Monthly Archives: July 2012

A Whirlwind Weekend: Part III

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If you missed Parts I & II, scroll down for the full scoop on our perfect Saturday!

Sunday morning I awake dark and early – like 3 a.m. early – a time I practically had to program into my alarm clock because even the clock wasn’t certain such a heinous time existed…it took some convincing. I drove to the Dayton airport, flew to New York, spent a lovely day, flew back to Dayton, and drove back home to Cincy, arriving just after 11 p.m. Then I downed a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream with Ted, as a reward for my sleeplessness and perseverance. More details later, maybe.

Monday morning, despite the development of a nasty cold that would plague me for the next 6 days (thanks camp), was heavenly.

I. Slept. In.

In a real bed, with real covers, and real mattress.

Past 3 a.m.!

Past 7 a.m. even!

Heavenly.

When I finally awoke, surprisingly um-traumatized, despite the lack of sleep and excessive travel, I immediately dashed to the window to check on the cherry tomato plant I have patiently and lovingly growing from scratch since early spring. It sprouted and ripened four whole cherry tomatoes while I was away at camp – the fruitful extent of its crop. Three of the four were ready so I excitedly gobbled down two – so sweet! So flavorful! Truly, nothing beats the flavor or pride of home-grown tomatoes.

We met Ted’s parents for breakfast at our favorite breakfast spot in Cincy – The Original Pancake House. That too was heavenly! Buttery apple crepes and the thickest, crispiest sugar-cured bacon you imagine are a fabulous way to start a relaxing day off!

We then proceeded to a place I have been longing and pleading and begging and whining to go since we moved to Cincinnati. A place where the exotic comes to life. A place where dreams come true.

The Aquarium.

Exotic fish!? YES.

I have an unnatural love for any and all animals, and this was a long time coming. I was beyond psyched.

I can hardly believe that such beautiful creatures exist in our world. Isn’t it incredible?

(Ted likes sea horses the best)

(Albino Mav’s!!!)

After the aquarium, we all dined on the planet’s tastiest salads and freshest pizzas at Dewey’s in Oakley – one of our top three favorite pizza joints in Cincinnati. I was totally ready for some excellent eats after the decent yet not entirely thrilling or always fresh n’ healthy fare I’ve been subsisting on at the faculty dining hall at camp. I’m literally counting down the days til the return of Dewey’s Harvest Salad in September. Yeah, it’s that good.

Monday night my cold starting sinking in big time, so I napped for a few hours in the evening, awoke just in time to enjoy an episode of Master Chef with Ted and Mom&Dad2, and re-enter the mundane world of laundry and packing for another four weeks in the wilderness.

But I gotta say, what a wonderful weekend and a great break!

How was your weekend?

I promise I’ll attempt to nip my bloggy negligence in the bud over the next few weeks. More camp and life updates to come…stay tuned!

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A Whirlwind Weekend: Part II

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After our relaxing adventures at the Slugger Museum and Toast on Market in Louisville Saturday morning (if you missed Part I, scroll down!), it was time for the real fun to begin…and the ultimate surprise to be revealed!

Ted knew only that he was to keep Saturday, July 21st clear and free, for some maniacal reason his crazy wife had been brewing up for months and was apparently inclined to drive 7.5 hours back to Cincinnati from Michigan to participate in. That was about the extent of the information I imparted. I may have also imparted that anyone who works as hard as he does really does deserve a “Day of Awesome” to which he rolled his eyes, lovingly bopped me on the forehead, and moved on. It’s tough to get anything past that guy.

I gave Ted driving directions from Louisville, instructing him to stay onto 75-S until Exit 57, when the surprise could no longer be contained because the road sign quite clearly read “Sparta, KY – Kentucky Speedway.” At that point, the jig was up. I think it was fairly obvious why were there and what he’d be doing…

…driving 10 solo laps around the Kentucky Speedway in a NASCAR style race car!

A dream come true for any NASCAR fan.

Surprise!

(As always, click on each picture to enlarge.)

We drove through the tunnel that circled underneath the race track and lead to the inner field and pit row. We parked at the gate by the pit. As Ted was checking in signing his life away on liability forms, his parents arrived to witness the beginning of their son’s racing career…surprise again! He knew his parents would be in town that weekend, but was under the impression they’d be meeting us later that evening for dinner and roller derby, since he obviously was unaware he’d be at the Kentucky Speedway to the begin with.

