After riding at the barn the other morning, Emma came home with two quarts of blueberries.
Birdy prefers them straight out of the box. But this also means that I am stepping on blueberries rolling around my kitchen floor for the rest of the day. A small sacrifice for her blueberry joy, but still….
I have a strange like/disklike of blueberries. I like them in things, I dislike them straight out of the box.
Smoothies and Buckles. That's my thing.
We were discussing the origns of the "buckle" over dessert the other night….Mary wanted to know why the dessert was called a buckle. I suggested that it might be because the topping of the cake "buckles" and cracks as it cooks. Dan suggested that it gets its name from the fact that one must "loosen their buckle after having several pieces."
Everyone probably has their version (or the exact same version) of the blueberry buckle. I have to apologize that I have absolutely no source for mine. It is scribbled on a notecard in my recipe box and I've been baking this version for the past three summers. And it's a total winner. I recommend it for dessert, then breakfast and lunch the next day.
Blueberry (Loosen Your) Buckle
3/4c.sugar
1/4 c. butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 c. milk
2 c. flour
2t. baking powder
1/2t. salt
1 1/2c. blueberries
Cream sugar and butter. Add egg. In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients and stir into the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk. Fold in berries, and pour into a greased or parchment-lined 8 x 8 inch pan.
Crumble :
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. flour
1/2t. cinnamon
4T butter, softened
Mix together and sprinkle over top of buckle. Bake at 375˚ for approximately 25-30 minutes.
After riding at the barn the other morning, Emma came home with two quarts of blueberries.
Birdy prefers them straight out of the box. But this also means that I am stepping on blueberries rolling around my kitchen floor for the rest of the day. A small sacrifice for her blueberry joy, but still….
I have a strange like/disklike of blueberries. I like them in things, I dislike them straight out of the box.
Smoothies and Buckles. That's my thing.
We were discussing the origns of the "buckle" over dessert the other night….Mary wanted to know why the dessert was called a buckle. I suggested that it might be because the topping of the cake "buckles" and cracks as it cooks. Dan suggested that it gets its name from the fact that one must "loosen their buckle after having several pieces."
Everyone probably has their version (or the exact same version) of the blueberry buckle. I have to apologize that I have absolutely no source for mine. It is scribbled on a notecard in my recipe box and I've been baking this version for the past three summers. And it's a total winner. I recommend it for dessert, then breakfast and lunch the next day.
Blueberry (Loosen Your) Buckle
3/4c.sugar
1/4 c. butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 c. milk
2 c. flour
2t. baking powder
1/2t. salt
1 1/2c. blueberries
Cream sugar and butter. Add egg. In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients and stir into the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk. Fold in berries, and pour into a greased or parchment-lined 8 x 8 inch pan.
Crumble :
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. flour
1/2t. cinnamon
4T butter, softened
Mix together and sprinkle over top of buckle. Bake at 375˚ for approximately 25-30 minutes.
Last weekend, while I was in Bellport, I got some hard family news. My brother found out that he had melanoma on his cheek. A tiny, almost insignificant spot, smaller than the end of a pencil eraser. The first thing my sister and mother said to me was "Don't google it." For many people, the outlook with this type of cancer is grim.
The news really threw me for a loop. Surrounded by family that weekend and trying to digest what I was hearing, the fear of the unknown, really put a heaviness in my heart. I fought back tears the whole weekend and into the coming week.
Surgery was scheduled for last week and then the waiting game began as we all waited to hear if the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes that they also removed.
When my mother called me on Friday, she was crying. But it was tears of relief. God is good. It did not spread. The doctor was confident he removed all the melanoma. Radiation will follow, but mostly as a precautionary measure.
Last week, I made an appointment to see a dermatologist. I carry the "red hair gene" which makes me 4x more likely to get melanoma.
One bad sunburn before the age of 18, doubles your chances. I've had a few of those.
I write this post today, not to scare or be overly dramatic but mostly because I wanted to share. And I wanted to share a video that my brother's wife sent to me. Please take a moment to watch it for me. Follow the links, and stay informed, for all the ones you love.
Last weekend, while I was in Bellport, I got some hard family news. My brother found out that he had melanoma on his cheek. A tiny, almost insignificant spot, smaller than the end of a pencil eraser. The first thing my sister and mother said to me was “Don’t google it.” For many people, the outlook with this type of cancer is grim. No matter the appearance of your skin condition or the length of time you have left it, you should book a consultation with a team of dermatology shrewsbury to make sure you keep yourself safe and healthy.
The news really threw me for a loop. Surrounded by family that weekend and trying to digest what I was hearing, the fear of the unknown, really put a heaviness in my heart. I fought back tears the whole weekend and into the coming week.
Surgery was scheduled for last week and then the waiting game began as we all waited to hear if the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes that they also removed.
When my mother called me on Friday, she was crying. But it was tears of relief. God is good. It did not spread. The doctor was confident he removed all the melanoma. Radiation will follow, but mostly as a precautionary measure.
Last week, I made an appointment to see a dermatologist. I carry the “red hair gene” which makes me 4x more likely to get melanoma.
One bad sunburn before the age of 18, doubles your chances. I’ve had a few of those.
I write this post today, not to scare or be overly dramatic but mostly because I wanted to share. And I wanted to share a video that my brother’s wife sent to me. Please take a moment to watch it for me. Follow the links, and stay informed, for all the ones you love.
I had a therapy session last night. A therapy session of the free variety. It's when I get on the mower, earphones + ipod and take off across the fields. As my neighbor says of me, who noticed my penchant for mowing grass, "that woman can really lay down some grass."
And last night could not have been a more beautiful night to be out there. The clouds, the colors of the sky, working and racing the setting sun, hoping to get it all done before dark.
I know it sounds silly but there is so much I love about being on the mower. The immediate satisfaction of seeing the grass trimmed and tidy, the accomplishment unfolding before my eyes.
The watching of my family through the veil of good music in my ears. Happily muffling the whining, or the bickering and only seeing the play and the running and the laying down in the grass and the network of farm animals trailing around the field behind them.
I'm learning to cherish these moments on the mower (that's obvious, isn't it?) because someone else in this family has finally become old enough (and trustworthy enough) to share the "duties" with me. There's some competition over who gets the job.
But I'm not ready to pass over the reigns just yet….
….Here's hoping you find your own moments to "lay it down" today as well….
I had a therapy session last night. A therapy session of the free variety. It's when I get on the mower, earphones + ipod and take off across the fields. As my neighbor says of me, who noticed my penchant for mowing grass, "that woman can really lay down some grass."
And last night could not have been a more beautiful night to be out there. The clouds, the colors of the sky, working and racing the setting sun, hoping to get it all done before dark.
I know it sounds silly but there is so much I love about being on the mower. The immediate satisfaction of seeing the grass trimmed and tidy, the accomplishment unfolding before my eyes.
The watching of my family through the veil of good music in my ears. Happily muffling the whining, or the bickering and only seeing the play and the running and the laying down in the grass and the network of farm animals trailing around the field behind them.
I'm learning to cherish these moments on the mower (that's obvious, isn't it?) because someone else in this family has finally become old enough (and trustworthy enough) to share the "duties" with me. There's some competition over who gets the job.
But I'm not ready to pass over the reigns just yet….
….Here's hoping you find your own moments to "lay it down" today as well….
