Getting back into blogging has been so eye opening for me.
I have a renewed appreciation for seasonality, a better understanding of myself, a constant source of inspiration through all of you, and a fuller sense of happiness – a part of which has been missing for some time.
On the whole of the things, I have found particular enjoyment digging in to Instagram, a platform which I was blind to previously. When it first came out, I was a Blackberry loyalist, and there was no app for my rust-colored dinosaur of a device. To make matters worse – I didn’t even care. the concept of posting square-cropped, poorly-shot images (the camera on my device was a joke) on an app seemed frivolous. I’d been led to believe it was just Starbucks coffees and selfies, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Kristin, of Pastry Affair (if you don’t follow her on Insta, you should), posted a beautiful and inviting photo of these muffins about a month ago, citing “recipe development” as her afternoon pastime. I hope the following doesn’t sound super weird, but seeing the photo made me so happy. If I recall correctly, I was riding shotgun in S’s car at the moment I came upon the welcoming picture; miles and miles away from my own kitchen and days away from having the chance to bake something myself. That millisecond’s look into her afternoon washed me with a wave of joy; filling my head with cheerful memories of afternoons played out the same way at my house.
It also made me realize that I might actually like blueberries, which I realize is kinda a stretch for a photo, but hear me out. Normally, blueberry muffins are at the bottom of my list. Blueberries, in general, are at the bottom of my list – below cantaloupe and honeydew which is saying A LOT (barf). But her photo, plus about a trillion other blue beauties popping up on my feed, made it click: I don’t dislike blueberries. I dislike blueberries that are out of season.
With that, I sent a big thank you to the Instagram Gods, slapped “2 x blueberry pints” on my shopping list, and got pumped about making these babes as my next lazy morning bake. It took a couple weeks to get around to posting, but hey – it’s still blueberry season. So, get yourself out to the store/market and grab yourself some blueberries. One package for baking, and one package for snacking. Bonus points if your blueberries are frosty looking, because that’s a sure sign that they’re gonna be magically delicious.
Also, before I go, I wanted to give some pointers to anyone who might be new to Instagram. If you’re looking for some massive inspiration, search [individually] for the hashtags #feedfeed, #f52grams, #buzzfeast, #huffposttaste, and #howisummer. There are a million more good ones (Instagram veterans, please leave your favs below!), but these are my favorites for now π
For the recipe, do yourself a favor and visit Kristin’s blog, Pastry Affair. Her photos put mine to shame and she’s got so many lovely recipes in her archive. The only change I made was using a full 8oz of berries in my muffins.
These muffins look so great! I’m glad you changed your mind about blueberries π Also I am OBSESSED with instagram. It’s my favorite thing!
Thank you! And I’m glad I changed my mind too. I have been missing out!!
Totally glad to have you understand my feelings toward Instagram. Scrolling through it is the best way to pass the time!
Such cute muffins! I love blueberries so will definitely try your recipe. π
PS: I’m slightly addicted to IG, hehe.
Thank you!! Give it a try – it’s a winner π
Also, I’m glad it’s not only me who’s addicted!!
Kristin is one of my HUGE blogging inspirations and it makes me smile to see how inspired you were by her! These look so beautiful. I love alllll the summer produce going on right now π
I just love her stuff!! She’s so good!
And yes, me too! I keep trying to not think about how soon it will all be gone π
I’m flattered. You are too kind! π
I’m also happy to hear you enjoyed the muffins! Adding more berries is ALWAYS a good idea. Your pictures are gorgeous and I’m in love with the texture on that muffin pan!
Aw, that means a lot to me! Thank you, Kristin!
As for that muffin pan – as soon as I saw it at the antique shop, I just had to scoop it up. It was too precious not to buy π
YAY! You’re back! Okay, so you’ve been back since last November, as I spent the last 90 minutes catching up on your blog. Hmm, I guess I have also been too busy to keep up with the food blogs I follow. Darn job. Yours was always a favorite though! I want to make several of your recipes, more than I have time for. But, I must try new ones.
You are so kind, Becky! Thank you! Happy you found your way back π
Also, I totally hear you about that pesky job business… lol. I am happy to have work, but I sometimes wish I had more time to bake and blog!