There, right beside pit row, Ted got suited up in his helmet, fire suit, gloves, and other racing gear …

…participated in a safety briefing and crash course on the tips and technicalities to driving a race car…

…took a few quick pics…

…and then we waited around for 2 hours until the right race car for Ted’s height and an instructor-driven lead car for him to follow was ready. Who doesn’t love the “now hurry up and wait” game? We took in a little a lot of sun, watched the other drivers race around the speedway, and excitedly awaited Ted’s big debut. When the time arrived Ted took a cool stroll to his car…

…got loaded up and securely harnessed into his vehicle…

…and off he went! He took 10 laps around the track, reaching speeds up to 5500 rpm (that’s 145 mph)! He looked amazing out there! I took all kinds of great video that I’d love to share, but my version of WordPress does not support video uploads, so you’ll have to take my word for it. It was completely awesome!

After his speeding frenzy, he squirmed out of his car – because, really, squirming is truly the only way in or out of those suckers…

…we snapped a few more mugs…

…and called it one helluva good day at the racetrack!

Operation “Day of Ted” epic surprise = smashing success.

To wind down after a long day of adventurous activities Ted’s parents joined at the Bank of Kentucky Arena on NKU’s campus for some classic yet tasty sporting arena eats and a bout of roller derby featuring the Cincinnati Black-and-Bluegrass Roller Girls – a first for all of us!

Ted and I had been curious about attending a live bout of roller derby for quite some time, and Ted’s parents knew relatively little of the sport, so it was a fun experience for us all – and the A Team did not disappoint! But we were all so worn down from the sun, long drives, high adrenaline, and big day ahead of us – er, me – on Sunday that was due to start frighteningly dark and early at 3 a.m. that we, unfortunately, had to call it quits early and head home to the comfort of a comfy, cozy bed in an air conditioned apartment – read: not a cot in a cabin in the woods.

I am pleased to report that the Awesome Day of Ted was a perfect success. A definite bucket lister achieved!

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post…Part III!

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A Whirlwind Weekend: Part I

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I questioned what to title this blog post as I tromped through the wooded path that leads from faculty village to the Miller Theatre on my way to first-day-of-camp auditions. Do I title it “The Surprise” or “Ted’s Day of Awesome” or “A Whirlwind Weekend,” I mused.

Oh, hey snake.

He must be at BLFAC, majoring in slithering with a minor in hissing and striking. Doesn’t matter. He’s not in my class. But that pretty much put an end to my shameless pondering. I also saw a family of wild turkeys, though they didn’t hurry my pace quite as quickly as the artsy snake did. Anyhow…

Last Friday night after teaching my final section of choreography I piled in the car and drove me and two weeks worth of dirty laundry back to Cincinnati for a weekend I’d been planning for the past three months. Exhausted, I arrived home just before midnight, making excellent use of my trusty 1st generation iPod Nano and its embarrassing collection of terrible yet delightful 80s music to keep me awake for the 7.5 hour jaunt. I’d like to make note of a few things one might be thrilled to see after two weeks in a sparse, rustic cabin in the wilderness: air conditioning, carpet, and a real bed. Followed closely by ice cream, furniture, husband, and crayfish – though not in that order.

Overjoyed to get some actual sleep, in an actual bed, on an actual mattress, we crashed early, knowing there was a big and fun day ahead of us on Saturday. Rather, I knew there was a big and fun day ahead of us on Saturday. Ted knew only that he was to keep Saturday, July 21st free and clear of any obligations.

This “Day of Ted” caper centered around a prefect, un-pass-upable Groupon deal I’d unexpectedly found whilst prowling my inbox back in May. Ted works really hard all year long, often crazy hours, even by theatre people standards, and he rarely treats himself to exciting activities or fun events, just for himself. So, in short, I crafted the idea to treat him to an all-expenses-paid, fun, Day of Ted (with loving help from the parents on both sides!) because, honestly, the dude totally deserves it.

We started off the morning, a beautiful, breezy, cool summer morning, with a windows-down, breeze-whipping-through-your-hair for two-hours kind of drive down to Louisville, Kentucky. I’d considered both the Makers Mark Bourbon Distillery Tour & Tasting and the Louisville Mega Caverns Cave Ziplining and Challenge Course Tour for our morning’s activities, but due to schedule and timing, it was decided that these activities were best saved for another day in the (hopefully!) near future.

