Tag Archives: foodie

“Is It Summer Yet?” Giveaway!

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In some of my recent posts, I had hinted at an upcoming giveaway I was putting together in celebration of the Spring and Summer seasons finally arriving after what was undoubtedly one of the worst winters my neck of the woods has seen in a very, very long time. I wanted the giveaway to be seasonal, fun, and have a more personal touch with reflections of some of the items and essentials I covet in the warmer months. I’ve been carefully curating the contents (say that five times fast,) over the past couple of weeks, and I’m excited to announce that it’s finally time to share what one lucky, randomly selected winner will receive in my Summer-themed giveaway!

The “Is It Summer Yet?” giveaway is pretty self-explanatory- consisting of accessories, cosmetics, a bit of home decor- and a little something for the foodies out there. Each item was selected to help jump start a Summer/beachy frame of mind for the winner and are all products that I also own and use regularly every year after I dig myself out of the snow and welcome the sunshine!

*This giveaway IS NOT limited to United States residents only! Since I will be paying for the shipping and handling out of my own pocket- it’s open to those of you across the pond, below (or above) the border, and anywhere in between, too!*

Here’s what’s included:

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Lush’s Ocean Salt Scrub:

The first step to getting glowing Summer-ready skin is exfoliation, and I turn to this incredible face and body salt scrub from Lush to do just that! A scoop of this bright blue, Margarita-scented scrub is enough to gently buff away dead and dry cells, revitalize the surface of my skin, and leave my face, elbows, knees, etc. super smooth.

Bath & Body Works “Cool Amazon Rain” Body Lotion:

After exfoliating, I turn to lightweight body lotions that quickly absorb as they’re applied to keep my skin soft and hydrated all day and night. I love this newer lotion from Bath & Body Works which has an energizing, citrus, “tropical” smell to it.

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Harney & Sons Fresh Brew Iced Tea Tins in Peach and Raspberry Herbal:

I love iced coffee, especially before I go in for a long day at work- but in the warmer months I find myself taking afternoon iced tea breaks, too. These individually packaged fruit-flavored teas- made specifically to be iced- are especially nice and refreshing.

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Good Housekeeping Juices & Smoothies Recipe Book:

Iced coffees and iced teas aside- Summer is also the season of smoothies and healthy juices (and milkshakes and frozen margaritas on “cheat days” from all that healthy eating.) This hardcover book from Good Housekeeping has really great recipes that cover all ends of the frozen-beverage spectrum and will be sure to come in handy when you’re ready to have a picnic, BBQ, camp-out, beach day- or any other outdoor get-together.

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Maybelline “Baby Lips” Lip Balm:

When it comes to my Summer lip care, I stick to the basics. Hydrating glosses in bright corals and pinks, and sunscreen-packed balms. One of my favorites is this colorless “Baby Lips” balm from Maybelline with SPF 20. It keeps my pout soft and smooth for all-day wear and I don’t have to worry about any color fading since it applies clear. I just throw this in my bag on-the-go for quick touch-ups.

Sephora’s Formula X Nail Polish in “Prism” and “Incandescent” :

I love bright, tropical colors on my nails in the Summertime- and this year I find myself already gravitating towards bright blues, greens, and orange tones. I picked out two of my favorites, “Prism,” a metallic turquoise with a hint of pearl, and “Incandescent,” a bright and solid cantaloupe-tone. Both are from the Formula X line at Sephora, which is long-lasting and isn’t packed with harsh chemicals.

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Bumble and Bumble “The Surf Set”:

Despite having coarse and curly hair, I’ve managed to develop a relatively quick and simple step-by-step process to achieving beautiful and healthy-looking “beachy” waves over the past couple of years- no flat-iron required- thanks in part to Bumble and Bumble’s “Surf” line. In this giveaway, I’ve included three travel-sized bottles of the set: the shampoo, conditioner, and my personal favorite- the salt spray- guaranteed to get your hair looking like you’ve spent a day at the ocean.

