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May 23

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Introducing the First Ever (inter)National Bouquet Day!!!

Hi there!
I’m super excited to finally announce the big news… we’ve set the date! The first ever (inter)National Lonely Bouquet Day will take place at (hopefully) lots of various locations throughout the world on Sunday, June 30th. I’d be totally thrilled if you guys would join me as we dedicate one very special day to spreading some flower power around our local hotspots.

Don’t be put off by the fancy name tag. Just remember that no effort is too small… after all, it’s the thought that counts, right? Don’t have a huge garden? A jar full of wildflowers will do! Don’t have a green thumb or haven’t mastered the illusive art of flower arranging? A single stem tied with a “take me!” tag should do the trick! I, of course, will be hosting a small (or big?) group of folks here in my garden, where we’ll assemble a bunch of homegrown bouquets that we’ll distribute together!
In honor of this big announcement, I’d like to share a little video full of the adventures I’ve shared with my flower friends throughout the past year. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the virtual tour around all the wonderful places we’ve had the pleasure of visiting.

If you would be interested in participating… or even hosting a small group at your own home, please feel free to sign up for the event on the brand spankin’ new facebook page dedicated to the Lonely Bouquet movement. I’d love to hear your stories, see your pictures, and share the wonderful experience of flower philanthropy together!

Have a great day everyone, and I look forward to seeing you tomorrow :)

May 22

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Flower Power in the Voerstreek

Hi there everyone!

How’s life treatin’ you? Are you slowly gearing up for summer and all the relaxation, sunshine, and vacation time it entails? If we could get a little bit of sunshine here in Belgium, I’d be a whole lot happier celebrating spring. For now, though, I’m left daydreaming of warm evenings lounging on the balcony, ice cold glass of lemonade in hand while casually watching the sun sink beneath the horizon. Daydreams aside, I’ve come to realize that there’s no better way to keep busy and celebrate spring than picking the few flowers growing in the garden and dressing them up into lovely little bouquets. During the two (yes, I can count them on two fingers) days of sunshine and warmer temperatures, I took refuge outside and let nature dictate my foraging fodder. Blues and reds dominated the garden, accentuated by the bright green growth of the surrounding shrubs and trees. All of the trees, that is, except for the red hazelnut. Gorgeous!

From the foraged material, I was able to eke out five colorful creations. After packing up the trunk of the car, I brought the first of the five floral arrangements, Dramatic Diana, to a local spot that is near and dear to my heart. Val Dieu.

I swear, this place is so special that luscious lilac branches sprout from its ancient stone walls.

Sweet Suzanne wanted to stay behind as well, basking beneath the lilac-scented fragrant air.

Next up was ‘s Gravenvoeren, a local village that I visit quite often yet somehow seem to have neglected during my Lonely Bouquet tours. Faithful Fiona stood alert underneath the war memorial located in the center of town.

From the scenic hills of the Voerstreek, I headed toward the Dutch border. Barely five minutes after crossing the border, I arrived at my next destination… the “pearl of the Hevelland”, Slenaken.

It’s cafe terraces bustling with activity, Slenaken seemed like the perfect spot to leave behind Leisurely Linda. She sat atop a wooden bench, enjoying the peaceful hubbub of weekend activity and the tranquil whisper of the stream waters flowing by.

In the parking lot, I had to pinch myself to make sure I hadn’t been teleported back to California. This awesome oldie reminded me a lot of my very first car… except my car wasn’t quite as classic and it certainly wasn’t nearly as spiffy. It was my grandma’s old, white 80s Buick I so lovingly named Mildred.

From Slenaken I drove up and over the Loorberg and wound my way around the tiny villages before arriving at my final destination. Epen. Renowned throughout the region for its scenic vistas of the gorgeously green countryside, Epen immediately caught the attention of the last of our five flower friends, Adventurous Alex. She enjoyed sitting on a bench, taking in the scenery and watching the walkers passing by.

I drove back home, the car feeling a bit empty without the presence of energetic petals. Upon my arrival, I was greeted with the great news that both Alex and Linda had already found new homes. One lovely family took Alex home after completing a 15 (!) km hike with their kids. Linda, on the other hand, was taken all the way to Lanaken as a surprise for a family friend.

I hope the sunshine will return again soon, so I can get back out there and spread some more flower power!

Have a wonderful day everyone, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

May 21

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Natural Color Palette

Good evening everyone!

