Cookbook Giveaway: Brown Eggs and Jam Jars
When I first started blogging I spent a lot of time reading other blogs and Simple Bites and Under the Highchair were of two of those that I admired. I’m pretty sure I discovered Aimee’s blogs via PunkDomestics since I was spending a lot of time on that site my first blogging summer. I got into jam-making pretty hard that year. I quietly read Aimee’s work over the next couple of years and she became one of the people I was really looking forward to meeting at the first Food Bloggers of Canada conference back in 2013. While I don’t have a large garden, nor do I want to raise my own chickens, we share a similar philosophy about making meals that use real food for our families.
When I read Aimee’s announcement that she was going to be publishing her first book I was not surprised in the least. She has a lot to share and I don’t just mean recipes, which are excellent. She is able to evoke memories from her readers that connect us with the food we shared with our families as children. This is a special gift she has as a writer. She writes about her family and how she wants to give her children memories to cherish that centre around the food that they grow and make together.
One of the first recipes I wanted to make from the book was this Everyday Sandwich Bread. My peanut butter and jam sandwiches were made with white Wonder Bread, I was very particular about sandwiches, but every now and then my mom would bake some real bread for us. I still remember watching the yeast start to bubble and my mom kneading the bread. There is a tie as to what is the best part of homemade bread – the scent of the bread wafting out of the oven or finally being about to eat a slice. The wonderment of real, homemade bread was something that I had to share with Timothy so it seemed fitting that this is the recipe I’m highlighting for the book review of Brown Eggs and Jam Jars. This bread recipe has quickly become a staple in my house. I feel quite proud of myself for sending a thick slice of homemade buttered bread in Timothy’s lunch. I’m not sharing the recipe on the blog today because it isn’t my recipe to share, and besides, I want you to buy the book. I know you will find lots of other recipes to try in in besides the bread.
I have a long list of recipes that I want to make from this book, such as: Buttermilk Buckwheat Pancakes, Sticky Maple Blueberry Pudding, Crispy Rosemary Roast Potatoes, and the list goes on. I’m happy to be able to give away a copy of this book (courtesy of Penguin Random House Canada) to a Canadian reader. Below is a list of some fellow Canadian bloggers who are giving away a copy of the book as well. Be sure to visit all their blogs and enter their giveaways too.
Thank you, Aimee, for sharing so much of yourself with us in your book.
- Karlynn from The Kitchen Magpie made Coconut Cream Baked Oatmeal
- Renee from Sweetsugarbean made Roasted Carrot, Parsnip, and Thyme Soup
- Ashley from The Recipe Rebel made Maple Walnut Granola
- Jenny from Brunette Baker made Sour Cream Pear Pie with Cornmeal Pecan Streusel
- Jessie from Purple House Cafe made Nova Scotia Seafood Chowder
- Bridget from Bridget’s Green Kitchen made the Chocolate Beet Cake
- Janice from Kitchen Heals Soul make Iced Cider Caramel Popcorn
Disclosure: I received two copies of the book from Penguin Random House Canada Limited, one of which I will mail to the winner of the giveaway. Opinions are wholly my own. This post contains affiliate links.
This giveaway is open all legal residents of Canada who have reached the age of majority at the time of the contest in the province, or territory, in which they reside. Canadian winners will need to answer a skill-testing question.
No purchase necessary to enter.
Giveaway will run from Wednesday February 18, 2015 to Friday, February 28, 2015. Winner will be contacted via email and displayed on Rafflecopter widget.
Such a great book!
It is nice to see that you liked my homemade bread. I haven’t made any for awhile. I will have to make some to bring back memories. I remember Mrs. Hughes, a neighbour made the best buns. Yum.
Beautiful book!
Baking with my Mom..my older brothers had to go to school, and I had Mom all to myself!
So easy to judge this book by its cover – Beautiful! And the kids would probably love it if I started making homemade bread again, so thanks for the push!
Learning to make meatballs and getting to lick the bowl, raw meat and cheese yum
i used to make donuts with my Grandma, now i make them at my mom’s house – hopefully my daughter will make them when she moves out on her own!
I would be thrilled to add this Canadian cookbook to my collection.
I am grateful for many pleasant food memories. My grandmother made the best black currant jam.
Hot pot is our family’s all-time favorite! It’s easy to prepare and warm up the winter 🙂
I saw this book at a book store on the weekend and thought that it looked so good! The food photography is amazing and I am sure the recipes are great as well.
