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Before I left on my fall 2022 vacation, I read the label on an empty Rogers Golden Syrup bottle and discovered a cookbook offer. They would send me a cookbook if I submitted two barcodes from their products. I just had to pay shipping and handling. 

These days it is a challenge to order something by letter. The labels wouldn’t come off, so I photographed and printed them. I added a handwritten cheque for the shipping. I included a note praising their product and mentioned my passion for recipes. I often published vintage recipes at Get a Bigger Wagon and contributed food columns to two Saskatchewan print publications. Then I promptly forgot I had mailed the letter and went on a three-week vacation. 

I arrived home jet lagged but filled with inspiration. I visually scanned the pile of mail and noticed that one package contained a book. I didn’t recognize the name Lantic written on the return address. I needed sleep more than mail. In the morning, after we enjoyed a good cup of coffee, my husband opened the package, and I heard him exclaim, “Wow, this is some excellent old-fashioned marketing! “ 

Inside the envelope was a package wrapped in brown paper, sporting a handwritten note embellished with stickers. The person writing to me had looked at my recipe blogs, and I was as excited as any little girl who ever received a surprise in the mail. 

I was instantly nostalgic. My mother had a special envelope for collecting box tops, popsicle sticks, and bottle caps. The entire family used to contribute to it, and together we loved to place an order for a book, toy, or household item. I had even ordered Rogers Golden Syrup cookbooks in the past. 

In the 1970s, one of my friends collected box tops until she could order each of her friends a hard-cover cookbook for Christmas. I still have that cookbook, and I appreciate the effort it took to give us this special gift. 

The best recipes always originate with the manufacturer of a product. I take time to read packages and advertisements. In an era where magazines and yearbooks have gone digital, and real money is hardly used, finding a cookbook of substantial weight delivered to my mailbox brought me joy. I love fabulous old-fashioned marketing. Thank you, Rogers!