Dear Mr. Mailman:

I trust that you are well and that this lovely May weather has made your duties all the more pleasant to carry out.

The very first edition of Canadian Blogging by Post has inspired me to write you this missive to express some thoughts that I have always meant to express to you in person, but unfortunately have never had the opportunity to do so.

I would like to begin by telling you that I really like your uniform. The navy blue pants (or shorts when it is very hot outside) are most fetching. The colour compliments your skin tone. Not that I have spent a lot of time studying your skin tone … I do not want you to get the wrong idea. I simply could not help but notice.

Anyway, as I mentioned above I have been meaning to write you this letter for quite some time to express my all-encompassing gratitude for your reliability and dedication, especially in the face of so many challenges.

It cannot be easy delivering mail. There are the Canadian winters to deal with. That cannot be fun. And I would imagine that sometimes you must run into some unfriendly pets … or particularly vicious squirrels. And then of course there is also the sheer volume of mail you deal with. Your mailbag must be so heavy. It is a good thing you are so big and strong … not that I have paid any particular attention to your broad-shouldered good looks … I mean you are just my mailman.

Ah … where was I … oh yes … I wanted you to know how much I admire your mail delivery. You are very good at what you do. In fact, I hardly ever even know that you have been by. Which is strange because I spend so much time looking out the window for you. In the spring and summer I sometimes even wait for you. You probably think I am looking at the flowers in the front garden, which is what I like to let people think I am doing. I mean I do not want them thinking that I am waiting for the mailman … what would people say!

Where was I again? Oh yes … so I spend a lot of time waiting for you and yet I am never able to see you actually putting the mail in my mailbox. You are so fast. So quiet. If I did not know better I would think you were avoiding me, which of course is ridiculous. Why would you be avoiding me? Ha! It is to laugh!

Still, you must have been a Navy SEAL in a past life because the mail just suddenly appears without any trace of you. Which is ok, I guess. I mean the important thing is that the mail gets delivered not that I get to see your strong hands actually dropping the letters in the mailbox. Not that I have been paying any particular attention to your strong hands. There was that one time I saw you dropping letters into a mailbox up the street and I happened to notice your hands and how strong they were. I could tell because the binoculars I was using were particularly powerful. Not that I spend a lot of time at the second floor window looking out for you with my binoculars. I do not want you to think the wrong thing here.

Well, anyway, I guess I should get to the heart of the matter. I have a very special request for you. In the next few days you or one of your colleagues may be handling a very special package that I am sending to someone. The package in question is a little box of goodness that I put together for a wonderful blogger, somewhere in Canada.

The box has some very special gifts in it. I would like to tell you what they are but I do not want to spoil the surprise. There is, however, one item in there that I will tell you about. It is a lovely little jar of Chocolate Pecan Spread that I made.

You see when Sam of Sweet Pleasure: Plaisir Sucré set the theme for Canadian Blogging by Post, he chose chocolate. I wanted to post something chocolatey that reflected the city that I am from, so I chose this spread. The recipe is from a book called Out to Brunch, which features the brunch recipes from one of Toronto’s best restaurants. (Hey … if you ever want to go to brunch … )

So anyway, as I was saying, I wanted to post something "local" and I immediately thought of this spread. It is easy to make. You just put some pecans, sugar and cocoa in a food processor, add a few other ingredients and there you go … a luscious chocolatey spread for you to enjoy on your toast in the morning. The best part is that the spread travels well so it means I can send some to my mystery blogger.

And just as I am sending a package, Mr. Mailman, someone will be sending one to me. I sure hope you deliver it. But would you mind delivering it to me personally? I want to be sure and thank you … nicely. If I do not answer the door when you knock then just ring twice … the mailman always rings twice!

Sincerely,

Cream Puff

P.S. You have great hair. Not that I have been staring at your hair or anything …

Chocolate Pecan Spread

Adapted from Out to Brunch by Donna Dooher and Claire Stubbs.

• 3 cups pecan halves, lightly toasted
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup powdered milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 Tablespoon water

1. Place the pecans, icing sugar and cocoa in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process the pecans, sugar and cocoa until very fine, about one minute.
2. With the motor running, add the vegetable oil through the feed tube and process until well combined.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the milk powder, the vanilla extract and the water. Mix until smooth.
4. Add the milk powder mixture to the bowl of the food processor and process until the pecan chocolate mixture is smooth and no traces of milk powder remain visible, 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Spread on fresh bread and add a dollop of mascarpone for a special treat.
6. Pecan Chocolate Spread can be kept in a tightly covered container, at room temperature, for several months.
7. Enjoy!

Note:  Makes 2 cups of spread. You can find milk powder in well stocked grocery stores as well as health food stores.

Technorati tags:  chocolate, pecans, canadian blogging by post