Tag: Ice Cream

Into The Wild…

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on Into The Wild…

Good Morning and Happy Monday, everyone!

While I’m not particularly thrilled at being back at work in my office so bright and early this morning- I had such a great weekend that I’m still running on that energy so not much can bring me down at this point. I’m sure I’ll be singing a different tune by like, 11 a.m.- but right now I’m feeling fine.

Saturday was my usual afternoon routine, where I hosted my Indie617 show from 12-4 (and thanks to everyone who participated in a lively lyric discussion!)– but from there I went on to perform in a “Summer Showcase” dance and performance event in Salem for a studio I’ve been working closely with over these past few months. I presented a piece I wrote and directed myself- inspired by my struggles with depression, anxiety, self-doubt and ultimately acceptance of my flaws- and the response was overwhelmingly positive.

I haven’t mentioned my work there- or my performance- until now as I’d been extremely self-conscious and wanted to perfect it before I went ahead and shared it with the masses via additional shows or social media- but Saturday night’s reaction was definitely a confidence booster.

Yesterday, in the post-show glow-y haze I was in- Troy advised me he was picking me up and taking me to an unknown destination in The Berkshires and, specifically, New York. Never one to back down from an adventure in a new destination- I agreed.

After a long drive through picturesque towns like Stockbridge and Great Barrington (with lunch at The Marketplace on the way)– we reached our destination on the Massachusetts/New York line- Bash Bish Fallls. Or, as I kept calling it- “Bad Bitch Falls.”

The place was absolutely incredible- and worth the steep 20 minute hike to get to. The views were amazing, the water was super cold and clear, and it was the perfect way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon in August. I was on cloud nine.

Of course, I snapped some photos. You can click on them to enlarge them.

On the way back to Northampton and Greenfield- we stopped at the SoCo Creamery in Great Barrington for some ice cream (banana brownie 4eva) and to take in some more views of the town’s most famous street/shopping area. It’s a super cute town with a lot of bouji boutiques and restaurants- but I enjoyed my time there and wouldn’t mind visiting again.

Overall, I had a really perfect weekend and I wish it could have extended another few days- although I do have tomorrow off and a half day on Wednesday- so here’s hoping I can keep that late Summer magic and adventurous energy going strong.

I’ve got to get started on my work for the week, but I’ll be back on Wednesday morning with more updates from the road. Here’s wishing you all a peaceful and stress-free beginning of the work-week ahead!

xx

– Ashley –

Summer Sweets: Peaches-and-Cream Ice Pops

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on Summer Sweets: Peaches-and-Cream Ice Pops

Good Morning and Happy Friday, everyone!

I’ve got another long weekend ahead of me since I took this coming Monday off from work as a bit of a “personal day.” Originally, I had plans in the Cape with some friends- but it ended up not happening due to scheduling conflicts for a few of us so now I’m simply taking the day to rest, recharge- and maybe hit the beach or Ashfield Lake again.

And while temperatures are soaring here in New England- I thought today would be as good a time as any to share a really delicious, super easy-to-make-and-freeze Popsicle treat for yourself and/or your guests to beat the heat with!

If you like real fruit, Greek yogurt and refreshing desserts- then you are going to *love* this recipe!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • 1 pound (453g) peaches, peeled and cut into wedges
  • ⅓ cup (66g) light brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of fine sea salt
  • 1½ cups (340g) plain Greek yogurt
  • ½ cup (112g) crème fraîche
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon pure almond extract

READY? HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Arrange the peaches in an even layer on a baking sheet. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt; toss to combine.
  2. Roast the peaches until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk the yogurt, crème fraîche, vanilla and almond extract to combine. Transfer about three quarters of the mixture to a container with a pour spout.
  4. Add the cooled peaches to the remaining yogurt mixture in the bowl. Use a potato masher to mash the two together (it’s okay if there are chunks of peaches left)
  5. Pour 2 tablespoons of the yogurt mixture into each ice-pop mold. Follow with 4 tablespoons of the peach mixture, then 4 tablespoons of the yogurt mixture. Continue alternating the two until the molds are full. It’s okay if the layers swirl together.
  6. Place an ice-pop stick in the center of each mold and transfer to the freezer. Freeze until solid, at least 2 hours.
  7. Run the molds under warm water and then unmold the ice pops. Keep frozen until ready to serve.

Honestly, the hardest part of this recipe was the waiting for the ice pops to freeze so I could finally enjoy one in front of my air conditioner! And, once I did- I was so relieved these tasted just as good as they looked.

