Ashley DeLarge

Sweet(heart) Treats: Chocolate-Filled Puff Pastry Hearts

February 14, 2018by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment

Happy Hump Day- and Valentine’s Day (and belated Gal-entine’s Day), everyone! For those of you who are partnered up- I hope you have special, romantic, and fun-filled plans with your significant other- and for those of you who are single- live it up! Enjoy your own company or the company of friends who are also on the prowl for a good time. That’s what I plan on doing tonight with some of my girlfriends after I leave the office. There’s a glass of wine with my name on it somewhere!

Whatever your relationship status- we can all agree that tomorrow is the REAL holiday when all the Valentine’s Day candy gets marked down, right?

Speaking of candy. I thought I’d share a quick, easy, chocolate-y and festive dessert for those of you who might be looking to whip something up for your own Valentine today/tonight. It only takes a handful of ingredients and about 40 minutes of your time!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

Four 9-inch refrigerated pie crusts (not in a shell)
16 DOVE Dark and/or Milk Chocolate PROMISES Squares, unwrapped
1 large egg
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

READY? HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out one pie crust until it is about 10 inches in diameter.
Use a small heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut 8 hearts out of the pie crust. Repeat with the remaining pie crusts.
Transfer half of the heart pieces to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them evenly. Place a piece of Dove chocolate in the center of each heart.
Brush around the edges of each heart with cool water. Top with one of the remaining hearts and use a fork to press and seal the edges all the way around. Repeat until you’ve topped every heart.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon water to combine. Lightly brush the egg wash over the top of each heart and then sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Cut a small line into the top crust of each piece to create a vent.
Bake until the crust is golden brown, 17 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.

I served these to a recent date with some strawberry puree and whipped cream to mix up the flavors a bit. The pie crust was crispy and lightly sweetened- and the chocolate was a warm, melty bit of heaven. Needless to say- these went over really well!

I’m off to my final meeting of the afternoon at work before I can break free and go have myself some single girl shenanigans- and I hope you all have a great holiday!

– Ashley –

OOTD: Seeing Spots

February 12, 2018by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment

Good Morning and Happy Monday, everyone! While I’m not particularly looking forward to starting what is going to be a pretty hectic week at my office, I had a pretty fun, laid-back weekend (that also happened to include a surprise belated Birthday party for me!)– that I’ll get into a little later on this week. Plus, I’ve got my coffee and a cinnamon raisin bagel in front of me- so I can’t complain too much. I’ve definitely had worse Monday mornings.

Now that I’m back home in the cold and re-adjusted to my time zone- I wanted to share what has undoubtedly become “the” coat for me this Winter. It’s made a few appearances here on Blondie Birdie since I purchased it on sale for $10 last month (thanks, Primark!) but now I get to show what it looks like when it’s actually on my body.

What I love most about this leopard print coat is that it’s actually lined to keep me warm- so wearing it out and about this time of year isn’t like sacrificing my health for the sake of a fun, vintage look. It’s a legitimate Winter coat- that also happens to give me some serious 60s vibes whenever I throw it on.

I typically wear this coat with black leggings, black high-heeled boots, and a sheer top on nights out. If I’m not tying my hair up into a slicked back, high ponytail and throwing on some chandelier earrings- I do what I did this past weekend and let my hair down, glide on some cherry red lipstick and some winged eye liner- and hit the town.

I get a lot of compliments on this coat- which I hadn’t anticipated when I first bought it- but apparently leopard print is still very much in and still very much coveted. I love it. It’s fun, cozy, chic and is going to come in handy when I inevitably dress as Edie Sedgwick around Halloween later on this year.

I’m not going to lie- as much as I hate Winter- I’m going to be pretty bummed out when I have to put this thing in storage once the warmer weather rolls around!

I hope you all make it through your Monday unscathed. I’ve got a Valentine’s Day inspired dessert recipe coming up in a couple of days for those of you who like a quick and easy chocolate fix- and I’ll be sharing some of the details from this past weekend’s adventure.

Have a good one, everybody!

– Ashley –

“Sunsets and Neon Lights…”

February 9, 2018by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment

Good Morning and Happy Friday, everyone! It’s great to be back on the East Coast!

… Just kidding. It’s been an icy, snowy, freezing cold mess since I landed back home in Boston on Tuesday night- and all I want to do is just return to Nevada and bask in the sunshine and perfect temperatures again. 72 degrees and not a cloud in the sky in early February? Yeah- sign me up for that. I’ll take ten of those.

