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I can’t believe that January is already half over. I’ve been savoring the relaxed pace with our CSA box and holiday baking behind me. There are still some anise seed biscotti left that we are slowly nibbling away at.
 
After the Christmas holiday, my daughter asked me to pick up a canister of Williams-Sonoma Classic Hot Chocolate. The original retail price was $28.95 for 10.5 ounces that makes approximately 8 cups of hot chocolate. The classic hot chocolate was literally shaved chocolate in a can. However, though the price was reduced, it was still quite expensive. I did a little digging and found a recipe by Melissa Clark on the app NYT Cooking. For Ms. Clark’s recipe you’ll need confectioners’ sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder (you can use either natural cocoa for a more complex flavor or Dutch process for a deeper and rich color), chopped bittersweet chocolate (62 to 72% cacao), chopped milk chocolate (can use vegan chocolate), vanilla bean paste and a pinch of sea salt.
 

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Prior to retiring several years ago, I used to love perusing websites such as Talbots during their semi-annual clothing sales. After the holidays, I found it especially great for shopping as that’s when prices became sharply reduced. Now, my excitement comes from food store specials or shopping at Uncle Giuseppe’s on Wednesdays for my 5% senior discount. Another thing I like to see is what dining offers local restaurants have. Some of the special offers are offered in the off season which usually starts sometime in October and ends just before Memorial Day weekend.
 
 
In Belmar, Bar Anticipation has a daily blue plate special from 11 AM to 4 PM that includes a choice of starch and fresh vegetable for $7.95. Monday is a Guinness Beef Stew, Tuesday - meatloaf, Wednesday - chicken Parmesan, Thursday - boneless center cut pork chop and Friday has broiled or beer batter fish and chips. Monday nights you can purchase one burger and get the second burger for half price. Tuesday night’s offering is two tacos for $7 (served all day) and starting at 5 PM, 75¢ jumbo wing special. ​
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Now that the holidays are over, I’ve gone back through my recipes and dusted off a few gems that I haven’t made in a very long time. I prepared a wonderful one pot meal perfect for a weeknight supper, Chicken and Dumplings. The recipe is from the original “Gourmet Magazine,” circa February 1994. The chicken parts are simmered in chicken stock containing leeks, shallots, carrots and celery along with a bay leaf, thyme and apple cider. The accompanying light and tender dumplings are flavored with fresh dill.
 
Although I complain how expensive it is to make, Crockpot Beef Barley Soup is one of our favorite soups. The broth is rich and hearty as it’s  made with oxtails, beef marrow bones and beef chuck roast. Crushed tomatoes, pearl barley, carrots, celery and seasonings of freshly ground black pepper, fresh thyme sprigs, and a fresh bay leaf enhance the soup that eats like a meal.
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​As we close out another year, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite recipes for 2025.
 
Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Bites -
I tried this on a whim from the Dreyer Farms weekly CSA email. Wow, were these delicious and spicy!  The cauliflower had a nice soft crust and the sauce packed a lot of punch. I made a quick homemade ranch dressing to temper the heat. These would be great for large gathering as they’re a healthy snack and no frying is needed.  
 
Cheese Straw Biscuits - This recipe can be served as a lunch, light supper or for a buffet. While typically made with a country ham.  You could sub a good quality smoked ham such as Black Forest for the country ham. What made this standout was the cheese straw biscuit slathered with a tomato chutney-mustard butter that had the spiciness from the Dijon mustard but with the sweetness from the tomato chutney.
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My husband’s knee replacement surgery has come and gone and he’s in week three of recovery. We both picked up a cold along the way. Between his recovery, rehab and our colds, I still had time to prepare a just a few special things.
 
One evening, I prepared Sticky Chicken and Brussels Sprouts Stir-Fry,  a recipe by Ali Slagle from The New York Times/NYT Cooking app. You can substitute other green vegetables if Brussels sprouts aren’t your thing.  Substitutes such as broccoli florets, green beans or snow peas will work. To spice it up, Ms. Slagle suggests, crushed red pepper, chopped garlic or ginger. My husband sometimes likes to add Chinese mustard to his stir-fry. For the recipe you’ll need soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, cornstarch, boneless and skinless chicken breasts, neutral oil, Brussels sprouts and salt. ​
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The next few days appear to be quite chilly in the northeast. Today is Monday, December 15th and the feel like temperature is 13°. With weather like this you need a hearty meal, especially one that is reasonably easy to prepare. Many, many years ago, my husband found a recipe in Food and Wine Magazine for Turkey Pot Pie with Corn Bread Crust. Over the years, I swapped the turkey for roasted chicken breast that I shred off the bone. With the upcoming holidays, you may find yourself with leftover turkey, which this recipe is perfect for. While it may be easier to purchase a pre-made pot pie (my preference is Griggstown Farms), for me it’s just as easy to make and less expensive than purchasing.  For eight servings you’ll need carrots, baking potato, unsalted butter, onions, stock (turkey or chicken stock or canned broth), salt, white pepper, hot pepper sauce, four generous cups of meat (cubed cooked, skinned), lima beans (I substitute frozen peas). For the crust you’ll need all-purpose flour, white cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, an egg, milk and a neutral oil.
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I was watching a spinoff from America’s Test Kitchen called “Julia at Home,” featuring ATK co-host, Julia Collin Davison. Her show focuses on seasonal recipes that she prepares for her family. I recently caught an episode where she made an cheesy egg roulade, a sheet pan baked egg dish. I was so intrigued by this recipe that I had to try it.
 
