Tag: Patriots

Winter, Wings and (Almost) Winning…

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on Winter, Wings and (Almost) Winning…

Good Morning and Happy Monday, everyone!

I am admittedly in a bit of a fog right now- not only because it’s a Monday and I’m back at work and waiting for the caffeine to kick in- but because I was at last night’s Patriots/Chiefs game with some friends from my office in Foxborough and am utterly wiped out from a full day of tailgating and cheering in the bitter, almost painful cold!

Not only that, but the game itself was nerve-wracking- and although I thought for sure the Patriots would pull off another last minute victory- the referees had other plans with some blatantly poor calls.

Oh well. I had a really, really fun time anyway- and it was absolutely worth being as tired as I am this morning!

A little later on this week, I have a recipe for a Holiday-inspired dessert, and festive “fashion” (I use the term very loosely) I’m excited to wear at my next holiday party.

I’ll also have a full recap from this coming Wednesday’s Boston Music Awards- which I’m looking forward to crashing!

But until then, I’ve got to wake up- get some work done- and power through until 4:30 PM today!

Enjoy your Monday, everyone! Hang in there!

xx

– Ashley –

Super Bowl Snacks: Mozzarella-Stuffed Pizza Bread

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on Super Bowl Snacks: Mozzarella-Stuffed Pizza Bread

Good Afternoon and Happy “Hump Day,” everyone!

Today’s post is coming at you all a little later on in the day than usual- but with a Patriot’s Parade, work and friends visiting from California- the past couple of days have been a little crazy!

I’m still riding the post-Super Bowl celebration high right now- which is why I’m sharing a dish that I particularly love to make during football season- but can also really be prepared and served any time of year! Pizza dishes are appropriate year-round- on any day, occasion, party, etc.

This cheese-stuffed pizza dough takes just over an our to prepare, cook and serve- and about two minutes to eat (or one minute, if you’re like me…)

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • 1 pound pizza dough
  • 1 large egg
  • 12 ounces finely diced fresh mozzarella
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ cup sun-dried tomato pesto (store-bought or homemade)
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • ⅓ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese Fresh basil, for serving

READY? HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 4-by-14-inch rectangle. Cut the dough in half lengthwise. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon water until combined.
  3. Sprinkle the mozzarella down the length of one piece of the dough in an even layer. Sprinkle the oregano and pepper evenly over the cheese. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg wash around the perimeter of the other piece of dough. Stack the pieces of dough, pressing firmly around the edges to seal and encase the cheese.
  4. Use a spoon to spread a line of pesto, about 1 inch thick, all the way down the length of the dough.
  5. Gently pick up the dough and twist down the length of it so that the pesto looks swirled. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet and coil it into a tight spiral.
  6. Brush the dough with the olive oil, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 20 minutes.
  7. Sprinkle the Parmesan onto the dough and then bake until very golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. 8. Serve immediately, garnished with basil.

Amid the nachos, French fries, chicken wings, chips & dip, sliders and beer- this “Pizza Bread” was definitely a hit and went pretty fast! I also made sure to serve it alongside small bowls of marinara sauce and ranch dressing- since those are the mandatory Super Bowl side-sauces, after all!

And, of course- no Super Bowl party is complete without properly representing your team. Luckily, I had plenty of Patriots plates/cups on standby for the occasion! There’s still some left over, too- so maybe I can break it out again for next year’s Super Bowl!

A girl can hope, right?

Anyway, I have to get back to work- but here’s wishing you all a wonderful rest of your Wednesday!

xx

– Ashley –

“And we shed what was left of our Summer skin…”

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on “And we shed what was left of our Summer skin…”

Good Morning and Happy Friday, everyone! I’m so excited we’ve arrived at the beginning of another weekend!

The next few days are gonna’ be busy ones- not that I mind. Today at the office, we’re having a bit of a “Food Day” and tailgating party to celebrate the Patriots regular season kicking off this weekend. I work with some pretty incredible cooks, so I’m really looking forward to snacking sporadically throughout my day.

