Tag: Holiday Season

Friendsgiving 2018!

by Ashley DeLarge2 Comments on Friendsgiving 2018!

Good Morning and Happy Wednesday, everyone!

I hope you’re all having a wonderful week so far! Today is a half day at my office before I head out for a pre-Thanksgiving cocktail hour with my co-workers and then start off for home for a long weekend spent with my family. I’m excited to see everyone, excited to be lazy- and excited to eat a feast- which will be my third one since this past weekend!

Saturday night marked our annual Friendsgiving- this year spent in Somerville at my friend’s new apartment. 32+ of us arrived, bringing an array of dishes and desserts in a potluck fashion- and spent an evening dining, drinking, occasionally dancing, playing Jenga and ‘Catchphrase’- and winding down with a Bob Ross marathon on Netflix as our numbers started to dwindle down after midnight.

It was so much fun seeing familiar faces, meeting new ones, and eating a ton of good food- and on Sunday, after dragging my sleepy self out of bed- the second Friendsgiving in Western Massachusetts took place with just as many incredible people and recipes!

I honestly didn’t think I’d be able to eat anymore this week, but my mom’s cooking tomorrow will definitely change my mind.

This year, like every year- I’m thankful for my friends, my family, my career, my health and the fact that I have shelter, food, and clothes on my back. It hasn’t always been easy- and sometimes things looked downright bleak- but I’ve been fortunate to keep my head above the water and keep pushing forward. I’m very, very grateful- for everyone and everything.

Here’s wishing you all who are celebrating a fun, lovely, and safe Thanksgiving spent with people you love and who love you right back!

I’ll have a post up on Friday after I awaken from my food coma (there’s no way I’m going Black Friday shopping. Nope.) before it’s off for a weekend in my hometown!

See you all then!

xx

– Ashley –

Pre-Thanksgiving Prep!

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on Pre-Thanksgiving Prep!

Good Morning and Happy Friday, everyone!

I managed to dig myself out of last night’s first snowfall of the season (and it arrived with a vengeance!) and get to my office this morning- but whether or not I’m motivated enough to actually get anything done is still questionable. All that shoveling made me tired!

So, the weekend before Thanksgiving is undoubtedly a crazy one. Everyone starts heading home for the holiday, there’s the final grocery shopping trip to get done before it’s time to have the actual dinner, insane amounts of cleaning and decorating to do, and- in my case, at least- the Friendsgivings around the city (and this year, around the state, as well!)

This coming weekend is no exception, and tomorrow morning will be filled with a lot of cooking and baking before I head off to one of my friend’s first attempts at Friendsgiving at his new apartment in Somerville later on in the evening. I’m excited- and I’m sure I’ll be posting a lot of pictures up on my Instagram.

And on Sunday? It’s the same thing- except Friendsgiving 2.0 will be taking place out in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, instead!

Next week on the blog I’ve got my usual weekend re-cap on deck, as well as another holiday-inspired recipe to share before the big feast with my family for anyone looking for something last minute, quick and easy to prepare for their guests.

But before I buckle down for my everyday duties at work and get ready to launch into the weekend- I thought I’d share some links from posts of Autumn days past to help those looking for some inspiration or ideas!

IF YOU NEED SOME AUTUMN/THANKSGIVING-INSPIRED RECIPES

IF YOU NEED A SWEET LITTLE FALL PLAYLIST FOR THE PRE-DINNER RECEPTION

IF YOU’RE ABLE TO GIVE TO THOSE IN NEED

Here’s wishing you all a safe and stress-free weekend. As stress-free as it can be, anyway!

See you all on Monday!

xx

– Ashley –

OOTD: … And a Happy New Year!

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on OOTD: … And a Happy New Year!

Good Morning, everyone! I’m getting ready to pop by my job to send some last-minute e-mails and participate in what will be day 3 of “Office-Holiday-Hijinks” (today is cookie swap and cocoa day!) before I break for a long, extended Christmas weekend to spend time with my family and friends while delivering the last of the gifts I’ve put together, drinking almond milk eggnog, and preparing to watch “A Christmas Story” over and over in a nice, cozy pair of flannel pajamas.

This coming weekend also marks both my mother and my older brother’s birthdays- so there’s going to be a lot of cake and Chinese food involved in the next couple of days too, I’m sure.

For most of this week I’ve been dressing festive- including but not limited to Rudolph leggings, snowball-inspired sweaters and Santa socks- but one of my favorite ensembles I’ve gotten to wear at a recent Holiday party was my ‘Home Alone’ knitted sweater (which I’ve had for a few years now) with a comfortable pair of black jeggings- and this light-up Christmas light necklace I picked up at a local dollar store. It has a couple of different settings that make it blink at various speeds, too!

While I was sporting this outfit in Back Bay, I actually had people coming up to me to ask where I had purchased parts of it. The sweater is easy enough to find at most online shops- and comes in a ton of different colors, too!

