Tag: Fall

Crunchy Leaves/Apple Crisp – A Fall 2018 Playlist!

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on Crunchy Leaves/Apple Crisp – A Fall 2018 Playlist!

Good Morning and Happy Friday, everyone! We did it! We made it to another weekend!

This weekend is looking to be one of my busiest yet- with a baby shower for my cousin’s girlfriend, a bridal shower for my soon-to-be-married childhood friend, and packing for a very, *very* early flight to the West Coast first thing on Monday morning.

Needless to say, I’ve got to stick to a pretty tight schedule AND manage to get some sleep in there somewhere!

Today is quick and early day for me at work- and all I’m really going to be doing is changing my phone and e-mail settings to re-direct any incoming correspondence in my office to whoever is around to help before it’s off to get my hair touched up for a little pre-vacay pampering- so it seems like a good time as any to share one of my favorite traditions: My annual Autumn Playlist (via 8Tracks!)

This year’s playlist, inspired by time spent stepping through crunchy leaves and picking apples at the local orchard on brisk and drizzly days- one of my favorite activities this time of year!- features ten tracks, mostly new with a couple of older favorites sprinkled in- from folk, alternative and indie artists that range anywhere from dreamy and relaxing to more upbeat and catchy.

This is “Crunchy Leaves/Apple Crisp” – a Fall 2018 Playlist!

– TRACKLISTING –

  1. Houndsmouth – Sedona
  2. Kurt Vile – Loading Zones
  3. Middle Kids – Edge of Town
  4. Phantastic Ferniture – Gap Year
  5. Death Cab for Cutie – Autumn Love
  6. Cat Power (ft. Lana Del Rey ) – Woman
  7. Hozier – Shrike
  8. Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus & boygenius – Bite The Hand
  9. Iron & Wine – Autumn Town Leaves
  10. Big Red Machine – Hymnostic

I hope you all enjoy giving it a listen as much as I enjoyed putting it together!

The posting schedule may be a little off next week, since I’ll be on the opposite coast and no doubt getting into trouble with my West Coast friends- but you can feel free to follow the action and my adventures over at my Instagram!

Here’s wishing you all a wonderful weekend! I’m sure I’ll pop by to say hello during my vacation!

Enjoy the rest of your Friday!

xx

– Ashley –

Desserts: Snickerdoodle Chocolate-Chunk Bundt Cake

by Ashley DeLarge2 Comments on Desserts: Snickerdoodle Chocolate-Chunk Bundt Cake

Good Morning and Happy Monday, everyone! It’s a short work week for me, what with the upcoming holiday- so I’ll be tying up some loose ends and staying glued to my desk for the next couple of days so I can return to my office next week and not be completely swamped or overwhelmed. It’s all about prioritizing my tasks and my time properly!

To wrap up my series of Thanksgiving-inspired recipes before this Thursday arrives, I wanted to share one of my favorite dishes for one of my favorite parts of the meal- dessert, of course! This cake, a twist on the classic cookie- incorporates the expected flavors: brown sugar and cinnamon- but adds some chewy, gooey chocolate goodness to make it a rich, decadent finale to the one meal out of the year where it’s okay to be a little gluttonous.

While it may look like a lot of steps- I assure you that this recipe is surprisingly easy to pull off!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1½ cups granulated sugar, divided
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • 2⅓ cups chocolate chunks, divided
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ⅓ cup heavy cream

READY? HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan with nonstick spray.
  2. MAKE THE CAKE: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, light brown sugar and ¾ cup of the granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
  3. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the mixture to the wet ingredients in three additions, mixing until just combined after each and alternating with the buttermilk until both are fully incorporated. Fold in 1⅓ cups of the chocolate chunks.
  5. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining granulated sugar and the cinnamon. Pour half the cake batter into the prepared pan and top with half the cinnamon-sugar. Pour the remaining batter on top and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon-sugar.
  6. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 60 to 80 minutes. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes and then invert the cake onto a rack and cool completely.
  7. MAKE THE GLAZE: Place the remaining chocolate and cream in a medium-size heat-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring in between until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
  8. Pour the chocolate glaze over the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides and set for at least 15 minutes before serving.

This cake is packed full of flavor- chocolate, cinnamon, toasted brown sugar and a pinch of salt to balance everything out- and every bite is absolutely delicious. Served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a hot cup of coffee and you’ve got yourself the perfect way to draw a conclusion to the meal for your family and friends.

Enjoy your day, everyone!

xx

– Ashley –

Side Dish: Stuffin’ Muffins

by Ashley DeLarge2 Comments on Side Dish: Stuffin’ Muffins

Good Morning and Happy Friday, everyone! We’ve made it through another week and it’s time for the final stretch before the holiday season is officially underway. You know the markets and grocery stores are going to be packed this weekend with people picking up their last minute Turkey Day necessities- so be careful out there!

Continuing with my brief series of Thanksgiving-inspired recipes leading up to next Thursday, I wanted to move on from the starters/appetizers and onto a fun and easy side dish you can serve your guests that is not only full of flavor- but is also perfectly proportioned where everyone will get a fair amount, too!

