My Favorite Kind of Picking...Blueberry Picking

Last week, my sister, her dear friend Wendy, and I met with all of our kids for our 3rd annual Blueberry Picking at Persimmon Hill Farms in Lampe, Missouri.  Now, even though my sister has a blueberry farm not 5 miles from her home, she still likes to make the trek to Persimmon Hill.  Frankly, I think she likes meeting at Persimmon Hill because of ME, her big sissy. 

There she is!  Isn't she cute?  She wears sunglasses because:  a) She's cool; b) She's famous, and doesn't want to get noticed; c) She has a crazy eye, and is embarrassed about it; d) She's gonna kill me; e) Tired of my game yet?; f) The sun was bright.

Oh, and have I introduced you to her DARLING kids?  Oh my WORD, can you see my niece's freckles?  Sure wish I had some of those freckles...they are the cutest thing ever!  And the little guy?  Yeah, he's into me.  He calls me KK, and evidently we chat on his pretend cell phone all the time!!!

 

Notice the bucket?  Persimmon Hill has plenty of buckets and rope available--Us veteran blueberry pickers know that as soon as we arrive, we can grab a bucket, tie it around a waist, and start picking right away!

Oh, Look!  They even allow broken legged children to pick blueberries!  (Okay, it's the foot, but "legged" sounded cuter.)  That air cast has not slowed her down one bit!

 
I kept looking for the little ones, and I kept finding them sitting beneath the blueberry bushes--in the SHADE.  Smart kids, they are!  They'd pick a few berries within reach, eat a few, then move on to the next shady spot.

 

Oh, and the folks at Persimmon Hill?  They are the nicest folks!  They encourage you to eat as you pick--no charge for the snacking!

 Here is what blueberry picking looks like!  I have to admit...my first visit to the blueberry farm, I thought I wouldn't tie the old-looking rope around my waist, I'd just carry the bucket.  I quickly realized the rope around the waist was a GREAT idea--hands-free picking!  Blueberry picking may be the EASIEST kind of picking...you can just saunter down the rows of bushes, easily plucking berries as you go.

After lots of picking (and eating), what do you do?  You sit at one of Persimmon Hill's wooden picnic tables, and have yourself an ice cold Capri Sun!  You can also bring your lunch and enjoy a picnic--or order something from their kitchen.  BIG HINT:  You HAVE to order one of the Thundermuffins.  They are the biggest, and best blueberry muffins I have EVER tasted.

 

(For those of you who don't live within driving distance, Persimmon Hill does sell Thundermuffins online.  They are not cheap, but they ARE delicious!!  And, no, they are not paying me to say this...not with Thundermuffins, either...sniffle.)

 

That day, I checked out with about 2 lbs of blueberries.  At $2.49 per pound, I felt GREAT about my huge bag of $5 blueberries!

What did I do with all those wonderful berries? 

Here are my 3 favorite ways to eat blueberries:

1.  Eat them frozen (If you haven't tried this, you must must must!)

2.  Effortless fruit salad:  watermelon + seedless grapes + blueberries

3.  Blueberry Cobbler -oh my, divine!!

Would you like my blueberry cobbler recipe?  Okay, okay, I must be truthful...this is actually my sister's dear friend Wendy's recipe.  Let me warn you, though.  Wendy is an AMAZING cook, and her recipes are highly addicting.  Okay, they're even more addicting if Wendy makes them.  But, having her recipe is 2nd best.

Wendy's Blueberry Cobbler

1 stick of butter
1 cup of flour
2 cups of sugar divided
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 cup of whole milk
2-4 cups of blueberries or your favorite berry

 

Melt butter in a 9x9 pan (If you use a 9x13,the cobbler will be a little more crunchy).
Mix Flour, 1 cup of sugar and baking powder and milk.
Pour your berries over the melted butter and then drizzle batter on top and
sprinkle remaining cup of sugar over the top. Bake at 350 until golden
brown. Don't forget the ice cream!!  (Amen, Sista Wendy, Amen!!)

 

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