In yesterday’s excitement I forgot to mention the wonderful weather we were treated to this past weekend. Blue skies burst through the thick cloud cover and rays of sunshine kissed our faces. By now you probably know what good weather means… Lonely Bouquets! There was so much beauty to be found in nature, I decided to use one of nature’s own springtime color palettes as the source of this weeks floral inspiration. Isn’t it wonderful that when you rely so heavily on seasonal flowers, all of a sudden you allow nature to dictate the spectrum of colors that make up your arrangements? A red hazelnut tree bursting with its dramatic dark foliage was such a splendid contrast against the bright blue skies… I couldn’t resist cutting a few branches before carrying on with my foraging.

Thanks a lot to my in-laws and my wonderful friend Reineke, who donated several gorgeous garnet-colored peonies, and my own garden starting to come to life, I was able to throw together a colorful arrangement of seasonal flowers. Red hazelnut leaves, blue cornflowers, wild columbine, forget-me-nots, vines of wild clematis, sweet william, woolly mint, and wild grasses made up one dramatic duo of bouquets.

Another bunch of bouquets contained a softer combination of sweet pink peonies, dark clematis, white anemone, sweet william, chives, knautia, several mints and grasses.

My very first lilac trees, only about one year old, produced just enough muted mauve blossoms to compliment the pink peonies and vivid hosta leaves. The small arrangements were finished up with sprigs of wild comfrey, mint, and sweeping vines of wild clematis.

I was quite enamored with the colorful contrast of blues and reds… two of my very favorite colors.

The columbine and forget-me-nots added just the right amount of softness to an otherwise dark and heavy bouquet.

I’m so glad that I had the pleasure of using a few pretty peonies while they’re in season! Mine should be coming along soon… I see the buds slowly swelling with each passing day. I can’t wait to head out into the garden, armed with only a bucket of water and some scissors, and return to my work space with loads of homegrown beauties! Until then, I’ll keep foraging from the wild (thank you Mother Nature!) and take advantage of any local offerings! :)

Tomorrow you’ll get to take a little tour with me as we drop these aromatic arrangements throughout the scenic villages that dot the local countryside!

Until then, have a lovely evening and very sweet dreams!

May 20

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Make Way For Ducklings

Good morning everyone, and a very happy Monday to you all!

I have some wonderful news to share! Over the weekend, I became the proud supervisor-in-charge over our lovely Mama Duck and her two beautiful babies! Yippee!
Honestly, after scaring a crow away from the nest and finding a broken egg with a nearly full-term duckling inside, I was getting ready to write a sad and teary-eyed update. Just after hopping out of the shower, I heard a frantic voice calling me downstairs. Rushing outside, I was confronted with the horrible news. We spent several minutes trying to comb through the nest to see if any unhatched eggs were left behind… but found nothing. I was emotionally overcome by the incredible dedication Mama Duck had shown only for her hard work to end in sadness.

Dragging myself back upstairs to finish getting ready, a sudden movement in the pond caught my eye. I immediately grabbed the binoculars and was overcome with joy to see two teeny, tiny ducklings darting about the water with Mama Duck not far behind. I know, I know. It sounds like the cliche ending to some cheesy Disney movie… but it’s true!

In honor of my mom, who likes to name everything that comes in twos “Frick” and “Frack”, those are the names I’ve chosen to bestow upon the little ducklings. On the upside, the adorable threesome seems to be doing just fine… on the downside, I never knew how much stress would come along with being the (unofficial) supervisor-in-charge over the season’s first batch of babies. With every crow that flies overhead or hawk circling high in the sky, a small part of me breaks out in a panic. Admittedly, Mama Duck and her babies are so good at hiding themselves away, I have an incredibly hard time figuring out where they are. Hopefully the same holds true for any predators lurking around the field!

After a morning swim, we were surprised to see Mama Duck marching her babies through the field. As Mama Duck waddled her way through the high grass, Frick and Frack scurried behind, rushing to stay within a safe distance.

I suffered another mini-heart attack when we scared the threesome of wandering waddlers while enjoying a stroll with the dogs. Luckily neither of our furry friends seemed to notice the feathered ones… phew! We sent them scurrying across the pavement toward the (relative) safety of high grass. Mama Duck seems to be quite shy around people, which, I suppose, is for the best. Other than this chance encounter, I’ve tried to leave them alone and not invade their personal space… which makes getting some good pictures a bit of a tricky task.
While I’m amazed at Mama Duck’s mothering skills, I can’t help but worry that her ability to protect her babies is dangerously limited. Such is nature… I suppose that’s something I’ll just have to learn to accept. With birds of prey, foxes, and weasels, I know that there’s a very real chance that either Frick or Frack won’t make it… but the optimist in me likes the think that they will! :)

I’ll keep you guys posted on any ducky updates- hopefully they will all be happy ones! :)

Have a great day or enjoy your evening… wherever you may be!

