Toppings

Sunday Sprinkles

05.03.15

  1. Frankie and I did a major overhaul cleaning super fast today, we have people over to pregame the NYCFC game against the sounders.  We have season tickets to the NYCFC games, but i'm definitely hoping the sounders win (don't tell).

2. harry potter is lyfe.  (yes, i do hate myself)

3. Kate gave birth to a princess!  gah.  i'm actually not as obsessed as i was when George was born, but I am excited to learn her name.  I find everything about royalty very interesting.  I used to be obsessed with the tudors and honestly it's probably why i find Game of Thrones so interesting.

4.  I bought my boyfriend reserved seats for the first pitch perfect 2 showing next thursday… I don't think he's ever loved me more.

5. UM and along the lines of things I've bought him recently.  THIS BAG.  it's so nice.  i got it 30% off during a sale and it came like the next day.  We took it to a wedding this past weekend and it's pretty much the perfect bag.  (I bought myself one too.  because I can't resist a good deal… like ever.  I got mine in the dark brown and frankie's is the Olive Brown).  It's surprisingly bigger than it looks when you see it first thing, but also it looks so nice as an overnight/weekender bag.  I'm really happy with it, i felt like it was a super grownup gift.  

6. My friend kate was a part of this amazing project.  it's been receiving tons of attention lately, rightfully so, and you should definitely check it out.  

7. Backstrom | so i haven't really talked about this show, but i'm super into it.  I think it's really funny and different from the other crime shows out there right now.  it SORT OF reminds me of psych with the humor, but it's definitely more serious and more sarcastic witty humor (which i love) | Secrets and Lies | Frankie let me know that last week's episode wasn't the finale.  THANK GOD.  i think the finale is on tonight?  I'll probably watch tomorrow night with Frankie, but i'm still standing by my Abby theory.  My thought is that the only person she would be able to actually identify just by the height would be Abby.  also, i've been saying i thought it was her from the beginning.  She acted super weird after finding out Tom was dead.  

8. have you ever played kinect sports rival?  it's probably the game on our xbox that gets the most use.  we love it.  it's super fun.  

9. what are you getting your moms for mother's day?!?   I haven't figured out what to get mine yet.  any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

 

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Date Night

Date Night: Noche De Margaritas

05.02.15

Wahhhh.  I basically dropped off the face of the planet this week and I'm sorryyy.  I ended up getting really sick and basically just sleeping during the time I wasn't working (which so isn't like me at all… frankie was shocked). 

 I sort of feel like a real human again (THANK GOD) and Frankie and I actually have a wedding we're going to today as our date for this week… awww.  unless we go somewhere else interesting that I can talk about!

BUT.  Last week's date.  oh. my. god.  it was definitely the best one we've had yet. 

 We were both in the mood (and had been for a while) for mexican.  I did some yelping around and eventually we chose Noche de Margaritas.  honestly we were sold after seeing pictures of the frozen margaritas THAT THEY SET ON FIRE.  What?! Yeah.  It's a thing.  

We made our reservation for 6:30 and headed over there like ten minutes before since it was only two blocks away from our apartment.  Which is probably the most dangerous part of all this.   

 When we walked up to the front door,  I realized HAPPY HOUR WAS UNTIL 7!  UM, what?!  and the happy hour specials were actually pretty stellar.  naturally we both decided we needed to get at least TWO drinks on happy hour prices so we marched right in and ordered our first round.  

 | Date: | 4/25/2015

| Time: | 6:30 pm

| Place: | Noche De Margaritas, UES

| Food: | Mexican

| Drinks: | blueberry mojito [ash] + pomegranate mojito [frankie] + rainbow frozen margarita [ash] + passion fruit frozen margarita [frankie]

| Appetizers: | chips & salsa + table side guacamole (we asked for it with a ton of garlic and medium spicyness) [to share]

| Dinner: | Margarita Carnitas Tacos [ash] + Super Steak Burrito Relleno [frankie]

| Dessert: | deep fried vanilla ice cream + pineapple tequila shots [both to share] 


 Like I said, we both knew we wanted happy hour drinks, so we decided on our mojitos and ordered them as fast as we could. The waiter was so nice and explained everything to us, including how accommodating the chefs were if you wanted to change something or mix and match, etc. They brought us out some chips and salsa and also brought us a spicy verde salsa and a mole sauce to try. They were all amazing.

