Good Morning, Happy Monday- and Happy Labor Day, everyone! This post was drafted right before I left for a long weekend away in the middle of the mountains in Vermont with my best friend. I’m heading home later on today- and I’ll be sure to have plenty of photos from my trip to share this week once I’m back in my home office (where I have a more stable WiFi connection than out here in the woods!)
This coming Thursday is the kickoff to the New England Patriots’ regular season- and to celebrate- we’re having a tailgating party at work (I swear, we do actually work now and then) where everyone has been encouraged to bring their favorite game day food. Although my go-to recipe to satisfy a fairly large group of people has always typically been a big plate of nachos- this time around I wanted to try something a little different- and I came across this 20-minute recipe for mess-free quesadillas that looked delicious.
I did a trial run a few days ago to see if it was something I could pull off in the early morning hours before my commute so they would stay fresh and warm by the time our party started- and I’m pretty excited to share these with everyone at the office- because they turned out awesome!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
12 tortillas or wraps
½ cup salsa
12 ounces shredded cheddar or Jack cheese
Shredded and cooked chicken or beef (depending on your preference! You can also go meat-free and stick to just the cheeses and salsa.)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons sliced green onions
Sour cream, as needed for serving
Salsa, as needed for serving
READY? HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Grease a baking sheet with 2 tablespoons of the butter.
Arrange half of the tortillas in the prepared pan, overlapping them as needed to fully cover the base.
Spread the salsa in an even layer on top of the tortillas. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the salsa and add your cooked and shredded chicken or beef.
Arrange the remaining tortillas on top of the cheese, salsa & meat- overlapping as needed to fully cover the pan. Spread the remaining 2 tablespoons butter evenly over the tortillas.
Bake until the tortillas are golden and the cheese is fully melted, 9 to 12 minutes. Garnish with the cilantro and green onions.
Serve immediately, warm, with sour cream and salsa on the side.
I’m not even going to lie- I ate enough of these to the point where I felt like I couldn’t move- that’s how good they tasted. Fantastic flavor aside, I couldn’t get over how quick, easy, and painless these were to make- and I think I’ve found my new favorite party recipe for this coming football season!
Good Morning, everyone! Have all of your eyes adjusted back to normal after looking at the solar eclipse yesterday? I shared a pair of those special protective glasses with some of my co-workers yesterday when we viewed the phenomenon from a clearing outside our office. Pretty neat stuff- even if it didn’t get as dark out as I had thought (and sort of hoped) it would!
Before I launch into what I did this past weekend, I wanted to get serious for just a couple of minutes.
I try not to get too political here on Blondie Birdie. It’s not because I’m not interested in current events and it’s certainly not because I don’t care about what’s happening in the world around me- a peek into any of my social media would disprove that misconception very quickly considering how vocal I am surrounding the issues I care about deeply- but a good portion of the news and politics continues to be depressing, infuriating and downright horrifying 99.999% of the time. For that reason, I try to keep things light here. Not only for my readers and subscribers- but for myself, too. Sometimes it’s nice to have a small corner of the internet to escape to when things are looking bleak and rough literally everywhere else.
I do have to comment on what happened in Boston this past weekend, though- because I was on the sidelines for a brief period of time and couldn’t have been prouder of my city for the display of unity, decency and peaceful protest that sent a message to the world and set a precedent for how to drive out hatred and bigotry when it dares come knocking at your door.
For those of you who didn’t know, a small group of white supremacists/Neo-Nazis/”Alt-Right” enthusiasts had scheduled a “Freedom of Speech” rally in Boston Common on Saturday so they could get away with as much hate speech/rhetoric and propaganda as they wanted. Following the events in Charlottesville just days earlier- Bostonians weren’t going to just let it stand- and the handful of losers who ended up hiding and huddled together with police protection in a gazebo right in the middle of the park were surrounded by 20,000+ peaceful protesters who came armed with nothing but signs, banners, and chants until the Nazis (and let’s not mince words. They’re Nazis) were eventually escorted out of the area and back to their basements in armored police vehicles while the crowd cheered, clapped and hollered.
Now, the section I was standing in was well-behaved. I’d heard about a couple of people getting riled up and who attempted to start some trouble long after the rally disassembled- but there’s always and inevitably going to be a few bad eggs in groups that large- and they were far outnumbered by good, decent people who knew that Boston’s strength comes from and relies heavily on the diversity of it’s citizens. I was so, so proud of each and every single person who showed up. THAT’S how you get rid of ignorant and hateful cowards.
