Introducing Brown Eggs and Jam Jars {giveaway}
In the beginning there were a thousand little ideas, two notebooks filed with scribbled recipes, and a title I just couldn’t get out of my mind. Now, after nearly two years of writing, recipe developing, food styling, photographing, editing, and designing…we have a cookbook.
In the early stages, it felt like Brown Eggs and Jam Jars was writing itself in my head. Memories from my past intertwined with experiences in the present and fused themselves into headnotes and essays. It’s not that writing over seventy thousand words was easy, but they flowed naturally. I had a string of recipes to share and a story to go with almost every one.
Fortunately Penguin Random House Canada gave me an opportunity to write this book. They embraced everything from the title to the theme, and even made room for a collection of my father’s original illustrations. The end result is a cookbook I am immensely proud of and thrilled to present to you, all jitters aside.
Today, Brown Eggs and Jam Jars: Family Recipes from the Kitchen of Simple Bites
is released into the world. In a nutshell, it follows a year of seasonal eating on my urban homestead — with family at the centre of it all. I share more than one hundred of our favourite recipes that have a touch of nostalgia, feature natural ingredients, and boast plenty of love.
And because I love practicality as much as storytelling, each chapter offers two extra features: one on urban homesteading and one on kids in the kitchen. This book is packed, let me tell you.
My hope is that in between the covers of this cookbook you will connect with the stories shared, discover a host of new favourite recipes, and be inspired to take your first steps into homesteading – no matter where you live.
You can head to my book page to see what people are already saying about the cookbook, as well as follow the #BrownEggsJamJars hashtag on Instagram to read the first feedback from home cooks around North America.
About the photography
Brown Eggs and Jam Jars features a blend of lifestyle and food photography, all with family at the center.
I brought in friends and local photographers Tim & Angela Chin to shoot my food and it was the best decision ever. I’m such an amateur behind the camera and I loved being able to focus on the food preparation and styling exclusively. It was immensely fun to cook every piece of food and style each image. My goal was to make this a waste-free project, so the crew also ate well – and Tim took home dinner most nights.
It was amazing to have two photographers around to document our family through the seasons, from the sugaring off in the forest to apple picking in the orchard. They did an outstanding job.
Here are several of my favourite images from the book, with a few outtakes thrown in for good measure.
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter
Brown Eggs and Jam Jars book tour!
The rumours are true. I will be making a book tour of sorts, beginning in Canada and eventually getting all the way down to Texas.
- TORONTO: All the Best Fine Foods. 1101 Yonge Street. Thursday, February 12, 5-7PM.
- VANCOUVER: Barbara-Jo’s Books for Cooks, Saturday, February 14, 2-4PM
- SMITHERS, BC (my hometown): Two Sisters Cafe, Sunday, February 15, 2-4PM
- AUSTIN, TX: Métier Cook’s Supply, Saturday, February 21, 1-3 PM.
- MONTREAL: Appetite for Books: Saturday, February 28, 1-3PM.
- BROOKLYN: BookCourt, Tuesday, March 3, 7-9 PM.
- OTTAWA: TBA (weekend of March 21, tentatively)
I’ll try to post updates on Instagram, so follow me there @aimeebourque for the latest.
Giveaway!
Thanks to my publishers at Penguin Random House, I have FIVE copies of Brown Eggs and Jam Jars to giveaway to you, dear readers.
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This giveaway has ended. Thank you for all your beautiful comments!
We have 5 winners to announce!
They are:
1) Wendy
2) Laura
3) Julia
4) Jen
5) Rebecca N
Friends, I’ll be in touch via email soon. Before you know it my cookbook will be in your kitchens!
A BIG thank you to all who participated. I appreciate your support!
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To enter: Please leave a comment. That’s it!
Bonus entry #1: Follow @aimeebourque on Instagram (and say hi if you want!).
Bonus entry #2: Tweet about this giveaway using the hashtag #browneggsjamjars. Example:
“I want to win one of five copies of #browneggsjamjars by @simplebites from @PenguinCanada: http://bit.ly/1uzw3JB ”
Please leave an additional comment saying you tweeted.
Winners will be announced on the Simple Bites Facebook page, as well as here on this post.
Giveaway ends Friday, February 13 at 11:59PM PST. Good luck to all!
Looks fantastic! I love cookbooks that have lots of good photos.
I would love to see this new book (and own it)!
I follow you on Instagram.
Love. Can’t wait to get my hands on this book!
What a beautiful looking book! I would love to win a copy, and if not, I will be buying one anyway!
wow! those smores look amazing! i hope i win!
It looks like a great book. I am going to have to shop for one.
Love it! Congrats!!! Can’t wait to read it!
Aimee,
Can’t wait to read it!
Hi! I heard your interview on the Art of Simple podcast and that was the first I’d heard of you. Sounds like a wonderful more-than-just-a-cookbook!
I’m late to the party, but I would la la LOVE to win and use this book, it looks A-MAZING! 🙂
I follow you on Insta too 🙂
kaizenfashion
This looks like a beautiful book. A great addition to a cook book library.
I would absolutely love to own a copy of brown eggs and jam jars. Your recipes look absolutely amazing!! Great looking cookbook!! Thanks carolynne
Would love to win a copy! Looking forward to this cookbook! 🙂
I follow on Instagram. 🙂
My kind of book! Looks beautiful!
Would love to win a copy of your cookbook (looks amazing!!) …. especially love the Canadian content 🙂
I’d love to win this cookbook for my collection! Looks like a winner!
I’d love to see the cookbook! Living in a smallish town, I’ll no doubt just order it. Good luck in this newest endeavour.
Your book looks wonderful. I love cookbooks, have many , but would love to have yours!!!
Beautiful pictures of yummy food!!!!
I’m so excited to read it! Congratulations on a beautiful book!
I am so excited to see you in Vancouver!
What happened to the Kindle version? I was so looking forward to getting your book on my Kindle and now I find out my order was cancelled and the Kindle version removed from Amazon… :'(
I don’t want to pay the shipping fee that Amazon charges for orders under 35$, so now I can’t get it.
I love this concept- can’t wait to drink in every page and picture!
I tweeted to tell the world to check out your new cookbook! If I win a free copy, my husband and friends and their tummy’s would be eternally grateful.
In a round about way I found your blog from the Taproot magazine. What a delightful find! You have a new fan. 🙂 Also congrats on the cookbook – it looks awesome!
Trisha, How interesting! I’ve never heard of it. Did they mention this blog?
Thanks for popping over. 🙂
To win a copy of your new book would bring such joy to me for so many reasons. We grow much of our fresh produce on our half acre yard and show everyone how anyone can do this! The gracious plenty of small plot farming is gorgeously reflected in your book and it would be grand to share with others.
All the best!
Jenn
From UtHC to a book! Wow! I’m so happy for you. And you’ll be stopping off in my neck of the woods! I hope you enjoy Austin and maybe I’ll get to stop by for the book signing. Congrats!
WooT! I know right? It’s crazy. Thanks for reading along. xo
Aimee, your cookbook looks lovely! I have been following your blog for many years now–you were one of the first blogs I subscribed to–and I still love it. Can’t wait to see your book in person!
Thanks, Christine. That means a lot.
Congratulations!