Pots de Creme - #‎thebookclubcookbookCC

These glorious little Pots de Creme are a simple nod to why I love chocolate...

...and they are also a great nod to the book, Chocolat by Joanne Harris.

For June, as part of The Book Club Cookbook Cooking Crew, Sarah invited us to read and cook from Chocolat with her. I was thrilled. I was a huge fan of the movie from 2000 starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp - *swoon*. I remember watching it almost nightly when I worked in a little campus video store (remember those?). It was one of my favorite movies to pop in as I waited for closing. Cute music, witty banter and ... lots of chocolate!

Be sure to keep reading, there is a giveaway for a copy of The Book Club Cookbook at the end of the post. I have had so much fun reading a selection and cooking as inspired by the book. Our year is coming to a close soon, but I still have more books to read and food to enjoy. I hope you will keep going with me.

I was excited to finally read Chocolat. Sadly, as a college student my time was usually spent in textbooks, and I rarely had the time to read "good" books.

I have to tell you, the book is far better than even the magic of film! Vianne's internal dialogue is much funnier than even what Juliette Binoche could portray on screen. Even as she helped those around her with the magic of her chocolate and understanding, the complexity of her character was wonderful. She came in as an outcast and ended up bringing the community so much more than they could have imagined.

I ended up going for a classic treat, Pots de Creme (pronounced "Po de Krehm"). Lusciously smooth and chocolatey, I am sure it is exactly what Vianne would have selected for me. I just love how in the book she claims to know everyone's favorite! This dessert really makes my heart sing.

Besides tasting divine, this is also an easy treat to make.

Of course, it begins with chopped semi-sweet chocolate.

I have seen a few different ways to make this simple dessert, but decided to cook my custard over the stove and then add to the blender to melt and whip up the chocolate.

The eggs, milk, cream and sugar are ready when they coat the back of a spoon easily.

Then pour into ramekins or small dishes and chill for 2-4 hours before serving.

Serve with whipped cream, and garnish with fresh mint and fruit. My daughter insisted we go with the chocolate mint here. I think it worked nicely.

Pots de Creme

You will need:

• 9 oz. semisweet chocolate chopped
• 1 tsp. espresso powder
• 1 1/2 c. whole milk
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 6 large egg yolks
• 5 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Place the chopped chocolate and espresso powder in a blender and set aside.

In a saucepan, combine the milk, cream, egg yolks, sugar and salt. Whisk over medium heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the vanilla and pour the hot mixture into the blender. 

Take care to cover the blender and lid with a heavy towel. I like to vent my top slightly, but cover with the towel to prevent messes. Blend until smooth.

Pour into ramekins or glasses and chill for 2-4 hours. Serve with whipped cream and garnish with mint and fresh fruit, if desired.

Enjoy! 

Giveaway

This month Sarah at Thing I Make (for Dinner), this month's host, is giving away two copies of the book.* Enter to win a copy of the cookbook so you can join us in future months, if you wish!

TWO of our lucky readers - US and Canada only! - can enter to win a copy of The Book Club Cookbook, Revised Edition: Recipes and Food for Thought from Your Book Club's Favorite Books and Authors by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp, courtesy of Tarcher-Penguin. Giveaway runs from June 1st till June 30th at 6 o'clock PM, Pacific time. Please see terms and conditions in the rafflecopter widget below. Many thanks to Tarcher Books. You may find Tarcher: on the web, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Pinterest.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Disclosure: Sarah received a complimentary copy of The Book Club Cookbook, Revised Edition: Recipes and Food for Thought from Your Book Club's Favorite Books and Authors by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp as an opportunity to give a copy away. Opinions are our own. We received no further compensation for our posts.

Caribbean Rice and Peas - #TheBookClubCookbookCC

I was provided with a copy of The Book Club Cook Book to use for this year-long endeavor of reading and food fun. All opinions and experiences and individual book purchases are my own.

This month's #TheBookClubCookbookCC selection, Love in the Time of Cholera, took us to the Caribean with an abundance of inspiration for diving off into our own food exploration. This is not a cuisine that I am familiar with, but am now loving. 

Danielle of Mostly Food and Crafts chose our selection for May and The Book Club Cook Book lists two delicious recipe suggestions, a mojito or a mango, jicama and corn salad. You can read Wendy's welcome post as she stepped in to cover this month's selection.