And if anyone thinks what happened in Boston didn’t change anything or doubts it made a difference- a bunch of scheduled and similar white supremacy rallies around the country were cancelled following what happened in my city. It DOES work.
Candid. Six Flags. 8/19/17
Following my stopping by the Common to voice my support alongside those fighting against inconceivable and poisonous hatred- I wanted to close out my Saturday with something fun and carefree- and headed to Six Flags New England with some friends for the remainder of my afternoon/evening to ride roller coasters until I sustained a mild thoracic spine strain (those wooden coasters will get you every. single. time- but I’m healing up nicely!) and eat gigantic ice cream cones until the park closed. My friends continue to buy season passes to Six Flags and then never use them for reasons that are beyond my comprehension- but I get a discounted entry when they bring their passes with them- so it works out for me, anyway!
My favorite coaster is still the Superman (formerly the Bizzaro)– because there’s that .3 seconds where you feel like you might legitimately fly out of your seat and die- but they’ve got a couple of re-vamped ones that I really enjoyed, too- prior to my injury, anyway.
The cost of food and beverages in that place is a whole other story, though. If you ever get the urge to go to Six Flags- pack a good, filling picnic lunch and enjoy it outside the gate before you re-enter the park during your stay. You’ll save yourself a small fortune. I promise! Charging $5 for water bottles during the hottest days of the year are NOT okay.
On Sunday, after a long time in the kitchen making sure my baked goods came out just right- I headed over to Allston for my friend Phill’s WWE ‘SummerSlam’ party to view the event with a group of equally passionate professional wrestling fans. Phill has 3 events per year for the three biggest PPVs- the Royal Rumble, Wrestlemania, and SummerSlam- and up until now I’d never been to one of his parties. The rules were simple: don’t cheer Roman Reigns (a universally disliked and over-hyped character)– and if you bring a snack, it had to be wrestling themed.
My contributions to this event- and my attempt to win the coveted SNACK-Down Championship Belt (AKA best party food) was my “Undercaker” chocolate cake shaped like a wrestling ring- complete with turnbuckles and ropes!- and some gluten-free Balor Club cupcakes specifically for an attendee, James, who I was informed had an allergy and who I didn’t want to exclude. Overall I think everything paired nicely with the huge SummerHAM that one of Phill’s friends- dressed like John Cena, naturally- brought, as well as a dip called ‘Bean Ambrose’- among many other snacks.
The creativity was seriously awesome, and I had the best time- and while I was debating dressing up like Alexa Bliss, I went for a more simple look and rocked my WAY oversized Finn Balor/Demon King shirt- just in time for him to re-emerge in all his body-painted glory for his match. To say I was delighted is an understatement.
Next time, for sure- I’m rocking the Alexa look. New Cosplay project!
Overall, I had a really fun, really fulfilling weekend- and needed a full day yesterday to recover in-between work and catching up on some errands and much-needed sleep at home. My posting schedule is a little off as a result- but it should be back to normal by next week.
Enjoy your Tuesday/Monday 2.0, everyone! I’m getting ready to throw an impromptu, in-office, surprise Bachelorette party for one of my co-workers who is getting married this weekend! I’ll be sure to take some pictures!
It might not look like much, but cacio e pepe is one of the quickest, easiest, and tastiest pasta dishes you can whip up in under a half hour when you need your fill of carbs for a cheat day or you’re just trying to satisfy a group of people with something packed full of cheese and pepper. Not quite the usual macaroni and cheese dish- and not quite plain cooked, buttered noodles- this recipe falls in-between the two and was my go-to dinner this past weekend when I had limited ingredients prior to stopping by the grocery store but still had to feed a couple of friends who had dropped by unexpectedly.
If you’ve got a box of pasta and some grated cheese on hand- you can make this in no time at all!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
12 ounces spaghetti (I used linguine since I like the texture better than spaghetti!)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
⅔ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper (lots of it), to taste
Chopped parsley, for garnish
READY? HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes.
While the pasta cooks, mash the soft butter with the olive oil and pecorino cheese in a large bowl to form a paste.
When the pasta is tender, drain it, reserving ½ cup of the pasta cooking water. Add the spaghetti directly to the bowl with the butter mixture. Toss well to coat, adding the pasta water as needed to make a thick, creamy sauce that coats the pasta strands. Season with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper.
