Harvest Apple Cinnamon Muffins

by Carolyn Bianchi | Sep 11, 2025 | Recipes

Perfect for breakfast or lunchbox treats

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1 large apple, peeled and diced
• 1/4 cup rolled oats (for topping)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line muffin tin with paper cups.
2. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Whisk together melted butter, egg, and milk in separate bowl.
4. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined. Don’t overmix!
5. Gently fold in diced apples.
6. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and sprinkle with oats.
7. Bake 20-22 minutes until golden brown.

Pro tip: These freeze beautifully for quick lunchbox additions and create an amazing aroma for home showings!

2. Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Skillet

One-pan dinner that’s kid-friendly and impressive for guests

Ingredients:

• 12 oz penne pasta
• 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp sage (dried)
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Optional: cooked chicken or turkey

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, reserve 1 cup pasta water.
2. In large skillet, heat olive oil and sauté garlic for 30 seconds.
3. Add pumpkin puree, cream, sage, and nutmeg. Simmer 5 minutes.
4. Add cooked pasta and parmesan cheese, tossing to combine.
5. Add pasta water as needed for desired consistency.
6. Season with salt and pepper.

This recipe scales easily for entertaining and creates that perfect “homey” feeling buyers love.

3. No-Bake Peanut Butter Pumpkin Energy Balls

Healthy lunchbox snacks that require no baking

Ingredients:

• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (or almond butter)
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp ground flaxseed (optional)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until well combined.
2. Refrigerate mixture for 30 minutes (makes rolling easier).
3. Roll into 1-inch balls using your hands.
4. Store in refrigerator for up to one week.
5. Pack 2-3 in lunchboxes for a protein-rich snack.

These are perfect for busy families and can be made ahead of time!

Bonus Staging Tip

When preparing any of these recipes before a showing, remember that the aroma of baking or cooking can create positive emotional connections with potential buyers. The smell of cinnamon and vanilla, in particular, suggests warmth and comfort – exactly what you want buyers to feel when touring your home.

Keep portions reasonable and consider packaging extras as small gifts for your real estate agent or potential buyers – it’s a memorable touch that helps your home stand out in their minds!

These recipes celebrate the best of fall flavors while being practical for busy lifestyles, whether you’re settling into a new home or preparing your current one for market.

Cedar-Plank Salmon with Lemon-Dill Butter

by Carolyn Bianchi | Aug 26, 2025 | Recipes

Infused with smoky wood flavor and topped with a bright, herby finish

Nothing says summer like grilling, and this cedar-plank salmon is a showstopper. It’s easy to prepare, packed with flavor, and makes a beautiful centerpiece for any backyard gathering  whether you’re celebrating a new home or just enjoying the season.

Ingredients

For the salmon:

• 1 large cedar plank (soaked in water for at least 1 hour)
• 1 side of salmon (about 2 lbs), skin-on
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced

For the lemon-dill butter:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Prep the grill
   Preheat your grill to medium heat (about 375°F). If using charcoal, set up for indirect grilling.
2. Make the lemon-dill butter
   In a small bowl, mix the softened butter with dill, lemon zest, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Prepare the salmon
   Pat the salmon dry and place it skin-side down on the soaked cedar plank. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and top with lemon slices.
4. Grill the salmon
   Place the plank directly on the grill grates. Close the lid and cook for 15–20 minutes, or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork and reaches an internal temperature of 125–130°F for medium.
5. Finish and serve
   Remove the plank from the grill carefully. Top the hot salmon with dollops of lemon-dill butter and let it melt over the fish. Serve directly from the plank for a rustic, crowd-pleasing presentation.

A Fresh Summer Favorite: Easy Pasta Salad for Backyard Hangouts & Weeknight Dinners

by Carolyn Bianchi | Jul 16, 2025 | Recipes

One of the best parts of moving into a new home — or just enjoying summer in your current one — is finally having a kitchen and patio that beg for casual meals with family and friends. If you’re looking for a go-to dish that’s crowd-pleasing, colorful, and comes together in no time, this easy pasta salad is your new best friend.

It’s flexible, full of flavor, and perfect for BBQs, picnics, potlucks — or just a cozy Tuesday night dinner on your back deck.

Why We Love It

This pasta salad takes just 20 minutes from start to finish and is built for versatility. Got leftover veggies in the fridge? Toss them in. Hosting vegetarian friends? This one’s a winner. It’s hearty enough to be a main dish but works beautifully as a side, too.

Pro tip: Use pasta shapes with plenty of “nooks and crannies” — think rotini, penne, fusilli, or farfalle — so all that delicious dressing gets trapped inside every bite.