The many food references in this month's book sent me off searching the internet for Caribbean Recipes and I found myself looking through some mouth-watering jerk seasoning recipes. Ultimately I decided my dish would need to include Jerk seasoning.

What is Jerk seasoning?

Caribbean Jerk seasoning gets its kick from a blend of ingredients such as chiles, thyme, cinnamon, garlic, and nutmeg.  It usually includes allspice and Scotch bonnet peppers and can be a wet marinade or dry rub.

I also learned that amazon had some option for mild jerk seasoning - essential if I am going to get my heat-phobic husband to try it.

I think I have mentioned here, a few times, that I walk a thin line with spicy or hot foods. My husband doesn't mind a bit of warmth in food, but he likes his salsa mild and hit jalapenos with no heat. I always try to compensate for this while cooking.

But the heat here in this Caribbean Rice and Peas dish is easy to adjust. Even on the milder end of the spectrum it was full of flavor and very satisfying.

So what of this month's book selection?

Love in the Time of Cholera

In their youth, Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza fall passionately in love. When Fermina eventually chooses to marry a wealthy, well-born doctor, Florentino is devastated, but he is a romantic. As he rises in his business career he whiles away the years in 622 affairs--yet he reserves his heart for Fermina. Her husband dies at last, and Florentino purposefully attends the funeral. Fifty years, nine months, and four days after he first declared his love for Fermina, he will do so again.

Despite being a hopeless romance and an ode to the many forms and power of the heart, I just couldn't get into this month's read. 

Ever had a book that you keep picking up and putting down so many times that you eventually give up? That was the way for me on this selection.

Now, one of the things that made me select this recipe to try were the black-eyed peas.

I am an Oregon gal and haven't had the pleasure to eat black-eyed peas... or even see them often in our local stores. So when my daughter's class planted their own black-eyed pea plants in First Grade, I decided it was time to figure out how to use them. Garden willing, by the end of the season, I will have an abundance.

This was a lovely one-pot dish and really stuck to our ribs. With kielbasa, peas and brown rice, it was hearty and left us with amazing left overs. I already plan to make this again.

Like I said, even a rural gal, like myself, was able to find a delicious Jerk Seasoning option on Amazon. This may now be my favorite condiment. I can't wait to try it on chicken.  And don't worry, there were plenty of "melt-your-face" options online, as well. I would say, go as hot as you dare!

Everything was sauteed, then simmered in my largest pan. All that garlic and spice created quite the welcome home at the end of the day.

And one of my favorite parts to this dish were the collard greens.

I only became hooked on collard greens in the past few years. I am always looking for an excuse to buy them... they are so dark and inviting. Though you could substitute another green in this recipe, I wouldn't suggest it. The collards bring an earthy tone to the dish that would be missed with spinach or chard.

Everything simmers together till the rice is tender and the collards have wilted. It is just magic to behold!

Okay, ready to start cooking? Be sure to check out the giveaway at the end of this post for a chance to win your own copy of The Book Club Cookbook. And as always, come join in on our reading/culinary fun next month with Chocolat by Joanne Harris. Be sure to look for the announcement coming soon.

Caribbean Rice and Peas
recipe adapted from The Food Network

You will Need:

• 10 oz. frozen black-eyed peas
• salt
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 6 oz. turkey kielbasa, thinly sliced
• 1 large bunch of green onions, sliced and whites & greens separated
• 2 ribs of celery, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 jalapeno, finely diced
• 2 tsp. jerk seasoning (or more to taste)
• 2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 c. brown rice, uncooked
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 c. collard greens, stemmed and chopped

Put the black-eyed peas in 3 cups of water in a small saucepan. salt the water lightly. Cover and bring up to a boil, then turn off and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil and kielbasa to brown. Add the green onion whites, celery, garlic, jalapeno, jerk seasoning along with a large pinch of salt. Cook until the vegetables start to brown, about 5 minutes. 

Add in the thyme and tomato paste, cooking till fragrant and stirring constantly. 

Add the bay leaves, rice and black-eyed peas along with their cooking liquid. Do not stir. Add the chopped collard greens to the top, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook till most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 50 minutes.