So our first stop, after spotting this epic red jewel-encrusted limousine parked outside of a swanky downtown hotel…

…was the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory for some baseball bat history and a tour of the factory that produces these infamous bats.

We toured the factory and learned all about how they shape, burn, engrave, dip, and manufacture the bats. We toured the museum and learned about the variety of bats produced and used through the ages. Ted tried Mickey Mantle’s bat on for size, took a few swings in the batting cages, and walked away with his very own, personalized, genuine Louisville Slugger.

(A rare sneak appearance of my Peter Pan crocodile face. You’re welcome.)

We noshed at Toast on Market, which is a fantastic little downtown eatery with great decor and atmosphere, wonderful customer service, and totally delicious eats. Bonus: They serve breakfast all day long, which is why (aside from the awesome reviews) I picked it for our Day of Ted lunch spot. Ted’s a breakfast kind of guy and I’m a foodie kind of girl, so I knew this would be right up our alley. I had the Caprese grilled cheese (provolone, mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil pesto) with creamy tomato soup and Ted had the Monte Cristo french toast breakfast sandwich. Both excellent.

Between the beautiful riverfront, Louisville Science Center, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Slugger Museum, Glassblowing Studio, and outpouring of great restaurants downtown, to name only a few things in the immediate downtown area, we definitely could have made a day of it in Louisville, but we other plans to attend to, so off we went!

To be continued….

:-)

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The Antics of Session 2

Welcome to the official photo recap of BLFAC Session 2!

Camp activities were as follows: 7 hours of daily fine arts teaching, primarily contemporary acting and dance for musical theatre, along with a few musical theatre workshops and choreography sessions, performing in the Shakespeare Showcase at the Rose, attending the Camper Talent Show, La Boheme Opera, International Ballet Ensemble Dance Concert, and a whole heck of a lot of time hanging out on the beach with the girls at sunset (sometimes with ice cream pie from Old Channel Inn…because we’re girls and that’s what girls do), jogging the Montague trails, pleasure reading great novels in my cabin by flashlight until the early morning hours, attending faculty grill-outs, wine tastings, and movie nights, and other such camping goodness.

More of the same to come from session 3 I presume – except this time, I’m hoping to attend more of the concerts – vocal, instrumental, orchestras, dance concerts, etc. Striking the balance between nature, art, and socializing is my summer’s goal!

Enjoy!

 

Session 3 is already off to a great start with the Tuesday night all-faculty campfire – s’mores and hot dog roasting! Nothing beats cooking weenies and drinking beer around the toasty campfire on a midsummer night’s eve. Now if only I could kick this cold!

Hope your summer is just as wonderful!

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Crayboats & Snailboats

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I have a lot of catching up to do here! I’ve been away….I know. I’ll try to be better these next 4 weeks, honest. Please don’t give up on me!

Session 1 of my official tenure as acting & musical theatre faculty at camp in Michigan ended on Friday for me, followed by a glorious weekend back home in Cincinnati on Saturday and Monday with lots of family, food, and great fun, then a whirlwind trip to New York and back on Sunday, an unfortunate cold that decided to tag along for the entire trip, and it all ended with my looooong drive back up to Michigan Tuesday afternoon. I do plan to recap everything over the next few days, with tons of photos, before session 2 of camp gets too busy, but for now I’ll start with this while I catch up my severe lack of sleep:

Do you remember these sweet, tiny craybies…mere specs of future crays, lost in the depths of enormous gravel and a sea of water? So sweet! So tiny!

I remember those sweet, tiny babes too. Which is why I was absolutely beside myself with disbelief to come home on Friday night to these porkchops.

Total porkchops.

I realize they’re about 2.5 months old now, but is it really fair for our babies to be so big already?

Aren’t they beautiful? Looking more and more like their pretty mama every day!

Little Mav’s, those craybs. What a legacy!

They’re so great, we love everything about them! But as of next weekend, 12 of our original 16 craybies will have found a loving home at Monfort Aquarium, 2 will be joining my sister in Chicago, and two – GiGi and Ace – will remain with us.

Can you believe how big and blue they’ve gotten?

