I told my man that I would make him blueberry muffins. Last year. I never made those muffins. I don’t know if it was the flour getting all over the floor, my recalcitrant hand mixer, or the temptation muffins on the counter would stir. Oh he got plenty of good things to eat this year. But not blueberry muffins…
I’ve read that it’s almost impossible for a woman not to buy a dress that she’s already “seen” herself in and I concur. As soon as my imagination places the garment on my back, I’m a goner with an open wallet. It works like this: you’re out shopping with your sister (or friend, or daughter) and you find a pretty frock that calls out to you in a myriad of ways – it may be that the fabric reminds you of a dress your mother wore, or one that you saw in a fashion magazine on a model who looked like your better self, or the color is perfect with your hair. You hold it up and face the mirror. Suddenly, your shop-weary eyes play a little trick and you actually see your body in the dress! You look down at the skirt of the dress and see your very own legs sticking out from underneath. You feel the smoothness of the sleeves on your arms and then for all intents and purposes, that dress is yours! Who could resist? You just have to buy your dress before someone else does. And it doesn’t matter if you have no place to wear it – it captivated you now becauses you think of it as yours and you actually have proof – you saw it with your very own eyes. And it doesn’t have to be a dress. It can happen with coats and boots, even handbags. I know the latter to be true because it happened to me recently.
I was out shopping in a little posh ocean town with my daughter when I happened upon a fanciful little tote. It was made of raffia with embroidered pink and red flowers all over it. Inside was a grass-green silk lining and the most darling leather handles. I was smitten, head-over-heels. Possessed. The bag had cast a spell and I knew why – when I picked it up to try it out, I saw it leaning up against my coral linen skirt with the matching top. Then I saw it with my white jeans and my pink silk shell and I saw it bringing bright color to my cream dress with the wooden buttons. Yes, that bag was MINE even before it was bought and paid for.
Somehow I was still able to put it back on its shelf and walk away. But to say I was dismayed is an understatement. As we stopped for lunch, I began to ruminate. I told myself how whimsically chic I would look toting that floral purse this summer. I began to see it inside my life like an old friend – winking at me from the hall table as I reached for it to do my Saturday errands, sitting in my grocery cart as I did my marketing and then leaning beside me at the summer theater house. Then the strangest thing occurred and I heard a voice from my inner sanctum say, “I just bet the woman who owns that floral bag makes blueberry muffins”!
When I told my daughter about the running commentary in my head including the statement about baking blueberry muffins, we both burst out laughing at the absurdity. More soberly, we concluded that the sweet handbag was much too expensive for New England’s brief summer fling and it certainly wasn’t packable for tropical trips in the winter and besides, my pre-retirement budget isn’t allow for snowbirding anymore.
We finished out a lovely afternoon, poking into a few more shops and enjoying my little granddaughter’s first taste of ice cream. It was a wonderful day that will be added to my memory bank for years to come. When I got home, I decided a tepid bath with some new salts would be just the thing. But something odd happened at that moment…and I think you can guess Dear Readers – I went to the kitchen and got out all the fixings to make blueberry muffins. And when my soothing soak was over, I wrapped myself in a terrycloth robe and had a delicious hot-from-the-oven blueberry muffin.
And he was happy too…
~
Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins
(Jordan Marsh was Boston’s venerable old-world department store famous for its blueberry muffins.)
1/2 cup butter
2 cups unsifted flour
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 cups large fresh blueberries
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons sugar (for top of muffins)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy; add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.In a second bowl, combine all dry ingredients. (You can use an electric mixer to combine the dry ingredients thoroughly at this point so that you won’t need to overmix once the wet and dry ingredients are combined.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter and sugar mixture along with the milk and vanilla.
Optionally, mash 1/2 cup of the blueberries, and stir in by hand (this will turn batter a light shade of blue and add a touch of blueberry flavor, but this step may be skipped, if you wish). Add the remaining whole berries and stir in gently by hand.
Spray a 12 muffin baking pan with Baker’s Joy (or other non-stick spray). Fill greased muffin cups.Sprinkle sugar on top of unbaked muffins.
Bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes. Cool in pan. Run a knife around the edge of each muffin after several minutes to free it from the pan and cool on wire racks. Muffins may be brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with sugar, if desired
I love the new look of your blog. I opened it up and it just drew me in. And then I read, “Blueberry Muffins” and everything was perfect. Thank you for the recipe… and for the story. XO
I so enjoyed reading this post. My grandmother would take me to Boston and we would ride the Swan boats and have a sundae at Bailey’s after the ride. Sometimes we would shop at Filene’s and Jordan Marsh. I remember those muffins very well. The era of a little girl wearing a navy blue spring coat with white gloves is over but the allure of a fine blueberry muffin never gets old.
You are so coy. When I asked you what your latest blog post will be about you said, “blueberry muffins”! It’s actually about so much more! So delightful. No disappointment here except when I thought you might really walk away from that tote!
If it was me, I don’t think I would have been able to resist the raffia tote, especially because of the color of the lining. I loved the scenarios you described.
As for the blueberry muffins, I know a certain someone who would appreciate them…
Thanks for the recipe!!! And while bayberry muffins are a no-regret move, I’ll bet that straw bag would have become a sad version of itself in a few seasons. You know how straw bags go… Loved this post and plan to rush home to make muffins…any day now! 😘
9 Comments
Beth M.
So glad you made the transition to your lovely new site, and that we’ll get to keep reading wonderful posts like this!
Karen
I love the new look of your blog. I opened it up and it just drew me in. And then I read, “Blueberry Muffins” and everything was perfect. Thank you for the recipe… and for the story. XO
Susan H
I so enjoyed reading this post. My grandmother would take me to Boston and we would ride the Swan boats and have a sundae at Bailey’s after the ride. Sometimes we would shop at Filene’s and Jordan Marsh. I remember those muffins very well. The era of a little girl wearing a navy blue spring coat with white gloves is over but the allure of a fine blueberry muffin never gets old.
Debra Rodgers
You are so coy. When I asked you what your latest blog post will be about you said, “blueberry muffins”! It’s actually about so much more! So delightful. No disappointment here except when I thought you might really walk away from that tote!
Tracy
Darling bag.
So many good memories made in one day!
Judy
If it was me, I don’t think I would have been able to resist the raffia tote, especially because of the color of the lining. I loved the scenarios you described.
As for the blueberry muffins, I know a certain someone who would appreciate them…
Karen
That’s blueberry, autocorrect!! Argh!
Karen
Thanks for the recipe!!! And while bayberry muffins are a no-regret move, I’ll bet that straw bag would have become a sad version of itself in a few seasons. You know how straw bags go… Loved this post and plan to rush home to make muffins…any day now! 😘
Heather
I love blueberry muffins! Xo