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​I was babysitting my granddaughters over the past weekend, when the  oldest asked me to bake her blueberry muffins. I purchase Wyman Blueberries at my local ShopRite. These berries are wild grown in Maine and are delicious. They are smaller in size than New Jersey berries.

I don't know where I found this recipe, but it's different than one I posted in July 2016. CSA Farm-ily members, when you get your NJ blueberries this summer, try both recipes and see which one you prefer. 

Blueberry Muffins 2
from the recipe files of Donna Walsifer
Source - unknown
Yield: one dozen
Prep time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 20-25 minutes

1-3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
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Wine-Braised Chicken with Mushrooms and Leeks
By Melissa Clark
The New York Times, “A Good Appetite”
December 29, 2021
 
Yield: 4 Servings
Time: 1 hour
 
INGREDIENTS
 
1 (3 1/2-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces (or use 3 1/2 pounds bone-in chicken parts)
2 teaspoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal), plus more as needed
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
4 garlic cloves
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms (preferably specialty mushrooms, such as king, hen-of-the-woods, chanterelles or black trumpet, or a combination)
2 large leeks (4 cups), halved and thinly sliced into half-moons (use white and light green parts)
2 to 3 rosemary sprigs
¾ cup dry white wine (or use a dry red or rosé)
¼ cup crème fraîche, plus more for serving if desired
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus more for serving
½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley, leaves and tender stems
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Most of the time I take my cue for nightly suppers from what appears on sale either in a food store’s app or their flyer. Recently Whole Foods had on sale Sustainable, Wild Caught Atlantic Cod Fillet. After perusing my favorite recipe apps, I found an interesting one on the website www.epicurious.com  for Roast Fish with Cannellini Beans and Green Olives. The recipe is by Claire Saffitz, a freelance recipe developer and cook book author.
 
For this recipe you’ll need fresh oregano, canned cannellini beans, pitted Castelvetrano olives, kosher salt, whitefish fillet (cod, haddock or halibut), shallots, Fresno chili, lemons and extra-virgin olive oil. Overall, the recipe had largely favorable reviews.

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It’s amazing how many versions there can be of one particular food. Last night I made another chili recipe, Spiced Turkey Chili with Spaghetti Squash. It wasn’t spicy hot, yet it had spice notes from allspice (notes of nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon), cinnamon (rich, slightly bitter flavor), cayenne pepper (adds some heat) and cocoa powder (adds a layer of flavor for richness). It had an interesting flavor profile, something that you would not expect.
 
Besides the spaghetti squash you’ll need, kosher salt, extra-virgin olive oil, ground turkey, allspice, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, apple cider vinegar, an onion, chicken broth, a can of kidney beans, 14-ounce can of tomato sauce, unsweetened cocoa powder, fresh parsley and pitted olives.
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Over the last six years of this blog, I have prepared several recipes for stuffed peppers and yet I found another new one. This interesting recipe is by Chef Alex Guarnaschelli posted on the Food Network. It struck me as chili stuffed peppers, but the filling sits on a bed of couscous. I asked my husband if he was willing to try this for me and his reply, “Anything to help your food blog.” Off I went to get my missing ingredients.
 
For the recipe you’ll need bell peppers, kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, a neutral oil, one pound ground beef, onions, fresh garlic, chili powder, ground cumin, 28-ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes, can of black beans, cider vinegar, cooked couscous and sharp yellow cheese.
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The year ended on a very delicious note, I made Brown-Butter Orzo with Butternut Squash, (However, I swapped the orzo for Arborio rice) and a Ham and Gruyère Pot Pie.
 
The orzo recipe is from one of my favorite New York Times contributors, Melissa Clark. This recipe popped out at me during a hunt a quick for a weeknight meal. For the recipe you’ll need unsalted butter, shallots, butternut squash, fresh sage leaves (you could use rosemary or marjoram), salt, freshly ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, vegetable or chicken stock, lemon zest, Parmesan cheese and whole-milk ricotta (optional.)
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​The last time I posted to my blog was on December 10th. Since that time, I was called upon to watch each of my granddaughters on two separate occasions as they were unable to go to daycare. Despite my babysitting duties and working several days I week, I was still able to prepare home cooked meals. However, after being on my feet all day, I was unable to focus my energy on writing. This led me to post an image on social medial with minimal text which prompted my friend Nancy to post on my Facebook page, “Where r the recipes to all these things u post? The pork chops look delicious!”
 
I’ll start this blog by listing the recipes I’ve made since early December; then follow up with my review and comments to help you prepare these dishes in your kitchen. Meals prepared since December 10th are: Crockpot Beef Stew found on Food52 website, my sale find at Williams-Sonoma was their Soup Starter for Fast/Slow Cooking – Mushroom Wild Rice, from Lidia Bastianich Jumbo Shrimp Buzara Style, from The New York Times and Melissa Clark, a recipe for Porchetta-Style Pork Chops and lastly, Flank Steak with Caper-Walnut Sauce and Roast Beets from The Wall Street Journal. 
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​Skillet Chicken with Silky Peppers and Green Olives is a terrific weeknight meal as it only takes approximately 45 minutes to prepare. Besides, we could all use yet another chicken recipe, can’t we? For this dish you’ll need bone-in, skin on chicken thighs (I used breasts), fresh or dried oregano (I had fresh from my cold frame), kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, 2 peppers (red, orange or yellow or combination of colors), garlic, a fresh tomato, extra-virgin olive oil, red pepper flakes, green olives such as Castelvetrano (found at Wegmans), fresh herbs (parsley, basil or cilantro or a combination, I used parsley) and lemon wedges for serving (I omitted).
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​Do you ever crave a pasta dish with a rich, creamy sauce? Recently in the “Here to Help” column in the first section of The New York Times was a published recipe by Colu Henry for Pasta alla Vodka. This recipe takes a quick 30 minutes to prepare.
 
For the recipe you’ll need, kosher salt, rigatoni (or penne), olive oil, pancetta (optional, but I suggest you don’t skip), an onion, fresh garlic, red-pepper flakes, vodka, 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, black pepper, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, fresh oregano and fresh parsley. 
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​A simple craving for pumpkin cream cheese. What to spread it on… pumpkin loaf cake.
 
I’ve been craving pumpkin cream cheese for the past two weeks. There is a bagel shop a few towns north of mine that used to make pumpkin bagels and pumpkin cream cheese. I haven’t been there in awhile and I’ve been resisting the urge to get a bagel. However, I did have some cream cheese leftover from a recent recipe and a can of pumpkin in my pantry. I was going to bake an autumn loaf or make  pumpkin-walnut flapjacks, both I have made before, but I wanted something more like a pumpkin bread. 


​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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