Blueberry Farm: Bybee Farms in North Bend, WA

I am so happy that we found a U-Pick Blueberry Farm! In Michigan, all of the blueberry farms are too far away to enjoy on a weeknight, but here in Washington, I found one that is just 15 minutes from our house! 

We dropped Bybee Blueberry Farm a half hour before closing time and were invited to pick berries "until the air horn blew."  An air horn is the genius way they notify guests that it's closing time and that they should come in from the field to weigh and pay.

We picked a pound of blueberries in 30 minutes and paid $2.25/lb - not bad, huh?

The Bybee Blueberry farm boasts 6 varieties of blueberries available for U-Pick. I am not certain which variety we picked but they were delicious and the bushes were loaded!

We had enough blueberries for snacking and to make one of my gorgeous blueberry gateau. Blueberry season is still in full swing and I intend to go back and pick even more! Happy Summer!

Apartment Living: Baked Goods & A Roaring Fire

Let's just say we were having a good night. Dan and I are living in an apartment outside Seattle as we transition our lives to Washington. Our apartment complex is brand new and in addition to having a nice swimming pool and community garden, they have an outdoor fireplace!

I knew that we would like sitting outside around a fire in the evening - who wouldn't? But until we walked over with a thermos of decaf and some blueberry gateau, did I realize just how perfect this is for us.

It was around 7:30 in the evening, a little too cool for swimmers, so we had the whole place to ourselves. While we made be crowded inside the apartment, this kind of amenity makes our space feel much more open.

*Have you made "my" blueberry gateau? I have written about it so much that many of the internet photos of blueberry gateau are mine! It is a wonderful recipe first printed in Country Living magazine and I know you'll love it.

Tiny Baked Goods: Me and My Toaster Oven

Ok, how do I really use my Hamilton Beach Set and Forget Convection Toaster Oven?  Baking! I was sure that I would be making lots of homemade dinners in our hotel room (with a kitchen, but no oven) and that premise justified buying and shipping this little beauty to our hotel. But in truth, it was my love of baking that kept this little oven busy.

I believe that food is love and that the effort you make in creating sweets for someone speaks volumes.  My husband is working very hard on this project and he needs cookies, I'm sure of it.  

Because I am in a new city, it is tempting to drive all over the area exploring, taking photographs, trying the local ice cream.  Day after day, I am out and about.  So when I specifically plan to be "home" all day in our hotel room, I do a baking blitz.

On this particular day, I made Blueberry Gateau, Baked Washington Peaches (I bought a bag of fresh frozen sliced peaches and they were delicious!) topped with a Granola Crumble and a batch of classic Chocolate Chip cookies. The room smelled heavenly and we had lovely treats to choose from the rest of the week. Win-win.

Can you really bake in a little Toaster Convection Oven? Absolutely. I really didn't see much difference in the baking time either. I kept an eye on things, but the gateau was ready in the expected amount time and the cookies took a minute longer. 

It was easy and it made me oh-so-happy to be mixing flour, sugar, salt again.

Coffee on the Patio

It's a simple ritual, but one I look forward to just the same. Saturday morning coffee on the patio with my husband. On this particular day we lucked out and had some Blueberry Gateau from dessert the night before.

Have you made my blueberry gateau yet? It is very easy and absolutely delicious. Come on...blueberries are still available, but not for long.

Join me on the patio?

Blueberry Gateau

Are you in charge of dessert for your next bookclub?  Need something to wow your Mother-in-Law?  Have I got a simple cake recipe for you! 

I have been faithfully baking this blueberry gateau recipe (courtesy of Blueberry Hill Inn in Goshen, VT) for the past ten years.  Since I bake and write about it so often during blueberry season, at some point people started to think of it as "my" blueberry gateau, but I want to make sure to direct you to its original source above.  It is a winner and I wouldn't change a thing.   

Things to love about this cake:

1. It looks "homemade" in the best possible way.  You worked your magic with butter, sugar and eggs and it shows.
2. It is loaded with fresh fruit.
3. You get to say gateau.

Blueberry Gateau

I'm known for my Blueberry Gateau. It's a recipe I found in Country Living magazine years ago (from an article spotlighting recipes from Vermont's Blueberry Hill Inn) and I make it many many (many!) times each Summer.

I am proud of the fact that my teenage nephews ask if I've many any "gateau."

I'm tickled that Google associates me with blueberry gateau. Try it. Google "blueberry gateau" and see if I come up in the first ten results.

It is blueberry season, I am headed to the cottage and you can bet that the tablesetting will look like this before long.

Why don't you make a blueberry gateau? And be sure to tell me if you do!