blue

As I was starting to put this post together, I realized that I had to use this song -- if you haven't listened, yet, please do.  I'll hold.

....

Done?  OK, good deal - and don't judge because that song is awesome.  Now, let's get started.  I didn't really used to like blueberries that much - not plain or in other stuff.  But I have found that as I've grown up and the older I get my tastes are changing with a lot of things.  I had a conversation recently with someone about this because we were talking about something that was sooo good in college and I told him that I'm pretty sure it would probably taste gross now, so I'm just not going to eat it again because I don't want to ruin a good memory.  Salmon, too.  Hated it until about 5 years ago.  Has that happened to you? 

The good news is that I love blueberries now - plain and in stuff - and they make me think of spring and summer.  The time of year when you start eating more fruit, veggies, salads, and other healthy stuff that is good when it's warm outside.  Since they've been on sale on and off recently, we've tried a few different things with them.

Blueberry Buckle
Kind of like a blueberry coffee cake, and this was Keith's idea.  He found this recipe and made it as it's posted - no alterations - and it was great!  The thing you need to know if you try this recipe is that when it says to "pour" the batter into the pan, it's not going to pour because it's too thick - so you kind of just empty the bowl of mixture into the pan and pat it down evening.  And that's OK - we weren't sure if the consistency was right, but it turned out great!  Looks like this:

Blueberry Banana Muffins
This was a nice change from regular blueberry muffins - I used a recipe for blueberry banana bread and made it muffin tins.  I followed the recipe pretty closely, with the only change being using almond extract instead of vanilla.  When it came to the baking part, it was about 13-15 minutes to do them in muffin format (at the listed heat).  And instead of the topping in the recipe notes, I used something I found in the reviews and modified slightly...

Topping
1/2 c. brown sugar
3 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 Tbsp. butter (melted)

Mix.  I used half of this on some of the muffins and then added 1/4 c. chopped pecans to the mixture so I could have some with a nutty top.  I ran out, though, so in the end had some plain, with streusel topping, and some with streusel pecan topping. These were a hit with my colleagues!  I accidentally left some uncovered at home, though, and they got hard.  I put them in a plastic baggie with a piece of bread and they softened back up, though. :)

Blueberry Breakfast Sauce
I saved this one for last because I think it was my favorite - and the most simple - using this recipe I found online.  My friend Kim was kind enough to let me come to her house last weekend and have brunch with her family; since I don't have a waffle maker, I was happy she did so we could make them.  I brought the blueberries to try this sauce, but honestly wasn't sure how it was going to work because the recipe seemed too easy. But it was awesome!  And don't be fooled by it being called a breakfast sauce, because I would bet money that it would be delicious as an ice cream or cheesecake topping, too.

1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. corn starch
1/3 c. water
2 c. fresh or frozen blueberries

In a 2-qt. saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; gradually stir in water. Add blueberries; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

That's it.  Seems too easy, doesn't it?  I didn't think that the blueberries would soften up enough in just a minute, but it was true - and then we turned down the heat until our waffles were ready.  This is how it works:

Before

After

My plate

Up Close - mmmm.....

I will warn you though, that if you have kids to be careful... because I accidentally stained Kim's kids. Especially James. :)

That's gonna leave a mark. Sorry Kim...
I hope you still let me come again :)

What about you?  Have you ever

• found that your tastes have changed over time? with what?
• tried an awesome blueberry recipe you want to share?
• stained your kid?  or, like me, your friend's kid?

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