Divide the pasta among four plates. Garnish with parsley; serve immediately.
The cheese, pepper, and even the parsley make this a standout meal. It’s simple, but flavorful- and it’s really filling- so you don’t have to worry about your stomach growling again right after you eat it. Best of all? With the limited ingredients involved in preparing this one- cleanup is a breeze!
Keeping up with my theme of Summer-appropriate and grill-friendly recipes– I shifted today’s concoction from pineapples and ice cream to cake and blueberries, instead!
I love angel food cake. It’s light, fluffy, and has a hint of sweetness to it that makes it the perfect “any occasion” dessert- but it can also go from blissful to bland after a while if it’s not paired with something more flavorful- so combining it with a homemade blueberry-lemon sauce and a big dollop of freshly whipped cream sounded pretty incredible after dinner on a humid evening earlier this week.
This recipe requires minimal ingredients and takes nearly no time at all to prepare when done correctly- so if you’re in a pinch for something sweet and a little tart to serve as a post-meal treat before the Summer ends- this one will definitely come in handy!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
1 angel food cake (store-bought or homemade)
2 cups blueberries
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1½ cups heavy cream
⅓ cup confectioners’ sugar
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
READY? HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:
Preheat a grill or grill pan. Slice the angel food cake into 8 even wedges.
Lightly grease the grates of the grill and cook the angel food cake until grill marks appear, about 2 minutes per side. Set aside.
In a medium pot, combine the blueberries, lemon zest, lemon juice and granulated sugar. Heat the mixture over medium-low heat until the blueberries break down and the mixture is saucy, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream and confectioners’ sugar to medium peaks. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine.
Serve cake with the whipped cream and a drizzle of the blueberry sauce.
I had one slice of this and had to physically force myself not to eat about four more- it was that good. The blueberry-lemon sauce is fantastic- so much that I plan on using some that was leftover on top of a stack of waffles or pancakes tomorrow morning before I head to work- and the whipped cream had just enough of a vanilla kick to it to liven up the angel food cake when it was all scooped up together.
While no dessert is particularly “healthy”, I didn’t feel overly full or gross after I ate this. It was just the right amount of cake and toppings to keep me feeling satisfied and not sluggish- and I can’t wait to make it again!
Good Morning, everyone- and hello, August! Before I get to work at my office (and prepare to fight off a migraine from staring at my screen so intently for such long periods of time)– I wanted to share this quick and easy Summertime dessert recipe I recently discovered floating around the internet that I’ve been whipping up at home for guests that pop by- and for myself!
I love pretty much anything with pineapple in it, which is why I’m sort of shocked I’ve never thought to grill it before until now. Sure, I’ve cooked and baked with slices or cubes of it in the past- but to simply grill it and substitute it for a banana in a sundae/split? It never crossed my mind- but it’s a game changer!
You can use any type of ice cream you want for this recipe, too. It calls for vanilla- but I had some pineapple-coconut Häagen-Dazs (with pieces of fruit mixed in!) already inside of my freezer- and it tasted just fine with that, instead!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
2 cups pitted and halved cherries, plus more cherries for serving
1 pineapple—peeled, quartered and cored
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 quart vanilla ice cream (or any flavor of your choosing- I picked coconut-pineapple for this one!)
READY? HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:
In a small pot, combine the cherries with the sugar and ¼ cup water over medium heat and cook until the cherries break down, 10 to 12 minutes.
Remove the mixture from the heat and use a potato masher or a fork to mash it into a paste. Strain into a small bowl, stir in the vanilla and set aside.
Heat a grill or grill pan over high heat. Add the pineapple quarters and cook until charred all over, about 4 minutes per side. When cool enough to handle, cut the pineapple quarters into long strips or bite-sized pieces.
Scoop the ice cream into bowls and top with pineapple, fresh cherries and cherry sauce. Serve immediately.
This is such a light, tasty, sweet (and a little tangy) treat to enjoy on a hot day. The pineapple has a certain crispiness to it when it’s grilled- and if served right away the ice cream melts just enough to coat all of the wedges. You can serve the dish with as much cherry sauce and whole cherries on the side as you want- depending on your preference. I personally love a ton of them on mine!
I’m thinking when I make this again this coming weekend- I’ll include some grilled bananas and maybe some strawberries, too!
Blondie Birdie 