Actually, I have every intention of packing up and moving out to good ol’ Henderson, Nevada (just 20-30 minutes away from the bright lights and the excitement of the Strip) as early as this Fall if circumstances permit- so I figure I just have to tough it out for a few more weeks until Spring gets here, and then hold on tight through the Summer. I’ve already been re-evaluating my budget and actively researching real estate in the area- and looking at some pretty promising prospects!- so I’m not left rushing through any life-changing decisions at the last possible minute come September/October.

But I digress! This most recent trip was purely for fun and to get away from the snow and the sleet for a few days. I only had a couple of things on my itinerary- leaving the rest up to fate. The most important thing was spending time with my West Coast Wife, Kelsey- who I hadn’t seen in a couple of years. She’s wonderful and amazing and gorgeous- and she has the sweetest husband and the cutest baby girl I’ve ever seen in my life. It was an absolute joy to spend so much time with them all this past weekend. I miss them tons already.

Kelsey and I first met through The Killers, so it was only fitting we went to their hometown show at MGM Grand together this past Saturday night as their ‘Wonderful Wonderful’ U.S. tour was coming to an end. The guys knocked it out of the park as usual- even throwing in a really fun cover of “Viva Las Vegas” and mixing up the setlist a bit for the occasion.

I’m still in awe of their stage setup- and having been a few whiskey sours in by the time the show wrapped up- I’m pretty sure I gushed to my friend Steven about how much I loved it in excess. He’s brilliant- and both sober me and inebriated me feels it’s necessary to tell him once in a while!

The boys are back in Boston for our Boston Calling Festival in May- and I can’t wait!

During this most recent stay, I hung my hat at The Cosmopolitan– which offered the best view I’ve ever had of the Vegas strip (my room overlooked the Bellagio fountain!) as well as plenty of unique and incredible dining options. I didn’t have to venture too far to eat well and affordably. Breakfasts were typically at Eggslut, while post-drink carbs could be found- with a little searching- at the secret pizza place hidden within the hotel.

At one point during the weekend, Kelsey and I headed to one of my favorite neon and gaudy restaurants/lounges- Peppermill– where I had the greatest biscuits and gravy I’ve ever tasted and a mimosa that was strong enough to almost take the sting out of the Patriots’ Super Bowl loss later on that night.

I never went hungry- or broke!

I spent some of my downtime during my stay perusing and people-watching on the Strip- and I gambled a little- although I admittedly didn’t win anything. A lot of the casinos had Chinese New Year themed decorations everywhere- and since the impending holiday marks the Year of The Dog- I was all about the adorable stuffed dogs and statues of canines they had in lobbies and throughout the hallways of places like The Venetian, The Bellagio, and Caesar’s Palace.

I bet the actual celebration in the city is insanely fun. I wish I could have been there for it!

Overall, I had an amazing time- and this trip really gave me something to look forward to when it comes to relocating. It was great catching up with old friends, seeing one of my favorite bands in their element, being able to actually relax and have fun while simultaneously enjoying some decent drinks and delicious food- and being nice and warm throughout the day (and even after the sun had set!)

I’d love to head out to the area again sooner rather than later- even if it’s just to look at some apartments or houses up close!

Enjoy your weekend, everyone. I’ve got to get some work done at my office- and the regular posting schedule will be back up next week!

– Ashley –

Super Bowl Snacks: Buffalo Chicken Sliders

February 2, 2018by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment

Happy Friday, everyone! Today is my last day at work before I head off to Las Vegas overnight- and we’re all celebrating with a little pre-Super Bowl food day/party before Sunday’s big game. I admit, it’s going to be a bit strange not being in Boston to watch it at any of the usual bars or pubs- but I’m hoping I can find some Patriots fans in Sin City to party with. We’ll see how that goes!

Before I head off to the airport, though- I wanted to share a 15-minute recipe for those of you who may be heading to Super Bowl parties of your own this weekend and are looking for something quick, easy and delicious to serve up to your friends (or rival fans).

Behold, the pulled buffalo chicken sliders- a spicy and fun take on traditional cheeseburger sliders. If you love buffalo sauce or blue cheese as much as I do- then these are for you!

The measurements below make 8 servings, so modify as needed depending on how many people you’re going to be feeding!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅔ cup buffalo sauce
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
16 slider rolls, halved
¾ cup blue cheese, crumbled
6 leaves butter lettuce, roughly torn

READY? HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the buffalo sauce. Remove from the heat.
In large bowl, toss the chicken and celery to combine. Add the sauce and toss to coat.
Build sliders with the chicken mixture, blue cheese and lettuce.

