Today is my blog’s one year anniversary!
(source)
It’s not been at all the journey I expected, let me tell you. I imagined so much more “balance” than “extreme”.
I imagined so much more activity than absence.
I imagined so much more adventuresome cooking than reptitive meals.
I imagined so much better photography than anti-eye-candy.
But on the upside, I’m not dead, so who knows what the next year will bring? I mean that too literally on too many levels these days, let me tell you. 
I have certainly enjoyed the community, the friendship, the entertainment value… so the surprises have been, on the whole, a good thing. And now, I have a surprise for you:
I know this post was meant to be story-telling, and all about my upcoming mystery travel, but I’d rather do one thing at a time so let’s play first and get down to business second… because it’s a birthday, there should be gifts, right?
Right!
And to whet your appetites and keep you coming back for more, this is a TWO-PART giveaway!
Part I:
I had some themes in mind for the giveaway—something me, something relating to the blog, something a bit fun… and so it was born:
ME: well, I’m a nerd from way back. If I were less of a nerd, then if I asked you to guess the proportion of these boxes:
and these boxes:
that were books, you wouldn’t say “60%”. But they are. Just ask my forearms.
So a book seemed right…
THE BLOG: … and this blog is about food, partly, right? So why not a COOKBOOK?
A BIT FUN: this one overlaps with the “me” part—because at the end of the day, I’m still a historian, even retired. So finding an older book, and an older Canadian book seemed just downright groovy.
And so, my first ever blog giveaway is a copy of THE LAURA SECORD CANADIAN COOK BOOK!
What’s that, you say?
To most Canadians, if you say the words “Laura Secord”, they think of this:
Laura Secord is a chain of mall-based candy stores, which used to feature in my life primarily once a year. Easter:
These cream eggs are deadly sweet (I was about to make a joke about “literally” and then hoping for resurrection, but then I realised that was religiously insensitive—oops), part of my childhood, and distinctly Canadian.
Fewer people know the story of Laura Secord, who warned the Red Coats of an American attack during the war of 1812 (in which Canadian-based British forces went south and burned the White House—sorry ’bout that, Yankee friends!). It wasn’t quite marathon-worthy, but she did trek around 30 km to warn the British forces of the attack coming near Niagara, Ontario, and this let the Brits and their First Nations allies to be prepared and take almost all the attacking Americans prisoner.
Now, the story is heavily enshrouded in myths and legends—who knows how much of it is real history other than the fact that this lady took an epic walk? But as far as I’m concerned, an active liver (that walk!) and later affiliated with chocolate makes her my spirit animal for today’s giveaway—without actually being an animal! 
In 1967, on the Canadian centennial, this cook book was developed featuring a whole whack of old-school Canadian dishes, from Fricandeau (veal and pork loaf) to Malpeque Oyster Stew, Holubtse (Ukrainian stuffed cabbage rolls), Hot Cross Buns, and Quebec Sugar Pie.
And for all that, she becomes my first giveaway prize! Yay!
I think these recipes could use an update—a healthification while keeping their essences alive (hello, Nanaimo bars, I’m talking to you), but it would be a fun book for the creative cook to play with.
To enter, I would ask the following: in the comment section below, tell me about an iconic historical figure that was a part of your youth—for whatever reason, foodie or otherwise—and on Tuesday, 14 June, I’ll pick a winner.
Thanks for playing!
(Stay tuned for Part II of my giveaway on Monday—the story comes then, no ifs, ands or buts!)
