Who goes on a retreat and comes back with recipes (along with a sense of peace and well-being )?  I do, of course!   Especially when the food served was nothing short of spectacular. We were told ahead of time that it would be vegetarian, with gluten free and dairy free options.  I can totally enjoy eating this way, so I was happy. Plus, I was thinking this could be a good chance to drop a pound or two.

We arrived at the stunningly beautiful Uplands Center in Walton, New York at dinnertime, to find four very cheerful women cooking in the large country kitchen.   The aromas that drifted throughout the large house brought a very homey, cozy feeling to me.  When the dinner bell rang, we were escorted into the sunlit dining room to feast our eyes upon a buffet of home cooked soups, stews, grains, breads, and on and on. After devouring a plateful (and I do mean a plate FULL), I returned for seconds, not knowing that the desert buffet would be just as large.

I can’t even describe the desserts without tearing up with fond memories.   Each sweet treat reminded me of the baking of my childhood…..simple, rich in flavor, and full of fruit in the summertime.  I didn’t know where to start, nor when to stop.  The blueberry cobbler was my favorite.  It had just the right amount of sweetness, and was bursting with blueberries.

The food here is cooked with love.  Candy, her daughter, sister and friend emanated a warm-hearted spirit.  They loved nourishing us. You could feel that.  This couldn’t have been more obvious than in the food they prepared.   Meal after meal, the buffet was incredible to the senses….sight, smell and taste.

This was a special weekend and a wonderful experience.  I returned refreshed, happy, renewed, and few pounds heavier.

Recipe:

1 stick of butter, melted

1 cup of sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1cup Gluten-freeAll Purpose Flour mix (Candy prefers King Arthur)…….and of course, use regular flour if you like

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 cup milk  (Can use almond or coconut if you want dairy free)

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups fresh blueberries (or any kind of berries or fruit), washed and patted dry

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly grease a 3 quart baking dish with butter.
3. Whisk together the flour, sugar (not the brown sugar),and baking powder.
4. Stir in the milk, vanilla and the melted butter.
5. Pour into prepared baking dish.
6. Sprinkle the blueberries evenly over the batter.  Sprinkle the brown sugar over the blueberries.
7. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until golden.
8. Top each serving with ice cream or whipped cream, if you like.