 I had obviously yelped around and knew that the guacamole was prepared in front of you if you ordered it.  Frankie and I were both super into that and jumped on the opportunity.  Juan, our waiter, brought out this big platter of ingredients and let us pick and choose what we wanted to include… which was basically everything.  let me tell you.  this guac was… SO FREAKING GOOD.  it hurts to think about.  i can't even explain it to be honest.  you just have to go try it.  ugh. 

 For our dinners, I ordered carnitas tacos, I've been really into the pork scene lately.  and they were… amazing.  I can't.  i used some of the mole sauce and the salsa verde sauce on them both and it was just. out of this world.  I ordered them with crispy shells and they gave me soft instead, but i wasn't even mad.  didn't even consider telling them.  i was overwhelmed by how great everything was.  Frankie loved his burrito.  like LOVED.  he was mad that we waited so long to go there and kept saying he wanted to be regulars.  He even mentioned that he wanted them to cater our wedding… things clearly got a little out of hand.  At one point i think he might have mentioned he hadn't been that happy about food since we were in italy.  a bold statement ladies and gents…. very bold. 

 UM.  but that dessert though.  it was vanilla ice cream fried in CORN FLAKES.  drizzled with cinnamon sugar and maple syrup on top of fried tortillas(?) maybe it was just crisps, i'm unsure.  it was… so amazing.  and Juan brought us free shots of pineapple tequila to take with the dessert.  guys.  i don't do shots.  i can't do them.  they make me sick.  when i tell you… i didn't even flinch.  i threw that puppy back like a champ. 

 The whole experience at Noche de Margaritas was so amazing.  Frankie has been telling EVERYONE we know about it.  and i mean everyone.  We even have reservations to go back on tuesday (cinco de mayo!!!!).  basically.  if you're on the upper east side, it's worth your time.  If you're not in NYC but come to visit me… we're going.  sorry bout it.  

I don't even know what else to say you guys.  i don't even know…. 

 so you should tell ME what you've been doing.  Where have you been dating?  what's your favorite date spot?  any places in NYC i absolutely MUST try? 

 xoxo

a&f

Toppings

Monday Things

04.27.15

  1. I AM NOT GOING ON A BLOGGING BREAK.  I was doing so SO well with keeping up with the schedule and it was glorious and… then Frankie moved in and my life turned into a tornado.  The good news is that things are simmering down…. slowly.

2. On that note, I'm trying to put together another update for you this week.  we'll see how it goes.  no promises, but I'm trying.

3. I'm ALL about this infused water life right now. I'm thinking about buying an infuser.  Thoughts?  

4. I'm cooking from the Thug Kitchen cookbook for our meals this week.  Um. it's. so. good.  i can't.  the spiced chick pea wraps with tahini dressing were on point.  

5. HAHAHAHAH. these remind me of the ron swanson ones that I LOVE.

6. UM. I have SO MANY IDEAS.  I can't wait to get into the kitchen and start throwing them together for you guys.  are you excited?  but I want to know, what do YOU want to see, what do YOU want to learn how to cook?  If there's something you're trying to learn up in here let me know and I'll start brain storming.  (so far I've gotten requests for nut free pesto which I'm working on for ya Katie!)

7. | Scandal | um.  i was FAH-REAKING out about jake being dead.  Scott foley you and your tweets totally fooled me… although i'm still not convinced that they're not luring me into a false sense of security just to kill him at the end of the season or something.  i'm going to have jake paranoia forever.  um. i also totally thought that fitz and mellie were going to get divorced.  i didn't see it taking that turn at all.  | Secrets and Lies | I HAVEN'T WATCHED.  I HAVEN'T SEEN SPOILERS.  Frankie and i were supposed to watch tonight but then cleaning and making dinner took priority.  wahhhh. TOMORROW.

