Homemade Blueberry Muffins

I picked up a quart of freshly picked blueberries at a local fruit and vegetable market this week. I knew I wanted to make some homemade muffins with them and since blueberries don't last too long around our house, I knew I had to get on it right away! So after a few photos, Morgan and I set to work. 


This is my favorite blueberry muffin recipe. Its rather simple, but the muffins turn out fluffy and so yummy! 




We beat together 4 Tablespoons butter, 3/4 cups of sugar, 1 egg yolk and 2/3 cups of milk.



In a separate bowl, we mixed 1-3/4 cups of flour, 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla and 2 teaspoons of baking powder. We gradually added it to the butter and sugar mixture. 



After that, we mixed in 1 cup of blueberries, being careful not to smash them. Next, we folded in beaten egg whites. We then poured the batter into cupcake papers and put in the oven to bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes.



It was hard to wait, but we let the muffins cool a few minutes before peeling back the paper to take a big bite.




Blueberry Muffins
Serves 12.


4 Tbs butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, separated
2/3 cup milk
1-3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp vanilla
3 tsp baking powder
1 cup blueberries


1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
2. Melt 4 tsp of butter and add to 3/4 cup sugar, 1 egg yolk and   
   2/3 cup milk. Mix on low-medium. Add 1/4 tsp vanilla. 
3. Mix together 1-3/4 cups of flour and 3 tsp baking powder. 
4. Pour flour mixture gradually into sugar mixture. 
5. Gently mix in 1 cup blueberries.
6. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold into mixture.
7. Pour batter into cupcake papers.
8. Bake until done, 15-18 minutes.


Let me know if you try the recipe and how you liked them. :D 


Happy Friday! 
-tish xoxo

WATER!

Three cheers for WATER and SWIMMING on these hot summer days!! My girls and their friends have been living in the pool this week. It's been HOT here in the Northeast with temperatures reaching the upper 90s and the heat index in the 100+ degree range. The humidity is what can really get to you here. We are so thankful for our pool ...





The girls have been having loads of fun with their friends in the water. They discovered a new "game". They simply layer the mats on the diving board and do a "dump truck". I still am not sure how it doesn't hurt, but they keep doing it over and over again, laughing the entire time.





I think Morgan might be the queen of "dump-trucking". She drops from quite high and gets a huge bounce off the board before bouncing out into the water. Cracks me up every time.







Thank you to Alicia of Project Alicia for the WATER template. She used it in a blog post last summer and offers it as a free download here. I didn't have Photoshop at the time, but loved the collage so much I downloaded it in hopes of someday having the opportunity to use it. Its a perfect template for summer, I'm pretty sure I'll be using it again.  :D 


Keep cool and Enjoy your weekend! 
-tish xoxo

A Pitcher Full of Wildflowers

Bringing some of Summer's beauty indoors.
The handmade pitcher was a gift from my mom. It sits on my kitchen windowsill year-round.
The flowers were all fresh-cut from around our yard except for the yellow Gerber daisy that towers magnificently over the other flowers. It was a "just because you love daisies" gift from a special friend/neighbor of mine. Thank you Lori! I made sure to capture its beauty in photos before it wilted.


I added Kim Klaussen's 123 texture to this photo.
Framed it in a Vintage Frame from the Coffeeshop Blog.


Wishing you a Happy Monday, 
-tish xoxo

Summer Daze Photo Party | Week One

If you don't know by now, Summer is my absolute favorite time of the year! I love everything about it ... waking to the sound of the song birds, hot afternoons and warm nights, the days with no structure, swimming, lounging, s'mores, picnics, vacations .... I truly could go on and on. Our first week has already flown by but included pool time with cousins and friends, grilled pizza and strawberry shortcake with family, staying up late and sleeping in, jeep rides, reading, celebrating my sister, Sarah's, birthday and baking lots of chocolate chip cookies! 

Looking through my photos this week, it appears I was obsessed with insects and critters. This fellow was hanging out in one of the magnolia flowers that had bloomed a little earlier in the week. 


This guy was slithering about one of our Hemlock trees. With quite a bit of poking and prodding, my husband got him out from under it and I was able to snap a few photos. My girls are quite the opposite of one another. My oldest didn't even want to look at it, my youngest couldn't get enough before my husband picked him up and deposited him in the wetlands across the road. Hopefully he doesn't find his way back!



Flyguy was hanging out on a Magnolia leaf one morning after the rain.



My daisies.



And I snapped a photo of this lovely butterfly moth by the pool one afternoon.



It's been a good week, full of fun and relaxation. 
Leaving you with a few Instagram shots from the week. 
You can find more of my Instagram shots here.



I'm linking up once again with Kristi, Alicia and Rebecca. They are hosting a fun-filled, laid-back photo party for the next six weeks. No prompts, no challenge ... a place to share our summer fun! Feel free to join in! They are sharing awesome freebies too such as the Summer Bucket List below. You can find this here on Project Alicia as well as a free collage template she's sharing. Kristi has also made a free collage template this week which I used for my daisy photos above. You can find that here.


Let's see how many of these we can check off this summer, shall we?


Enjoy your weekend! It looks like an awesome one here in the Northeast!! 
-tish xoxo

Wild Raspberries

While mowing around the perimeter of my yard last week, I noticed a small patch of wild raspberries. I had some free time this week to take a walk out there and was surprised to find several areas where these beautiful berries were growing. They are just starting to ripen and their coloring is so vibrant. I couldn't resist cutting a few small branches to bring inside to brighten up my windowsill after my "photoshoot". 

{Four-photo storyboard compliments of Sarah Halstead, the Naptime Momtog. You can find this and other awesome freebies here.}

I so enjoy discovering these little surprises nature offers!
Happy Wordless Wednesday everyone!
-tish xoxo

Daisy, Daisy ....

                       
"Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do.
I'm half crazy all for the love of you.
It won't be a stylish marriage.
I can't afford a carriage.
But you'll look sweet
Upon the seat
Of a bicycle built for two."
                     - Henry Dacre (1892)


                   {123 texture in both photos: courtesy of Kim Klaussen}

My mom use to sing me this song when I was little at bath time, bedtime or other special times growing up. I also have special memories of my grandmother singing it with me as well. When I became a mother, I would sing it to my girls during special little moments. And every now and then, one of them will still want to sing it together. Its a sweet little chorus that brings a smile to my face and warms my heart.  


Every time I see a daisy this little tune comes to mind .... 


Giving thanks that school is out and our girls are home with us! 
Happy summer! 
-tish xoxo