Continuing with posting some of my favorite Fall-inspired dishes that are best enjoyed during this beautiful time of year, I wanted to share a quick and easy soup recipe that I whip up from time to time- particularly to serve on the chillier Autumn nights here in New England- and that I personally feel really captures some of the best flavors a good harvest has to offer!
Butternut squash is an ingredient that is so versatile and can be used in a ton of different ways- but this rich and creamy bisque might be one of the better ones. With 15 minutes of prep and about 30-40 minutes of actual cooking/pureeing time required to make this correctly- this is a good recipe to have on hand when you want something fast and filling for yourself or your guests!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
3 tablespoons butter
2 garlic cloves, sliced
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Coarse salt
1 can (14½ ounces) of low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon dry thyme
1 large butternut squash (about 4 pounds): peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup Half & Half
Sour cream, for serving
READY? HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:
In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium. Add onion, garlic, thyme, cinnamon, and cayenne. Season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, (5 to 7 minutes)
Add squash, broth, half-and-half, and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook until squash is tender, (about 20 minutes.)
Working in batches, puree in a blender until smooth. Stir in lemon juice; season with salt. Serve bisque with sour cream, garnished with dried thyme, if desired.
Store your leftovers in a covered and microwave-safe Tupperware container to bring with you to work/school/anywhere, really- to enjoy at a later time. Simply reheat the soup- give it a good stir- and savor the flavors some more!
In just three easy steps you can make a huge serving of this bisque- and trust me when I say it tastes amazing- even when it’s reheated the next day! I brought some of this with me to work the day after I’d first prepared it for myself and some of my family that were over for a visit and enjoyed it just as much as I had the first time around. It’s hearty and packed with quite a few flavors that keep it from tasting dull.
I’m looking forward to bringing this in a thermos for a camping trip my friends and I have planned in a couple of weeks!
Good Morning and Happy Monday, everyone! Now that September is in full-swing, I can start sharing some delicious Fall-inspired recipes I’ve been holding onto for the past month or so- both old favorites and new finds alike- and while a few of them do include a little bit of pumpkin spice here and there- I made sure to mix things up a bit for those of you who might need a break from that “basic bitch” goodness and are looking for other alternatives to cook or bake for your next bonfire or harvest festival.
This recipe, which takes 10 minutes to prepare and 2+ hours to let sit and settle inside your refrigerator (making it perfect to whip up in the morning before you head off to work/class/your errands for the day so you can enjoy it by the time you get back home!) is a sweet and salty mix of chocolate, peanut butter, and pumpkin- making it an indulgent treat that is ideal to enjoy, on your own or with others- during the cool, crisp Autumn weather.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
1 can (14-oz) sweetened condensed milk, divided
1⅓ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 tablespoon canola oil
½ cup pumpkin puree (not to be confused with pumpkin pie filling!)
½ cup smooth peanut butter
¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
⅓ cup chopped pecans
READY? HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:
Line a 8 x 8″ pan with foil; grease with cooking spray and set aside.
In a microwave-safe dish, combine the semi-sweet chocolate chips and ¾ cup of sweetened condensed milk.
Microwave on high for 1 minute; stir and put back in microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until completely melted.
Pour chocolate mixture into prepared pan and spread it evenly using an offset spatula; set aside.
In a microwave-safe dish combine white chocolate chips and canola oil; melt on high for 1 minute.
Remove from microwave and stir; put back in microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until almost all chips are melted.
Remove from microwave and stir in the rest of the sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin puree, peanut butter and pumpkin pie spice; stir until thoroughly combined.
Pour over previously prepared chocolate layer and spread evenly using an offset spatula.
Sprinkle with chopped pecans
Refrigerate for 2 hours (or until firm.)
Cut and serve immediately
Refrigerate leftovers to savor at a later time.
I enjoyed squares of this over the weekend during my designated “Cheat Day” and I have no regrets. The fudge is a combination of some of my favorite Fall flavors- all rolled into one- and was especially delicious when paired with a piping hot mug of apple cider.
I’m baking up another batch later on this week to bring to my office for my co-workers to enjoy- and they’ll undoubtedly be making an appearance when I have some of my family over for dinner soon! I’m sure they’re going to be a big hit!
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!
Blondie Birdie 