8. I do have to say, I stopped watching Grey's back in college. BUT WHAT THE HELL SHONDA.  i'm hurting inside.  

9. I love movie mistakes.  do you ?  i wish i noticed stuff like this, but i'm always too sucked into THE STORY.

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Appetizer / Diet Specific / Gluten Free / Poultry / Recipes / Sandwich

Shredded Buffalo Chicken + 10 ideas on how to use it!

04.22.15

buff chix

We're getting down to the wire kids.  I only have a handful of recipes photographed in the actual original Pike Place Kitchen left!  Wahh.  I don't know if I should be sad or proud?  Does this mean I'm FINALLY working my way around to showing you all the things I promised?  I can't tell.  DO I NEED TO CHANGE THE BLOG NAME?  what are your thoughts?  I hate the idea of rebranding.  it sounds like so much effort.  ughhh.  I don't know.

What I know for sure is: this one's an oldie… which is why SO MANY (aka like 99%) of the pictures are horizontal.  I gave up on that a LONG time ago… they just don't look as cute.  sigh.  what's a girl to do?

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ANYWHO. this is another one that's easy to make for one person OR double/triple it for an army of people.

UM. and it takes literally like 10 minutes to pull together.  As in, you only do stuff for ten minutes.  The rest of the time you're letting your slow cooker do ALL THE WORK.  does it get better than that? 

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The answer is no.  it doesn't get better. 

So I know, I KNOW.  there are like a bajillion different slow cooker buffalo chicken recipes/dips out there.  Why does the world need another one?  ehhhh.  it probably doesn't.  but this is my GO-TO.  It's the one I throw together on the reg.  it's the one I double and keep frozen just in case I need an easy meal, because HELLO it's totally freezable.  It's super simple and versatile and easy as heck to customize.

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FOR EXAMPLE.  last weekend chicken was on sale so I picked up two chicken breasts with the intention of throwing this together for a snackkk.  I forgot about it until Frankie and I had a friend over on Saturday… naturally when I remembered I jumped up to throw it in the crockpot.  our poor (vegetarian) guest moseyed on into the kitchen to see me cleaning raw chicken like WHATTT.  (for your info – probably best to do this BEFORE you have guests over) anyway we were planning on leaving to go to a few bars for Frankie's birthday and after she saw me with the chicken she poured herself another glass of wine… I was done before she was finished pouring the wine.  NO JOKE.  she was like “oh. that was… fast.”

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UM, UM, UMm. and when I threw it together this weekend I totally added half an onion (minced).  and mixed it in with the chicken and it was WONDERFUL.  I'll deff be doing that again.  I love onion and buffalo chicken, it reminds me of my favorite buff chix pizza from Pizza King.  DOOO it.

Other customizations?  UM how about more buff sauce??? if I'm trying to make it like a “dip” WITHOUT cheese (because… ew) – I totes add more buffalo sauce and butter (to give it a little creamier texture).  OH try adding a little sriracha for a KICK!  wanna make this… healthier?  add some chia seeds for a little crunch and some fancy health benefits (my answer for EVERYTHING).

sandwich collage

OKAY.  how about how to USE IT??  these are my go-to ways:  [1] eat it straight up.  yup with nothing at all.  naked, if you will (the chicken not you… although I'm not supposed to be judging).  [2] I like to add the additional butter and sauce to make it dip-pier and get at it with some tortilla chips.  OR celery?  love me some buffalo and celery. [3] in a rice bowl with some rice, chia seeds, & veggiessss (broccoli is my fave to include + onion + pepper + carrots + celery).  [4] ON A PIZZA.  if you want a quick and easy one try this one.  [5] I've definitely made a buff chicken quesadilla… sans the cheese because I'm a FREAK.  but you can use cheese!  or maybe you wanna go crazy with blue cheese dressing.  you do you. [6] I've been dreaming about making a buffalo chicken potsticker. OR maybe even throwing it into a wonton wrapper with some shredded carrots/celery and bake the crap out of them to get a crunchy little appetizers for game days with blue cheese or ranch (or extra buffalo sauce if you're crazy like me) for dipping!  so cute! [7] make a little sandwich! quick little picnic idea.  just like pulled pork throw it on a hamburger bun and you're dunzooo.  [8] um eat it on [or on the side of a salad!  I love it combined with this one.  it's fresh and cool and perfect.  [9] I'm on a serious zucchini/cucumber noodle kick right now.  I could totally see a refreshing lunch with some of this on a cucumber noodle!  maybe add some (brown-butter?) toasted breadcrumbs and minced shallots! & chia & like a TINY bit of your fave dressing (or maybe just olive oil?) [10] MAKE a grilled cheese OR a panini.  yeahhhh.  I TOTALLY got some crusty bread, slathered it with butter, layered on this salad and shredded buff chicken, and grilled it up sans cheese… it was heaven.  and TOTALLY worth it.

