Wow, three days of watching movies at the Garde. First I saw “The Farewell,” which was wonderful, and “Jojo Rabbit,” which I was wary of seeing but, at the end, I fell in love with. Then I saw “Bombshell,” but I preferred “The Loudest Voice,” the television adaptation about Roger Ailes and Fox on Showtime.

Despite all that, I found time to get to Shop-Rite and bought a rotisserie chicken, lots of vegetables (two big heads of cauliflower, which I cut into florets to parboil and freeze), green grapes and bananas and apples, along with pork cutlets and hot Italian sausage.

When I got home, I wanted something sweet, so I made these blondies, below. I tasted just one and will take the rest to a meeting. Nothing decadent is left in the house, except four pints of Häagen Dazs and Ben & Jerry’s.

Maple-Apple Blondies

From “100 Best Apple Recipes,” Better Homes & Gardens, Meredith Co., 2019

Makes 36 bars

Nonstick cooking spray

¾ cup butter

2 medium apples, peeled, cored and chopped (about 1¾ cups)

1 cup packed light brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup pure maple syrup

2 eggs

2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking soda

Maple icing, see recipe below

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13- by 9-inch pan with foil, extending the foil over edges. Lightly coat foil with cooking spray. In a medium saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat. Add apples and cook about 12 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove apples from saucepan and set aside.

In the same saucepan, melt remaining butter over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in both sugars and maple syrup until smooth. Stir in eggs and vanilla until combined. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Stir in cooked apples. Spread batter in prepared pan.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until evenly browned and edges are puffed. Cook in pan on a wire rack. Spread maple icing over bars. Let stand until icing is set. Use edges of foil to lift uncut bars out of pan. Cut into 36 bars.

Maple Icing

In a small bowl, stir together 2 cups powdered sugar, ¼ cup maple syrup and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Stir in enough milk (about 2 tablespoons) to make a thin spreading consistency.

On the Side

A few weeks ago, after I had that splendid salad at Elizabeth's Café in Madison with my friend Lisa, she, minus a car, asked if we could stop at Bradley & Wall so she could pick up some prepared dinner for her husband and son.

I had never heard of it, so she navigated and I drove. What a find! Lots of places have prepackaged items, but B&W is more like a buffet-to-go, although you can eat there.

There are two dozen salads, sandwiches, pizza and wraps. Lisa got chicken cutlets and Brussels sprouts (and maybe something carb-ish), while I got eggplant parm and broccoli. Not only was everything delicious, but the prices are very reasonable; mine was around $7. They cater, too.

Bradley & Wall

96 Walls St., Madison

(203) 318-0300

Lee White lives in Groton. She can be reached at leeawhite@aol.com.