It’s Chinese New Year today so it’s only fitting that this contest triggers my fond memories of my family gathering around the dining table and feasting on Chinese New Year dishes. Every dish is named with a new year greeting in mind, wishing the health, happiness and prosperity in the year to come.
Making sugar cookies with my grandmother is a fave memory!
I remember my Mom putting whipping cream in a jar with marbles, and my sister and I would take turns doing our butter-making dance to shake the jar until the cream turned into butter. Then we’d spread it on freshly baked bread that my mom would make while we were making the butter, and we’d use the buttermilk to make pancakes the next day. Such a wonderful memory!
I have wonderful memories of rolling out Swedish Hardtack with my mom and grandma. I like to eat the hardtack with marmalade, just like my grandma did.
Every Sunday morning, my dad and I would get up early and make juice while my Mom made pancakes and my little sisters slept. We would make all sorts of weird combos, too. First just orange, then orange beet, then apple orange beet, then we’d add carrot or pineapple, etc. I wouldn’t recommend them all, but the carrot-apple-mint was great!
I remember my mom making bread. Hot out of the oven we would slather it with homemade butter made with milk from our own cow. Mmmm!
Food was central to every family gathering we had when I was growing up (and still is). My mother is and grandmothers were amazing cooks.
My parents used to tell me to pick the “ripe” cherry tomatoes. So I would go out and pick the “white” (or green) ones. I was two. 🙂
Baking for the first time with my grandma our famous mud pies….:)
Baking with my mom.
I love learning how to make traditional Chinese dishes with my mom, like dumplings and Zongzi (pyramid-shaped rice wrapped in bamboo leaves)!
I remember making popcorn balls with my mother for my 10th birthday. We invited all of the girls in the class and had a dance party with all kinds of treats and a Strawberry Shortcake cake. My mom didn’t spend much time in the kitchen when I was growing up, so making something together stands out as a particularly special memory.
My mom would make Chocolate Mousse or a Sprinkle sponge cake for our birthdays.
My fave family food memory is baking Christmas cookies with my Mom & brother. Loved decorating them with sprinkles & icing!
I remember once when I was visiting my grandpa, he had a friend over and she asked me to help her make dinner. I had never really cooked before, but she let me do so much of the cooking and it was so exciting for me. We made a huge Chinese food feast!
My baby boy’s first Christmas in his high chair at the big family table and he kept saying mmmm! mmmm! mmmm! the whole dinner as he was eating. Yep, definitely my baby
When I was growing up we always got to plan our own birthday dinner. We could have whatever we wanted ( within reason…lol) and pick our cake flavor that mom always made from scratch. I have carried on this birthday tradition with my own family.
Growing up I remember helping my mom bake cookies and being so proud that I was allowed to help and of course, taste test!
Actually Cabbage Rolls…..and I am going to make them tomorrow. Reminds me of my mom.
Freshly baked bread is one of my favourite smells!
That bread looks great!
Making perogies with my Uncle Stan.
My favorite family memory is making cinnamon rolls with my brothers on Christmas Eve.
My mom was an amazing cook… Sunday dinners were always the best! Everyone would come for sunday dinner.
Dad making potato pancakes, haven’t had them in years! This book brings back lots of memories.
Seems bening, but peeling carrots with my mom. Good conversations!
My mother had a pot of beans and ham hock in a pressure cooker and then left the house. When she returned to the house, the little weight on the steam hole had blown off and there were beans raining down all over the kitchen. Our collie dog Laddie was hiding under the table watching something that he had never seen before. When Mom cleaned up the mess (Laddie helped) she opened the top of the pressure cooker and all that was in there was a naked ham bone. I don’t remember what we had for dinner that night but it wasn’t beans and ham!
My favourite food memories are of learning to bake with my mom. Now I am sharing these lessons with my son. Every Saturday we pick a new recipe and bake treats for the week!
Yumm, looks good!
One of my memories is spending the day making perogies with my Mom and after all that work, forgot to serve them at a dinner party.
One of my favourite food memories is going for dim sum with my grandmother- just the two of us. I loves dim sum growing up and I now know she didn’t have much to spend on a 4 year old for Dim sum yet she would still bring me.
It would be a lovely book to add to my collection and lure the kids into cooking with me.
I remember making strudel with my aunts
My used to make us breakfast every morning before school. My favourite was when he made French toast.