Texas – BASICALLY BRIT

Party

Charlie’s First Birthday

June 23, 2021by Britni McAshanLeave a Comment

This past weekend, my baby boy, Saint Charles “Charlie” McAshan, turned one! As many of you know, this little boy has brought so much joy to our lives and we were so excited to celebrate him. Although I did a terrible job of taking photos, I wanted to share the planning process and outcome of the party with all of you!

To celebrate this little boy properly, we decided to throw him a party! After a little discussing, we decided to make the theme of Charlie’s party frogs because of his obsession with his little frog toy. Nearly every day, Charlie will start crying at the base of the stairs and it’s because he wants his little frog from upstairs. It is literally the cutest thing so we went all in on the frog theme.

Frog Balloons, Frog Banner, One Squares, Cake Topper, Polka Dot Frog Invitations, Frog Straws, Beverage Tub, Popcorn Boxes, Crowns, Frog Bubble Machine, Green and White Tablecloth, Picnic Table

We wanted the party to be laid back so we ordered Torchy’s tacos for guests to snack on, served popcorn in these cute boxes and I made a fun dessert called “Frogs in the Pond” it is kind of like Worms in Dirt. We had a bunch of kids at the party and it was a hit with them, also the parents were ok with them eating it.

Frogs in the Pond

Vanilla pudding w/blue food coloring
Crushed oreo base
Topped with a gummy frog
Served in clear cup lined with blue sugar

In addition to the food and snacks we served, I also ordered a custom cake from Hayley’s Cakes and Cookies for guests to enjoy. When I say we were blown away by how amazing it was, that is an understatement. I gave the Hayley’s Cakes team a very brief description of what we wanted and they created the coolest and most amazing cake for our boy!

Can you even? We were so in love with the cake Hayley’s Cakes created for Charlie’s birthday!

To be honest, of course we were excited to celebrate our sweet Charles, but it was also our first chance to celebrate with friends at our new house since we moved in last spring. In total, we had about 40 guests at our house throughout the day and it was an absolute blast. We are so thankful for my dad–who flew in from Montana and helped set up most of the party, and for our amazing friends and neighbors who came by to celebrate with us!

Hope you all loved seeing our baby’s first birthday party!

XO,

Brit

Travel

Brit’s Guide to Round Top, Texas

November 11, 2020by Britni McAshan1 Comment

Tucked away in the Texas Hill Country and equidistant from Houston and Austin, Round Top, Texas is the perfect getaway. With a population of 90 (yes, 90 people) this charming town boasts phenomenal food, shopping and culture. A couple of weeks ago, my best friend and I decided to meet in Round Top and do some shopping and I can’t wait to share our recap with you.

When I heard that one of my favorite hat designers was doing a pop-up in Round Top, I thought it would be such a fun time to check out this little town I’ve been hearing so much about. The Sarah Bray Bermuda pop-up was held at the Courtney Barton store in Round Top Village. This adorable shop has beautiful textiles, candles, jewelry and so much more.

In spite of unseasonably cold weather, we had the best time shopping in Round Top. We never made it out to the main Antique fair, but absolutely loved the shops at Round Top Village, Junk Gypsy and the Marburger Farm Antique Show. Whether you’re looking for antiques, clothing or gifts and collectables, you will have no shortage of options in Round Top.

After a long day of shopping and searching for hidden gems, there’s no doubt you’ll need some food and most likely a drink. Luckily, Round Top has excellent restaurants to choose from.

I normally trust Eater for restaurant recommendations, but I actually found the best information for dining in Round Top on the town’s website. For such a small town, there are some serious culinary gems in Round Top and I cannot wait to try them all.

We absolutely loved our lunch at the Garden Co. We had the most delicious tacos, shrimp salad and shared a bottle of Prosecco! This restaurant is adorable, delicious and has a wonderful wine list so we will definitely be back!

Our favorite food from the day though was the pizza at Prost! I had read about it on blogs before our trip and then we ran into my friend and her mom and her mom said that she dreams about the pizza at Prost so we all went for pizza and wine after our day of shopping and it was heavenly!

We ended up making some new friends while we were warming up by the fire. In addition to the pizza and atmosphere, the wine list at Prost is incredible and the service was out of this world. I’ve been told that the pizza is not always available there, just at certain times of the year so check on social media and the Prost website to see when the pizza will be served.

