Blueberry Bread Blue Shelley Summer Family Virus Experience

Summer!

I hope you are enjoying it, despite everything.We are enjoying having our kids close, although not close enough for hugs... but at least in the same county!

This pretty Petunia and Lobelia barrel is at a local restaurant, Nourish Sequim, that does weekly Die At Home take-out which we are supporting as we don't want to lose them! Haven't eaten in the now open but drastically different restaurant yet....

Blue is my favorite color, and probably blueberries are my favorite fruit....and we grow them large here on our organic farms...the harvest is about over, but we picked some recently, and I froze quite a few...

So last Friday's bake was a Blueberry Tea loaf...recipe follows...and a tea trya in the sunroom...

There is only one teacup...because my Honey likes mugs...he feels safer with them with hos Parkinson's Disease. I had already handed him his, so...just my teacup...a Shelley...surprise! Surprise! That I recently found...

The pattern is called Pink Rose or Pink Rose Spray, and is pattern number 13247. It was made with several different color stripes or bands, but of course I love the blue! 

The pattern remids me of a beautiful wallpaper!

The teacup and saucer is in the Henley shape, and was made from 1940 to 1966 when the pottery closed. I do love Shelley! I thought I would also add my Shelley Rock Garden Chintz cream and sugar to the tray...

This is the individual size of the cream and sugar...it also comes in a bigger size. Love the pattern, but then I love all Shelley chintzes!

The pattern has the British Registry number for 1937-1938 when the design was patented on this shape, which is the New Cambridge shape, pattern number 756, and was also made between 1940 and 1966.

In case you want some jam, I have put it in a Woods and Son English Scenery red transferware dish...

this is my husband's choice...peach preserves, which he always requests with the blueberry tea bread...

which is on my very 1970's wedding everyday dishes Noritake Progression Blue Moon....

As you can see, the bread is chock full of the luscious organic blueberries!

Here is the loaf, just out of the oven...and here is the recipe for your to make your own! I can't tell you where the recipe is from, only that I cut it from a magazine in the 1970s when we were first married, and have used it since then...I never noted which magazine...you didn't then, did you?

Blueberry Tea Loaf

2 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour

2 tsps baking powder

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup soft butter

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 cup milk...always almond milk here

1 cup fresh blueberries or thawed frozen blueberries well drained
I always add 1/4 chopped pecans because my husband loves nuts

powdered confectioner's sugar for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease  a 9X5X2 3/4 inch loaf pan.

2. Sift flour with baking powder, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

3.In large bowl, with electric mixer at high, beat butter with granulated sugar and eggs until light and fluffy...about 2 minutes.

4. At low speed, beat in flour mixtrue divided into 4ths, alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Beat just until smooth.

5. With rubber scraper, gently fold in the blueberries and nuts if used  just until combined.

6. Turn into prepared pan. Bake 60-65 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

7.  Let cool in pan on wire rack for 20 minutes. Turn out of pan onto wire rack Sprinkle top with powdered sugar. Serve slighltly warm, or let cool completely. 
Makes 1 loaf

This is a Blueberry bush in our neighbor's yard... which is just showing the true blueberry color. His big fight is keeping the bird's from demolishing the crop before he can harvest!

Our middle grandson who is 30 has just recovered from the virus, which was quite serious with sweats, weakness and fevers. He lost 30 pounds... which he couldn't afford, really. He has gone to Virginia where our son has a small farm to recuperate with lots of fresh vegetable, family love, pets, and has already felt good enough to go fishing with his dad and a closeby lake where they keep their boat, so we are so relieved!

Photo was sent to my phone to show he was ok. He is 6 foot 7 inches, so not much extra fat to lose!  And wearing the Crocs his grandpa introduced him to when he visited here 2 years ago...  :)

That's Champ in the car, our son's Golden Retriever!

We are supremely grateful!