Couples Shower for the Martins

Last weekend, a couples shower was hosted at mine and Sean's "halfway house" (AKA Devin and Nina's). Jennifer and A.J. are getting married in 2 weeks.

The wedding party made some yummy goodies...

And Nina and I played florist and put together some flower arrangements.
The Smith's playing baggo in the yard...

Me, Nina, and Ashley with the bride-to-be.
Sean and Nina
A.J. with his Best Man, Devin. How cute! I love a good bromance.
And because our bunch can't stay "la-dee-dah" and all proper and froo-froo for too long...
The beer pong table was brought out. Yeah, we went there. I guess pinkies up is only fun for so long.


Dev finished up the A-mazing Watermelon Rum Punch...

And Trev gave his approval for a round.

And just to prove you never quite know how interesting a night with us can get...Graduate-to-be- Ashley gave me an impromptu teeth cleaning that I had been craving!
People think I am nutty as a fruitcake for this, but I LOVE to have my teeth scraped when I go to the dentist. I could just lay in bed and let someone scrape my teeth...So that's what we did.
Nina was next. We learned about all kinds of dental health. The night was fun AND educational. :)
Good luck to you with boards! I know EXACTLY how you feel...I'm sweating bullets but just keep trucking along. We'll make it!

You know you have close friends when everyone congregates in the bedroom!
We love each other!

Good luck and God bless to Ashley on your exam and A.J. and Jennifer on your wedding day.

XOXO,
Katie

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Zucchini Bread

"Vegetables are a must on any diet. I suggest carrot cake, pumpkin pie, and zucchini bread."
~Jim Davis

The garden has been producing some JUMBO sized vegetables this season. Look at these Big Mama Zucchinis! There's my itty bitty hand for reference...

Good luck finding those in the supermarket! They were so big, I ended up using just half of one for all the grated zucchini needed for this delicious, sweet Zucchini Bread from Allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 1/4 cups white sugar
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini (peel first)
  
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (I USED PECANS)

Grease and flour 2 8x4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.

Add your eggs.

Then your oil.

Add the vanilla then beat everything together. Now combine the wet and dry ingredients.
And beat well with a wire whisk.
Add grated zucchini and nuts and stir until well combined.
Pour batter into greased pans.
Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until toothpick or butter knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.
It smells amazing coming out of the oven! And tastes amazing warm or cool, for breakfast or dessert.

XOXO,
Katie

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Barbecue Baked Potato

If you celebrated the 4th of July somewhere in the South, most likely, barbecue was among the food served. It's a year-round southern staple but ever-present during the summer months. So, what to do with all that leftover BBQ? I got this idea from one of my favorite Food Network Shows, Paula's Party. Before the Neely's (Memphis bbq restaurant owners) got their own Food Network Show, they guest starred with Paula Deen and had an ultimate baked potato showdown. I mentally saved their version and new I would have to try sometime. It was absolutely delicious. Here's how:

Ingredients
Baking Potatoes (I had 1 per person)
Olive Oil
fresh parsley and chives (if desired)
salt and pepper
butter
leftover bbq
bbq sauce
shredded cheese (whatever kind you like)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Scrub the potatoes clean then poke several holes with a fork. Rub with a teaspoon of olive oil per potato. Sprinkle the outside with salt then place directly on the oven rack. Place a cookie sheet or pan underneath to catch any drippings and bake for about an hour.

When the potatoes are done, cut a slice down the middle and squeeze the ends toward each other to open each potato up. Add butter, salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with chopped parsley and chives.

Load each potato with reheated barbecue, drizzle with sauce, then top with cheese. Microwave for about 30 seconds or until cheese is melted.

Definitely a new alternative to tired bbq sandwiches with slaw!

XOXO,
Katie

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**Reginelli 4th of July 2010**

I spent my 4th of July at our annual Reginelli family party. Lots of family, TOO much food, and alot of priceless pictures. That is, until I unknowingly pressed the "delete all pictures from this device" button on my camera and EVERYTHING was erased...including the most adorable pictures I've ever taken of the family on the fourth.
How mad was I!?
Let's not talk about it. I've moved on.

I stole some images from my cousin Danica so here's a little taste of our family holiday...

We had Sean's dad make shirts this year, depicting an Italian flag on the front and shooting fireworks with the names of the 7 children of Henry (Enrico) and Rica Reginelli, who are the reason all 50+ people are together each year.

{With my brother and cousin Danica}

Sweet baby Gabe filling up his lil pool.

How precious?! Nothing like Arkansas heat in July.

Ellen-Claire in her lil polka dots.

Yum!

I hope everyone had a safe and fun fourth!

