Across Canada With Christie’s Premium Plus Crackers
Always on the lookout for fun travel-related artifacts when thrifting my Mom and I recently took a road trip from London (Ontario) to St. Thomas to check out their downtown main street - and find Jumbo the elephant (sad story link). And while we missed the turn for the downtown, we were immediately rewarded with a Mission Thrift store – and, as it turned out (spoiler alert) a fun “travel find.”
We immediately separated and started our searches. While there was lots of interesting stuff, I didn’t find anything saying, “take me home with you.” However, my Mom (the eyes of an eagle at 90) asked if I saw the “Across Canada with Premium Plus” envelope. I said “No!” She then pointed at a postcard-size cardboard envelope on a table nearby and said, “you should have a look at this.”
Tucked inside the envelope were 15 retro postcard-sized recipe cards with recipes probably from late ‘70s as the measurements are in metric (Canada didn’t adopt metric until April 1, 1975). I was immediately struck by how most of the recipes were identified as being from “off-the-beaten-path” cities and town across Canada. And of course, all used Christie’s Premium Plus crackers as one of the ingredients.
I loved the quirky recipe names - Saskatoon Spinach Nut Ring, Tadoussac Tourtiere, Carrot Creek Corn Casserole, Bonavista No-Bake Stuffing, Timmins Torte, Charlottetown Chews and Mackenzie Maple Crumb Pie. Somebody loved alliterations, as do I.
And yes, I had to look up some of the places like Moonbeam – a township in Northern Ontario (on highway 11 north of Timmins), known for its roadside flying saucer, referenced in the song “Fly” by The Tragically Hip. Strange they would choose a recipe from both Moonbeam and Timmins given their proximity.
I also learned that Carrot Creek is along the Yellowhead Highway west of Edmonton. And I am assuming Mackenzie is the town in British Columbia, north of Prince George on highway 97, home to the world’s largest tree crusher. Who knew?
For $2, how could I resist this great fodder for a fun Canadian travel blog. I have photographed each of the postcards so you too can enjoy the across Canada tour via 15 recipe postcards. You might even be tempted to try a few. For sure, I am going make the Manitoba Meat Loaf.
Last Word
I hope you enjoyed this travel back in time as much as. Let me know if you try any of the recipes and how they tasted. FYI: To this day I love adding lots (10+) soda crackers to my soup.
Lesson learned: Listen to your mother!
If you like this blog, there is a good chance you will like these links:
Thrift Store Find: Vintage Canadian Postcards