Let the dish rest for an additional 10 minutes before discarding the bay leaves, adding in the green onion green and giving it a good stir.

Enjoy!

Giveaway

This month Danielle at Mostly Food and Crafts along with Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm, this month's co-hosts, are giving away a copy of the book.* Enter to win a copy of the cookbook so you can join us in future months, if you wish!

One of our lucky readers - US and Canada only! - can enter to win a copy ofThe Book Club Cookbook, Revised Edition: Recipes and Food for Thought from Your Book Club's Favorite Books and Authors by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp, courtesy of Tarcher-Penguin. Giveaway runs from May 1st till May 31st at 6 o'clock PM, Pacific time. Please see terms and conditions in the rafflecopter widget below. Many thanks to Tarcher Books. You may find Tarcher: on the web, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Pinterest.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Disclosure: Danielle and Wendy received a complimentary copy of The Book Club Cookbook, Revised Edition: Recipes and Food for Thought from Your Book Club's Favorite Books and Authors by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp as an opportunity to give a copy away. Opinions are our own. We received no further compensation for our posts.

The Silent Sounds of Chaos by Kristina Circelli

*Disclaimer - I received an e-copy of the book through Promotional Book Tours in order to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own.



The Silent Sounds of Chaos

A silent call for help began the friendship between two children. A bond unlike any other kept them together. Finn was just a kid when he first heard Snow’s voice inside his head, two children in need of a friend and finding one in mysterious strangers. Never meeting in person, the pair grows up as opposites – Finn the boy who loves to get in trouble and works for the toughest drug lord in town, Snow the good, sheltered girl who wants to be a doctor.

The bond built upon a strange ability to hear each other’s thoughts is threatened when Snow is abducted, her screams for help consuming Finn’s mind until they disappear completely, submerging him in a terrifying silence he’s never known before. Now it’s up to Finn to save her, led only by Snow’s sporadic thoughts as she floats in and out of consciousness.

But the search for Snow leads him to a truth he isn’t prepared to face, a truth that has the power to unravel his entire world. The people he thought he knew, the life he thought he’d made, the best friend he thought he could protect – all point toward a brutal reality should he fail. And as Finn struggles to find Snow before she slips away, he must fight to keep that reality out, lest he let the chaos in.

Purchase Amazon  / iBooks /  Smashwords / B&N

This is not the first book I have featured by Kristina Circelli. A few years back I had the chance to review The Never.  Her newest book is definitely one I plan to add to my summer reading list!  Be sure to check out the excerpt below for a taste of what this book has in store, and check out the giveaway at the bottom of this post.


The Silent Sounds of Chaos – Excerpt 1
The boy huddled in the farthest corner of his tiny closet, bony shoulders pressed up against the
cheap, paneled walls of an already falling-apart trailer. In his hands he twisted the thin metal of
a paperclip, creating loops and shapes until they formed a stick man, just one of many he’d created to
distract himself from the sounds filling his run-down home.

Through the thin walls of his bedroom he could hear the source of his fear ‒‒ two voices
engaged in a verbal sparring match in the next room. One of them he knew, a shockingly thin woman with unwashed blonde hair and sunken blue eyes that, in the past, may have matched his own. The other he knew from many nights such as these, a tall and wide man with frightening pictures on his arms. Their shouts filled him with fear, the woman accusing the man of doing terrible things, the man ordering her to pay or else he’d do those terrible things again.

Their hate, their anger, sent him into the closet, where he often hid when his mother’s visitors
gave him those strange and calculating looks. His arms wrapped around a soft, yellow blanket almost
as big as he was, one he’d kept at his side for as long as his young mind could remember. Face buried in the yellow comfort, he tried hard not to be afraid.

Tonight his fear felt different. He felt different, so tired and scared and hurting from a night he’d
lived too many times in his young life. But, more than tired – he felt a part of himself fade away
into nothingness, only to be replaced by the same hate filling the voices outside his room.

One tiny hand pressed over an ear, the other holding the blanket to his chest, as his body
began to rock ever so slightly. He concentrated on the roaring in his ears rather than the thud of a body hitting the hollow floor, or the whimpers from a broken woman who’d given up long ago.

Make it stop.