For the recipe you’ll need one dozen eggs, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and one clove of garlic (Julia used a rasp grater for this task) finely grated. To ensure that the eggs will roll neatly after baking, in a separate bowl half-and-half and all-purpose flour are whisked together. While Julia filled her roulade with chopped spinach, I had some broccoli on hand that I roasted and used for my filling. For the cheese component she used Gruyère, I had smoked mozzarella on hand that I used for my filling. Before pouring the mixture into the sheet pan, the pan is sprayed with cooking spray then lined with parchment paper. Another shot of cooking spray goes on the parchment that will help with rolling the cooked eggs into a log. The eggs are poured into the pan followed by whatever green you choose. The pan is placed in the oven for nine minutes. Once removed, the shredded cheese is spread over the eggs. Using the parchment paper, roll the eggs into a tight log, as best as possible. Place the roll on a long platter, seam side down.  ​
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Trying to shop and cook for Thanksgiving dinner meant I didn’t have time to write up a blog post on the new recipes I prepared. As some of the recipes were available online, I was able to share the link with you. I hope you consider preparing them for the next round of holiday celebrations after reading my comments.
 
I still have homemade roasted pumpkin purée in my freezer. As the weather was getting colder last week, I found in my files a recipe from the “Charleston Magazine” for Roasted Pumpkin Soup from Chef Kevin Mitchell of the Culinary Institute of Charleston where he’s an instructor and also a Southern foodways scholar.
 
Besides the roasted pumpkin, you’ll need extra-virgin olive oil, Fuji apples, shallots, fresh thyme sprigs, low-sodium chicken broth, nutmeg, allspice and kosher salt. The soup is garnished with cardamom crème fraîche (just those two ingredients) and prosciutto cracklings. ​
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I am so proud of myself! A few weeks ago, a saw a reel on Instagram stories by “Pasta Grannies.” Pasta Grannies is a team headed by Vicky Bennison that captures Italian Nonna’s (grandmas) and occasionally Nonno’s (grandpa’s) as they prepare pasta from scratch). In a recent episode, Nonna Laura was preparing Tortellini Mantovani with Pumpkin. I was intrigued as I had all this pumpkin puree and was in the market for some new recipes. Luckily for me in the video, Laura gave the ingredients and quantity as she prepared the pasta dough and filling. I was able to pause the videos on YouTube to capture every detail.
 
For the pasta dough you’ll need 350 grams of 00 flour, 3 eggs whisked and a few drops of water to bring the dough together. The dough is kneaded for 5 minutes then rests for an hour. I used my KitchenAide Mixer to just bring the dough together, then kneaded by hand until the dough was supple and smooth. I used my manual pasta machine to roll the dough into sheets. ​
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Recently, I wrote about our visit to Charleston while it was fresh in my memory. However, that meant some of the dishes I prepared before and after our trip got pushed aside. My husband loves stew and I found a recipe on NYTCooking app for Slower Cooker Beef Stew by Sarah DiGregorio. Two soups made the rotation in our house starting with Creamy Pumpkin Soup from the website “The Kitchn” and Celery-Leek Soup with Potato and Parsley from Alexa Weibel from NYTCooking app. In our weekly CSA email from Dreyer Farm, they include not only storage guides for the produce we receive each week, but recipes too. One such recipe was for Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Bites that makes a great snack whether while watching football or as an appetizer for the Thanksgiving holiday. Our CSA box this fall provided us with a nice variety of apples. Not knowing what type of apples they were, I decided to cook with them in several recipes. The first was Skillet Pork Chops with Apples and Onions, next was  Pan Seared Spicy Pork Chops with Apples, and lastly, Braised Red Cabbage with Apples.


​meet donna

A former teacher, shop-a-holic, empty-nester redefining quick, family approved dinners.

​If you have questions or comments, click on the envelope icon above to contact me directly. 

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