Her Q’s: Late summer tradition? Blueberry picking.

Dear StyleBlueprint:

The end of summer in basically here and I really want to start a tradition that mixes the best of late summer with family fun that we, as a family, can continue to enjoy as our children age.  I can’t come up with anything satisfying and I’d love an idea.  Thanks!

-Ruth, Nashville

Ruth,

I love this question and thought long and hard and came up with something, which I have decided to make into a Graves’ family tradition.  I hope this is along the lines of what you were looking for.  What I like about blueberry picking is that it is equally enjoyable at age 3 as it is as a tween or a teen.  Blueberries are in season this time of year and there are several places in Mid TN to pick your own.  For a list on places to pick your own, see this list.  I took my two younger kids and two of their friends to Sante Fe, TN on Monday and here is a mostly pictorial account of our day:

Admittedly, the boys did not last long. They retreated to the car after about 15 minutes!!!

Here are my blueberry picking champions! Reese and Hannah.

There were TONS of juicy ripe blueberries.

The owner of the property, Bernie, is just a salt of the earth guy.  He has been organic farming on this 100 acre property for 40 years.  Being a Vanderbilt grad myself, I loved finding out that he bought the land when he was 19 and at Vanderbilt along with 3 of his Sociology professors.  He is now the sole owner and will let you pick blueberries by appointment, $10 per gallon.  This is by no means some touristy place.  This is his farm and you are his guest.  Wear old clothes and enjoy a secluded place that is only about 45 minutes outside of Nashville.  To make an appointment to pick berries, email Bernie at [email protected].  He suggests you get there early in the morning, or late in the day.

Bernie even took time to show my kids his organic garden, mostly grown on trellises:

Bernie showing the kids cucumbers growing on a trellis.

A quick trip to the creek made everyone happy:

We drove the Natchez Trace Pkwy back to Nashville.  Do not take this route if you, or any of the kids you have, are prone to car sickness.

When we got home, we made the Best Blueberry Muffins from Cooks Illustrated.  As this recipe is a bit complicated (be sure to watch the video on that link), I decided it would be perfect for a yearly treat to round out the day.  Here we are making the muffins:

Reese and Hannah helped with mixing the muffin batter. The boys? They played Wii...

Many giggles were had when the flour didn't stay in the bowl.

And here it is, the Best Blueberry Muffin:

Best Blueberry Muffin: it lived up to it's name

Ruth, I hope you enjoy this idea and thanks for giving us new tradition to look forward to and the end of each summer.

Each Thursday we answer one question from a reader for both StyleBlueprint and the Her Q’s blog found at HerNashville.com. We also answer two questions each Tuesday just on the Her Q’s blog.  Please send us your questions at: [email protected]

-Liza

© 2010, StyleBlueprint. All rights reserved.