Frozen Blueberry Lemon Icebox Cake

Summer is breezing by like a little flip book of dreams. Blueberry bushes are sprouting their little juicy jewels; plucked, and packed into boxes. Carried home from the store, into our homes. Baked, transformed, or sprinkled on oatmeal, or run under the cold tap for a few seconds then thrown straight into mouths. We took Teddy to the pool yesterday and it was teeming with children. I marvelled at the wonderful body types of a million mothers. Tall, short, fat, thin. Rolls of Costco-fueled emotional eating exhaustion, tucked into swaths of lycra, and lean machines who wake up at 5am for a morning run to keep sane. I’m always searching for the bikini or swimsuit that best fits my body type – fat ‘n fit. That is, strong legs, strong arms but abdominal fat round my middle because I can’t stop making fried chicken and fruit pie. The hot sizzle of oil when the dredged chicken drops in. Crispy and juicy, with a side of cold watermelon. The sweet, toasty aroma of bubbling pie baking in the oven, Teddy bursting in to tell me “I want to eat that smell!!!” And how about some blueberry lemon icebox cake for dessert.

I’ve been a subscriber to Bon Appetit magazine for several years now – first I got hooked on Food and Wine magazine thanks to watching Top Chef, then I decided to mix it up and switch magazines because I don’t drink much, and the “Wine” part I would always skip through. While sometimes I feel like BA tries too hard to make people feel uncool, I do love the recipes, photos and designs. The July issue had a stunner of a story, all about blueberries – which I dog-eared the shit out of. I posted this blueberry lemon icebox cake on the old Instagram and MAGICALLY, the RECIPE AUTHOR commented, saying she was a big fan of mine!! So cool. Now I’ve discovered that she is the wonderful Nicole Rucker, pie maker and chef extraordanaire, and I’m just a tired turd here in Vancouver doing my thing in my modest kitchen, and amazingly she’s a fan of me.

Teddy’s little not-quite-4-year-old hand. I want to cry thinking of him turning 4. It’s so painful for me to see him continue to grow so far away from babyhood.

Here’s the frozen blueberry lemon icebox cake recipe by Nicole Rucker for Bon Appetit. I used store-bought lemon curd, and I didn’t have chia seeds for the blueberry jam, so I just used a tablespoon of cornstarch to help thicken it somewhat. The jam set up beautifully in the fridge overnight and I couldn’t stop spooning it into my mouth. The recipe is so simple, and it tastes like magical slices of summer: fresh, bright, creamy and cool. xo Lyndsay