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It's blueberry season and I just returned from a day of picking. I eat blueberries everyday, so I make sure I load up the freezer so I can enjoy them all winter. Summer is in full swing, the gardens are blooming and the days are warm and sunny. The evenings are mild and are perfect for sitting outside and knitting, stitching, or reading a book. What could be better?
Blueberries are rich in antioxidants and vitamins A and C. At only 80 calories per cup, you simply must add these to your healthy diet.
Stitch a simple blueberry
DMC threads used in this demonstration: White, 926, 927, 928, 3371, 3768
Start with a circle. I drew mine on my fabric with a hard pencil. Use one strand of DMC throughout. Split stitch the outline of your blueberry with col. 926. Use the long and short stitch to fill in the blueberry. Stitch in the direction of form with the darkest color (930) at the bottom and gradually adding colors 926, 927 and white. End at the top and use col. 3371 to stitch the brown blossom with a few straight stitches.
How to freeze blueberries
Remove any blossoms and stems. Spread out your blueberries in a single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze for 2 hours. Transfer the berries to a freezer bag, date the bag, and store in the freezer. Frozen blueberries will last for years, but I always run out before blueberry season starts up again the following year. This year I froze 50 pounds of blueberries, and I know that I will be buying frozen berries from the store by next March!
Try these wonderful blueberry muffins from Blueberry Hill Farm
1 1/2 cups All purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. Baking powder
1/4 tsp. Baking soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 cup Blueberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup Orange juice
1/2 cup Rolled oats
1/2 cup Butter or margarine
1/2 cup Granulated sugar
2 Eggs
2 Tbsp. Granulated sugar
1 tsp. Cinnamon
In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir together thoroughly. Combine rolled oats and orange juice, stir and set aside. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs; beat until creamy. Add rolled oats mixture. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Stir until just moist. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups until ¾ full. Sprinkle with topping. Bake in 400 degree oven for 15 minutes or until cooked. Makes 12 muffins.