And of course, I couldn’t resist posing for some photos in front of the beautiful display that was set up in the front corridor of the Prudential Center while I had this on. That wreath hanging from the ceiling was gorgeous!

Also, if you don’t think the lights on the necklace look bright enough- may I present Exhibit A?

There I am outside- getting ready to go find my car. That necklace pretty much lit my way the entire walk! Not bad for a buck!

Alright- I’ve got to wrap things up at work before I head out to kick-start my holiday. For everyone who celebrates it- I hope you all have a wonderful, beautiful, warm and cozy Christmas surrounded by good food, good friends, and family. I hope you all stay safe if you’re traveling- and stress-free if you’re keeping your celebration local this year. I hope any gifts you’re giving are loved, and cherished by whoever is receiving them- and I hope you all get something that surprises and delights you, too!

I also hope none of you get coal or a fruit cake or anything like that.

I’ll be back to blogging next week- where I’ll be wrapping up 2017 to the best of my abilities before we usher in 2018. I’m so excited to look back on these past 12 months!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

xx

– Ashley –

Christmas in The Country…

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on Christmas in The Country…

Good Morning! The blogging schedule is going to be a bit off this week, what with the upcoming Christmas (long) weekend. My time over the next few days is going to be divided up between work, holiday parties, visiting with family and delivering gifts to friends across all corners of Massachusetts- so I won’t be able to be online much until it’s time to wrap things up and bid adieu to 2017 in a series of year-end celebration/reflection posts throughout next week leading up to New Year’s Eve!

Some people might think that holiday travel can be daunting- and I’m sure for those who have to fly to multiple destinations- it can be, but I typically drive everywhere- and I love it! I especially enjoy heading out to Western Massachusetts where the scenery is much more rural, old-fashioned, or “rustic”. The old houses, farms, mom & pop shops, bed and breakfasts- and chic little places to stop and eat or hang your hat for a few hours. It’s a breath of fresh air (literally) from the busy, crowded and noisy way of life that comes with city living.

And of course, such a beautiful part of New England never fails to deliver spectacular views when it comes to decorating for the holidays. The photo above was taken in the small town square outside of New Salem, Mass while I was en route (on the back roads, of course!)– heading towards Deerfield this past weekend. It had just snowed a bit, and the lights looked especially beautiful- but beyond the square were rows of barns, churches, and businesses that were all lit up with traditional white lights, tinsel, garland, candles and bows.

If it hadn’t been so cold out- I probably could have walked the streets for hours!

Of course, the city has one thing the country doesn’t- and that’s gigantic Christmas ornaments on the sidewalks- like the one I posed next to on Sunday night after a quick stop at the Prudential Center where I met up with friends for dinner and some shopping!

I’ve got to head into work and prepare for an office lunch with some of my co-workers a little later on this afternoon (and we’re having another party tomorrow!)– but I’ve got another post planned for Thursday morning before I officially break for Christmas.

See you all soon!

xx

– Ashley –

Festive Foodie: Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

by Ashley DeLarge2 Comments on Festive Foodie: Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

When I was a kid, my mother used to have a handful of recipes she’d fall back on around the holidays to serve guests or bring with us when we attended family Christmas parties. One of those recipes were thumbprint cookies. My mom would typically make a couple dozen of them at a time and then proceed to fill in the center indentation with melted chocolate or lemon custard. They were always popular and were always one of the first snacks/desserts to disappear once our actual dinner was finished.

And now, years later- I’ve found an updated version of the recipe that incorporates two popular desserts into one bite-sized treat: sugar cookies and cheesecake. With 30 minutes of prep/cook time total- this recipe makes 24 cookies in all- which means you’ll have plenty of them to feed everybody and not have to worry about spending all day in your kitchen!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ¾ cup light brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (from about 20 crackers)
  • 1¾ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt

FILLING:

  • 5 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup jam

READY? HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. MAKE THE COOKIES: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the brown sugar and sugar until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the egg and mix to combine, 1 to 2 minutes more.
  3. In a medium bowl, stir the flour with the graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt to combine. Add to the mixer and mix just until fully incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes.
  4. Scoop 2 tablespoons of dough and roll it into a ball; repeat with the remaining dough. Transfer the balls to the prepared baking sheets. Flatten each one slightly, then use your thumb to make a deepimpression in the center of each cookie.
  5. MAKE THE FILLING: In a medium bowl, whisk the cream cheese with the sugar, egg white and vanilla extract to combine.
  6. Spoon 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of each cookie. Top each cookie with 1 teaspoon jam and then use the tip of a knife or a toothpick to swirl the jam into the cream cheese filling.
  7. Bake until the cookies are lightly golden brown at the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool completely before serving.
  8. Enjoy!

Not only were these cookies really pretty when they were done, but they tasted incredible, too- and definitely took me back to my childhood while I was eating them. I’m really looking forward to surprising my mother with a batch of these for her birthday this coming Christmas Eve. I know she’ll appreciate the tradition being passed down!

Enjoy your Friday and your weekend, everyone!

xx

– Ashley –