An incredibly simple recipe that doesn’t require a ton of ingredients and still serves up a ton of fantastic flavors? Yeah- this is definitely one of my favorites. As much as I enjoy stuffing my face with wings and nachos- these are a bit more filling without leaving sauce or grease all over my face and fingers (or the feeling of guilt when I’ve eaten one too many.)

Here’s wishing the best of luck to the Pats. I’d love nothing more than to return home in time to head back out to my city’s celebratory Rolling Rally if they can pull off another win!

Enjoy your weekend, everyone. I’ll be back to regular posting next week- and feel free to peep my INSTAGRAM to follow my adventures from Vegas! It’s shaping up to be a blast- and I’m just happy to be returning somewhere warm and sunny for a few days!

– Ashley –

January 2018: In a Nutshell

January 31, 2018by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment

Good Morning and Happy “Hump Day”, everyone! I’ve managed to dig myself out from beneath the latest snowfall here in Massachusetts to get into boss babe mode at work, re-pack my suitcase for Las Vegas this weekend, and reflect upon this past month. With five Mondays- January may have felt like an eternity to get through to some- but for me, it was pretty busy, and a little crazy, and sorta’ fast-paced- in mostly the right ways!

The month- and year- started off peacefully enough- with a weekend spent at a quaint bed & breakfast in New Hampshire with my best friend to bid farewell to 2017. But, once I was home and back to work- that’s when the real excitement started. There were blizzards, birthdays, and appearances by The Killers (and that was all within the first week!)

I spent time at an incredibly bright and flower-filled art exhibit here in Boston before eventually working my way out West in the middle of the month to kick-off an extended weekend in San Diego to celebrate my birthday. This is where things got a little tricky- because while I had an amazing time in the sunshine and had the opportunity to catch up with longtime friends I hadn’t seen in months- one of my friends got really sick with a flu that had been going around about halfway through my stay. His being down for the count as he tried to recover threw off some scheduled birthday plans- and my trip ended on a much calmer and much quieter note than I had anticipated.

I tried to make the best of it, though. With half-priced margaritas in the afternoons (Happy Hour is illegal in Massachusetts- just a little not-so-fun FYI- so I fully embraced it as much as possible!) and views like this everywhere you turned- who could feel sad for too long?

When I returned from California last week, my family and some of my local friends from around home made sure that I knew they didn’t forget my birthday while I was away. With dinners, cards, and a pretty funny cake (thanks, Mom)– I feel just as loved at 32 as I did when I was 22. Even more astonishing as that the celebration isn’t even done, yet! Before I leave for Vegas, more of my extended family want to treat me to another party- and when I come home from my second voyage to the West Coast- my friends have another get-together planned for me.

I used to worry sometimes that getting older wouldn’t be so fun or as appealing as it seemed to be when I was younger- but the people in my life have made sure that it is and I’m so, so grateful to them for it.

Side Note: A lot of people who follow this blog and my social media accounts sent such lovely, encouraging, funny, and kind messages before, during and in the days following my birthday- and words can’t even begin to describe how much it meant to me. From the bottom of my heart- thank you all! I truly appreciated all the love. It was overwhelming in the best way possible!

And finally, this past weekend- in honor of the WWE’s ‘Royal Rumble’- I headed to my friend Phill’s annual PPV party in an Alexa Bliss costume (with color coordinated cupcakes in tow!) to watch the show, stuff my face, participate in the pool we had going- and compete for our “Best Party Snack” prize- the Snack-Down Championship Belt.

While my cupcakes didn’t score me the title- I was pretty content that the “People’s Elbow Macaroni & Cheese” won- because it was delicious!

We are so nerdy and I absolutely love it.

So what do I have planned for February? Vegas, baby! I head out this coming weekend to visit with friends from Nevada, catch my beloved Pats in the Super Bowl, and maybe see a show or two before it’s back home to work in-between planned day trips to NYC, sharing some Valentine’s Day-inspired recipes, showcasing more pieces from my wardrobe and trying to get through these last few weeks of Winter unscathed.

And to kick things off in February? I’ll have a recipe post later up this week (Super Bowl appropriate!) before I hop my plane on Saturday morning.

Hang in there, everyone- the week is almost over!

– Ashley –