Dear Megs,

I almost forgot! The other day, I made blueberry-lemon-mint-vanilla ice cream. I used this recipe, substituting orange zest for lemon, and doubling the amount of blueberries without changing any other proportions. It is a traditional custard ice cream, and though it's delicious, I would have preferred a lighter texture for a summery blueberry dessert. I should have made it more a sherbet-type deal, left out the vanilla bean and eggs, and added a ribbon of lemon syrup or something to lighten it up.

That said, it is delicious, and would be a wonderful winter dessert, paired with a lemon tart or a Quaker lemon pie, something with a really bright flavor.


Loves!

Linz

Birthday Cupcakes 1

Dear Megs,

I LOVE your jam. Also am feeling inadequate since we have been *buying* our blueberries, and we live in Maine, for Heaven's sake. That said, pretty soon, we're headed over to the greenway, where there are an astonishing amount of wild blackberries. We shall see what comes of that. Last summer I made blackberry cupcakes with mocha frosting (delish), but if we get enough this summer, I think jam is in order.

So, here is the problem with the internet, and why we really need to start making up our own recipes more often. I was looking up lemon cupcakes (that's what Ian and Emma want for their birthday), and here is what I found:

Perfect Lemon Cupcakes

Cake:
1 package lemon cake mix
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup oil
4 eggs
1 small package lemon instant pudding

Horrible. Will update with the recipe I actually USE.

Love you,

Linz

Blue

Dear Linds,

I miss you so thought I'd write a blue post to match my blue mood. . .

The women of our family used to pick blueberries at least once each summer, but the tradition faded as my sisters and I grew up and became more interested in boys than berries. Until recently. Last week, I went picking with my mom and older sister. I then made jam to "preserve" our memory of it. (please forgive the pun)



I wish I could remember what I did because it's my best jam to date. I *think* the recipe went something like this:

6 cups blueberries
3 cups sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
10 or so basil leaves wrapped in little cheesecloth package
(please note that I did not use pectin)

I threw everything in the pot and stirred occasionally until it reached the desired consistency (remembering that it would jell a little more once it cooled). I then removed the basil, poured the warm jam into sterilized jars, and sealed them in a water bath for five minutes.

Loves,