How do you handle mistakes? Do you freak out and scream? Do you roll up into a ball and hope that the day ends soon? Do you live in regret and overthink what has happened? Do you just shake it off and move on?
I think I’m a mover and a shaker. I own when screw up but always try to figure out a way to make it better. (Even if mistakes require the hardest of solutions like apologizing and admitting your faults.)
My most recent mistake occurred this weekend. My husband and I went blueberry picking. (Nope, that isn’t the mistake.) It was a perfect morning on Saturday at Stateline Blueberries in Indiana. There was a nice small breeze coming off of Lake Michigan and enough sunshine to warm your soul. It is the time of year that blueberries are at their peak and the various shades of blues, violets and greens made me feel like I was part of a Monet palette.
We both had our bucket and picked until we were sure we had enough….seven and a half pounds. (Nope, still not the mistake.) There was a weird sort of euphoria that took us over as we drove home with our bounty.
In my family, if you have blueberries, you make a coffee cake called Blueberry Boy Bait (here is the recipe I posted in the past.) It is really a great dish that invokes all sorts of childhood memories. (Especially of licking the batter….it is some of the tastiest batter….sorry Mom…I did hear your voice telling me to go easy on it because of the raw egg….and this too wasn’t my mistake.)
We had enough blueberries that I decided to make 2 at once. I wanted to have a “spare” to bring to a small family gathering that was occurring the next day. All I kept thinking is how happy my family would be eating this dish that we have enjoyed so many times together.
Everything was going right until I made the fatal mistake….I asked for help from my husband. Now in his defense, he did not make a mistake, he followed my directions. All I wanted was help placing the blueberries. Each coffeecake needed one pint which is two cups. My mistake was measuring out two cups for two coffee cakes. (I will give him credit for placing his cup of blueberries in straight lines and very methodically.)
So, my blueberry boy bait was more or less just bait! I didn’t figure out my mistake until it was out of the oven. I sliced in thinking I would see swirls of blueberries adorning each slice but all I saw was a thin layer on top. Hmmmm. What to do?
Given I had MULTIPLE pounds of blueberries left, I decided I would make a sauce to put on my coffeecake. This way if someone only wants a little bit of blueberry in their coffeecake, they’d love the original but if they wanted it REALLY blue…top it with sauce.
I took a saucepan added a few cups of blueberries, a cup of water and a “little” sugar. A tad bit of cornstarch to help thicken it up and a dash of vanilla and my little mistake turned into a great new discovery.
The sauce was reminded me of something you’d drizzle on pancakes or waffles on a decadent Sunday morning. It was sweet and tart and complimented the coffeecake beautifully.
I did bring one of the coffeecakes to my family gathering with a big bowl of sauce….it went over great and confirmed my belief that mistakes can turn into great lessons!
Blueberry Sauce
Ingredients
3 cups fresh blueberries
1/3 cup bakers sugar
½ tsp of good vanilla
1 cup water
1 Tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tablespoons of cold water
Directions
In a saucepan, add the blueberries, sugar, vanilla and water.
Cook over medium until it comes to a slight boil. Stir frequently so the sugar doesn’t burn on the bottom.
Watch for the blueberries to fall apart. If you want big chunks, add your cornstarch now but if you want it a bit smoother…cook a few more minutes until more of the berries are broken apart.
Add the cornstarch and bring to boil. (Remember to stir….this is not the time to go put stuff in the wash.)
Turn down the heat to low and cook until you get the desired consistency.
If it gets too thick, add a splash of water and cook a little longer.
Can be served either warm or after refrigerated.
