Blueberries for Breakfast ~ The Evans Way

I love blueberries
rich, dark blue juicy
blueberries.
I love them in pies



and blueberry cake







I love blueberries crisp






and blueberry cheesecake




 Blueberry sundaes are wonderful treats





but blueberries in cereal
on a summer morn
makes me so happy
that I was born.

As you can tell I am enamoured with blueberries.  I have had this obsession for over fifty-seven years.  When we were young my cousins and I would in clandestine garb travel down to a blueberry patch and fill our buckets.  At times, the owner would threaten us with buckshot, but we didn't care.  The following dawn we would be back.

Three years ago I told Papa we needed to plant several blueberry bushes so that on a summer morn I could just go out and pick fresh berries for my cereal.  That spring we planted three bushes.  In June I was extremely happy when I saw the blossoms and waited impatiently for them to turn into fruit.  Just as they were almost ready, the birds had a feast. The following year the same thing happened.  Disappointed...aggravated...this year I knew a battle was on the rise if the birds out maneuvered me again.  In early July I posed the question to Papa....how can we outflank the birds.  With wire and poles, he said.  The following day we bought our war supplies and dug our trenches.  Within an hour our fortifications were standing.  We were ready for the enemy.






Some people when they come into our yard now question why on earth we have poles and wire in our front yard.  But they have never risen at dawn and gone out in their pajamas and picked fresh blueberries to put in their cereal.  Until they do, they won't understand the need for poles and wire.  Now I can just hope a black bear hasn't followed us home from New Hampshire.  Unlike the birds, a black bear has an arsenal of strength in his body.  Knowing how much bears like blueberries,  I'm afraid with one swipe of his huge paw, my blueberries would soon be in his tummy.
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Blueberry Cheesecake:
A blueberry cheesecake with a fresh blueberry glaze. Cook Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes Ingredients:

• 2 packages (16 ounces total) cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs, slightly beaten
• 6 tablespoons cornstarch
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
• 2 cups sour cream
• graham cracker crust, below
• blueberry glaze, below

Preparation: Combine cream cheese and cottage cheese in a large mixing bowl; beat until smooth. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs and beat until well blended. Add cornstarch, flour, lemon juice, and vanilla; stir well. Add melted butter and sour cream, beating until smooth.

Pour filling into 10-inch springform pan with graham cracker crust (below). (Place a shallow baking pan on the bottom rack of the oven with about an inch of hot water.) Bake cheesecake in center of oven at 325° for about 70 minutes, or until firm around edges. Turn off oven and let cheesecake cool with oven for 2 hours. Remove from oven and cool completely. Remove from pan; refrigerate. When completely chilled, top with blueberry glaze (below).

Graham Cracker Crumb Crust

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup melted butter or margarine
• 2 teaspoons sugar

Combine crumbs, melted butter, and sugar; press into the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan.

Blueberry Glaze

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, divided

In a 1-quart saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in water. Crush 1/2 cup blueberries; add to sugar and water mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and begins to bubble. Continue to boil gently for about 2 minutes, or until blueberry glaze mixture is clear. Cool completely. Arrange remaining blueberries over the top of the cheesecake. Pour cooled blueberry glaze over berries. Keep blueberry cheesecake tightly covered in refrigerator.
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Blueberry Pie Recipe