you're totally going to trash those up with ALL THE cheese… aren't you?  ugh.  i'll find a way to forgive you. 

buff chix-9

LET'S PARTAY!  

Print

Shredded Buffalo Chicken

  • Author: Ashley Renee
  • Prep Time: 5
  • Total Time: 5
Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 1/4 cup frank's red hot sauce, divided
  • 1/4 cup frank's buffalo wing sauce, divided
  • 2 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 2 tablespoons hidden valley ranch dry mix, divided

Instructions

  1. Place the chicken in the bottom of the crockpot and cover with one tablespoon of dry ranch dressing mix.
  2. Pour 1/8 cup each of frank's red hot sauce and frank's buffalo wing sauce over the chicken and top with one tablespoon of butter.
  3. Set the crockpot to low and cook for 4-6 hours.
  4. Remove chicken breasts and shred, using two forks, a food processor, or your favorite method. Return the shredded chicken to the crockpot and combine with remaining hot sauces, butter, and dry ranch mix.
  5. Cook for another ten minutes to one hour, stirring occasionally.
  6. Remove chicken from crockpot and serve immediately, refrigerate for up to three days, or freeze in an airtight container for up to three months!

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 686
  • Sugar: 1
  • Sodium: 605
  • Fat: 49
  • Saturated Fat: 20
  • Unsaturated Fat: 24
  • Trans Fat: 1
  • Carbohydrates: 3
  • Protein: 57
  • Cholesterol: 233

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Does it get any better than that?  I think not.

Make it? Lemme see it! Hashtag it: #thepikeplacekitchen

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Toppings

my life as a new yorker: week 11

04.21.15

WAH.  A WEEK AND A HALF?  How did that happen?  I think I needed that week break from blogging just to get my life together.  but now….

I'm baaaack…. with a New York update. (click these links for week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4, week 5, & week 6)

Primarily because EVERY. SINGLE. THING. IS. CHANGING.

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Um and it's Frankie's BIRTHDAY!  So happy birthday babeeeeeee.

NOW.  Let's chat!

With Frankie moving all of his stuff in three weeks ago, I feel soooooo… overwhelmed.  but(!) grateful.

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When I first knew I was trying to move home and I was having all of those convos with my best friends about CHANGE, they said it would be overwhelming.  I remember thinking to myself it'll totally be fine.  I LOVE HIM.  I LOVE BEING AROUND HIM.  we practically lived together in college so how different could it be?!  welllppp I'm eating my words.  or better yet I'm saying ones I didn't think I'd have to. 

that first week with him there, I found myself trying to explain to Frankie that “no, I'm not GRUMP.  I'm ADJUSTING.” 

I love, love, LOVE having him with me in the apartment.  but my god, it's different.  I always said after living alone for three years I'd never be able to live with anyone besides Frankie and I've NEVER believed it more.  And I totally want to clarify because I'm not annoyed that he's there in my space and I don't want it to seem like I'm annoyed or complaining because I'm not.  I'm just not used to it.  

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I'm not used to coming home and having to interact with someone.  I could do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted with no distractions and I didn't realize how much that impacted my days.  I didn't realize how much my schedule would change.  how I had another person to think about.