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Old Navy Mint-Colored Beach Tote:

To store all your giveaway goods, I’ve included this faux-leather, mint colored beach tote from Old Navy. While I definitely love bold colors and floral prints in the Summer- I thought this lovely pastel was too pretty to pass up and would be suitable to carry along in the Spring, too.

Old Navy Sunglasses with UV Protection:

Rounded sunglasses seem to be a big trend this year (whereas last year was the Summer of cat-eye sunglasses,) so I opted to keep the shades simple for anyone’s tastes with this pair of chic rose-hued and thin wired sunglasses from Old Navy. I own a very similar pair, and I’ve been loving them so far! I feel kind of like Penny Lane in “Almost Famous” whenever I have them on.

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Bath & Body Works 3-Wick Candle in “Island Margarita”:

And finally, since I couldn’t include actual alcohol in this giveaway- I settled for the next best thing- this margarita scented candle from Bath & Body Works. With the lime part of the fragrance being the most distinctive, this is a great, slow-burning candle that will make your entire space smell amazing and tropical.

IMPORTANT STUFF:

The giveaway is running from now through midnight (EST) on Monday, April 13th, 2015, after which time a winner will be selected  at random through Rafflecopter and contacted directly to obtain additional information to process shipping. If selected, you’ll have 72 hours to respond to the confirmation e-mail. If I don’t receive a response in that time, I’ll unfortunately have to select another winner, instead!

Nothing in this giveaway can be traded or swapped for something else. What you see is what you’ll be receiving if you win!

HOW TO ENTER:

Like each of my past giveaways, I’ve set up an official page for this one using Rafflecopter – CLICK HERE to head over to it, review the guidelines, and make sure your entries are properly counted!

There are two ways to enter the giveaway and you can do one or both of them!

1. Comment on this post with your name and e-mail address. Please keep in mind that I have comment moderation turned on to avoid spambots- so if your comment doesn’t appear right away; don’t panic! I’ll put it through as soon as I’m able!

2. You can tweet about the giveaway and link back directly to this post or to my homepage: LegallyRedhead.com

Good luck, everyone- and remember to check the Rafflecopter page to make sure your entries have been counted!

xo

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Quick Eats: Carol’s Cookies

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It’s hard to believe that in just a few short weeks, the season five finale of “The Walking Dead” will air and undoubtedly bring a week’s worth of misery following it’s ending (after an extension to 90 minutes instead of just it’s usual hour-long time slot.)

It’s been a bizarre season thus far, to say the least- and one I will pick apart following the finale once I’ve wrapped my head around whatever direction it looks like the sixth season will be heading in- but one thing I’ve enjoyed immensely is watching the character development of former battered housewife turned bad ass assassin turned even more bad ass spy Carol Peletier over these past few episodes. This season has, without question, belonged to Carol and her rise to leadership and full-on “Flawless Queen” status (right alongside Michonne.)

In a recent episode, Carol- playing possum while trying to feel out the new community of Alexandria and it’s residents to determine whether they are friend or foe- sweetly shares a cookie recipe with the head of the community’s pantry in which she supplements eggs with applesauce.

The good folks over at AMC, knowing that people might want to try this in their own kitchen, put together a helpful recipe card for quick reference- and having done a post inspired by the “Walter Mitty” clementine cake not too long ago- I decided to make my own Carol Cookies and share the results!

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The only part of the recipe I changed was the 1/4 cup shortening (because I find it gross,) where I substituted butter, instead.

The cookies baked incredibly easy and tasted surprisingly delicious- like crispy chocolate chip cookies without the actual chips in them. I plan on making these again for the finale, and might even wear a hideous floral printed cardigan when I do- just like Carol.

