Blueberry Pie and A Beautiful Drive!

Yesterday, I went for a drive all by myself. I feel like this shouldn't be news, but usually I have C in tow, and although he makes road trips entertaining, it's really nice to get out all by myself.

I wanted to get some blueberries and pies from McKay's Wild Blueberry stand for the freezer. You need blueberries for "Surpise Pancakes" and muffins, and McKay's are the best. It was such a nice day; I thought I'd jump at the opportunity.

After a really busy week and starting to feel better after being struck down by a cold (maybe a little too dramatic!), it was so nice to enjoy a little time by myself, turn up the radio and take in the scenery.  Of course, my mind is always racing with a never-ending to-do list, but flipping back and forth between the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s channels on the radio really helped to clear it. Elton John's "Benny and the Jets," the Bangles' Manic Monday, Pras and Mya's "Ghetto Superstar," and a little NSYNC were exactly what the doctor ordered. Sorry to the people who drove past the crazy lady singing and dancing in her car. I couldn't help myself.

McKay's was busy! I think I was in line for about 20 minutes, but the ladies that run the stand are awesome, and it doesn't seem like it's that long. There is one older lady who is a reason to stop there all by herself. She is spunky!

The wait also gave me a chance to plan to add more to my order. (I'm sure if C had been with me, it would have felt like hours... that boy doesn't have patience yet.)

I picked up two bottles of jam - wild blueberry and bumbleberry. They're both delicious!

I also bought a 5lb box of frozen wild blueberries. For freezer treats, I picked out 4 pies. They are uncooked and frozen, so when you feel like having pie, you just pop it in the oven, still frozen, and a little over an hour later, you have a yummy pie! My favourite is Raspberry-Blueberry, so I bought 2 of those, and also picked 2 Harvest pies. I discovered those a couple years ago - blueberry, apple, and pear. So good! (This picture is from a couple years ago. I am definitely a repeat customer!)

How to bake a pie: Step 1-Go to #McKaysWildBlueberries in Pennfield. Step 2- Buy a frozen, uncooked, blueberry raspberry pie. Step 3-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Step 4-Bake pie for about 75 minutes, or until pie is golden brown and house smells of yummy pie. Step 5-Allow pie to cool and then enjoy! (Repeat often during blueberry season and stock up for the long winter!)

A post shared by Tiffany S (@tiffs2012) on Aug 23, 2015 at 9:17am PDT

To make sure I had a treat for the drive home and snacks for lunches this week, I snatched up a dozen buttermilk blueberry muffins. They are to die for... the little sprinkle of sugar on top puts them over the edge. You have to get them when you see them, becuase they go fast. Often, they're still hot!

It started off as 6...

But one disappeared! 

On the drive home, I was driving behind someone from North Carolina. I often wonder what draws people from far away to come to New Brunswick. I know some drive through to get to other parts of Canada, but many stay for a visit. What's the appeal? While driving, I really took a look around me. Sure, things are starting to look a little brown and grey with fall, but really, our province is beautiful. The highway was surrounded by evergreens, sprinkled with a few hardwood trees starting to turn colours. Passing by the rolling hills, waterways, and rock faces, I realized how lucky I am to live in a place with such a diverse landscape, ever changing with the seasons. And this was inland! Don't even get me started on the beaches and tides. I guess I shouldn't wonder why people would want to stop and take it all in. 

New Brunswick is filled with little gems, like McKay's Blueberry stand. With new highways rerouting traffic flows, it's too easy to pass by. I'm glad I know where to find it!