Blueberry Bread
Yesterday morning while Bruce was opening the mail he noticed that our natural gas bill was unusually low as compared to years past. He was concerned, shouted out to me and asked me what I thought of it. Well, the answer was easy. Our kitchen stove uses natural gas and I have hardly cooked anything for the family over the course of the past month or two. If it was not for fast food, roast Costco chicken, or frozen dinners the members of my family would have starved to death…
I’ve been working long hours lately and I’ve rarely spent time in my kitchen. My refrigerator, coffee maker and microwave have been the only appliances that have been put to use. My stove, ovens and stand mixer have been idle and collecting dust. My camera has remained in the closet and has not been touched. By the time I get home in the evenings all I want to do is sit on my couch in complete peace and quiet. I stopped reading my magazines, books and favorite food blogs. I’ve hardly checked Facebook and ignored my personal emails. Feral Kitchen has been mothballed and a good home cooked meal has been nonexistent in our home. On the bright side, I know that these long hours are temporary and life will be back to normal before I know it. I look forward to getting back into the kitchen. Cooking makes me happy.
Well, all things considered, today is a brand new day. Today is different. Today, I have a day off!
This morning while out shopping for groceries for the week, I spied two pounds of fresh picked blueberries. They were just gorgeous! Bright blue, fat and juicy. Without hesitation, they went straight into my shopping basket. I knew what I wanted to do with them. I wanted to make some blueberry bread for breakfast and maybe even share some with coworkers during the busy work week. The rest will be packed in my lunch and the others will be made into a tangy blueberry ginger vinaigrette. If the vinaigrette turns out the way I want it to taste, I will be sure to share the recipe with you sometime soon.
I love blueberries! I love the flavor and color. What’s funny about blueberries is that I refused to eat them as a child. How weird is that? I find it so interesting how my palate has changed as I’ve aged. I’m curious, has that happened to you too?
My blueberry bread is packed with fresh plump blueberries and is not too sweet. A slice or two is great with a cup of coffee or tea. Any leftover loaves are perfect for sharing with friends and family or as a hostess gift. Makes 3 delicious loaves. It’s good to be back. See you again soon! Enjoy! Tessa
Ingredients:
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 Tbs baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 2 tsp lemon extract
- 3 cups fresh blueberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, canola oil, and lemon extract. Add blueberries to the wet ingredients. Now add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix until moist and lumpy. Don’t over mix. Add mixture to 3 greased 4 x 8 loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour or until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire racks before slicing. Makes 3 fabulous loaves!