In his head he whispered the silent plea to anyone who could help him, anyone who could hear
the unspoken words of a little boy trapped in his bedroom closet. No one had ever heard him
before, but maybe, just maybe, tonight would be different.

Please make it stop.

And then, by magic or miracle, his plea was answered.

I will protect you.

The voice whispered inside his mind, fluttering through his senses in a way that almost tickled.

The boy stilled, listening carefully for the voice again, a quiet, high-pitched tone he felt like he should know, but couldn’t quite place.

When he heard only the rushing in his ears, he reached out. Hello?

I will protect you, the voice said again, a girl’s voice.

He knew he should probably be afraid of a stranger magically talking to him, but he liked the
sound of this particular stranger. It sounded like music when she spoke, and distracted him from the
screeching and thudding going on outside the safety of his mind.

Who are you? he asked, and could almost feel the hesitation on the other end.

I’m not supposed to tell strangers my name … Are you real?

He huffed. Of course I’m real.

How can I hear you?

He thought about it, not coming up with an answer. Nor did he want to admit to silently praying
for help, help that came in the form of her innocent proclamation. Dunno.

I heard you, she insisted. I heard you crying in my head.

I wasn’t crying.

Well, if you say so … Are you sure you’re real?

Are you? he countered, trying to comprehend the fluttering in his mind amidst the shouting
through the walls.

I think so.

How old are you?

Seven.

Me too. He felt a strange twinge of satisfaction that she wasn’t older, and that they had
something in common. Who are you? Again, he sensed hesitation. I’m not a stranger.

Are too.

Fine. He huffed again and squeezed his eyes shut. It was almost fun, blocking out the entire
world and focusing only on the person living in his brain. Then let’s pretend to be other people. I
wanna be … an explorer, and have lots of adventures and cause lots of trouble, and run away whenever I feel like it.

He heard her giggle in his mind, and instantly loved the sound. Who are you?

I wanna be … a princess! The prettiest princess in the world who makes friends with everyone
and talks to all the animals.

What a girl.

Hey!

He grimaced at himself, forgetting that this strange new girl could hear all his thoughts. Sorry …
I don’t know what to call you. You need a name.

You think of one, she giggled at him.

He thought, long and hard. Okay. How about … I know! Can I call you Snow? Like the princess
all the girls at school talk about?

Can I call you Finn? Like the little boy I saw in a movie at school who ran away to live on the
river?

They agreed upon their new names, and, with their introductions, the two children were no
longer strangers.

He talked to her through the night, the menacing sounds around him disappearing as he
listened to her talk in her youthful, high-pitched voice. She told him about her life living by the beach, with a mother and father who were very nice to her. She liked to read, and watch movies with princesses, and wanted to learn how to swim. It was a happy life, he could tell, and yet, he sensed loneliness in her tone, though he couldn’t identify its source.

She listened to him until morning, wondering why he sounded so scared when his words first
filtered through her mind, enjoying the way his tone relaxed as the night wore on. He told her about his life in a run-down trailer park, with a mother who paid more attention to strange men and things with weird smells. He liked to skateboard, and hang out with his friends, and hoped to be on a football team someday. It was a hard life, she imagined sadly, and yet, she knew he faced each day with the kind of mischievousness only boys could cause.

When she grew quiet, no longer responding, he worried she had grown tired of his stories.

“Don’t leave me,” he whispered out loud, not wanting her to hear his childish plea. Deep down
he hoped she was only tired, that he’d kept her up too late. Her, the voice in his head, a stranger
who probably didn’t really exist. But he didn’t want to give her up, because giving her up would mean
accepting the reality around him. And so, instead of saying good-bye or goodnight, the boy now
named Finn decided to make her his.

Just before they both drifted off to sleep, one in a closet, and one in a bed an unknown number
of miles away, he needed to hear her voice one last time.

Will you be my friend, Snow?

Forever, Finn.

------------------------------------------------


Meet the author:

Night owl, Dorito lover, and quiet eccentric – Kristina Circelli is the author of several fiction novels, including The Helping Hands series, The Whisper Legacy, The Never, and The Sour Orange Derby. 

Her latest series, The Whisper Legacy, features Beyond the Western Sun. This book is what all fantasy adventures must strive to be: a complex, intricate examination of human emotion set within the context of worlds known only in our imagination.

