Maryland Kids and Blueberry Coffee Cake

Action-packed weekend with the Maryland kids just ended... and left me all by myself at home feeling a bit lonely. After hours of hanging out and having people all around me, being alone is startling. The abrupt change of pace from rowdiness to quietness can be jarring.

Yet, time alone is so scarce now in the summer that I need to treasure every minute of it. Being home by myself is time to recollect my thoughts, tackle my ever-growing To Do list, blog and bake, read up on articles for work.

I had a mini-panic moment this week as I realized that my Honduras trip is in 2 weeks! I feel utterly inadequate and woefully under-prepared for my adventure (of a lifetime?). I still need vaccinations (tomorrow), pack up all the medications I'm bringing (next weekend), figure out what to pack, brush up on my conversational Spanish (hopeless), and mentally prepare myself as I take a very large step outside my comfort zone.

So in the midst of the busy-ness, I managed to produce a Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake complete with a crumb topping. This cake was a three day process, not by choice!

1. Thursday night- I got a craving to bake. I decided upon a coffee cake, because it's easy, quick, and delicious. I was planning on bringing the cake to work the next day. As I creamed together the butter and sugar (first step), I was horrified to discover I had no eggs in the house! With dejection, I placed the butter/sugar mixture into the fridge to finish another day.
2. Saturday afternoon- I lined up all the ingredients I needed for my coffee cake (not wanting to repeat the fiasco from Thursday). Flour, salt, vanilla extract, eggs, sour cream- all check. Wait... where's my baking powder?! I ran to the Grocery Outlet down the street, but to no avail. Grocery Outlet didn't have the one ingredient I needed in stock! Low on time and in frustration, I placed all the ingredients back and hoped that the butter/sugar mixture would last another day in the refrigerator.
3. Sunday evening- Third time was the charm! All necessary ingredients? Check. Ample time to bake? Check. Successful and delicious cake? Check! 

Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake (modified from Allrecipes)

3/4 c. butter, softened

2 c. white sugar

2 eggs

1 1/4 c. sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. salt

2 c. blueberries (frozen or fresh)

1/3 c. flour

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

2 tbsp. melted butter

1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 baking pan or springform pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together 3/4 c. butter and white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Then, stir in sour cream and vanilla. Mix in flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in blueberries. Spread batter in prepared pan.
3. Prepare crumb topping: In medium bowl, mix together 1/3 c. flour, brown sugar, melted butter, and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over batter. 
4. Bake until done, when toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Baking time varries depending on the size of pan. For a 10-inch diameter springform pan, I baked the cake for about 1 hour. For a 9x13 pan, baking time will be closer to 35-40 minutes.

Hello, Blog

Sitting at home. Time is 7:29pm. Spotify on. Alone. Brother at work. M and G in Hawaii. A at family dinner. Why hello, Blog!

I had yet another up-and-down day at the OP Zoo. Most patients are manageable and some I even go above-and-beyond to help, but it just takes one. One crazy, off-his-meds, psychotic (literally) patient who doesn't want to pay his copay and is too busy to go see the financial counselor to get charity. After Monday's incident I was antsy and ready to call security right off the bat... At least this time there was no personal attacks and cursing involved. Welcome to Harborview :).

Strangely enough, I'm busier this summer than during the school year. Busy with a full-time (sometimes overtime) job and full-time play. A snapshot of Summer 2011:

Late June/July: White water rafting, VBS, Vball, Ivar's (twice), HS/College Retreat, Tennis, BBQ and Fugitive, USH and Gelato, work work work + overtime

August: WCCC, Blueberry Picking, Hiking (shocking...), $hopping, Paintballing, Glo's 20th!
A little more than a month of summer left... and still so much I want to do. Coming up: college camping@Deception Pass, then Honduras with GMB, and fam trip to Alaska. Plus, I want to squeeze in (at least) another game of Fugitive, more BBQs and potlucks, eat at Vancouver BC, crabbing, and of course, more cooking and baking. Fingers crossed!