The BEST Blueberry Oat Bread

I started 2022 with great intentions. I wanted it to be my year of “becoming.” But, as I shared in my last post, it hasn’t quite worked out the way I wanted it to.

At least not so far.

First, we got hit with COVID. The dreaded C-word. All of us. Not at the same time. So it was one continual string of positives, as soon as one person got better, another went down.

Then Dillon got the flu, four days after returning to school from COVID.

To say it’s been a challenge is an understatement.

But, beyond that, it’s also been emotionally trying. Maybe it’s cabin fever, maybe it’s friction from too much togetherness, but we’ve all been at odds.D Dillon and Jeff. Me and Jeff. Dillon and Kenzie. Kenzie and Jeff. Connor and Jeff. Connor and Dillon.

Turns out, the only one smart enough to stay out of conflict is the dog. Go figure.

So when my father-in-law mentioned taking Connor to see the new movie DOG this weekend, it must have been a knee-jerk reaction or maybe just a desperate need for some time in a dark room where I could disappear, but I piped up and asked to be a third wheel and tag along. Without knowing what the heck the movie was about, whether it was good or not, or even being a huge “going to the movies” fan.

It was a pretty big leap of faith, and honestly, I almost backed out because I figured it was dumb of me to infringe upon this grandfather/grandson time just to get away. I’m a grown woman and can drive myself to a coffee shop or bookstore or the mall if I want some alone time. But I didn’t. I went. I got some popcorn, which I don’t even normally like, and settled in for two hours of a movie I knew nothing about.

And this is what happened…

I lost all sense of time. I was completely absorbed into a world that wasn’t my own. I forgot about COVID. I forgot about the knit picky bickering going on in my house. I didn’t glance at my phone. I had no FOMO or anxiety. I forgot about all the things plaguing me and bothering me and getting on my nerves and was 100% in the story playing out on the screen.

The best part? The movie was good. Not great. Definitely not something enthralling. Just mildly sweet and fun.

But it didn’t matter. Because this is the power of art.

Art in all forms has the power to transport and transcend. My usual mode of art transportation is a book, you know this of course because I’m a huge book nerd. But I found that stepping out of my comfort zone and testing a new art form (or at the least, a not-as-familiar one), allowed me to shed all of my worries, concerns, and stress. It was a release I never even knew I needed.

The thing about how we live in this modern world is that unless we are intentional, we cannot escape it. I could drive myself to a coffee shop, sure, but I’d still have my little pocket computer and would be tempted to pick it up and check in every 30 seconds. I read books all the time, but unless they are truly amazing my attention span is all over the place and I never quite disconnect the way I need.

But movies…in the theater…they’re a whole different story. First of all, it’s completely dark. So there’s that. Second of all, there is huge social pressure to stick around. It’s some unspoken social contract, I guess, but very few times do we actually walk out of a movie, no matter how bad it is. And also, there are no cell phones allowed. You are forced to disconnect for a few hours. No peeking allowed.

It’s glorious.

The most important part about this whole story is that going to the movies didn’t change a single thing. When I walked back in the door afterward, Dillon and Jeff were bickering again, over something ridiculous that dads and teenagers bicker about. The stress was still there. Nothing was different except me. Even then, it was marginally so. I just got lost for a few hours in another world.

But, apparently, getting lost is sometimes exactly what we need so we can find ourselves again.

The BEST Blueberry Oat Bread

Let me tell you, friend, LOST is exactly where I was during the entire creative journey behind this recipe for The Best Blueberry Oat Bread. Completely lost.

It all started because I got a wild hair to create a sweet bread in homage to my post-COVID meal of choice, my instant pot oats, which I enjoy with blueberries, almonds, and cinnamon. I have a recipe for blueberry muffins but wanted a loaf recipe as most of my family prefers a loaf to a muffin and I wanted something different. So with great confidence, I set out for my first batch.

That failed miserably.

Then my second.

Also failed.

Finally. My third. That time’s the charm, right?

Nope. Failure too.

Y’all, it took me four tries and lots of internet sleuthing to figure out what I was doing wrong and how to fix it. Good thing I’m “stubborn like a mule” (as Jeff likes to say) because if I wasn’t I would have given up around try #2.

The end result of all that effort, though, is truly the BEST Blueberry Oat Bread I’ve ever had. With a wonderful oaty texture that somehow remains light and a gorgeous splash of tart blueberries for the perfect sweet bite, this is one I could eat over and over and over. Not unlike it’s predecessor, the actual oatmeal.

So, friends. Get lost. Enjoy a movie in the darkness for a few hours. Make some bread. Live a little. Your problems will be there when you get back. In the meantime, just breathe. You’re worth it,

Peace, love, and escape,

Meg

The BEST Blueberry Oat Bread

February 22, 2022

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By: Meaghan Dawson

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 3/4 all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup oats (plus more for sprinkling)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 egg (room temp)
• 1 cup milk (I used almond but any will work)
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup blueberries (fresh is preferrerd)
• sliced almonds for sprinkling

Directions

• Step 1 Preheat oven to 350 and spray a loaf pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
• Step 2 Sift together all dry ingredients into a large bowl.
• Step 3 In a separate bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients except blueberries.
• Step 4 Add wet ingredients and blueberries to the dry and mix with a spatula JUST until combined. Overmixing will result in a dense, heavy bread.
• Step 5 Pour into loaf pan and sprinkle with a few oats, almonds, and blueberries on top.
• Step 6 Bake for 50-55 minutes or until browned and cooked through.
• Step 7 Cool in pan for 10-15 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

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