Melding fantasy and legend in an epic quest, this series signals the arrival of Kristina Circelli as a master storyteller and an important voice in Native American literature.

A descendent of the Cherokee nation and niece of a Cherokee elder, Circelli holds both a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in English from the University of North Florida, where she teaches creative writing. She also heads Red Road Editing, a full-service editing company for independent authors and commercial clients. She currently resides in Jacksonville, Florida with her husband, Seth, and cats, Lord Finnegin the Fierce and Mr. Malachi the Mighty.

Follow Kristina on

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Literary Addicts | GoodReads

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Cinnabun Coffee Cake #TheBookClubCookbookCC

This no-muss, no-fuss Cinnabun Coffee Cake is the perfect pairing for early morning coffee and a good book.

The past few weeks have been drenched in cold, windy, Oregon rain and added activities associated with family life. I really enjoyed stealing moments here and there to read Leif Enger's Peace Like a River. It was this month's selection for The Book Club Cook Book Cooking Crew and I have to thank Sarah, The Pajama Chef, for selecting it. It is the sort of title that I might have never had the opportunity to read, if it wasn't for this group and the diverse choices from the members.

I really enjoyed the goose hunting description early on in the story. With my own children always begging to go out in our corn fields for the honor, it is always interesting to hear about the surprises and mishaps.

Though I don't think my daughter would ever chase after a runaway bird, she did have an experience with a goose popping back up and jumping on the blind she was sharing with another little girl. They were quite surprised, but luckily one of the hunting dogs was quick to react before either girl could be pinched.

As with all the reading selections for #TheBookClubCookbookCC, there is one or more recipes inspired by the story, or recreated from it. Our group also is free to find our own inspiration from the food references to create or share our own recipes.

The recipe originally paired with the book was Mrs. Enger's Cinnamon Rolls with Coffee Frosting. I have to admit, the recipe sounds yummy! Despite multiple attempts to make it.... I wasn't able to fit in the time.

It suggests you have the dough ready by 6pm, so it can rise overnight and then be baked at 5am the following morning. Despite living on a working farm, I am not up that early... and neither is my husband. I am lucky to roll out of bed at 5am for a half-hearted shuffle on the treadmill.

Yeah, the cinnamon rolls just didn't happen.

I finally decided that as a busy Mom with small children and irregular sleeping habits (the children, not necessarily me!) I needed a recipe that would make itself. Okay, it doesn't quite bake itself and all that... but, I did create this coffee cake with the help of more capable hands than mine .... my breadmaker. Thank goodness for modern conveniences!

The coffee cake is simple, but it does taste like a warm cinnamon roll and even tastes better with a little coffee frosting drizzled over the top.

Be sure to keep reading till the end for the giveaway.

Cinnabun Coffee Cake

You will need:
7/8 c. whole milk
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste
1 large egg yolk
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. active yeast
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 c. confectioner's sugar
strong black coffee, as needed to create the right consistency

Place the whole milk through active yeast in your bread machine bread pan as directed by the manufacturer's instructions. My machine goes from wet to dry ingredients with yeast being added last. Set the machine for the dough cycle.

Spray a 9x13" baking dish with non-stick spray.

Create the crumble topping by mixing together the 3/4 c. flour, sugar, oats, pecans, and cinnamon. Rub the butter into the mixture with your fingers to make moist crumbs.

When the dough cycle is complete. Flour your fingers and spread half the sticky dough into your baking dish. Stretch and push it into the corners. Sprinkle with a thin layer of topping, then top with the other half of the dough. Place the remaining topping on top. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Towards the end of the rising period,  preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Bake the cake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

While still warm, whisk together the confectioner's sugar with just enough strong coffee to make it pourable. Drizzle over the top of the coffee cake before serving.

Enjoy!

Giveaway

This month Sarah at The Pajama Chef, this month's host, is giving away a copy of the book.* Enter to win a copy of the cookbook so you can join us in future months, if you wish!

