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 and Happy Hump Day, everyone! With Labor Day and my taking this coming Friday off to jump start a long-overdue “Girls Only” weekend with my mom- I’ve been more than a little busy at work with trying to get everything done and wrapped up neatly since it’s a pretty short week for me at the office.
This past weekend was completely relaxing and maybe a little indulgent, however. My best friend Sean and I headed a couple hours North of the city to stay at the White House Inn overlooking the absolutely picturesque and rustic Wilmington, Vermont for an evening. Built in 1915 as a Summer home to a lumber baron- the house was spacious, beautifully furnished, and had breathtaking views of the Green Mountains (when it wasn’t pouring rain or foggy outside, of course!) It also had a hidden staircase (you can watch my video of it HERE on my Instagram!), a wine cellar and an old vault that was available to view. When Sean and I weren’t outside taking in nature- we were roaming every inch of the house we had access to.
My room!
The inn is associated with a ski resort a few miles away that offered a spa and fitness center for guests. Although Sean and I dropped by to utilize the facilities and take a look around (another beautiful building, by the way! I don’t ski but I’d love to see it in the Winter!)– any hard work put into achieving or maintaining fitness goals was thrown right out the window by the amount of food we ate during our stay!
We had headed into the small and quaint Main Street area of Wilmington a couple of times- including one stop on Sunday evening to have an early dinner at Dot’s Restaurant– but most of our face-stuffing took place back at the inn. Not only did I have one of the best breakfast sandwiches of my life on Monday morning before we headed back into town and then eventually returned to Boston- but Sean and I split two desserts (since we couldn’t make up our minds!) late Sunday evening that blew my mind. Tempura chocolate cake AND lemon & lavender pavlova. Absolute heaven. I’ve been looking for the recipes online on and off since we got back!
To close out the weekend, Sean had wanted to go antiquing to find some items for his bedroom that he’s currently updating/remodeling. With maple lattes in hand- we hit up a couple of spots in downtown Wilmington to browse some of the local goods and see if we could find anything with a cool history behind it.
Sean ended up walking away with a pretty nice picture frame he plans on fixing up and putting on display after he’s found an appropriate replacement painting for the one that had originally been inside the frame- and I found a book of poetry from 1886 that I plan on giving to my mom since she’s an even bigger fan of antiques than I am. I know she’ll find a good spot to show it off to her guests.
Overall, I had such an amazing time- and even though I ate way too much- I returned home feeling refreshed and relaxed and ready to get back to work. I am head over heels in love with the White House Inn- and with Wilmington, really- and I’m hoping to return again later on this Fall to take a longer look around and maybe stay a couple more nights since no ghosts or ghouls surprised me while I was trying to sleep. I’m sure the views of the mountains are even more gorgeous when the leaves start to change colors!
And now, I’ve got to dive right into my cases for the day.
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!
Good Morning and Happy Friday, everyone! I’ve got a busy day at work ahead of me and an even busier weekend coming up- but it’s that magical time of the month where my POPSUGAR “Must Have” box arrives at my door and I get to share all of the fun things I found inside!
What made August’s PSMH Box so special was that it marked the company’s 5th year anniversary of curating their monthly assortment of awesome items to send subscribers. I’ve been a devoted member for a couple of years now, and I don’t plan on cancelling my account anytime soon. The things I receive are always so fabulous- and it’s truly like treating myself every few weeks when I go through it and marvel at what’s inside.
The theme/inspirations for August’s “Must Have” box were pretty self-explanatory given the aforementioned milestone- CELEBRATE, GRATITUDE, LOYALTY, SMILE and FRIENDSHIP were the words used to select this month’s items- and with this being the last box before Fall rolls around- I was really excited to see what the company had chosen to wrap up this season.
First up were these really cute white (and gold speckled!) 24-count tall birthday candles from Meri Meri. I know so many people with birthdays sprinkled throughout late August and September- and for some reason I’m almost always the one responsible for getting the cake in order for their parties (it must be my sharp eye for details)– so it’s going to be nice to have these lovely candles on hand to add to the fun when it’s time for my friends and family to close their eyes and make their birthday wishes!
I’ll never say no to trying a great face mask, and I’ve been hearing a lot of really good things about this “Bouncy Mask” from First Aid Beauty. Said to calm irritated skin, firm, hydrate and refine your complexion in just ten minutes- it sounded too good to be true! I haven’t had a chance to give this a try yet, but I plan on taking some time out during my upcoming busy weekend to see if the mask is really worth all the hype.
Who knows? It might very well make my upcoming Favorites List for the month!
I am in love with this cute, simple, friendship bracelet by Dogeared, Inc. With blue silk thread and a sterling silver heart-shaped clasp- this one takes me back to middle school when my girlfriends and I would exchange handmade friendship bracelets on an almost weekly basis. Granted, this one is a little fancier than the yarn or beaded ones we used to make when I was a kid- but the nostalgia is still there- and I’ve been wearing this a lot over the past few days!
I think my favorite item in August’s “Must Have” box was this rose gold “Free Spirit” journal from Fringe Studio. I’m always appreciative of a lovely, simple and well-made notebook to take with me on-the-go- and this one may be one of my favorites. With it’s durable and protective covers to the sweet design on the front- this has been in my bag with an assortment of pens for when an idea springs up unexpectedly or I need to take down some important information.
I’d love to have a 2018 planner with this design, too!
POPSUGAR kept up with their tradition of sending the BEST snacks this month! From Goodie Girl Cookies comes these gluten-free, low-fat chocolate chunk treats that were gone nearly minutes after I spotted them in this month’s “Must Have” box (and yes, I shared a couple- although I was reluctant about it!)
I’m already preparing to order a couple more boxes online to keep around the kitchen for the next time I have a craving but don’t want to regret cheating with something sweet now and then. These are so, so good!
The older I get- the more I can appreciate a quality gift card- so to receive a $25 card to Shoptiques was pretty cool. The website has all sorts of stuff- from dresses to handbags to shoes and home decor- so I know I’m going to have to take some serious time to do extensive browsing to determine what I want to treat myself to! Yes, some of their things are on the pricier side- but they do have a really nice SALE section I’ve been eyeing.
And also? Look how cute the card came packaged!
Finally, POPSUGAR sent me something I can gift to my mother since I know for a fact she has a set of plates that match this polka doted serving tray- also by Fringe Studio- perfectly. I know she’s going to love it, since we have similar taste in decor and I thought this was such a fun, colorful and perfect for any occasion tray that she could keep on hand whenever she has people over for company or just wants to liven up her dining room table.
POPSUGAR has done it again. I loved this month’s box- and every item fit in perfectly with their theme/inspirations and birthday celebration! This collection, as I’d mentioned earlier- serves as their lost assortment of items for the Summer- which means the Fall boxes are going to start rolling out soon. I can’t wait!
Blondie Birdie 