May 17

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Hanging Basket of Berries and Herbs

Hello there, and a very happy Friday to all you flower lovers!

To celebrate the arrival of another wonderful weekend, I wanted to have a little more flower fun with you guys… or plant pleasure… or garden goodness. However you choose to look at it, there’s an always applicable alliteration! This dreary rain simply will not go away, so I wanted to get a few more gifts from the ever-so-generous garden gods transplanted. It’s not just herbs that are popping up everywhere, lots of other plants are quickly following suit. Daisies, poppies, pansies, and berries, just to name a few. The strawberry plants are in full bloom; I’ve even spotted the very first teeny, tiny berries beginning to grow. Each year, however, the plants seem to want to spread beyond their designated borders, to break loose from the confines of their corner in the garden. Previous years, I’ve been temped to let them stay, resulting in a strawberry patch that has slowly sprawled throughout the seasons. This has eventually allowed them to dominate about 1/4 of the vegetable garden. Not that I have anything wrong with strawberries, I love them almost as much as the slugs do. It’s just that I’d also like to grow a few other things too.

Since I’ve been bitten by the transplantation bug, I decided to have a go at something new. I figured I’d take advantage of Mother Nature’s generosity and make an edible hanging basket full of volunteer plants found growing in the garden. Mints, bee balm, strawberries, and nasturtiums. Okay, fine, I planted the nasturtiums… but doesn’t it at least count that they were seeds harvested from last year’s plants? All of the plants appeal just as much to the eye as they do to the tummy… with an added bonus that they have a natural tendency to hang loose!
I gathered up all of my supplies (a hanging basket complete with a chain, a square section of chicken wire, moss foraged from a moist and shady corner of the field, potting soil, sphagnum moss purchased at the local gardening store, bee balm plants, mint seedlings that magically appeared in the garden, strawberry suckers, and nasturtium seedlings) and got to work.

First things first, I flipped the dome-shaped basket upside-down and lined the cavity with my foraged moss. The sheets of greenery will keep any soil from escaping with an added bonus of making the basket look lush and lovely.
Next I added some potting soil.

To top it off, I secured the dirt in place with my square section of chicken wire. As an additional security, I squeezed a bit of sphagnum moss into each section of chicken wire… this will make sure that no soil falls out.

Now it’s time to get planting! Using your fingers, spread sections of the moss apart just enough to tuck the rootballs of your little plants safely within the soil. Don’t worry if all of your pushing and prying leaves you with bald patches of brown dirt. You can always add a blanket of fresh, green moss on top of your newly planted babies.

Once you’re happy with the aesthetic appeal of your edible goodies, you should place the basket (flat side down, dome side up) outside and water regularly. It should only be a matter of a couple weeks before your little plants become happy in their new home and generate a healthy new network of roots. Take comfort in knowing that as the plants mature and adapt to their new abode everything will slowly fill.

That being said, I couldn’t help hanging up this bad boy to snap a few photos. I’m planning on adding a few more plants (maybe even some colorful flowers?) on top once the basket is well-rooted and ready to hang. Imagine meandering over to your basket o’ plenty and snipping off a sprig of mint to stick in your ice-cold glass of lemonade or plucking a plump, red strawberry and popping it straight into your mouth. Yum!

Consider this a work in progress- I look forward to showing you guys the finished product over the course of the next few weeks!
Is this a project you guys would consider making yourselves? If so, what would you guys add to your little edible masterpiece?
Have a wonderful weekend everyone, and I’ll see you on Monday! :)

May 16

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Dahlia Delight

Hello there friends!