I am so proud of these little champs!

P.S. We’ve also added an adorable, teeny tiny little brown and yellow snail to our brood – he came home, quite unexpectedly, on an aquatic plant we’d gotten for the crays to chow on. He’s a very welcome surprise! :)

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Checking In

I can hardly believe I’ve been away from the blog for this long. To my loyal readers, I’m sorry the posting has been this infrequent – that was never my intention. But with all the hustle and bustle and newness of the past week, I honestly forgot that I even had a blog until tonight.

It feels like I have been in Michigan for weeks on end, perhaps months, and not just one week.

It’s kind of amazing what time can do, and odd how quickly you can become accustomed to something foreign, yet in no time, it’s old hat.

I haven’t checked the blog roll of blogs I typically read in at least two weeks. I’m sure I am hundreds of entries behind, but I’m really quite okay with that. I visit FaceBook for a brief pop-in maybe once every other day, and I haven’t missed it. I check my email once or twice a day, though only out of necessity in case something truly important comes though, and to be truthful, I’m really not keen on it. Simply put, I just don’t need, or want, technology out here. I want, obviously, to talk to Ted several times a day (and to see him!). I want, obviously, to keep my parents informed on the latest adventures, and to be reachable to my friends when they need a shoulder or have exciting news to share. But other than that, there’s something about living among trees, cabins, dusty trails, beaches, bikes, and artists that keeps me full and there’s not really any room, time, need, or desire for movies, TV, or the internet. I suppose even if I wanted to be on the social networking sites constantly, I wouldn’t have time.

Here’s a bit of what my days look like:

I wake up at 7 a.m. after a fitful night’s rest. I’m still adjusting to the cabin, the wooden cot with thin crinkly mattress, the sun rising at 5:30 a.m., the heat and stickiness of sleeping with no a/c, and the plethora of spiders that are likely invading the cabin as I type – it’s been an adjustment, but hopefully this phase shall pass so I won’t be sleep deprived for the next five weeks. I take a cold shower (we DO have hot running water in the cabins, but cold is often my preference) because it’s so sticky humid outside, towel off then immediately begin sweating again, get dressed in the all-camp uniform (universally flattering and makes life easy!), walk outside and am instantly covered in a thick layer of dirt, sand, and dust (I should take pictures for proof – it’s seriously uncanny), eat breakfast at the lodge, head to the Miller Theatre to take care of business (camper evaluations, etc.), teach 4 classes in the morning – 2 acting and 2 dance, get lunch with the theatre faculty at the lodge, and teach my contemporary acting minor, followed by an emphasis class (typically musical theatre workshops or choreography) until 4 o’clock. There’s usually something going on in the afternoon before dinner – a scattered workshop or class I need to teach here or there, a performance to give or attend, maybe a camper talent show, a nap, a run on the trail, some choreography or lesson plans, etc. Then there’s dinner, and at night usually something fun – the opera, a dance or music concert, a theatre thing to act in, the beach with friends, a long drive to enjoy pretty scenery, an all-faculty movie night or a wine tasting party, and always hang-outs at various cabins throughout faculty village – which will eventually get even better once it rains again and the campfire ban is lifted. I catch up on some novel reading for a while before bed, then call Ted, and turn in for the night (after I’ve thoroughly checked my cot for spiders). It’s a great mix of work and play. I may not be so crazy about my cabin’s lack of a/c, age or crevices for all the bugs to crawl through, but it’s roomy, rustic and cozy. And I love living in a literal colony or artists and enjoying good theatre and dance (and art and music and more) all day, everyday. I’m simply surrounded by awesome, talented people and beautiful nature, and together that’s a great thing to be a part of! I do however miss Ted and the crays like crazy, and sometimes crave the creature comforts of home. But for a summer theatre gig, this is definitely pretty tops!

I have a million pictures to share, but I’m, frankly, kind of amazed I’ve been online long enough to post this, and I’m kind of unwilling to do much more. I’ll definitely post them all when I get back to Cincy though. I’ve also got lots of great stories to share, but in due time.

I’ll leave you with two gems – a pic of two of my new friends at our girls night on the beach from a few days ago…

…and the theatre faculty’s ever-popular jump shot at The Rose after our Shakespeare showcase. For the record, my costume is way more epic when I’m wearing it correctly…

Gorgeous, right? And you’re welcome for that.

