Last Days of Summer

Lately, our heater has been kicking on before we get out of bed. When we slide the door open to let the dogs out, there’s a chill in the air whispering that fall is just around the corner.

All summer, we’ve been watching our blueberries. Noting when they first appeared. Watering the bush by hand during rare hot spells. Scratching my head because I could’ve sworn we used to have ripe blueberries for the 4^th of July. Watching them plump up and at last, this week, they blushed from green to full-blown, deep blue.

               This morning I asked John to take the colander out, and pick some. Muffins or scones? We were impatient, so it was muffins. Steaming hot from the oven and slathered with rapidly melting butter, it’s surprising there were any left for a picture.

               I’ll keep picking them as they ripen and bake them into scones and coffee cakes. If there are still any left, I’ll freeze them for a taste of August in deep winter. What a nice way to say good-bye to summer.

Blueberry Muffins

2 cups Bisquick

1/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup milk

2 Tblsp vegetable oil

1 egg

¾ cup fresh blueberries

Heat oven to 400°. Line muffin cups with paper baking cups. Stir all ingredients except blueberries together until just moistened. Fold in blueberries. Divide batter evenly among cups. Bake 13 to 18 minutes until golden brown. Cool slightly; remove from pan.

Laura Keolanui Stark is savoring the last days of summer. She can be reached at stark.laura.k@gmail.com.