One of our lucky readers - US and Canada only! - can enter to win a copy ofThe Book Club Cookbook, Revised Edition: Recipes and Food for Thought from Your Book Club's Favorite Books and Authors by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp, courtesy of Tarcher-Penguin. Giveaway runs from January 1st till January 31st at 6 o'clock PM, Pacific time. Please see terms and conditions in the rafflecopter widget below. Many thanks to Tarcher Books. You may find Tarcher: on the web, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Pinterest.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
*Disclosure: Sarah received a complimentary copy of The Book Club Cookbook, Revised Edition: Recipes and Food for Thought from Your Book Club's Favorite Books and Authors by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp as an opportunity to give a copy away. Opinions are our own. We received no further compensation for our posts.

Come Join the Foodie Reads 2016 Challenge!

My favorite adventures & stories, always begin with good food...

This year I have had so much fun on the Book Club Cookbook Cooking Crew that I am planning to read and cook my way through even more books in 2016. Our fearless cooking leader, Camilla, recently shared another fun reading challenge you can participate in called the Foodies Read Challenge for 2016.

You can link up on Based on a True Story and grab a button to display throughout the year!

 It is going to be lead by Heather from Based on a True Story, and it challenges bloggers and readers to join along starting January for monthly lists of the book review links from challenge members. It is a great chance to find some new "delicious" reads as well as share must-read books. Heather even has 5 foodie read challenge levels so you can set your reading goals high this year.

I would love to aim for the moon, but want to achieve at least Sous-Chef level with 9 - 13 books. While out Christmas shopping this past weekend I made a wish-list of books I found at Barnes and Noble.

I am hoping to read a variety of non-fiction, historical and new cookbooks. It is not required, but I hope to use the inspiration to share more great foods and recipes with all of you.

Come join in on the fun and be sure to come back in January to see my first book reviews. The first one I am working on is The Coincidence of Coconut Cake, by Amy E. Reichert.

Check out all the details and link up HERE.

See You Soon Broadway, by Melissa Baldwin

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review as part of Promotional Book Tours. All opinions and experiences are my own.

   Maris Forrester has a wonderful life with an amazing boyfriend and a fulfilling job. She’s happy and content . . . or so she thinks.

Maris has always had huge dreams of being on Broadway. Ever since her very first performance as a child, she has envisioned herself on the stage under the shining lights. Now she has to decide whether she should give up her wonderful life to chase those dreams. When her parents announce they are moving, she comes across a long-lost family treasure. She doesn’t realize that this treasure may hold the key to her future and to all her dreams coming true.

And if that wasn’t sign enough, a mysterious stranger throws another wrench in the mix at a dazzling rooftop party benefiting the Arts. These could be signs of things to come. But will she remain content in her perfect world, or will she step into the unknown world she has always dreamed of?

Buy on Amazon | B&N | Kobo

 My Review:

With great characters to build on, this story grabbed me. Who hasn't had a dream? Maris had a great life, a job teaching vocal lessons, a great boyfriend, but also a lingering dream. I think we all have that "path not taken" sometime in our life, but sometimes fate throws things at us to shake up our normal. Maris has to deal with what she sees as "normal" and figure out what she really wants in life.

I enjoyed the introduction of Beatrice, she was a great way for Maris to learn more about herself, as well as her grandmother.  Loved the Sound of Music references in the book, Melissa Baldwin has a lot of fun with her stories and references.

Overall, a fun and memorable read. Definitely perfect for a cool fall evening or weekend guilty pleasure read!

About the author:

Melissa graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications; she has always had a love for writing. An avid journal keeper, she took her creativity to the next level by fulfilling her dream with her debut novel, An Event To Remember . . . Or Forget. Since then she has written and published two more novels, Wedding Haters and See You Soon Broadway within 14 months. Melissa resides in Orlando, Florida, with her husband and young daughter. When she isn't writing, this multi-tasking master organizer is busy being a mother, wife, chauffeur, PTA President, and Fitness Trainer. When she has free time, she enjoys traveling, running, fitness, fashion, and taking a Disney Cruise every now and then.

Follow the author:

Facebook | Website  | Twitter  | Instagram | Pinterest | Literary Addicts 

Follow the tour 

August Round-Up - A Walk in the Woods ‪#‎thebookclubcookbookCC‬

I was provided with a copy of The Book Club Cook Book to use for this year-long endeavor of reading and food fun. All opinions and experiences and individual book purchases are my own.