Til next time…

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A New Here

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After a 7.5 hour drive on Monday, I arrived safely in the bustling metropolis of Blue Lake, MI. Population: Me + about 3 other people, and a crap ton of bugs. Excellent. But the scenery is gorgeous and the weather isn’t too bad either, despite un-airconditioned cabins nestled in the shaded woods of Manistee National Park. And in this area of Michigan they have these beautiful, silky-looking, really dark brown Canadian squirrels that I just love. Monday evening after the drive I got all checked in and settled in my rustic cabin, found the local Meijer store to pick up some basic eats, and walked to the lake for a pretty sunset view. Things are going to start getting crazy busy crazy fast, so I probably won’t have time to blog much in the coming weeks, unfortunately. Today is all about faculty and department meetings, campus tours, and getting myself organized schedule-wise for the coming weeks. Tomorrow we meet the campers, hold auditions, and start with an evening intro class. Boy, does this ever remind me of the excitement of going to theatre camps at Texas State for two-weeks when I was in high school! Only now I’m faculty instead of camper, and being that this is an actual camp, in the woods, with real live insects and rustic living and stuff (instead of a college dorm in a city), and my staples include Deet bugspay, sunscreen, and campfire roasting sticks instead of microwaves and cute clothes. Bring it on.

Before I left was able to spend a whole week of quality time with Ted, which was just awesome. We did so much and relaxed so much, and before I left I was hoping to have the time to do a nice blog post about it all but, turns out, packing for 6 weeks in the forest will suck that time right out of you! So we’ll settle for the abbreviated version. Most of it I’ve already blogged about (beach, etc.), so I’ll just focus on the weekend.

We:

  • Went bowling!
  • Went on a Haunted Cincinnati walking tour Friday night
  • Went blackberry and blueberry picking Saturday morning
  • Went on a Cincinnati Civil War and Newport Gangster walking tours on Saturday afternoon (It was about 107 degrees out, by the way)
  • Got some FroYo at the new FroYo place in Anderson
  • Used up a Groupon to try Bayou Fish House for some delicious Fish n’ Chips in Newport
  • Watched a few movies
  • Checked out the brand new, beautiful Washington Park in downtown Cincy
  • Had a goodbye lunch at City BBQ and goodbye breakfast at The Original Pancake House
  • And of course, we packed, loaded my car, cleaned the house, cooked some meals to freeze, loved on the crays, etc.

I have pictures, lots of pictures, but wi-fi in the woods isn’t what I’d call superb, so most of those will have to wait for another time. Here’s a few to tide you over. More later!

       

         

 

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Found a BEACH!

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In OHIO.

Right!?

We started out the 4th snoozing in til’ 9:30 – no alarm clocks allowed – followed by catching some serious sun at Anderson’s 4th of July parade! Gotta love patriotic small town parades!

For lunch I noshed on fresh cherries and a few slices of the unfathomably delicious Dewey’s Pizza (the Green Lantern pizza – pesto, goat cheese, artichokes, garlic, mushrooms, and the freshest dough around…heavenly!), leftovers from Tuesday’s date night, which consisted of gourmet pizza at Dewey’s in Oakley,  a split bowl of Aglamesis Bros. mint chocolate chip and black raspberry chip ice cream while we sat in scenic Oakley Square, a long walk at dusk catching fireflies through the thick wooded trails at Stanbery Park, and an episode of Master Chef, cuddled up on the couch. It was a pretty excellent way to enjoy a summer’s eve together!

After lunch on Lady America’s birthday we road tripped 30 minutes east to East Fork State Park where we drove around the park for about 45 minutes, taking in some gorgeous heights and breathtaking scenery (seriously, in Ohio, who knew!?), checking out the dam and trails, exploring some hidden coves, and finally heading to the lake…with a real live beach, to swim and splash and sun and relax. Pooped from a day of sun and excessive heat (at 99 degrees with 60% humidity it was just too hot to cook out), we picked up some seriously delicious subs at Jersey Mike’s Subs and settled in for movie night before heading to Alms Park at 10 o’clock for some celebratory 4th fireworks.

I’m loving all these long summer days off, exploring and relaxing with Ted before I leave for Michigan on Monday. I’m so grateful that I have this whole week off to prepare for camp and hang out with an awesome guy before I ship out. Life is beautiful!