What You’ll Need (Makes About 10 Servings)

For the Salad:

• 1 lb dried pasta (rotini, penne, fusilli — your call)
• 1 cup sliced bell pepper (any color!)
• 1 cup thinly sliced zucchini (about half a medium)
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/3 cup sliced green onions (5–6 stalks)
• 1/4 cup sliced pepperoncini or banana peppers (optional, but adds a kick)
• 1 cup halved mixed olives
• 1 cup grated parmesan (or any hard cheese you like)
• 1 cup chopped fresh mozzarella balls
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley or basil (totally optional, but lovely)

For the Dressing:

• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar (or white wine or champagne vinegar)
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2–3 tbsp pepperoncini juice (optional, but brings zesty magic)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Let’s Make It!

1. Boil the pasta in well-salted water according to package directions (usually 6–10 minutes). Drain and rinse with cold water to cool things down fast.
2. In a big mixing bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients: vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano, pepperoncini juice (if using), and olive oil.
3. Add the cooled pasta to the bowl with the dressing and toss to coat.
4. Stir in all your colorful veggies, cheese, olives, and herbs. Give it a taste — add a pinch more salt or pepper if needed.
5. Serve right away, or — even better — cover and chill for 30 minutes to let the flavors really come together. It keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Homeowner Hosting Tip:

Make this pasta salad a day in advance and store a bit of the dressing separately. Right before serving, toss it with the extra dressing to freshen everything up. It’s the kind of dish that gets better with time — just like your new kitchen.

Ready for Summer Living?

Whether you’re hosting your first BBQ in your new backyard or just want an easy dinner that doesn’t heat up the kitchen, this pasta salad is a guaranteed win. It’s quick, it’s customizable, and it tastes like summer.

Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins

by Carolyn Bianchi | May 29, 2025 | Recipes

Photo by Joshua Flores on Unsplash

Even though the ingredients in these Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins might seem pretty basic, their big berry flavor can really take you back in time.

These muffins are packed with so many berries that they can turn the batter a light lavender color, and the sugary topping adds a nice crunch. They’re an old-school department store favorite for a reason!

Ingredients

– 1/2 cup butter

– 2 cups unsifted flour

– 1 cup sugar

– 2 large eggs

– 1/2 cup milk

– 2 teaspoons baking powder

– 1/2 teaspoon salt

– 2-1/2 cups large fresh blueberries

– 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

– 2 tablespoons sugar (for the top of the muffins)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
3. In another bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. You can use an electric mixer to make sure they’re thoroughly combined so you won’t need to overmix later.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture, along with the milk and vanilla.
5. Mash 1/2 cup of the blueberries and stir them in by hand to give the batter a light blue color and extra blueberry flavor. Then, gently stir in the remaining whole berries by hand.
6. Spray a 12-muffin baking pan with non-stick spray. Fill the greased muffin cups with the batter.
7. Sprinkle sugar on top of the unbaked muffins.
8. Bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes. Let them cool in the pan. After a few minutes, run a knife around the edge of each muffin to free it from the pan, then let cool. Because of the mashed berries these muffins will fall apart if removed from the muffin pan too early. Move to wire racks when firm. If you want, you can brush the muffins with melted butter and sprinkle them with more sugar.

Enjoy baking and eating these delicious muffins!

Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks in Red Wine Sauce

by Carolyn Bianchi | Apr 21, 2025 | Recipes

Image by limarga26 from Pixabay

Prep: 20minutes Cook: 3hours hrs 30minutes mins

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 4 lamb shanks , around 13 oz / 400g each (Note 1)
• 1 tsp EACH cooking/kosher salt and pepper
• 2 – 3 tbsp olive oil , separated
• 1 onion , finely diced (brown, yellow or white)
• 3 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 cup carrot , peeled, finely diced (Note 2)
• 1 cup celery , finely diced (Note 2)
• 2 1/2 cups red wine (full bodied (good value wine, not expensive! Note 3)
• 800 g / 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cups chicken stock , low sodium (or water)
• 5 sprigs of thyme (preferably tied together), or 2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 dried bay leaves (or 4 fresh)