I know this might not mean all that much to you, but I just received a long-awaited package all the way from the UK. This surprisingly small, brown package contained a carefully selected, colorful combination of new goodies for the garden. Tucked safely between these cardboard walls, tiny little dahlia plants are waiting to say “bon jour!” to Belgium. As destiny would have it, these rooted cuttings arrived mere hours after my post on the home-grown herbs added to the garden. Funny, huh?
Since February I’ve been dreaming of dahlias… an explosion of non-stop color that breathes new life into the cutting garden from July until the first frost. For days, weeks even, I drooled over the dozens upon dozens of unique varieties offered up for sale through the National Dahlia Collection online store. After loading a handful of dreamy dahlias into my virtual shopping cart, I gasped at the price. I hurriedly stuck a few back on the shelf before proceeding to check out. Brandysnap, Inca Royale, Barbarry Drifter, Elma E Elizabeth, Cryfield Rosie, and Stella J were just a few of the fellows who made the final cut.
If you’ve perused through their endless collection, perhaps you can understand my excitement. Such beautiful blooms! I’ve been anxiously checking my order status on their website. It remained at “complete”, which worried me that they hadn’t been sent yet. And if they had been sent, had our dreaded mailman misplaced them? Had they been held up at customs? O, the worry that comes along with a long-distance plant purchase.

I’ve never experimented with rooted dahlia cuttings before, so this will be my first adventure into the world of tuber-free flowers. If all goes according to plan, these pretty little babies should already flower this year and produce a tuber that can be over-wintered and saved for the years to come. Perhaps, if this experiment turns out well, I can even try to root some cuttings of my own next year!

I set up my little potting bench with some potting soil, 9 cm pots, and lots of love. Each cutting came with its catalog number clearly written on a white popsicle stick. I haven’t quite memorized their database of dahlias, so I’ll have to take a peek on the website to figure out what’s what, or as my mom likes to say, who’s who in the zoo.

All of the small plants looked super healthy- the roots were well-formed and the leaves looked gloriously green.

The potted plants are sleeping soundly outside where they will hopefully slowly acclimatize to our wet and dreary weather. At least this way their tender new growth won’t get nibbled by hungry slugs!

I’m so excited about the new British blokes that have made the long journey to my garden in Belgium… and I can’t wait to see what they offer up this summer! I’ll be sure to keep you guys posted and show you any and all new varieties as they begin to bloom. Should any of you locals be in the market for rooted cuttings, starting on the 29th of May, the dahlia club in Maastricht is selling some nice varieties. They’re a steal of a price and great quality. I’ll definitely be there to check them out!

Have a wonderful day, and I look forward to seeing you tomorrow for a fun little garden project :)

May 15

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Plenty of Thyme

Hi there everyone!

Today I decided to continue with some more thrifty gardening. Remember those herbs that I rooted in water a couple months ago? Since the rain has decided to stick around for another few days (or more, sheesh), I figured that now was as good of a time as any to get those rooted herbs (which have since been potted up and growing in some soil) planted in the veggie garden. I was surprised at how simple it was to snip off a few select sprigs of mint and basil, stick them in a glass of water, and watch the roots grow. To my relief, I had no issues whatsoever transplanting them into small plastic pots. When I took a peek at the pots this morning, I was amazed to see exposed roots that were beginning to outgrow the pot!

Rainy weather, as unpleasant as it may be for gardeners around the globe, makes for perfect transplanting weather… the moisture in the air and on the ground helps the little plants acclimate to their new surroundings and minimize the overall shock that comes along with moving homes. I tucked several small Magic Mountain basil plants safely into the herb border and added another handful of chocolate mint plants to the neighborhood meant for mints.

I’m pretty pleased with how my little herb corner is shaping up. I’ve got lots of mints (woolly, chocolate, apple, peppermint, lemon balm), thyme, oregano, sage, cilantro, chamomile, growing in glorious green harmony. I can’t get over how wonderful all the various shades of green look together… soft sea greens, bright neon greens, purple greens, vivid greens.

I can’t wait for everything to completely fill in and make this corner of the veggie garden one big, flavorful and fragrant sea of green. In the meantime, I’ll continue taking little cuttings in order to help convert the bald patches of dirt into a paradise for plants! :)

Have you guys given rooting a go? Any favorite herbs that you have in the garden or use religiously in the kitchen?

May 14

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Lost Souls

Good evening everyone!

Over the last few days, I’ve learned to embrace our rainy weather… to welcome it with open arms. I know that the moisture will make the little seedlings happy and healthy, and a lengthy period of sunshine is sure to follow. As a matter of fact, I’ve been enjoying the slight sprinkle of raindrops on my face as I work in the garden. It’s difficult  at times to spread your energy over a variety of different flower borders and vegetable gardens. Just as I breathe a sigh of relief that the roses have been weeded, I find myself gasping at how quickly the weeds in the veggie garden have grown! Wasn’t it just the other week that I dug through all the dirt and pulled out all of the little buggers that I could find? You know how it is with weeds… one teeny, tiny piece of root left in the ground will surely sprout not one but several new plants. Come to think of it, they’re a bit like Medusa!
This time of year I often find myself facing the tedious task of weeding the back section of the vegetable garden. I’m faced with a dilemma … I know it’s time to get the herbs and veggie seeds for this year sown, but I also see so many friendly faces from last year already popping up in between the weeds. What’s a gardener to do? Do you simply shrug your shoulders and dig them under with the rest of the  sprouts? Do you carefully weed in between all of the tiny seedlings? Do you transplant all the seedlings you can before having a go at weeding?