I love a good ice pop this time of year- and I’m thinking I may try to incorporate pineapple or mango instead of peaches the next time I attempt this one. Something with a little more citrus and sour behind it. We’ll see how it goes!

I’m off to get some work done before I take off for the next few days- but here’s wishing you all a wonderful weekend ahead. I’ll be back- bright and early- on Monday morning. ‘Til then- have fun, wear sunscreen and stay hydrated out there!

xx

– Ashley –

Summer Sweets: Chocolate Waffle Ice-Cream Sandwiches

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on Summer Sweets: Chocolate Waffle Ice-Cream Sandwiches

Good Morning and Happy Monday, everyone!

We are in the midst of a three-day heat wave here in New England, with temperatures hitting the high nineties on Saturday, Sunday- and expected to do so again a little later on today. I don’t mind it at all- even if it means being a little sweaty and uncomfortable now and then, but it does make cooking/baking things- particularly things that need to stay cold- slightly trickier.

Case in point: these chocolate waffle and ice cream sandwiches I made yesterday afternoon prior to heading out to Western Massachusetts to meet a friend for dinner. As I tried to assemble the sandwiches, they were melting quicker than I could keep up- and more than once I had to pop them back in the freezer to get them more solid again before continuing sprinkling on the sauces and toppings.

But, they were worth it- since they were cold and delicious- and just what I needed on such a hot day!

And best of all? They’re pretty easy to make and completely customizable!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup cocoa powder
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2¼ cups whole milk
  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3 pints ice cream (any flavor you want! I used sea-salted caramel!)
  • ½ cup caramel sauce
  • ¾ cup chopped salted almonds
  • ½ cup rainbow sprinkles
  • ½ cup melted dark chocolate

READY? HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

  1. MAKE THE WAFFLES: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and salt to combine.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk the milk with the melted butter, eggs and vanilla to combine. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and whisk to combine.
  3. Preheat the waffle iron. Lightly spray the iron with nonstick spray. Ladle batter into the waffle maker. Prepare the waffles according to the manufacturer’s instructions, 3 to 6 minutes. Repeat until all the batter is used.
  4. Cool the waffles to room temperature, then cut each into quarters.
  5. ASSEMBLE THE SANDWICHES: Scoop ½ cup ice cream onto one piece of waffle and top with another to make a sandwich. Repeat with the remaining waffles and ice cream. Transfer the sandwiches to the freezer until very firm, at least 2 hours.
  6. Dip or garnish the frozen sandwiches as desired into your caramel sauce and/oror melted dark chocolate sauce.
  7. Return the sandwiches to the freezer until ready to serve.

I’d like to try these again with mint chocolate chip (an even colder, more refreshing flavor) and incorporate different toppings in, as well! Maybe when the weather isn’t bordering 100 degrees outside, though. That might make these a little easier to put together!

Here’s hoping you all have a great start to your week! I have plenty more to share in the coming days!

In the meantime- have you entered my Beach-themed Summer Giveaway? There’s still time!

xx

– Ashley –

Summer Treats: Grilled Pineapple Split Sundae with Cherry Sauce

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on Summer Treats: Grilled Pineapple Split Sundae with Cherry Sauce

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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!

xx

– Ashley –

Favorites: July 2017!

by Ashley DeLarge2 Comments on Favorites: July 2017!

Good Morning and TGIF, everyone! Can you believe we’re heading into the last weekend of July and that Summer is going to be winding down soon? As much as I love the Fall here in New England (I’m very much one of those unapologetic pumpkin-spice-everything type of girls)– I’m not ready to say goodbye to Summer of 2017 yet- especially when it’s been so much fun!

But I’m getting ahead of myself here. We still have this weekend and all through August and early September to soak up some more sunshine and hit the beach before it gets too cold out- which is exactly what I plan on doing come first thing tomorrow morning. Before that, though- I wanted to share some of the odds and ends that I absolutely loved this past month.

Most of my favorites from July were cosmetics-related since I recently did an overhaul and mass clean-out of my skincare and makeup to get rid of expired/empty products and make some room for newer items- but there’s a couple of other things that made the list, too!

One of the things that I ate pretty much non-stop throughout July were these cold brew latte dessert popsicles I kept buying at Trader Joe’s. Think of how refreshing an iced cafe mocha tastes on a sweltering hot morning- then make it even colder and put it on a stick- and you’ve got this wonderfully smooth, creamy and satisfying treat that’s low in fat (and calories, too) and gives you a nice caffeine boost when you might need it the most.