August is almost over and I wanted to share all the great things people have been baking/making this month for our Book Club Cookbook Cooking Club. I loved the creativity! 

This month I selected to make the Lemon Meringue Pie recipe inspired by the "viscous, canary-yellow wedge of lemon pie. ...yellow enough to give you a headache, sweet enough to make your eyeballs roll up into your head - everything, in short, you could want in a pie so long as taste and quality didn't enter into your requirements." from the book. I can still remember a multi-day hiking trip that left me dreaming of cheeseburgers, so I completely understood the draw of the thick, sweet pie. In short, it is nothing like jerky and trail mix.

I mentioned before that I just adore lemon flavored anything... and I was so excited to bake my own lemon meringue pie inspired by the book. I have to laugh that I was more worried about something going wrong with the crust and meringue. In the end, I was preoccupied with first day of school prep for my kids and planning my daughter's 6th birthday...  

...and my filling didn't thicken as much as I would have liked. So with a lovely crust, beautiful meringue, my filling was runny!

Oh, the humanity!

This is the point when I should probably say something about life handing my lemons... but, well... you know.

Luckily, this was one delicious mistake that no one minded eating. Even if it did require a spoon! Yes, it was still delicious... VERY yellow.... and sweet. Just as described in the book.

As for the book? I really enjoyed A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. The book is Bryson's account of walking the Appalachian Trail. Along the way he has a lot of adventures, meets a lot of interesting people and shares his journey with his friend Katz. It was entertaining as well as laugh out loud funny. I can't wait to see it in the movie theater with Robert Redford and Nick Nolte.

Now remember, I invited everyone to come join me on this reading and baking adventure. There were some brave souls who decided to face the recipe or find other inspiration from the book. Well, I had plenty of folks step right up to the challenge! 

Here's what #thebookclubcookbookCC bloggers made with inspiration from The Book Club Cookbook, Revised Edition: Recipes and Food for Though from Your Book Club's Favorite Books and Authors by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp.

Everyone did an amazing job pulling funny stories out of the book or coming up with their own take on "lemon meringue pie".  There were many mentions of food in the book, so plenty of chances to find something for everyone.

Camilla, from Culinary Adventures with Camilla, who also happened to have started this cooking crew, created a Perfect Peach Cobbler. It was inspired by MacKaye's vision for trail shelters having more of a proper hostel feel.

Last month Camilla went on her family's annual camping trip - 10 days, 2 states and 5 campgrounds. It sounded like the perfect way to enjoy this month's book selection. I envy her the chance to read this book outside.

Emily from Life on Food created Trail Granola Clusters for her recipe. She had  read other work by Bryson before, but not A Walk in the Woods. She remembers seeing this book on her Dad's bookshelf though.

While reading she noted all the junk food mentions and decided if she ever embarked on such a journey, she would plan better for food. She would instead pack a lot of granola.  I really enjoyed her nut choices of almonds, pistachios, and hazelnuts. That sounds far better than Hostess cakes for a long journey.

Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm created this delicious egg salad sandwich. You have to check out why she was drawn to share this recipe after reading about the fridge that was filled with only egg salad sandwiches...  I just loved her addition of artichoke/parmesan dip in the filling. Brilliant!  That is one version of the sandwich worth stocking an entire fridge with!

Wendy enjoyed the reading this month's selection so much, she had a little incident with her morning cereal getting sprayed across the table due to one particularly funny episode.

Sarah from The Pajama Chef shared a fun recipe for Lemon Meringue Pie Puppy Chow.  I have to agree with Sarah, who doesn't love puppy chow? This was her version of the lemon meringue pie that wasn't as complicated and also probably didn't require as many dishes to wash up afterward.

A great snack, this treat bring together the fun citrus in trail mix form. Wouldn't this be fun to take camping?

Sarah from Things I Make (For Dinner) found inspiration in a particularly troublesome personality (Mary Ellen) who both Bryson and Katz have a hard time with. They joked that if they couldn't ditch  her, they could, "Kill her and steal her Pop Tarts".  So, the homemade pop tarts were chosen for her share.  These Maple Brown Sugar Pop Tarts look amazing!

I also have to give Sarah kudos for enjoying the book with her husband. My husband, and his love of the outdoors inspired my selection and I love they were also able to enjoy it together.