Meet “Stuffin’ Muffins”- the mess-free, compact and convenient way to enjoy a classic recipe.

These measurements make 12 muffins- so adjust accordingly depending on how many people you plan to feed!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • ½ loaf crusty bread, cut into small (⅓-inch) cubes
  • 6 tablespoons melted butter, divided
  • 1 large sweet onion, diced
  • 4 celery stalks, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2½ cups turkey, chicken or vegetable broth

READY? HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
  2. In a large bowl, toss the bread with 4 tablespoons of the melted butter.
  3. Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter into a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and celery, and cook until the vegetables are tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
  4. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. Stir in the parsley, thyme, rosemary and sage. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
  5. Pour the onion and celery mixture over the bread and toss well to combine. Add the broth and toss well to coat. Let the mixture sit 10 to 15 minutes to absorb the liquid, tossing occasionally.
  6. Divide the stuffing evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Bake until the tops are golden brown and crusty, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving warm.

Warm, buttery, and crumbly with a kick of spice- these muffins are the perfect pairing to your ham/turkey/tofurkey and vegetables. They’re just the right amount of stuffing to keep you from feeling overly- well, stuffed- and they’re just as great to store for leftovers, too!

Enjoy your weekend, everyone! Next week I’ll be sharing a really fantastic dessert recipe to wrap up my Thanksgiving series- and I’ve got some fun changes coming to Blondie Birdie, too!

xx

– Ashley –

OOTD: Blanket Statement

by Ashley DeLarge3 Comments on OOTD: Blanket Statement

Good Morning, everyone! Happy Wednesday! Here’s hoping you’re all hanging in there ’til the weekend gets here.

Well, it’s official- Winter is on it’s way. We’ve had a couple of snow flurries over the past couple of days here in Massachusetts- thankfully nothing that has stuck on the roads or anything- but it’s become significantly colder outside with recent temperature drops. Now’s the time to layer on and bundle up with all the frigid-and-frost-proof necessities: heavier jackets, scarves, hats, gloves, wool socks, etc. etc.

Me, on the other hand? I’ve embraced over-sized, bulkier fabrics that can be draped over my regular ensembles and serve as wearable (and fashionable!) blankets/Winter-ready ponchos. This wool, brown and gray checkered number I’ve owned for a couple of years is one of my favorites- because it not only matches so many things in my wardrobe which makes it more versatile to wear out and about- but because it keeps me toasty warm, too.

I posed in this blanket/poncho over the weekend before enjoying a home-cooked meal and a long night of playing board games and Mario Party with some friends that had come over to keep out of the cold. Even though I was outside for a while taking a walk and watching the sunset over the trees- the wool kept my shoulders, arms and torso protected from the elements. I was so comfortable and felt like I really looked chic and appropriate for the incoming season!

Unrelated, but my Smith & Cult “Tenderoni” nail polish (which I included in my October Favorites last month!) matches this blanket/poncho PERFECTLY. It’s like they were made for each other! I wasn’t the only one who noticed, either. More than one person stopped me while I had this on to take a second, closer look at either the material my poncho was made out of or my long-overdue manicure I managed to treat myself to on Saturday morning.

I think this shade is going to carry me through the Winter and into the Spring, honestly. I love it so much.

I’d really like to do another post- soon- to share some of the other variations of this trend/wardrobe staple I have tucked away in my closet. I have so many different color combinations, fabrics and cuts/shapes of wearable blankets/ponchos that I’m looking forward to rocking around town and to work over the next couple of weeks!

‘Til next time. Stay warm out there!

xx

– Ashley –

Starters: Prosciutto and Fig Salad Board

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on Starters: Prosciutto and Fig Salad Board

For the next couple of weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, I plan on sharing a brief series of recipes that I handpicked to serve as creative and/or unexpected alternatives to a starter, a side, and a dessert for those gearing up to prepare the big “Turkey Day” meal but who want something a little different than the standard cheese and cracker appetizers, mashed potato side dish, or pumpkin pie finale.

The first recipe of the series I’m putting up on Blondie Birdie is the starter. This sweet and slightly tangy salad is lightweight and delicious- and only takes 10 minutes to prepare. The best part about serving it spread out on a board as opposed to tossed in a large bowl, however- is that all the incredible toppings and dressing don’t sink down to the bottom. Everything stays fresh and spread out evenly over and between the spinach to guarantee a ton of flavor in each and every bite!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 ounces spinach
  • 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
  • 4 ounces prosciutto
  • 12 figs, quartered
  • ⅓ cup crumbled blue cheese

READY? HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and Dijon. Gradually add the olive oil, whisking continuously until the mixture is emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. In a large bowl, toss together the spinach and shallots. Add the dressing and toss well to coat.
  3. Spread the spinach on a large board and arrange the prosciutto and figs on top of it. Finish with a sprinkling of blue cheese. Serve immediately.

I made extra portions of this salad to bring to work with me this week- that’s how good it was.  The fig gives it an unexpected texture and sweetness while the mixed in Dijon mustard adds a kick to each serving. Depending on your preferences, you can add/reduce certain ingredients- but I really like it the way it is!

xx

– Ashley –