I’m seriously addicted to these things so I have a feeling they’ll probably make my August Favorites list, too!

I was admittedly a little skeptical when I first saw swatches of Urban Decay’s latest Naked palette, “HEAT”- since I’m pretty fair and always assumed any sort of red/orange shadows would just end up making me look like I had a bad case of pink eye or a weird rash or something. Earlier this month, however- I was treating myself to a couple of goodies and thought I may as well give it a try- and I have to say I’m pleasantly surprised with how neat these shadows look.

While there’s plenty of red/orange tones- they can easily be blended and sort of mellowed out with the lighter brown and almost rose-colored shades that are included in this palette, too. There’s a nice mix of shimmers and mattes that I’ve been experimenting with pretty much every day since I picked this one up for myself and I haven’t found a color combination that I dislike yet. Every shade is really beautiful and makes me think of days spend out in the desert whenever I visit Nevada!

Another “wasn’t sure at first but now I’m a believer” find? Brazilian Bum Bum Cream by Sol de Janeiro. HEAR ME OUT- I wear a lot of bikinis during the Summer, and even though I never skip squats and am a body lotion/cream fiend- I was intrigued about this Guaraná-packed moisturizer I heard mentioned through word of mouth. It’s all-natural ingredients are supposed to boost circulation in your skin while smoothing and tightening- and some people I know swear by it.

First things first, the cream smells delicious- good enough to eat, even- and it doesn’t feel greasy or sticky after you slather it on, but the most important thing are the results. I’ve been using this quick-absorbing cream religiously for a good portion of July now- and even though I’ve always thought my posterior looked decent, anyway- it definitely looks a lot smoother and feels a bit firmer after I use this stuff! Consider me a fan!

I recently misplaced one of my favorite raspberry-hued Formula X nail polishes, and I cannot find it for the life of me (I think it’s somewhere in San Diego!)– so I found a lovely substitute in Deborah Lippmann’s Summer 2017 collection with this bright, poppy pink shade called “Shut Up And Dance” which I’ve been sporting on my fingers and toes nearly all month. The formula, long-lasting like a gel manicure but without the harmful chemicals and UV rays- gives full coverage and is highly pigmented.

The shade just feels like Summertime- and I doubt I’ll be wearing any other color on my nails ’til the Fall!

And the last thing in July’s beauty round-up is this gorgeous roll-on fragrance from Replica– “Beach Walk”. A really incredible combination of lemon, coconut, cedar wood and ylang ylang- among others- this perfume transports me to the beach even when I’m landlocked at work. It’s hard to describe just how lovely this perfume is- but I’ve been wearing it every day and I get so many compliments on it.

It absolutely reminds me of evenings spent at Old Orchard Beach strolling the boardwalk with my friends. Replica managed to somehow bottle that memory in fragrance form!

I think that’s it for the things I was able to photograph for the month of July- but there’s still a couple of other Favorites, too!

– MUSIC/MOVIES/TELEVISION –

“Preacher” (2nd Season!) – I’ve been a huge fan of AMC’s “Preacher” since it premiered last year, and I was so thrilled that it had been picked up for a second season that started in late June after another series I enjoy, “Fear The Walking Dead”, wrapped up for the time being. The show, characters, story- and the comic book it’s based on- are absolutely bonkers. It’s funny, clever, violent, a little gory- but so, so entertaining nonetheless. I’ve been putting the finishing touches on a Jesse Custer cosplay I intend to wear around Comic-Con next month when it swings through Boston- so I’m very excited!

“Atomic Blonde” – So the movie technically comes out today, but I’m already so hyped up to see this one with my girlfriends this weekend. It’s been a pretty good year for ass-kicking female-led films so far- so to watch Charlize Theron take no prisoners as a secret agent and look stunning while she’s stabbing people with a stiletto heel is something I can definitely get behind. Yes, please!

– MISCELLANEOUS –

San Diego Comic-Con Recaps! – The biggest convention of the year wrapped up this past weekend, and I was LIVING for the updates that were coming out on a near hourly basis- both from friends who were in attendance and on social media. The trailer for the 8th season of “The Walking Dead” (my all-time favorite show, ever- period) stopped me in my tracks when it was released- and I was fan-girling so hard on my phone during the Marvel panel updates. I haven’t been to SDCC since 2014- where I had the time of my life- but I’m really hoping I can be there for 2018 to re-live all the excitement and previews!

Alright- I think that’s everything! Anything else that I may have forgotten will definitely get a mention next month when I inevitably remember it!

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

xx

– Ashley –