[violet you're turning violet!]

Lately berries of all sorts have been super cheap (they are in season and a ton of farms near Baltimore grow them). About a week and a half ago I picked up two pints of blueberries for $5 at a local grocery store. The other advantage of local in season produce? It lasts WAY longer.

It dawned on me yesterday that I still had a pint left. That pint was going to go bad soon and I doubted whether I would eat the berries plain (I'm still warming up to that idea). In the past I've taken a variety of approaches to this problem. I've dumped the remaining blueberries in vodka,  frozen them for use as ice cream topping, and created massive berry smoothies.

There's more.

I've discovered my inner Martha Stewart and boy does she LOVE to bake. I always thought I couldn't bake but since I've been on this weight loss journey I've seen just how capable I am of accomplishing things I didn't think would ever happen. So I tried my hand at baking over the weekend. I've always wanted to bake but just always assumed I would screw things up so I rarely tried. When I did, it ended up being a self-fulfilling prophecy and I inevitably messed up whatever baked good I was making.

My inner Martha Stewart is a bit hampered though. That last sentence is actually pronounced "I'm broke." I know it's not spelled that way but that's how you should pronounce it.

Yesterday I was at work, clicking around on Pinterest aimlessly. Honestly I was looking for one of those eggless cookie dough recipes. Then I found this website. So I clicked around on it for a while.  Suddenly this caught my eye:

Source: eat-yourself-skinny.com via Courtney on Pinterest

So I mentally scanned my fridge & pantry. Lemons? Check. Blueberries? Check. Sugar? Check. Milk? Check. Flour? Check (thanks to a grocery store run Sunday it's fresh, non-rancid flour). I ran through the whole recipe list and lo and behold I had everything already!! I rejoiced mightily.

After work I whipped up a batch of the bread while working on my laundry. Okay that's not quite accurate. I was also cleaning out my linen closet and baking another type of bread and at some point in there also eating a bowl of cereal (don't judge me. I was busy).

The results?

Amazing. For the first tim win my 25 years on this planet I baked bread that did not overflow, stick to the loaf pan or burn. Not to mention it's delicious and moist and perfect. It's just so perfect.  I could not have been more happy with it.

It turns out that when you put your fears and doubts aside, you can accomplish all kinds of things.

Including managing to not burn, overflow or otherwise destroy a loaf of bread.

Except maybe good self-outfit photos. I'm still on the struggle bus with that one. Sigh.

Dress: Syms

Cardigan: LOFT

Belt: repurposed from a  dress bought at Nordstrom's Rack

Necklace, earrings: Silpada