An update:

Friday, just before the holiday, Sean officially became a math teacher at Marion High School! After alot of people had his back and showed their support, he was offered the job the day of the interview. It's exactly what we hope for and couldn't be more excited. I may have been the only one who never doubted it, but I told him all along it would work out this way. I "had a feeling." And I operate heavily on "feelings"!

He's going to do a remediation course for students for a week then he'll start in August, the same time I'll start my job. He will most likely begin coaching later in the year or the next year. We are so relieved and blessed.

XOXO,
Katie

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Homemade Southern Sign

My latest artistic obsessions are painted signs. I've been perusing etsy and other creative decor sights for ideas and doing some of my own.

This one, I spotted in my friend Lindsay's apartment and LOVED right away. I flipped it over to view the maker's name on the back and found Magnolia Lane Collection. I loved their website and found lots of ideas for painted or decoupaged picture frames, wall decor, and paintings. But this sign remained my favorite. We had a bunch of leftover wood from our scoreboard project so I got Sean to cut several pieces of wood in different shapes. Here's the first of many I have in the works...

I sanded the edges smooth and gave the surface a light sanding as well, but wanted to leave the rustic wood grain. After I painted a coat of creamy off-white, I used a calligraphy marker to write the text then gave a rub over the whole thing again with some sandpaper to distress a bit. It's imperfect and I love it! I can't wait to show what else I'm working on!

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Moving on UP!

Today is moving day! I have finished school and clinicals and am just preparing for the board exam and waiting for graduation. Sean has 3 days left of Non-Traditional Teaching classes and now we're headed back home after 6 years away.

~Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave, and grow old wanting to get back to.~ -John Ed Pearce

Dad is coming down to load up our loot and he and Sean are taking it all home while I stay in Conway for my board exam prep course for the next 2 days (who do you feel more sorry for?) The disorganization of all of our stuff shoved in boxes and bins for an indefinite amount of time (we don't have a house to move to yet!) gives me a wee bit of anxiety!

We're disbursing junk between my Dad's house, Sean's parents' house, our barn and Nonnie's rental so it's one big ole cluster.

I can't wait to be settled and grounded in my cozy home...My house will be like the biggest blank canvas I've ever gotten my creative hands on and that makes me more excited than a June bride in a feather bed!!

~"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is apart of ourselves. We must die to one life before we can enter another."~
-Anatole France

As all changes are, the move is bittersweet. We're leaving a town we love...and all our favorite places.

Pinnacle Mountain

The view is breathtaking!

We love to spend a day climbing up and enjoying some lunch at the top.

Oliver loves Pinnacle too!


Toad Suck Park

We love our little sandy hideaway on the river!

Our favorite restaurant for supper...The Pasta House!

It's pretty much the definition of "hole-in-the-wall". It's a tiny trailer in a big parking lot...but that trailer produces the BEST pasta dishes. They've given me so many ideas for recipes that I now make on a regular basis. There's nothing better than finding your "regular" place; where you have the same waiter every time who already knows your order. I'm a little heartbroken just thinking about missing this place:(

Our favorite lunch place: Holly's Country Cookin'

It's so popular, there's always a line out the door. The no-fuss southern comfort food brings college kids, old couples, and professionals in for some countrified goodness of chicken-n-dressing, chicken fried steak, and mexican beef casserole. It was our place to "celebrate" any small victory or just meet up with friends, so I'll be taking alot of memories from Holly's.


We'll miss being right up the road from Beaverfork lake and spending days at the dog park. I'll definitely miss having Hobby Lobby and TJ Maxx just on the other side of town! But family and friends make up a "home" so we couldn't be more ready to start our lives back there. We're moving from our college town to our hometown...from a temporary home to a permanent home...from student career to professional career. It's a big change, but a welcome one.

"If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies."

XOXO,
Katie

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~Peanut Butter Banana Crunch~

Here comes another homemade re-make of a restaurant favorite. Tropical Smoothie Cafe is the perfect light and healthy summer lunch place so Sean and I both had the "Peanut Butter Banana Crunch" last week on a quick lunch date.

I've been making my own version at home as a quick (and healthy) sweet lunch or supper.

Ingredients:
wheat tortilla or pita pocket
crunchy peanut butter
1 banana, sliced
honey
Honey Bunches of Oats w/ Almonds cereal (or plain granola)

Spread peanut butter on tortilla and cover with sliced banana.

Drizzle with honey then sprinkle with a handful of cereal or granola.

Roll tortilla or fold in half. I don't have a fancy panini maker, but this works just the same! Put a little dot of butter in a skillet or spray with non-stick spray. Cover tortilla with a pot and press down. Toast up in the skillet for about 5 minutes or until golden.



MMmmm...Can you taste it? It's delicious!

XOXO,
Katie
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