Day one...

Happy Monday, it has been a strange day here, and it's gloomy out...but lets hope this brightens the day!
So I am going to post recipes for Lemon zest blueberry muffins, and the blueberry sage cream cheese today. Both of these are awesome if you make them the night before, it will shorten the prep time in the morning and gives the flavors a chance to set.
So lets start with the easy one:

Blueberry sage cream cheese.
this is an interesting flavor and if you aren't feeling that adventurous that's okay, but it's tasty I promise.

So what you'll need:
1 package of whipped cream-cheese
a handful of fresh sage leaves washed dried and finely chopped
1/3 cup or frozen or fresh blue berries (I like to use the real tiny ones, and if they are frozen you will need to defrost them and may want to only use a tsp if juice.)
1 tbs blueberry juice

So in a big bowl soften your cream cheese just by mixing it with a spatula, add the juice, then the sage mix thoroughly, softly fold in the blueberries, when its all mixed put it in the dish you want to serve it in cover it tightly and refrigerate till you are ready to serve it, garnish with a few fresh blueberries and sage leaves and a big bowl of plain bagel chips (or bagels or rolls or whatever...).

Now on to the
Lemon Zest Blueberry Muffins!!!
What you'll need:
2 and 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar (plus a little more for the top)
1 tbs baking powder
1 pinch of salt
1/2 cup butter (unsalted) melted
1 cup milk
2 large eggs at room temp.
1 tbs lemon zest (plus 1/2 tbs for the tops)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 and 1/2 cups of fresh blueberries (washed and dried)

Because you are going to refrigerate these over night and bake them in the morning you don't need to preheat the oven, but if you do want to bake them the night before that's fine too just preheat the over to 425, and line your muffin pan with papers.

mix all of your dry stuff together in a big bowl (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt) and set aside. In another bowl mix milk, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla, and butter. Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients and slowly pour in the wet mix with a wooden spoon. when the batter is mixed but still lumpy mix in your blueberries. Cover and refrigerate (skip this step if you plan to bake them right away).

Your over should be preheated to 425, and your muffin pan lined. Take about 1/4 cup of sugar and the 1/2 tbs of lemon mix together in a small bowl and set aside. Take your batter out of the fridge, give it a quick mix to make sure all the berries haven't settled at the bottom. Fill each muffin cup 3/4 of the way and sprinkle the lemon zest sugar mixture on the top. Bake about 25min until golden brown, remove from the try and place on cooling rack to cool for a little, serve warm or room temp and enjoy!

So there is the first 2 out of the 9 recipes for the week! WooHoo!

And I remember saying something about music...yeah!
So today's is Neil Halstead's album "OH! Mighty Engine",

an absolutely amazing album, very soft and soothing voice and absolutely lovely songs!

Well I will be posting some more tomorrow, sit tight till then!

blueberries&junk

kj