Frankie laughs at me because I start to get frustrated when he walks in the door and asks me a billion questions about my day.  I just… haven't had that… in literally three years.  I'm not used to coming home and TALKING all night everynight.  I'm used to going home and doing my thing and relaxing.  and watching TV and cooking and getting a break from people.  He's never lived by himself so I don't think he gets it.  He's never had that.  He's never gone from 0 to 60.

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I'll be doing something or walking somewhere, literally ON A MISSION to get my task done and he'll stop me or yank me by the waist to kiss me and in the moment I get frustrated like “I NEED TO PUT THIS SOCK IN THE HAMPER RIGHT NOW WHY ARE YOU STOPPING ME?!?!”  later I think about it and it's like omg that's ADORABLE, he's ADORABLE why can't I love that while it's happening. 

And he laughs at me because I'm like a little kid stomping her foot like “JUST LET ME DO WHAT I NEED TO DO.”  thank god he's patient with me.  anyone who knows us in real life is like Frankie?  Patient?  She's on crack.  but it's true.  he is with me.  and I'm TRYING so hard to be with him.  I think he knows it, I hope he knows it.  I'm trying so hard to not be stressed about his “crap” all over the place (he's going to read this and tell me “it's not crap!”).  I'm trying to be relaxed and cool about it. 

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I might impose a cocktail a night rule, just so I get to unwind… I don't think Frankie will argue.

So those are the things I'm getting used to…. let's chat about things I LOVE.

We're learning new things about each other (and ourselves?) and it's like the cutest.  Frankie's first night in the apartment, he was APPALLED that I get into bed and turn off the TV and all that jazz at TEN PM.  did he think I was lying to be cute on the blog?  Because I call myself a grandma in like 98% of my posts…  I think we literally laid in bed that night and I just started BUSTING OUT LAUGHING because he kept twisting and turning and saying how weird it was and he couldn't go to sleep… the boy literally can sleep ANYWHERE.

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He LOVES to brag about my pretzel dip and apple martinis.  like LOVES to.  he made me make them both when his fam visited and needed me to make the martinis when our friends were over last weekend.

Deb told me that I'd quickly learn my own “things.”  I have a thing about the kitchen.  I like it to be clean.  if the rest of the house is a disaster, I'm generally okay (Frankie will probably disagree here…) but the kitchen drives me crazy.  I HATE having the dishes in the sink.  and I LOVE having clean floors (they're white tile… could that be any more torturous?).  OH AND THE BED.  I have a thing about the bed.  it HAS to be made… which is weird because this has never been my thing before.  but I think with my new white comforter and the throw pillows and blankets I just like for it to all be put together and crisp… plus it literally takes ONE MINUTE.  and frankie is super good about doing it on the weekdays (I leave for work before him). 

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Another upside is that I've been going to the gym to get my time alone.  I've been trying to stop and get a workout in at least a few times a week and I've been keeping up with the Kayla workouts.  I like knowing that i have that time.  even if it's just an hour.  where no one talks to me and it's just me and my music.  and um having to plan meals for someone else means that I'm more on top of keeping things healthy.  NOT PERFECT, but better at it. 

Um.  I love taking my lunch to work.  I know some people are against leftovers… that's not me.  not my deal.  I love them.  they're the best.  Frankie's been at his job for about two years and has NEVER taken his lunch.  he was amazed when I started putting together lunches after making dinner during the week.  it's like a whole new world for him.

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Friday's are still my favorite days.  when we watch all of the shows from the week.  we have some drinks and just stay in and hang out.  Frankie is really pushing to implement pizza Fridays (or at least pizza once a week)… it's like he wants me to gain a billion pounds.  I'm resisting… for now.  and trying really hard to make vegetables cool via my spiralizer.

 We've been having SO MUCH FUN exploring and frolicking in the park and our neighborhood and all the cute places.  because the weather has been GREAT.  and just like so nice.

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I guess the moral of this post is that I'm so happy and grateful to finally have him in the apartment with me, regardless of how weird it may feel at times.  The mundane things are probably my favorite part, like sitting down to eat dinner together every night.  It feels like everything is finally coming together and we only have a few more small things to do before it's all finished and I take you on a virtual tour!  

Thanks for putting up with this super rambl-y update!

xoxo