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Quick Eats: Buffalo Chicken Dip

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Wow. That’s really all I can say about Sunday night’s nail-biter between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. Just wow. Despite living in Massachusetts, it’s well known among my circle of friends that I’m not the biggest Patriots fan (it has nothing to do with the team or the coaching staff- who I’ve grown to admire and respect throughout the years- but more with the often overwhelming, aggressive, and obnoxious behavior of some of their more vocal die-hard fans that all but ruin the fun for myself and others.)

Regardless, even though I had been low-key hoping the Seahawks would be victorious- I have to give credit where credit is due. The Pats played their hearts out and earned that win. I’m happy for them, and happy for their fans. I’d even go as far as showing my appreciation at the duck boat parade scheduled in the city for tomorrow morning, as is the tradition whenever one of our sports teams wins a championship- but with the recent blizzard 2.0 blanketing Boston shortly after the game came to an end and my having to be at work- it looks like I’ll have to live vicariously through my friends’ Instagram and Twitter photos. Have fun, everybody!

For the actual Super Bowl, my friend Stef had a bunch of us over her apartment to watch the game, eat some snacks, and have a couple of beers while we cheered and jeered touchdowns, interceptions, Katy Perry’s halftime show- and that really, really awful Nationwide commercial (seriously. What WAS that?) Not wanting to show up to the get together empty-handed, I put together a dish of one of my favorite, easiest, and quickest party recipes to make- buffalo chicken dip.

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YOU WILL NEED:

* Baking dish/pan

* 1 package (8 oz.) of cream cheese

* 10 oz. boneless white chicken (some people use chicken in a can, but that sounds a little gross to me- so I opted to purchase a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from my local deli and carve that up instead. Whatever is left over can be used to make chicken salad, sandwiches, etc.!)

* 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce

* 1/2 cup blue cheese (or ranch, depending on preference,) dressing

* 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

* Tortilla chips, crackers, or celery/carrot sticks to use for dipping

OKAY, HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.

2. Spread the package of cream cheese into your un-greased baking dish/pan.

3. Layer the boneless chicken, the 1/2 cup of buffalo wing sauce, and the 1/2 cup of blue cheese (or ranch) dressing on top of the spread cream cheese. Depending on what particular degree of flavor you’re looking for- you can add or deduct any of the ingredients to make the dip spicier or more mild.

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4. Sprinkle the 2 cups of Monterey Jack cheese on top of everything.

5. Cook uncovered in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese on top is completely melted.

6. Let the dip cool for a 10-15 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, crackers, or celery/carrot sticks.

7. Dig in and enjoy!

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Overall I think the dip was a success (it was nearly gone by the time the game ended!) and it’s something that can be made again in no time at all before (or even during) the next party, too- be it sports-related or not!

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Quick Eats: Clementine Cake

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One of the best movies I’ve seen in recent years has to be Ben Stiller’s “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.” The story. The visuals. The soundtrack. The entire film is beautiful from start to finish and is one of the only movies I can recall leaving the theater after seeing and not only being moved to tears by how perfect it was- but feeling immensely satisfied- like every dime that had been spent on my ticket was worth it.

I’ve since watched the movie a handful of times On-Demand, each viewing just as enjoyable as the last- and the most recent being just the other night. One of the minor, but re-occurring plot devices in the film is the clementine cake Walter’s Mom (played by Shirley MacLaine,) bakes. No spoilers here- because I highly recommend anyone who hasn’t seen the movie yet watches it as soon as humanly possible- but I felt inspired to try my hand at baking my own!

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YOU WILL NEED:

* Food processor

* 8-9 inch springform pan

* Parchment paper

* 6 eggs

* 5-6 clementines

* 1 1/4 cup of white granulated sugar

* 2 1/4 cup of ground almonds

* 1 teaspoon of baking powder

OKAY, HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 375°F.

2. While the oven heats up, butter the springform pan and line with cut and fitted parchment paper.

3. Poke washed clementines 5-6 times with a knife or fork before placing in a covered, microwave-safe dish/bowl and heating for 3-4 minutes or until the clementines are soft and mushy.

