Crackling Pancake with Caramel-Clustered Blueberries | The Art of Escapism Cooking

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I'm happy to be hosting today's TLC Book Tours stop for the recently released cookbook by Mandy Lee (of Lady and Pups blog) called The Art of Escapism Cooking: A Survival Story, with Intensely Good Flavors. I'll start by saying that this book is not for the weak. It's thick and meaty; it dares you to spend time getting to know yourself, your kitchen, and some ingredients and methods that you may not be familiar with.

Wild Blueberry and Thyme Breakfast Sausage | #BonneMaman #SayItWithHomemade

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bonne Maman. All opinions are my own.

Well, I think that spring has finally sprung in northwestern Indiana. There are tiny green buds on the trees and birds in all shapes and sizes are raising a ruckus outside of windows that have thrown open to air out a house desperately trying to shake off winter. Along with signs of rebirth and revitalization comes the time we celebrate and honor the women who (sometimes) birth, nurture, and raise us—otherwise known as mom!

Mixed Berry Crumb Pie with an All-Butter Press-In Crust

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Land O'Lakes, Inc. All opinions are my own.

Before I get into this delectable berry pie, I wanted to let  you know that I'll be working with Land O'Lakes, Inc. as an ambassador through the end of the year. I can't tell you how excited I am to be working with a company whose products I grew up seeing my grandma and my mom use, and that I always have in my own kitchen. I hope you and your family enjoy the recipes that I develop using Land O Lakes^® Butter and other products over the next six months as much as my family does!

Let's talk pie today. More specifically, let's talk pie crust, which seems to be the part of the pie that scares off most would-be pie makers. I can't tell you how many times I've heard someone say that they just can't make crust because they can't roll it thin enough or wide enough, or it breaks apart when after they worked hard at rolling it out and try lifting it into the pan. I get it, really. But let me tell you, there's nothing like the satisfaction of a biting into a pie that YOU made entirely from scratch.

Blueberry Lavender Shrub Syrup (Drinking Vinegar)

In case you haven't guessed, I'm on a bit of a shrub kick. I can't seem to get enough of the these amazing drinking vinegars once the weather gets hot and sticky. When poured over ice and topped off with some sparkling water, I'm hard pressed to find anything more refreshing (aside from plain ice water). So, when I found out that this month's Progressive Eats theme was "summer bounty", my brain immediately started scanning the fruit, berries, and herbs that I'd been stocking up on this past week.

Blueberry Buttermilk Popsicles (Paletas de Suero de Leche de Arándano) | #PaletaWeek

As this first week of summer continues, so do the popsicles! Today I'm sharing a variation on one of my go-to summertime freezer-fillers and my submission for Lola's Cocina's Paleta Week, Blueberry Buttermilk Popsicles. I know it's not a new discovery, especially to those in the American south, but drinking buttermilk is amazing way to help you beat the heat.

The first time I shared a buttermilk ice pop variation was in 2010, and it used cranberries and bananas (and also a kiwi and pineapple version). I've also shared a mixed berry version (that were made in a ZOKU) and my favorite of them all is cherry buttermilk. But this blueberry variety is disappearing fast, as well.

Blueberry Thyme Pie inspired by North of Here

Today I'm hosting a book tour stop for the novel North of Here by Laurel Saville. The story centers around 4 characters and is divided into sections, each of which contain a period of interaction between 2 of them that trickle outwards and affect all of them. And while I did enjoy the way it was broken up, and the eloquent writing, I wasn't as fond of the book itself.

I don't know what it is, but lately I've found myself choosing books that are a bit unsettling. I'm very much an escapist reader by choice and want to be transported away from the dismal and despressive. But this book lays both on heavy. Plus, the main characters are an entirely unlikable bunch, with Dix being the only port in the storm.

Coconut Matcha Blueberry Popsicles

Technically, this year should mark year 4 of the Summer of the Popsicle, but once again, time has gotten away from me. I meant to get it going again, but here it is July and I haven't sent out any invites. That doesn't mean that I haven't shared any popsicle recipes this year. On the contrary, I've already shared three (not including this one), and I have another one coming up in the next week or two—so I'm not a total slacker. I just never officially dubbed it "Summer of the Popsicle 4".

However, I am joining in the third edition of Popsicle Week hosted by Wit & Vinegar, so that's just as awesome. Maybe more so, because it took no organizing on my part. Yay me! Maybe I'll take a cue from Billy and do a 1-week SOTP intensive before summer ends...we'll see.

Blueberry Peach Pie w/ Cornmeal Streusel and Crust | #FridayPieDay

'Tis the season to snatch up all the ripe, juicy fruits and berries I can get my hands on! Seriously, I go a little nuts when I hit the farmers market and see stacks and cartons piled high with beautiful jewel-toned orbs, big and small. My thinking switch turns off, and my impulse switch gets stuck in the on position. That's all fine and dandy until I get home and realize what I've done.

We do our best to eat that bounty before it gets too ripe, but oftentimes, I still find myself wondering how to use it all. Kidding! I'm making pie every time. Fruit pies put smiles on people's faces and sunshine in their souls. Duh.

And, since today is the last Friday of the month, that means it's time to celebrate Friday PieDay here at All Roads Lead to the Kitchen. I'm not sure if you noticed or not, but I neglected to share a pie with you last month; don't even get me going on May again (aka hell month). I think this blueberry-peach pie will make up for that.

Spiced Blueberry Peach Streusel Muffins

I'm super excited about two things today: delicious muffins (I'm super picky about muffins...weird, right?) and an amazing giveaway—both of which are related to a book that you have to get your hands on if you don't have it already, The Vegetarian Flavor Bible. As you may have guessed, this comes from the same people who brought us The Flavor Bible, Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg.

If you're not familiar with either, they are both very useful, working books. Not so much cookbooks, because they don't contain recipes, but rather tools. The Vegetarian Flavor Bible has around 550 pages...the first 90 or so are an introduction to a proper vegetarian diet. You'll find vegetable protein sources. as well as tips on how to maximize flavor. Plus, there's an extremely cool timeline of Vegetarianism Through the Ages. Even if you do not adhere to a strict vegetarian diet, there is so much to inspire in the first 90 pages alone.

Moving on to the remaining 450+ pages, you'll find ingredients listed alphabetically from Acai to Zucchini Blossoms—this is where you'll turn to match flavors. Under each ingredient is listed most (or all) of the following things:

• Season: peak growing season for ingredient
• Flavor: ingredient's primary taste
• Volume: relative flavor, or "loudness" of ingredient
• What it is: a brief description of less common ingredients
• What's healthful about it: nutrients, health benefits, etc