the other dishes.  What I decided to make was crumb cake.  If anyone has every working with crumb cake before you know it's unlike anything else.  It's a thick, dough-like batter that is difficult to spread and work with.  Having never had experience making it before I got frustrated and left most of the spreading, crumb making and cake baking to Tim, but the recipe is mine!

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons canola oil, plus more for 9x12 pan
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• Confectioners' sugar for dusting
• 2 tablespoons sour cream

Directions:

• Preheat oven and spray baking pan with canola oil, set aside
• Mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar, baking powder and salt
• In a second bowl, whisk together egg, sour cream, milk, canola oil and vanilla
• Mix dry and wet ingredients together gradually
• Spread batter into prepared pan and set aside
• In another bowl, mix together remaining 2 1/2 cups flour, brown sugar and cinnamon.  Pour melted butter over mixture and toss until crumbs form.  Sprinkle over batter
• Bake in oven for 10-20 minutes or until a fork comes out clean
• When cooled, dust with confectioners' sugar

Growing up

I spent the majority of my life wishing I was a grownup.  My mom has always said that I could have lived on my own from a very young age.  I've always been independent.  When I had a problem, I solved it.  No need to involve mom or dad.

This past year, my junior year of college, my family and I have started spending a lot of time discussing the future. Where will I live after school, what career will I have, how will we pay loans, etc... The closer it gets to my senior year the more I start to freak out.  Growing up is terrifying.

It still excites me, don't get me wrong.  I have so much to look forward too these next 2-3 years (transition time).  Tim and I hope to be married before 2016 which means everything to me.  It excites me.  I could have married him yesterday.  I feel like when you are in a committed relationship, getting older is harder on so many different levels.  For example, the subject of holiday's. 

Tim and I don't plan to really split holiday's until we are engaged, but after spending Thanksgiving and Christmas apart, we realized how much it sucked.  We missed each other horribly. So we set out to devise a plan for this Easter. 

This past Sunday Tim and I sat down and discussed Easter, and the holiday's to come both before we are married and after.  Towards the end of the conversation I just started to cry.  It felt so sad at the idea of not seeing my family on a holiday, but it is part of growing up.  It is part of being in a relationship.

Talking to my mom was hard.  She is currently suffering premature empty nest syndrome with my brother planning to go very far for college and I think reality is setting in.  Regardless, we didn't speak for two days and I quickly realized that growing up is tougher than I thought.  It's not just about jobs and money and places to live. It's about significant change. 

I welcome it with open arms because it means my life with Tim is starting, but it stings a bit. 

February update!

I hope everyone is staying warm this month with all the snow and cold weather we have had.  Today is actually on the more mild side and I could not be happier.  I was excited to break out the lighter jacket today instead of going into the city with my pea coat.  Anyway, I know it has been a while since I've blogged last (almost a month to be exact...I suck, I know) but here I am again to update you all on the month of February!

It's been a busy month on my end but it's been filled with such beautiful moments.  Here is the run down:

On February 10, Tim and I celebrated our one year anniversary!  It was such a beautiful day and it felt amazing to come full circle.  He had to work that day so I spent it with his family.  His older sister Vickie did my hair for the night and I got ready to go out to dinner.  He bought champagne and met me at home to go out for the night.  We exchanged gifts (I got a camera!) and then headed to a sweet little Italian restaurant.  It was such a wonderful day for the two of us.  I love Tim so much and I am just so thrilled to be spending the rest of my life with him.  I think when you hit the one mark with someone or even approach it everything changes.  You guys settle in and the relationship isn't as new as it was, but it doesn't mean it isn't as exciting!  Tim and I are entering the next stage of our relationship and I am so so so so happy. 

Febuary 14 is next.  Valentine's Day! I had to work this day but Tim came in a met me in the city.  We went to a great little pub by my work and ate a nice dinner together.  After that we had a horrible cab ride in which the man accidentaly took us to Lincoln Center instead of Rockefeller Center and then refused to take us to the right place without charging up.  $20 later....we made it to Rockefeller Center and went ice skating!  I wasn't feeling 100% but I stuck it out and we ice skated for a bit.  It was so sweet and fun and we survived the whole thing without falling!  MIRACLE!  It was nice to see all the couples on the rink.  Some were old, some were young, all seemed in love.  It was wonderful.  He ended the night by buying me my favorite flowers in the city :)

This past weekend, on Friday, I headed home for the night since I wasn't feeling too well.  My parents took me to a really nice dinner and then we just watched TV for the night.  I got really lucky and happened to stop home the same night my best friend did so we met in the morning for a great breakfast on my way out of town.  There is nothing like talking to your best friend and catching up.  I always tell Tim everything, he is first and foremost my best friend, but it is always nice to talk to a girl friend. 

On Saturday morning I had my Call to Continuing Converting for my RCIA.  I am in the process of converting to Catholocism and I loved going to the Cathedral Bascilica in Newark for this special liturgy with people on the same journey that I am on!



Later on Saturday we celbrated several birthday's with Tim's family and went out to lunch with everyone.  Tim ordered a burger that came with a knife through it!  It was hilarious.  We also got some wonderful wonderful news within the family and I am so excited. 

Later on Saturday I headed back to school and met my friend Ally for some dinner, shopping and desert.  We had a blast just bumming around town and went to this cute French place for macaroons!  They are my absolute favorite!



 On Sunday I was craving the perfect cup of coffee (I am very sick and was due for..well you know).  The problem is that I can only have decaf coffee.  First we tried 711 which is our go to spot in town.  They of course have nothing.  Then we try McDonalds and the person was so slowwwww on the intercom thingy that we just bailed.  Ain't no ONE got time for that.  After I had a mini meltdown Tim took me to the diner we always get food at and I got my cup of coffee there.  Perfect.  The thing is Tim always smells like coffee, it is like my favorite thing ever.  He always makes his cup perfect at the diner so I wanted it to taste the same.  I'm glad we went back and made it happen.  He is the best <3

In other news I gave up froyo for Lent which is awful because all I want is FROYO.  Tim and I also gave up cellphones on Sundays so that we focus more on each other on that day.  Generally it is the only day we have nothing to do but be with each other. 

(I'm probably forgetting a million things, but that is okay)

The rest of February is shaping up to be amazing as well so I will keep everyone posted!