4. After letting the clementines cool for a few minutes, place them- peel and all- into the food processor and grind until they reach a smooth, puréed texture.

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5. Beat the 6 eggs and 1 1/4 cups of sugar in a large mixing bowl until the mixture is light in color and thick in consistency.

6. Add the puréed clementines, the 2 1/4 cup of ground almonds, and the teaspoon of baking powder to the eggs and sugar and continue thoroughly mixing.

7. Pour the mixture into the springform pan and bake in the oven for approximately 45 minutes. It may need to stay in for a little longer to ensure the middle is cooked through and evenly. If this happens, be sure to cover the top of the cake with a thin layer of tin foil to prevent the surface and edges from getting burnt.

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8. After removing the cake from the oven, let it cool. Once it’s cold- and therefore won’t crumble into pieces on contact- remove the pan and parchment paper. Glaze and decorate.

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To create the glaze, I just mixed some powdered sugar, a little butter, and a cup of freshly squeezed clementine juice- and topped the cake with some candied sliced clementines (simmered sugar and water!) The total cooking time, sans-cooling the cake pre-decorating- was about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes- and the cake can serve up to 8 or 10 people!

And of course, the last step to this recipe is to stuff your face, (and be sure to bring a few slices along when you set off on an adventure into the unknown- just like Walter Mitty!) The cake is decadent, tangy, and goes really well with a nice cup of coffee or tea!

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And to close out this fun foodie post, here is my favorite quote from the movie- taken from a screen-grab as Walter examines a gift left for him in the beginning of the film. The saying, the “Life Magazine” motto, is lovely- and has become my mantra for 2015 because of how powerful it is.

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xx

A Bewitching New Year’s…

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My cardio for the new year!

For the past few years, I’ve spent New Year’s Eve in NYC- dining, drinking, and dancing- until the wee morning hours of New Year’s Day. It’s become a tradition for some of my friends and I, and something I look forward to every year as the holidays approach. Bidding farewell to one year while welcoming an entirely new one surrounded by people, some strangers, can be a simply magical experience (and worth the mild hangover I’ve occasionally incurred in the process.)

To ring in 2015, however- I wanted to do something different- something quiet, low-key, and relaxing. That’s not to say I’m done with parties in one of my favorite cities in the world- but I think it’s important to break from certain traditions from time to time to try and experience new things. For this New Year’s Eve, Troy and I headed to The Salem Inn, a cozy bed and breakfast located in historic Salem, Massachusetts. We reserved the honeymoon suite on the top floor of the main building, the Captain West House (built in 1834,) to count down to midnight by a beautiful fireplace and toast with the bottle of champagne that was provided to us (as well as a box of chocolates!)

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Found this on my camera, so this image is courtesy of Troy!

Our room (and the entire inn, really) was beautiful and immaculate. With a warm fire and a soak in the Jacuzzi tub that was in an attached room of it’s own, I could have easily fallen asleep well before midnight with how relaxed I was. Troy and I toughed it out, though- tuning into Anderson Cooper and CNN to watch the ball drop while we enjoyed a little bit of bubbly before we turned in for the night. It was a lovely, peaceful, romantic evening- just what I needed.

Yesterday, after (reluctantly) checking out of our room, the two of us headed out onto the frigid streets of Salem to try to find a decent breakfast. Right around the corner from the inn was the Gulu-Gulu Café on Essex Street, which looked unique, warm, and inviting. We took a chance and went in- and I’m so, so glad we did. Not only were the staff just the nicest bunch of people you could hope to meet, but the food was AMAZING– quite possibly the best breakfast I’ve eaten in years. I enjoyed an egg, cheddar, and bacon croissant with a strong macchiato (and was so impressed that I ordered a follow-up parfait of greek yogurt with fresh fruit and honey while Troy opted for seconds on his breakfast sandwich.)

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If you find yourself in Salem and looking for a place to sit and eat some fantastic food, I can’t recommend this place enough. I’ll definitely be going back soon!