Whether you’re a Texan looking for a quick getaway or if you’re from out of state and want to explore the Texas Hill Country, Round Top has so much to offer. From culinary delights to vintage treasures, I am certain you will have the best time and I can’t wait to go back myself! Thanks for tagging along with me on this little road trip! Cant wait to share my next travel guide with you soon! Any guesses where we’re going?!

XO,

Brit

Wellness

Presidential Debate Serves as a Reminder to Register to Vote

September 29, 2020September 29, 2020by Britni McAshan1 Comment

President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden will take the stage tonight for the first presidential debate of 2020. While this debate will give voters more of a glimpse into the two candidates, it also serves as a reminder to register to vote. In Texas, the deadline to register to vote is Monday, October 5th. If you have moved, switched political parties, changed your name or haven’t voted in the past four years, you will need to register or re-register to vote.

If you’re not sure if you are registered, you can check your registration status here and also learn more information about polling locations, mail-in ballots and more. If you’re in Texas, votetexas.gov is a great resource to use for local voting information. According to the Houston Chronicle, 16.6 million Texans have registered to vote so far, an uptick of 1.5 millions voters since the last presidential election.

Graphic from the Ignatian Solidarity Network.

While I don’t intend to share my political beliefs on this blog, I don’t consider the act of voting as political. It has been said time and time again by both parties, that this election, no matter who wins, is going to change the future of our country and it is our civic duty and privilege to vote. Because voting is a privilege that many people around the world do not have, I think it is important to take this responsibility seriously and to inform yourself before the election.

When I was in high school, I was lucky enough to take speech and debate classes taught by a former speech writer for one of the presidents of the United States. Of course, we all wanted to know if she was a republican or democrat and who she worked for, but she wouldn’t tell us. On the first day of class she told us that she would never tell us which party she voted for, but that if you listened to what she said, you would know which party she aligned with. Rather than blindly following a party, I think we should all be able to clearly articulate why we are voting for a person based on their beliefs, agenda and policies. Until you are able to do that, you really aren’t prepared to vote.

To learn more about both candidates, tune into tonight to watch the first of three presidential debates. Tonight’s debate, held in Cleveland, will be the first debate where the presidential candidates will not shake hands because of coronavirus protocol and will give candidates a chance to speak about how the COVID-19 pandemic was handled, the economy and possibly the filling of Ruth Bader Ginsburg Supreme Court seat.

Are you watching the debate tonight? Leave me a comment and let me know!

XO,

Brit

Travel

Brit’s Summer Travel Series: Fredericksburg, Texas

August 11, 2020by Britni McAshan1 Comment

Howdy, friends! This week we are traveling to the idyllic Hill Country town of Fredericksburg, Texas. Fredericksburg is an ideal destination for Texans, as it is nestled in between Austin and San Antonio and a quick drive from Dallas and Houston as well.

My husband and I stumbled upon this dreamy town because we were supposed to go to Napa at the end of the month, but had to cancel due to increased coronavirus fears and restrictions and we thought this would be a safe substitute. Originally established as a German settlement in the 1800s, Fredericksburg has now become a chic destination for wine lovers.

We didn’t know much about Fredericksburg before going, but we were pleasantly surprised with what we found. The town has maintained its German heritage and small town charm, while offering modern amenities from around the world.

Although we were drawn to the town because of the vineyards, I think the shopping I found once we were there was the highlight of the trip for me. We found two shops in particular–Farmhaus and Vaudeville–that literally got me excited to shop. I love shopping, don’t get me wrong, but I’m very picky with what I buy. I hate buying things just to buy something and get so annoyed with tacky tourist shops. These stores, blew me away. It was as if I was shopping in L.A. or somewhere in Europe. The level of curation in these stores as well as the accessible price points were absolutely incredible.

Unfortunately, when we were in town, we ate at one of the “traditional” German restaurants and were not impressed with the food. When we go back to Fredericksburg, we really want to check out the V Supper Club–part of the Vaudeville Umbrella. With reservations, the club is open on Friday, Saturday and Monday nights offering chef’s tastings and specialized menus. If you can’t make it to the supper club, you can always go to the Vaudeville Bistro. We wish we would have gone there for lunch, but instead grabbed a glass of sparkling rosé when we found it. The bistro has an amazing wine list and a really fun vibe.