Now Shannon cracked me up with her selection. She thought way outside the "lemon meringue" box to bring us Red Hot Dogs and Moxie Soda. Now, as they traveled along the trail they mentioned some of the local foods like Maine blueberries. Since Shannon has already shared her blueberry pie recipe, she took the chance to introduce the rest of us to some other famous Maine foods.

I have to say, I have never heard of either of these but after her description, I am dying to try Moxie soda. What a great flavor combo! Maybe this cooking crew also needs a little food exchange. Anyone know if I can get a can on the West Coast?

And then Renee from Tortillas and Honey was awesome enough to dive right into the land of Lemon Meringue Pie with me! I have to say that her slice turned out much better than my sad little slider. Isn't this gorgeous?

She shared this pie with her mom who is a lemon meringue pie fan. I know if must have tasted as good as it looked because her mom had 2 slices! 

Check out the full Cooking Crew below:

A Day in the Life on the Farm      

Adventures in All Things Food    

Cheese Curd In Paradise               

Culinary Adventures with Camilla             

Life on Food       

Mostly Food and Crafts 

The Pajama Chef              

The Spiffy Cookie             

Things I Make (for Dinner)           

Tortillas and Honey         

ZooeySuff   

Giveaway

This month Andrea at Adventures in all Things Food, this month's host, is giving away a copy of the book.* Enter to win a copy of the cookbook so you can join us for future months, if you wish!

One of our lucky readers - US and Canada only! - can enter to win a copy ofThe Book Club Cookbook, Revised Edition: Recipes and Food for Thought from Your Book Club's Favorite Books and Authors by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp, courtesy of Tarcher-Penguin. Giveaway runs from August 1st till August 31st at 6 o'clock PM, Pacific time. Please see terms and conditions in the rafflecopter widget below. Many thanks to Tarcher Books. You may find Tarcher: on the web, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Pinterest.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
*Disclosure: Andrea received a complimentary copy of The Book Club Cookbook, Revised Edition: Recipes and Food for Thought from Your Book Club's Favorite Books and Authors by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp to use in this year-long project plus the opportunity to give a copy away. Opinions are our own. We received no further compensation for our posts.

Next Month

Renee of Tortillas and Honey will be the host next month (September). Keep an eye out for her invitation. I think I heard she will be pulling her recipe inspiration from A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines... but check out her invite to get all the details and join in on the fun.

Fire Season: My Journey From Ruin to Redemption by Hollye Dexter

I received a complimentary book to help me write an honest review. I am participating in this  BookSparks' TRUTH OR DARE Blog Tour, reviews contain my own affiliate links for the books being read and discussed. #BookSparks

And finishing up the BookSparks TRUTH or DARE book tour is Hollye Dexter's Fire Season.

Awakened by her husband’s yells of panic, Hollye Dexter woke to her family’s home set ablaze and her toddler son asleep next to her. With little time to act, Hollye had no choice but to drop her son out of the second story window in order to save his life. Over the course of the next few years, Hollye spiraled into depression, unable to let go of the horrific fire that destroyed everything including all five of her family’s pets. This book tells the true story of a mother who must take back her own sanity and defeat her anxiety to keep her family in tact.

“Hollye Dexter’s book made me cry and laugh—sometimes all within one paragraph. She tells her story with power and punch, and a truth that is unsettling and astonishing and ultimately uplifting. There isn't a soul who can't relate to her memoir. It is filled with revelations, humanity, poignancy, balls-out courage, and humor. She is a role model extraordinaire.” —Amy Ferris author of Marrying George Clooney

My Review

Wow! Such a story to tell. During the first part of the book I remember having to remind myself to breathe. The fire was just such a horrifying experience to read about and the author painted such a vivid picture of that night. As a mother of young children, it was all too real for me and was like reading my own worst nightmare. But the fire was not the only obstacle Hollye and her family had to endure. Throughout the book I felt very thankful for events in my own life.

I am impressed with the courage it takes to write a memoir that is so brutally honest. It would be much easier to try to forget about the struggles and hard times, but Hollye Dexter laid it all out there and showed us the strength of the human spirit.

This is a great way to finish out summer reading because everyone loves a book where the family succeeds despite the odds being stacked against them.