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types – fan and standard).
• Season shanks – Pat the lamb shanks dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Brown – Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy based pot over high heat. Sear the lamb shanks in 2 batches until brown all over, about 5 minutes. Remove lamb onto a plate and drain excess fat (if any) from the pot.
• Sauté aromatics – Turn the heat down to medium low. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the same pot. Add the onion and garlic, cook for 2 minutes. Add carrot and celery. Cook for 5 minutes until onion is translucent and sweet.
• Braising liquid – Add the red wine, chicken stock, crushed tomato, tomato paste, thyme and bay leaves. Stir to combine.
• Add shanks – Place the lamb shanks into the pot, squeezing them in to fit so they are mostly submerged. (Note 1)
• Oven 2 hours covered – Turn stove up, bring liquid to a simmer. Cover, then transfer to the oven for 2 hours (see notes for other cook methods).
• Uncovered 30 minutes – Remove lid, then return to the oven for another 30 minutes (so 2 1/2 hours in total). Check to ensure lamb meat is ultra tender – if not, cover and keep cooking. Ideal is tender meat but still just holding onto bone.
• Remove lamb onto plate and keep warm. Pick out and discard bay leaves and thyme.
• Sauce – Strain the sauce into a bowl, pressing to extract all sauce out of the veggies (Note 5 for repurposing the veggies). Pour strained sauce back into pot. If needed, bring to a simmer over medium heat and reduce slightly to a syrupy consistency (see video) – I rarely need to. Taste then add salt and pepper to taste (Note 5 on sauce taste).
• Serve the lamb shanks on mashed potato or cauliflower puree with plenty of sauce! Garnish with thyme leaves if desired.

Recipe Notes:

1. Lamb Shanks – sizes vary considerably so make sure you get ones that will fit in your cooking vessel! 4 x 400g/13oz lamb shanks fits snugly in a 26cm/11″ diameter Chasseur dutch oven which is what I use. They don’t need to be completely submerged, just as long as most of the meaty end is mostly submerged, that’s fine. If you don’t have a pot large enough, you can switch to a baking dish for the slow cooking part, and cover with a double layer of foil if you don’t have a lid for it. You can also ask your butcher to cut the shaft so it bends if you are concerned, or to trim it slightly.

Cook time – 350-400g shanks should cook to “fall apart tender” but still holding onto bone in 2.5 hrs at 180°C/350°F. It can take up to 3 hrs, so to err on the side of caution re: dinner timing, give yourself 3 hours oven time. Shanks are the sort of thing that can sit around for ages and stay warm (keep covered in pot) and the flavour just gets even better. In fact, if you are cooking to impress, cook it the day before then reheat to serve – flavour will develop overnight, like with any stew!

2. Onion, carrot and celery is the “holy trinity” of slow cooking, creating a beautiful flavour base for the sauce. It’s not a deal breaker to exclude the carrot and celery, but it does give the sauce an extra edge.
3. Wine – Use a good value full bodied red wine, like cabaret sauvignon or merlot. Shiraz is ok too. No need to use expensive wine for slow cooked recipes like this (and the New York Times agrees). Use discount end of bin specials (I get mine from Dan Murphey’s). Pinots not suitable, too light. 99% of the alcohol in the red wine evaporates during cooking. The sauce does not taste winey at all, it completely transforms.

Non alcoholic sub: 1 1/2 cups beef broth LOW SODIUM, 1 cup water. + 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce. Beef has a stronger deeper flavour than chicken so will be more suited to being the sub for wine.

4. Most of the alcohol in the red wine will evaporate during this step but not completely – it will finish evaporating during the slow cooking. The sauce does not taste winey at all, it completely transforms.
5. Sauce options: The other option is to blitz the sauce using a sick blender. The sauce will be thicker, and you’ll have more of it (leftovers great tossed through pasta). This is what I used to do, but nowadays I prefer to strain the sauce because I like how glossy and rich it is – this is how restaurants serve it. You could also skip straining or blitzing, it just means you get little veg lumps in the sauce. All are tasty options, it mainly comes down to visual.

TIP: If you strain the sauce, keep the veggies etc in the strainer to make a terrific sauce, they are loaded with flavour even though all juice is squeezed out of them. What I do is make a basic tomato sauce with garlic, onion, canned tomato and water. Then I blitz that with the veggies. Use it to make a killer pasta or lasagna!!

Sour sauce? Sounds like there might’ve been issues with your canned tomatoes (poor quality = overly sour, good quality = sweet). Add a touch of honey or sugar, simmer for few minutes. Also, you didn’t rush the carrots/celery sautéing step did you?? Cooking them for 5 minutes sweetens them!

6. OTHER COOK OPTIONS:

Slow cooker – Follow recipe to step 7. Bring sauce to simmer, scrape bottom of pot to get all brown bits into the liquid. Place shanks in slow cooker, add the sauce. Cook on low for 8 hours. Remove shanks, strain and reduce sauce to desired thickness on stove (if you blitz per Note 5, you won’t need to reduce).

Pressure Cooker – Follow Slow Cooker steps, cook for 40 minutes on high. Release pressure according to manufacturer directions. Stove – to cook this on the stove, cook for about 2 hours on low, ensuring that you check it at 1 hour then every 30 minutes thereafter to ensure there is enough braising liquid (because liquid evaporates faster on the stove) and the bottom of the pot isn’t catching. Turn the lamb shanks twice. You won’t get the brown crust, but the flavour is the same!