After our breakfast/brunch, Troy and I spent a little bit of time walking around downtown Salem- taking in the beauty of the older houses, some of the cobblestone streets, and more than one gaudy psychic parlor or “Witch Trial” themed gift shop (which seemed to be the only things that were open for business at the time.) As the afternoon wore on, and the arctic temperatures started to get to us- we headed back to my car, and from there- back home. I know that a day consisting of a delicious meal and walking around in the cold with a person that you love might sound so simple or so ordinary to some- but it really was a perfect day- and an even more perfect way to begin a brand new year.

I’m so excited to see what else is in store for 2015, and it’s only just started!

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Spotted during our walk. Yikes.

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xx

“The Walking Ginger-Dead”

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“The Walking Dead” mid-season finale aired a little more than a week ago, thus beginning the show’s brief hiatus until it’s return in February- and I’m already going through withdrawals. My Sunday nights feel empty and meaningless now, and I find myself curling up in the fetal position- and weeping- when I’m not checking off the days on the calendar until the show comes back (not really, but you know what I mean. I can’t wait for the second half of the season!)

Luckily, I have the upcoming holidays to distract me during the first few weeks of Michonne deprivation. I also have this “Walking Ginger-Dead” cookie kit I picked up in Western Massachusetts a couple of weeks ago to give me my walker fix with a semi-festive (and more delicious) twist. I haven’t made actual Christmas cookies in a couple of years, and it’s been even longer than that since I’ve baked and decorated gingerbread men- so I was excited to give this box full of slightly-morbid fun a try. I even included one of my numerous Daryl Dixon FUNKO figurines to help out while I snapped some photos of the process and finished cookies.

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The kit comes with everything: the gingerbread mix, four “walker” molds, white frosting mix, red and black icing, and a bag of multi-colored candy balls for decorating. I only had to scrounge up a minimal amount of supplies on my own (water, butter and honey.)

From there, it was just a matter of mixing the gingerbread, letting it settle and harden in the fridge for twenty minutes, and rolling it flat to make the molds. My Daryl figurine was there to keep a watchful eye on things.

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After the shapes were cut from the dough and stuck on a baking sheet, I only had to heat them up in the oven for about 10-15 minutes to get them warm and solid enough for decorating. As always- Daryl stayed vigilant.

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Now, I’m no artist, and the decorating process was messy, to say the least- but I personally think the cookies came out rather (and unexpectedly) cute once the icing had dried. It’s hard to make gingerbread men look gory and scary- but I did my best!

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The box made a total of ten cookies, and the entire process- mixing, baking, AND decorating- took just under an hour to complete. It was a lot of fun. Maybe not the most Christmas-y confection I could have whipped up, but fun nonetheless! Best of all? The cookies are delicious- although it felt a little weird biting into them when it’s usually the walkers biting into people.

If you’re in the mood to bake some unconventional gingerbread men of your own, or if you’re just as big a “Walking Dead” fan as I am and need something tasty to get you through the hiatus- you can purchase your own “The Walking Ginger-Dead” kit at Amazon for $11.25 by CLICKING HERE!

Thanks for the help, Daryl!

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Quick Eats: Pumpkin Spice Muffins.

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I’m sure that most of us- if not all of us on more than one occasion- have had to whip up something quick and easy to serve guests and/or ourselves in lieu of of meticulously planning and preparing a meal from scratch. I’ll never shame cooking and baking shortcuts or anyone that uses them. I work full-time and have other obligations that require my full-attention. I can’t always clear a couple of hours in my schedule to spend in the kitchen mixing, chopping, seasoning, etc.

Such was the case earlier today, when wanting to enjoy the flavors of the season (namely: pumpkin) came with a time restraint. I opted to use pre-packaged boxed pumpkin bread mix to create pumpkin spice muffins for a late breakfast- taking advantage of the extra minutes the mix bought me to add a tasty salted caramel twist with extra ingredients I had laying around.