This year, I’ve chosen to do the latter. I’m not so callous a gardener to sacrifice a bunch of plants packed with potential for the sole purpose of ridding my vegetable borders of weeds. Thus,  I spent the afternoon rounding up all of the little seedlings that I could find, hoping to transplant them to a better home. I found some spinach, dill, cilantro (coriander), calendula, chamomile, valerian, and, most near and dear to my heart, a whole scattering of Californian poppies. The vast majority of these seedlings came from one small package of “yellow flowers” that I sowed at random several years ago. Funny, huh? Little did I know that they would continue to send along future generations, their numbers steadily growing with each new season.
I set about transplanting each and every plant with potential to new, much more logical, locations throughout the vegetable garden. The dill, cilantro, and chamomile snuggled in nice and cozy among the other herbs, while the calendula and the poppies got scattered between the other flowering plants.

Oh, by the way, I had a guest gardener join me for this daunting adventure. Mr. Frodo spent the day sniffing the seedlings, chewing on sticks, and sleeping on the stones. Isn’t that one of the cutest little faces you’ve ever seen?

Okay, back to business. I used an old and rusty putty knife to wedge the small seedlings out of the ground. I tried to keep as much dirt around the root ball as I could, but it almost always fell away. I know that poppies aren’t very fond of relocation… their deep taproot makes them a bit finicky when it comes to finding a new home.

I tried to keep the root intact as I moved each seedling, one by one. I nestled them in between the hydrangeas… I placed a handful between the herbs… and I decided that they would look awfully nice lining the little brick pathway that dissects that vegetable garden.

Even though it was drizzling outside, I made sure to give them a good drink of water. A few looked a bit sullen and droopy, but I’m pretty sure they’ll perk up once they get settled into their new neighborhood and make some new friends. The majority looked nice and perky, which I’ll take as a good sign that they will brighten up every corner of the garden with their beautiful flowers as the summer progresses and the hot weather returns!

Have a great day guys, and I look forward to seeing you tomorrow!

May 13

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Companion Planting

Hi there gardening buddies, and happy Monday!

Despite the grey, windy, and unseasonably chilly weather, I’ve been busy taking care of lots of little tasks in the garden. Weeding, for one… blech. Transplanting, support-building, and vine-guiding. I’ve also been thinking a bit about companion planting. Have you heard of it? The basic idea is to create a combination of plants that can mutually benefit from one another (i.e. fennel and dill)… or sacrifice one plant for the betterment of your focal flower (i.e. roses and nasturtiums). Truth be told, I’m not quite organized or thorough enough of a gardener to think these things through… but when I mulled over the idea of underplanting my roses with nasturtiums, it made me think twice about the whole concept.

Placing friendly plants next to one-another isn’t all that tricky and it can often address any pest problems effecting your garden. I’ve heard that garlic bulbs can be help to repel rodents from flower beds filled with tubers. I had a vole or two pay my dahlia border a visit last year, so I was keen on giving this experiment a go. I also happened to have several bunches of last year’s garlic still hanging in the attic. Since they had already started to send up new green shoots, which negatively effects the flavor of the garlic cloves, I figured, hey, why not plant them along the rows of dahlias and see how it goes? I know it’s a bit late to plant out garlic cloves, but I figured there was no harm in trying.

For me, companion planting isn’t limited to just plants. Don’t you agree that gardening can be so much more fun when you get to enjoy the company of other busy bodies? Sure, one can easily enter a meditative state while performing repetitive tasks such as weeding or sowing seeds… but more often than not, a few companions hanging around can bring a little life to the party.

Meet my two loyal gardening companions, Dieter and Heidi.

They can sometimes be a bit annoying (sitting on freshly planted seedlings, digging in the borders, or chewing up branches of bushes), but I always welcome them their enthusiasm as I pull on my boots and head outside. These two pictures are a pretty accurate summary of my companions’ gardening habits… Dieter thinks that everything is a toy and I have ventured outside with the sole purpose of playing with him, and Heidi thinks that everything is food.