We chose to visit Signor Vineyards when we were in Fredericksburg and I’m so happy we did. It is set on a classic Hill Country estate and offers delicious wines and an incredible experience. They did tell us its a bit different than usual to visit right now because of coronavirus…they are not offering traditional tastings, but you can buy bottles of wine and have them on the property. We bought two bottles–the rosé and the Sangiovese (a light red.) One thing I thought was really interesting is that all of the wines from Signor are made in Oregon and then sold at the vineyard in Fredericksburg. I was pleasantly surprised when I found this out because I’m a little bit of a wine snob and was kind of dreading drinking Texas wine, but what we found is that most of the wine served and sold in the area is from Oregon, California and Europe.

Many of the guests at Signor brought their own food and wine glasses and had a picnic, which looked so fun, but the vineyard also has a little grocery store where you can get food and water as well as beautiful gifts.

For this quick weekend trip I know we barely scratched the surface on what the town has to offer, but I know we will be back to discover more! I’m not going to say Fredericksburg is on the same level as Napa, but I will say it is a fun destination for a weekend getaway in Texas.

Have you been to Fredericksburg before?! Leave me a comment and let me know what your favorite things are in town!

XO,

Brit

Food

Chicken Encilantrada

July 12, 2020by Britni McAshan2 Comments

This Sunday I am cooking one of my favorite dishes! Chicken Encilantrada…I got this recipe from one of my best friends. Her mother made it growing up in Laredo, Texas and they shared it with me. It is truly one of the most delicious Mexican dishes I have ever had!

Chicken Encilantrada is the perfect meal to make on a Sunday because it takes a few hours to prepare and it is perfect to serve for your friends and family. If you’re not cooking for a group, the leftovers heat up well and you can enjoy them for a few days. My friend told me the name “Encilantrada” comes from cilantro and this delicious green sauce seeps into the chicken making the most wonderful, savory flavors.

Chicken Encilantrada

Serves Four

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken

1 bay leaf

1 handful of peppercorns

1 white onion

1 carrot

3 cloves of garlic

5 big tomatillos

1 jalapeno

1 handful of cilantro

3 cups of chicken broth

1 tbsp. cumin

1 7 oz. can of Herdez salsa verde

1 tbsp/chicken of Knorr Caldo con Sabor de Pollo (chicken flavor bouillon) 7.9 oz

To Make:

Boil the whole chicken with bay leaf, peppercorns, carrot, garlic and some onion in a large pot. Cover all ingredients with chicken broth and water and boil for 30-45 minutes.

In another pot, boil tomatillos and jalapeño in water until they’re soft and cooked through.

Add the cooked/drained tomatillos and jalapeño to blender with a chunk of raw onion, handful of cilantro, garlic cloves, cumin, salsa verde, knorr chicken bouillon, a little broth and mix until smooth. At the end of the blending process, add a little olive oil to the mixture and blend once more.

Once the chicken is cooked and cooled, shred it.

Add the blended sauce to a sauce pan and warm it through.

Add the cooked chicken to the sauce and toss to combine.

You can serve Chicken Encilantrada in tortillas for tacos or on top of rice and beans for a lighter version. I hope you enjoy this meal as much as my husband and I do and that you all have a beautiful Sunday! Happy cooking!

XO,

Brit

Style

Staying Active at Home

April 30, 2020by Britni McAshanLeave a Comment

Working out has been a part of my daily routine since I was in high school and when the quarantine caused gyms to close, I was thrown for loop. Whether it is yoga, cycling, cardio kickboxing or walking, working out is essential for me to stay healthy physically and mentally.

During quarantine, I have gone on long walks every day and have loved discovering new virtual workouts. In Austin, there are a number of trails to walk on that have remained uncrowded.

As far as virtual workouts, I have been living for Megan Roup’s Sculpt Society and Baye Tilson’s yoga Youtube classes. On the Sculpt Society app, Megan provides such a wide range of classes from dance cardio to sculpting and meditation. She also offers several different lengths of classes–from 10 to 50 minutes so you can squeeze in a workout even on your busiest day.

Baye Tilson. Photo courtesy of Baye’s Instagram account.

Baye’s yoga classes have also been amazing and they are completely free to view. She regularly teaches yoga at Black Swan Yoga in Houston, Texas. She has a great energy and also offers multiple class lengths so you can always fit it into your schedule.

Prepping for a workout at home in my favorite new tennis shoes.

For me, working out is always more fun when I have a cute outfit. I recently got these multi-colored Stella McCartney for Adidas tennis shoes on the Shopbop sale and am in love with them. They are lightweight, but provide enough support for the jumping required in many of the Sculpt Society classes. I have also been loving these scalloped yoga pants from Lululemon.

What are your favorite at-home workouts? Leave me a comment and let me know below!

XO,

Brit