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Pillsbury had the right idea with their packaged ‘Quick Bread’ mixes. Some milk, a little oil, a couple of eggs and some vigorous stirring- and you’ve got yourself a thick batter in minutes that can be poured into your pan and placed in the pre-heated oven. I even found these Fall styled baking cups for an added touch of cute. When all the batter was evenly distributed in the cups, I had exactly a dozen muffins with little to no leftover batter in my mixing bowl. I don’t like being wasteful, so I was pretty happy about this.

While the muffins began to bake, I got to work on giving my cream cheese flavored icing a little tint of orange with food coloring to make them look nice and festive. Some of you may be wondering “who puts icing on a muffin?” which is a completely fair question to ask. As much as I enjoy the taste of pumpkin, a lot of times the ‘spice’ part of it tends to be overwhelming. I like to sweeten it just a little and I find that pairing it with cream cheese usually has a delicious result. I don’t frost the muffin like it was a cake or anything- but a nice, thin layer along the top really evens out the flavor.

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After the muffins had cooled and had been properly iced to my liking- I added a handful of roasted and salted peanut seeds to the top of them to give them a salty crunch. The final touch was then lightly drizzling melted caramel over the seeds and letting it harden and set.

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The entire baking and decorating process from start to finish took about a half hour- and the finished muffins were delicious- the perfect combination of sweet and salty. I served them with warmed apple cider, and to make things a little more fancy and Autumn-esque- I decorated the placements with fake Fall leaves.

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Quick Eats: Red, White, and Fruit.

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Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans! Unfortunately for those of us on the East Coast, our day of outdoor cookouts and night of fireworks was rained out thanks to Hurricane Arthur barreling up the coast. We had a tremendous thunderstorm last night, and it’s been pouring out for most of today- limiting most of the festivities to the indoors.

While I will be braving the rain to attend a friend’s birthday party later on tonight, I’ve been settled in for most of this morning and afternoon- re-living the glory of past episodes of “The Walking Dead” during AMC’s “Dead, White & Blue” marathon (which spans seasons 1-4 and leads up to a Sunday night preview of the upcoming fifth season- for anyone who needs to catch up!)

I’ve also been whipping up some quick, healthy, delicious- and patriotic colored snacks, too- namely simple fruit and whipped cream bowls using fresh strawberries and blueberries:

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Using the extra strawberries and blueberries I didn’t put in the fruit bowls, I made smoothies by adding a sliced banana (for more flavor,) a couple scoops of non-fat vanilla yogurt, and a cup of milk into my Magic Bullet. Not to sound like an infomercial, but if you’re looking for a convenient, easy to use- AND easy to clean blending/shredding/chopping/slicing/dicing/mashing/whipping/etc. appliance, you have GOT to invest in one of these. The device does pretty much everything in a matter of seconds with no mess and no hassle, and it’s small for easy storage without taking up a ton of counter or cabinet space. The smoothies, after everything was added into the glass container- took all of 20 seconds to chop the fruit, whip up the yogurt and milk, and blend it all together for a delicious drink.

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The fruit bowls and the smoothies were so refreshing (despite the rain, it’s still stifling hot and humid,) were low in fat, and were healthy- which makes them even better. I’m hoping to share more detailed smoothie recipes shortly (I make a mean chocolate-banana one!) since I’ve been having such a blast playing around with the Magic Bullet.

I hope everyone has a great rest of the Fourth!

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Cupcakes and Comedy

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Yesterday I headed out to NYC to spend an afternoon gallivanting around the city with my friend Alison before we headed to a comedy show on Broadway in the evening. One of our stops, at my insistence, was Sprinkles Cupcakes on Lexington and 60th- and, specifically- their cupcake ATM, which is exactly what it sounds like. You simply select one or more of the available flavors (which change daily,) of cupcake you want, slide your debit/credit card, and in less than sixty seconds and at $4.25 per cupcake- you have a rich, decadent dessert in a convenient little box in your hands. This is the future, everyone.