In order to better prepare for today’s festivities and make sure my Pats gear was updated- I stopped by Patriot Place at Gillette Stadium over this past weekend to pick up a new team shirt (and some earrings I couldn’t resist.) There was a New England Revolution match scheduled a little later on that day- so the place was pretty packed and very wild- but it was a lot of fun. There’s so much to do there.

You can check out the photos of the new gear on my INSTAGRAM later on this afternoon!

Then, tonight- the MVP cook (my mom, of course) is whipping up a big dinner for our family to commemorate my older brother and my niece’s birthday- which fall within days of each other. Fridays are for food comas, right?

Tomorrow morning I’m getting up bright and early to pick up both my mom and my cousin and make the early a.m. drive to New Hampshire so we can spend a fun-filled day at Hampton Beach’s annual Seafood Festival. While I’m definitely going to get some crab cakes- as is tradition- the real fun comes from browsing the sales racks and seaside shops since many of them are going to be closing for the Fall/Winter season and need to move their merchandise quickly. You can find so many great deals if you know where to look.

Oliver is joining us, too- and if the weather permits- he and I will be taking one final dip in the Atlantic before the water gets too cold!

Sunday will, hopefully- be a day of rest and relaxation- spent in the comfort of pajamas after I grab my daily coffee. My West Coast vacation is quickly approaching and I’ve got a lot to do before I fly out to the desert! Apart from working my usual schedule next week- I’m seeing Interpol when they (finally) return to Boston, packing, picking up the necessities I’ll need on the road- and putting the finishing touches on my Autumn playlist for this year.

I’d like to decompress a bit on Sunday before I jump right back into my usual busy itinerary!

But the food is here and I’ve got work to do. Here’s wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

I’ll be back to it on Monday morning!

xx

– Ashley –

Super Bowl Snacks: Buffalo Chicken Sliders

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on Super Bowl Snacks: Buffalo Chicken Sliders

Happy Friday, everyone! Today is my last day at work before I head off to Las Vegas overnight- and we’re all celebrating with a little pre-Super Bowl food day/party before Sunday’s big game. I admit, it’s going to be a bit strange not being in Boston to watch it at any of the usual bars or pubs- but I’m hoping I can find some Patriots fans in Sin City to party with. We’ll see how that goes!

Before I head off to the airport, though- I wanted to share a 15-minute recipe for those of you who may be heading to Super Bowl parties of your own this weekend and are looking for something quick, easy and delicious to serve up to your friends (or rival fans).

Behold, the pulled buffalo chicken sliders- a spicy and fun take on traditional cheeseburger sliders. If you love buffalo sauce or blue cheese as much as I do- then these are for you!

The measurements below make 8 servings, so modify as needed depending on how many people you’re going to be feeding!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ⅔ cup buffalo sauce
  • 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
  • 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
  • 16 slider rolls, halved
  • ¾ cup blue cheese, crumbled
  • 6 leaves butter lettuce, roughly torn

READY? HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

  1. In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the buffalo sauce. Remove from the heat.
  2. In large bowl, toss the chicken and celery to combine. Add the sauce and toss to coat.
  3. Build sliders with the chicken mixture, blue cheese and lettuce.

An incredibly simple recipe that doesn’t require a ton of ingredients and still serves up a ton of fantastic flavors? Yeah- this is definitely one of my favorites. As much as I enjoy stuffing my face with wings and nachos- these are a bit more filling without leaving sauce or grease all over my face and fingers (or the feeling of guilt when I’ve eaten one too many.) 

Here’s wishing the best of luck to the Pats. I’d love nothing more than to return home in time to head back out to my city’s celebratory Rolling Rally if they can pull off another win!

Enjoy your weekend, everyone. I’ll be back to regular posting next week- and feel free to peep my INSTAGRAM to follow my adventures from Vegas! It’s shaping up to be a blast- and I’m just happy to be returning somewhere warm and sunny for a few days!

xx

– Ashley –