Winner Giveaway!!! (but you ALL are winners in my eyes!)

Thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway!! I can't tell you how fun and enlightening it was to read the comments- whether or not you left something related to Elaine Cannon- it was delightful-I mean it. Thank you again!

Well, we have TWO winners for this drawing... and they are... drumroll, please.....

Abby who said:

She created YW classes at church and the YW broadcast! I'd love a copy!!! Can she come raise Nona for me when she's a teenager?

And Heidi who said:

"There are two important days in a woman's lifelife - the day she is born and the day she finds out why."

"Never forget that you have the spark of the divine in you. Whatever you do or don't do won't change that fact."

how would it be to live a life so full of good that it's worth documenting? What an amazing woman. I hope that I an be half the woman she was, or even half the woman you are. If you pick me, maybe I can get some ideas on how to accomplish just that. I love you!

I will be emailing the winners for addresses and get them off to you!

BOOK GIVEAWAY!!!!

Hello little clan of readers! It is with great excitement that I announce the first giveaway here on this blog! Celebration!

Now now.... it's not a Blentec, nor a car, nor a snazzy colored kitchen aid.... it is however, much more inspiring and moving!!!

My aunt recently published a biography she wrote on my grandmother (her mother:)), Elaine Cannon (image of book at the very top of post!:))

Perhaps this name rings a bell to you- perhaps it's totally fresh! Either way, any woman in this world (Mormon or not) can find connections to this wonderful woman that lived a very noble life of church service, civic service, and motherhood. Wealth was never hers; but she wrote dozens of books- had thousands of articles in the newspaper printed- wrote for Seventeen Magazine (back in the day!:))- spoke publicly at hundreds of functions for church and community- bore 6 beautifully, tall, and talented children-believed in God with unwavering faith- and overcame unspeakable trials! Men and woman from all different circumstances will find themselves relating to her- she had a real talent for befriending people of all walks of life and relating to them on a real level. I love her dearly. I miss her profoundly. And I hope someday to possess at least a fraction of the goodness she did!

She was a devoted member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka, Mormon). Her faith was thickly built from an early age on and she possessed an optimism and cheer about her that was unmatched. She made a big and delicious batch of opportunities from the lemons life gave her and this book is all about how she did that!

In the cooking realm of things, since this IS a cooking blog, she was a fabulous little thing in the kitchen! She believed in making any area of space beautiful- even if it was "just" the kitchen table top. Family dinners, Christmas gatherings, Thanksgiving holiday, and so forth, were such spectacular showcases of her eye for style and her talent for good food. I will never forget eating roasted vegetables with fresh rosemary and thyme at her house for the very first time in my life in the mid-90's. Roasted veggies were not yet a discovered treasure. Now they are. She was always far ahead of her times in culinary terms. She learned early on in the kitchen with her own mother how to make such beautiful things for the dinner table.

She was elegant, radiant, poised, and her life, really, I'm not just a biased granddaughter, is very, truly inspiring. She sparkled with happiness.

And SO....... TO ENTER the GIVEAWAY FOR THIS AMAZING BOOK..... PLEASE leave your email address (or some form of contact-preferably electronic:)) AND also a COMMENT about Elaine Cannon herself- for instance, you could find out through your mom, a grandmother, or GOOGLE something about her: what books did she publish? Did she ever publish a cookbook? (yes she did- now go find out!)), etc, etc..

.... and if you're feeling shy or not up to that task, you really DON'T have to leave a comment related to her, I want everyone to enter anyways, but that's a good challenge, right????

GIVEAWAY will close MONDAY APRIL 4rth, midnight! Winner will be announced Tuesday and of course, drawn at random.