Alison indulged in a s’mores cupcake, and I carefully selected a chocolate-peanut-butter one- and while it was a little messy- it might also have been one of the best cupcakes I’ve ever eaten. It was delicious (and filling!) and it took a lot of willpower not to hurry back and try some of the other flavors. I’ll definitely be making another stop at the ATM the next time I’m in New York- and I highly recommend it for any dessert aficionado in the area, or visiting, who is looking for a quick, convenient, and most importantly- tasty– sugar fix.

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The comedy show Alison and I went to was headlined by Nerdist’s Chris Hardwick at Carolines on Broadway. We had seen Chris perform there a little more than a year ago, and he had been fantastic. Last night, he did it again. Chris slayed with his new material and was kind enough to pose for a silly photo between his sets in Carolines’ “Avatar” style lighting that turned everyone and everything in the vicinity a bright shade of blue.

I’m sure I’ve said it before, but I will say it again without hesitation- Chris is one of the nicest and hardest working guys around, and if you haven’t checked out any of his MULTIPLE endeavors with Nerdist or his television shows (@Midnight is entirely too fun to watch,) then you’re really missing out.

Overall, it was a wonderful day, made even more so because I got to catch up with Alison for the first time in months. I’ll be back in the city within the next couple of weeks for some other day-trips/weekend stuff I’ve been planning since the Winter- and to get another cupcake from Sprinkles, of course!

Spring Giveaway!

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With a few beautiful days behind me and the promise of even sunnier, warmer ones ahead- I thought I’d celebrate this beautiful and much-anticipated season by doing a giveaway for one lucky U.S-based “Legally Redhead” reader to make their Springtime even more sensational!

I am giving away a pre-paid three-month subscription to one of the following subscription services:

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For The Beauty Buff:

The Service: GlossyBox

The Price: $21 per month.

What It Is: GlossyBox is a beauty and makeup subscription service. They send out 4-5 deluxe and full size beauty products each month.

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For The Geek & Gamer:

The Service: Loot Crate

The Price: $19.37 per month.

What It Is: Loot Crate is monthly subscription service “for geeks and gamers.” Each month they send you collectibles, stickers, (sometimes t-shirts) and other fun items.

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For The Foodie:

The Service: Yumvelope

The Price: $21 per month

What It Is: Yumvelope sends out some of the best-tasting artisanal food products to their customers monthly. $21 gets you a large USPS padded envelope sent to you filled with a minimum of six full-size products, including snacks, drinks, desserts, and chocolates.

Sound good? I certainly hope so!

This giveaway is going to run from today (April 15th) through Tuesday, April 29th at 11:59 P.M. EST., after which a winner will be randomly chosen via the giveaway’s Rafflecopter page. From there, I will contact the winner privately so I can set them up with the three-month subscription of their choice (please remember: the choices are between GlossyBox, Loot Crate, and Yumvelope.)

And now, for the most important part:

HOW TO ENTER:

1. Comment on this post with your first name, your e-mail address, and which of the three subscription services you’d like to try the most. (comment moderation is turned on to avoid spambots- but rest assured I will absolutely approve yours a.s.a.p!)

2. You can also tweet about the giveaway- but please provide a link to this post in your tweet.

3. Visit the giveaway’s Rafflecopter page to verify you’ve commented and/or tweeted. This is essential, because I am choosing the winner via Rafflecopter’s random selection process- and I want to be sure everyone gets a fair chance by having their entries show up accurately!

That’s it! Good luck to everyone who enters!

Side note: Don’t fret, readers outside the U.S! When this giveaway is done, I will be having another one (with a similar prize) especially for you shortly afterwards. I am in the process of researching subscription services that provide shipment to other countries (and I always welcome suggestions!)

Any questions/concerns can be sent to me directly at AshleyDeLarge@gmail.com

xox