In a stroke of good luck, we timed today’s outdoor adventures perfectly between the sprinkles and showers that seem to have circled around and around over the last few days.  My companions joined me for a little stroll through the grass and a tip-toe through the buttercups before helping me get down to business.

Here are the small nasturtium seedlings that I planted between the rose shrubs. In my mind, I thought that the two plants would work out quite well together. Honestly, I was thinking less along the line of pest control and more along line of saving space. Ideally I’d like to use flowers from both plants in this year’s bouquets. Ironically, though, my research into companion plants has shown that the nasturtiums are supposed to work wonders at enticing the aphids and mites away from the roses. That’s great and all, but I don’t exactly want a bush-full of aphids instead of beautiful flowers. Then again, I didn’t necessarily notice an army of aphids attacking the roses last year… so I suppose that I’ll just have to wait and see how this little experiment goes.

I’ve also read that herbs of all kinds are particularly powerful at repelling lots of pesky pests. My mounds of mint don’t seem to do much against dogs… but, then again, I like my companions close by :)

I look forward to seeing how my little experiment works out. I hope that the garlic will still grow this late in the season! I’ll keep you guys posted and fill you in on all of the latest and greatest pest progress.

Have a wonderful day, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

May 10

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A True French Treat: Blueberry Clafoutis

Happy Friday, friends!

In honor of the rapid approach of another wonderful weekend, I thought that it would be fun if you and I cooked up a tasty traditional French treat… clafoutis! I’ve long admired and munched on many a clafoutis at our local fancy-shmancy boulangerie. They come in lots of varieties (cherry is apparently the most traditional, but I’ve seen everything from apple to pear, strawberry or rhubarb), but I’ve found none to be quite as tasty as the blueberry version. This morning, I realized that I’ve ogled over the pastries hidden behind their glass casing for long enough… it was time to give it a go myself! After all of the crazy recipes full of foraged goods from the garden, I hope you won’t be too disappointed to find that this simple and nonchalant recipe doesn’t contain anything of the weedy sort.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups blueberries
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • A sprinkling of powdered sugar for garnishing

 

Before rounding up all of your ingredients, go ahead and preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C).

I chose to use frozen blueberries, mostly due to the fact the fresh ones aren’t readily available yet. I’ve got a handful of flowers getting ready to blossom on the bushes in the garden, but it will be a while before I can enjoy them… if I can get them before the birds do, that is! My favorite little blueberry stand in Wahlwiller doesn’t even have any yet. So, I guess I’ll have to adapt the age-old saying to my current cooking situation and rest assured that a blueberry in the hand is worth a few on the bush!

Empty the two cups of blueberries (either fresh or frozen) into a medium sized bowl. Add two tablespoons of the granulated sugar and mix well. Let the berries soak up the sugar while you whip up the rest of the ingredients.
In another medium sized bowl (or food processor) add the remaining sugar, flour, eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Stir the mixture until you reach the consistency of a smooth batter.

In a blatantly obvious attempt to emulate the clafoutis sold at our local bakery, I decided to insert individual baking paper linings into a silicon muffin mold. To recreate this casually chic look I simply ripped off squares of baking paper and stuffed them into each separate mold.

Scoop a spoonful or two of your sugar-coated blueberries into each muffin mold. You can add more or less depending on how fruity you want your final product to be. Next you’re going to pour a couple spoonfuls of your batter over the blueberries, making sure to fill the molds nearly to the top (they will expand in the oven and then shrink back once they’ve cooled down).

Stick your muffin mold in the oven and let it bake for about 35 minutes. You’ll want to take the pastries out once they’ve fluffed up quite a bit and turned a nice golden brown.

The final texture should be something in between a pudding and a cake… not spongy but not gooey either. Nice and moist, yummy and delicious!

While I’m showing you the texture, I may as well take a bite and let you know how it tastes… or maybe two bites, since I don’t think I got quite enough blueberries in that first bite.

One word of warning when baking these tasty treats: Be careful digging in… before you know it, it’ll be gone!

I’m so happy to be able to recreate one of my favorite pastries here in my own home. I hope you can bring a bit of Europe into your kitchen and dine on these dreamy and delicious goodies! They also aren’t so horribly bad for you… no butter or fats, just a bit of sugar. And everyone needs their daily dose of sugar, right? ;)

Have  a wonderful weekend, and I look forward to seeing you on Monday!

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