Blueberry Picking + Merry Go Rounds=Recipe for FUN!
So, today Dave suggested we go blueberry picking. The girls and I went last year to Blueberry Ridge Farms, so we thought we would try it again. Last year I wandered there on a whim, following blue “Blueberries U Pick Em” signs WAY off the beaten path to a beautiful clearing atop Bunner’s Ridge. You can check out their facebook page. It is lovely. Just right. Compared to picking strawberries, it is nice because you are standing up. Sounds silly, but true. Also, it is open and easy enough that the kids can really do their own thing. I highly recommend it.
Now, the one downside to Blueberry Ridge Farms is that it is pretty close to the middle of nowhere (which also is a major part of its charm). While driving today, Lily said, “What state are we in?” We were way further into the country than she had been lately. (We had actually missed the turn off at this point and had gone about a mile down a gravel road the wrong way.) Dave replied, “a state of dismay”. Lily pondered it for a moment, “No, I think it is Maryland”, she said. So, by the time we got there, Dave had a few queasy passengers, as we all tend to get a little carsick.
Let me backtrack before I finish the story…last year we went strawberry picking at Higson’s Farm in Wiley Ford, WV. While there, little Ella ate a few too many strawberry. That night, we all regretted how many strawberries she ate. Today, while Blueberry picking, I reminded Ella of that experience. “That was NOT GOOD” she said upon reminiscing. Apparently, my warning was a little too late….
On the way home we stopped at a little old fashioned playground at Bunner’s Ridge. I actually like this playground a lot. It is empty, quiet, and reminds me of playgrounds when I was little. The slide and merry go round are the kind that they had at Wiley Ford Elementary School when I was a kid. You don’t see these kinds of merry go rounds much anymore. Probably because they are dangerous, and they make kids sick. But they are sooo much fun!
So, after a dizzying time at the playground, we hop back in the car for the ride home. On the way into town, Dave decided to stop at the bank and leave us in the car. Then it started. Ella was sick, very sick. Too many blueberries, and too many go rounds on the merry go round. I am never quite prepared for these events, so I had to think fast. See that hat that was on Lily’s head. Turns out it makes a great catch basin. So, for all of you who make fun of our hats, you never know when a hat will come in handy.
Back home, we were all bathed, hair washed and ready for more. So, we made a delicious blueberry cobbler. Just now thinking I should’ve taken a picture, but it is 2/3 gone now. It is an adaptation of one by Ree Drummond. The original is on my Pinterest Page .
So, if you still have an appetite and you make it out to Blueberry Ridge, this is a great way to devour those blueberries. If you have any great blueberry recipes you’d like to share, you can comment here or on our facebook page.
Blueberry Cobbler
- 1 stick Butter
- 1-1/4 cup Sugar
- 1 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1 ½ tsp Baking Powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup Milk
- 2 cups Blueberries
Melt butter in a microwavable dish. Pour 1 cup of sugar and flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl, whisking in milk. Mix well. Then, pour in melted butter and whisk it all well together. Now rinse and pat dry the blueberries. Pour the batter into the buttered baking dish. Sprinkle blueberries over the top of the batter; distributing evenly. Sprinkle ¼ cup sugar over the top.
Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until golden and bubbly. If you desire, sprinkle an additional teaspoon of sugar over the cobbler 10 minutes before it’s done.
Adapted from Ree Drummond Blackberry Cobbler #1.