       

         

         

         

         

         

 

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And Then There Were Six

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Monday afternoon Ted and I hauled off ten of our beloved crayddlers to their new home.

Of course, it was tough.

I cradled them the whole 45 minute car ride, then stayed in the car, bawling, because I couldn’t bear to walk inside with Ted and give them up. I’m a real pansy when it comes to letting go of pets. It’s tough.

It took well over a half hour to catch and package the little devils. You’d think with sixteen porkchops swimming around that the net wouldn’t have a hard time ensnaring one or two. Ohhhhhhhhhh, but they knew. They’re insanely fast backwards swimmers to begin with, and even though this was the first they’ve ever seen of the dreaded long-handled green net in their short lives, they instinctively knew that it meant trouble. Magically, the instant that net found its way into the tank, we went from sixteen visible crays to zero. They barricaded themselves in plants, on plants, under plants, under gravel, atop heaters and air hoses, between crevices, and under the rock until we eventually had to empty out the tank of every single decoration aside from the gravel and water itself. Even then, they were still difficult to capture – whizzing up and down and backwards and forwards and every such direction to avoid the net. When one was finally caught we filled a quart-sized freezer bag with about a cup of tank water, released the squirming and utterly terrified crayddler in, tried to swish as much oxygen in as possible, and sealed up the bag and placed it in a storage tub. Rinse and repeat.

We had grand plans of observing the crays for a few hours first to find the bullies, and pickers, and the menacing ones to relocate first. We partially succeeded, but ultimately ended up just catching whoever we could catch. We purposely tried to keep anyone who was little, shy, or missing one or many appendages (5 of the 6 keepers currently are). We figured that with the bullies out of the tank these little guys will stand a great shot at regenerating their missing body parts, getting more food to eat, having more room to grow and run, and less troublemakers around so they’ll feel safe molting and growing. It also means we gave up some of our biggest, brightest, bluest crays, but with confidence that these sweet little guys we have left will now be able to grow up to be big, bright, healthy, happy, and outgoing crays.

In all the chaos of catching crays and removing plants to catch said crays, we were able to get our first really solid tank cleaning in since they were born, which though traumatizing as it happens, feels wonderful now we’re sure, and their tank looks great!

So, then there were six.

Naturally I miss the other ten, but the six we have in our care are so pretty and sweet and the fighting has decreased exponentially!

Pics to come later ;)

Happy 4th!! We’ll be spending the day together, cooking out, eating, relaxing, enjoying the great outdoors, and hopefully playing with some fireworks. Hope your 4th is just as festive and relaxing! God Bless America!

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Healthy Lemon-Blueberry Loaf

The fruits of my berry-picking labor this weekend! It is indeed possible to make a tasty cake or loaf without using any butter, oil, or pure granulated sugar. Picky eater (a.k.a. Ted) approved – although he had no idea, until now, what all I put into this recipe – but he liked it! Dense, and not too sweet, a refreshing summer breakfast or dessert for picky eaters and health-conscious people alike…bon appetit!

Healthy Lemon-Blueberry Loaf

  • 3/4 cups white flour
  • 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup low-fat yogurt (I used 3/4 cup CarbMaster’s vanilla and 1/4 cup Greek honey yogurt – though lemon flavored yogurt would also work nicely)
  • 1/2 cup agave nectar
  • 3/4 cup Egg Beaters (or other egg substitute)
  • 3 tsp. grated lemon zest
  • 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 cups fresh blueberries rolled in 1 Tbsp. of flour
  • 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice mixed with 1 tsp. of agave nectar
Spray a 8.5 x 4.25 x 2.5 loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and preheat oven to 350°. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt into one bowl. Combine yogurt, agave, egg beaters, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and applesauce together in a separate bowl. Whisk the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Roll the blueberries in a tablespoon of flour and gently fold into the batter. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes or until golden. Meanwhile, combine the lemon juice and 1 tsp. of agave nectar and heat on the stove. After you pull the loaf out of the oven poke holes into the top of the loaf using a toothpick or cake tester. Pour the lemon juice and agave nectar mix over the loaf, allowing the lemon juice to sink into the holes. Remove loaf from pan, allow to cool, and garnish with fresh blueberries and lemon wedges.
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