Texas – BASICALLY BRIT

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 McAshanLeave a 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