
Having followed the urban homesteading adventures of Aimee Wimbush-Bourque on her much admired blog, Simple Bites, for the past couple years, I was delighted to be asked to review and make a recipe from her new book, Brown Eggs and Jam Jars, for the Food Bloggers of Canada Brown Eggs and Jam Jars blog tour.

The book is every bit as heartwarming and down-to-earth as Aimee’s blog, and really deserves the time it takes to occupy the kids with some play-doh, brew yourself a cup of tea, and cuddle up by the fire for a leisurely peruse. Packed with irresistible seasonally-inspired recipes like sticky maple blueberry pudding, roasted peach barbecue sauce, and sour cream pear pie with cornmeal pecan streusel (!!), your copy of the book is bound to quickly look like mine – riddled with sticky tabs on the concoctions you can’t wait to try. Connecting the recipes is Aimee’s beautiful prose, telling the stories behind the food she presents the reader, and offering tips on urban homesteading and involving kids in the kitchen – two of my favourite culinary pursuits.
As you can imagine, choosing just one recipe to make as a contributor to the BEJJ blog tour was unspeakably challenging, but I thought it my obligation as the sole East Coaster from the group of bloggers participating on the tour to make Aimee’s Nova Scotia Seafood Chowder.

I was happy enough NOT to have my daughter participate in the making of this chowder, I have to admit – it ended up being a thoroughly meditative, contemplative process I embarked on, on just the type of blustery, damp day that seafood chowders are meant to brighten. Not an original East Coaster, I had always thought that my simple version of chowder – onions, garlic, wine, seafood and cream – was quite delicious. I have realized, after making Aimee’s version, accented with fennel, saffron and tomatoes, that my chowder is truly just adequate, and that this will be my go-to recipe from here on out. This recipe pulls together in time to decide, spontaneously, on a somewhat indulgent weekend lunch – complete with a glass of white wine – but is exquisite enough to save for when your prairie-dwelling relatives show up expecting fresh, locally-caught seafood.

There are two ways to get your hands on this recipe and the 99-or-so others that grace the pages of Brown Eggs and Jam Jars: you can enter my give-away, sponsored by Penguin Random House Canada Limited, who graciously provided me with an extra copy of the book to give to YOU, or you can grab it on Amazon or at your favourite bookstore.
To enter, simply comment below, and I will draw for the giveaway on Thursday, February 26th. Only Canadian residents will be considered for the give-away.
To increase your chances of winning a copy of Brown Eggs and Jam Jars, hop on over to the other blogs on the FBC Blog Tour, and enter their giveaways too! Here’s who they are:
- Anna, at Hidden Ponies, is making Whole Wheat Honey Pizza Dough
- Karlynn, at The Kitchen Magpie, is making Coconut Cream Baked Oatmeal
- Renee, at Sweet Sugarbean, is making Roasted Carrot, Parsnip and Thyme Soup
- Ashley, at The Recipe Rebel, is making Maple Walnut Granola
- Jenny, at the Brunette Baker, is making that to-die-for Sour Cream Pear Pie with Cornmeal Pecan Streusel
- Christina, at Strawberries for Supper, is making Everyday Sandwich Bread
- Janice, at Kitchen Heals Soul, is making Iced Cider Caramel Popcorn (whoa!)
- Bridget, at Bridget’s Green Kitchen, is making Chocolate Beet Sheet Cake