Blueberry Picking with the Fam
Blueberries simply sing summer. And picking them on a farm with family is just as fun as eating handfuls until your fingers turn blue.
There are never enough blueberries at my house. If the kids aren’t munching on them – by the bushel it seems – then I’m baking a pie or blending a smoothie.
Our supplies were running low, so it was time to head out to the blueberry field for more.
It can’t be overstated that kids need to back away from the television and electronic games more often, especially during the warm summer months. It would be such a shame to stay inside, back hunched over, staring at a screen, when the weather is so lovely.
As parents, aunts and friends, we can all help out -- not to mention we benefit from unplugging as much as the kids.
I don’t mean to preach. It’s just that I believe children are happiest when they have a sense of purpose -- they’re so much more sophisticated than we realize. Every moment matters, and it’s our job to make them count.
Okay, I’ll climb down off my high horse now and get back to blueberries.
Truthfully, last Saturday morning I had to pull myself out of bed – blueberry picking is an early business I’m afraid. We were intent on getting to the field before the masses.
Prime blueberry season is short in the Midwest – just two weeks. Get them or they’re gone!
Finally hubs and the kids were ready and we headed out the door with sunhats, shades and plenty of kid-safe bug spray and sunscreen.
We arrived with the second wave – townies, I suppose – folks who were too late to be farmers but early enough to not be labeled "city folk" by the locals. The farm was a mere 40 minutes from home, but standing amid the berry bushes with corn fields as far as my eyes could discern, it felt like an eternity away.
The best part was listening to my children tell stories as they picked, watching them compare berries – the deepest blue vs. the widest shape – all the while giggling about who would have the heaviest bucket when we finished.
Even the kids had to admit, who needs video games on a day like this?
Now, what's a girl to do with all those blueberries? We made everything from smoothies to hand pies, but my favorite was: