THE BEWITCHING KITCHEN TURNS FIVE!

Posted in Desserts, Sweets by

IT’S GIVEAWAY TIME!
UPDATE: time’s up, comments shutdown for this post

It’s been five years and 688 posts. I enjoyed blogging from the beginning, and then it got better as the years passed. Now I’m more relaxed about it, I suppose. Looking back,  I went through a few phases that are maybe not obvious to you. For instance, in the second year I became slightly obsessed with getting special serving dishes, plates and small bowls “for the blog.”   I also flirted with the idea of a fancy camera and photography classes, until I realized that’s not what my blog should be about. I assembled all the extra stuff, donated it, and felt great.  Our life has little to do with perfectly set tables and carefully placed food props.  “…not that there’s anything wrong with that!”   😉

The Bewitching Kitchen revolves around our desire to eat well while working jobs that demand our full attention, even beyond the daily 9-to-5.  So, most stuff I post reflects the need for simple dishes that are reasonably quick to prepare, but flavorful and fun to eat.  I have neither goals nor expectations for the blog, except to keep it going as long as I enjoy it.  If this site can motivate busy people to cook, eat well, and  – I bet you knew this was coming – exercise often, so much the better!

Five years went by so quickly.  This blogging milestone demanded that I face my own cooking demons. I baked a cake!  What’s even more amazing  is that it involved creaming TWO types of sugar with butter.  Can you imagine that? It will take me a while to recover …

Apple Spice Cake1

APPLE SPICE BUNDT CAKE WITH RUM GLAZE
(slightly modified from Alton Brown, Best Thing I Ever Made)

for the cake:
12 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for the pan
15 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour, plus extra for the pan
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground grains of paradise
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground star anise
8 ounces granulated sugar
7 ounces light brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Granny Smith apples, about 8 ounces each, 1/4-inch dice
3 ounces walnuts, chopped
1 1/2 ounces crystallized ginger, finely chopped

 for the glaze:
6 ounces powdered sugar
4 teaspoons dark rum
Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

Heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly butter a Bundt pan and dust with flour, tapping out the excess.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt and spices together in a large bowl.

Combine the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and, using the paddle attachment, beat on medium until the mixture is pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Whisk together the eggs and vanilla and slowly add, with the mixer on low-speed, to the butter and sugar. Add the flour one-third at a time and beat on low just until combined after each addition. Stir in the apples, pecans and ginger.

Transfer the batter to the prepared bundt pan; the batter is thick and will almost fill the pan. Bake for 75 minutes, rotating the pan after 30 minutes. The cake is done when it pulls away from the sides of the pan, springs back when pressed and the internal temperature reaches 205 degrees F.

Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 30 minutes. Invert and remove the cake from the pan. Cool completely on the rack before glazing.

Combine the powdered sugar, rum and 1 tablespoon water in a small mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour the glaze onto the bundt cake and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Let the glaze set for at least 30 minutes before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

 

composite

 

Comments: This cake was part of the show “Best Thing I Ever Made” on FoodTV Network a few years ago. Ever since I watched that episode and listened to Alton Brown describe his rationale behind the recipe, I wanted to make it. First, I love a cake that goes in the direction of speculoos with all those delicious spices. And this cake had two things that appealed even more to me: the inclusion of grains of paradise, and the omission of cinnamon.  Grains of paradise (shown on the top left of the composite photo) have a very unique flavor, so I was quite intrigued by their use in this cake. And cinnamon is so common when apple cakes are concerned, that NOT having it immediately called my attention.  In fact, Alton made a specific point of not adding cinnamon to the batter, to avoid taking his masterpiece in the direction of apple pie.  Brilliant move!

The whole thing works beautifully together, just as he promised:  chunks of apple permeate the cake, a tender crunch of walnuts (he used pecans, by the way), and the assertive crunch of crystallized ginger.  The delicate shell of the icing with rum (barely noticeable) is perked up by the sprinkle of turbinado sugar, not to be omitted…   For my taste, this cake is close to perfection.  I did not have that many issues to bake it, which is a bit unusual. Ok, later I had to wash some dried up cake batter from my right eyebrow, but that’s nothing compared to what cake baking has done to me in the past. Still, below you see a photo of the state of our kitchen midway through this labor of love.  Trust me, I never make this mess, only when I’m working on a cake. It is absolutely pathetic.  Please notice the place I chose for resting the bowl with all the flour.  Why would I pick the most unstable place ever? Let’s not waste time trying to understand it. It is cake. And it is me. Capisci?

kitchen,jpg

And now…  GIVEAWAY TIME!   I am so thrilled to celebrate my 5th year in the blogosphere that I am offering two gifts. First, a wooden board beautifully crafted by Michael (link to his site), who has been featured on IMK in the recent past.  He was actually quite busy with some trips but managed to make time in his schedule to have this board ready for my giveaway. Thank you, Michael!

board

The second gift, is a copy of the latest cookbook by David Lebovitz,  My Paris Kitchen…. If you are familiar with his style, you’ll know this book is a must-have.  Paris is obviously a place very dear to my heart, it’s where Phil and I met, and where we spent a sabbatical year together later. Visiting often is not possible, but cooking French food is one way to keep the memories alive.  This book is a virtual passport to the city we love.  To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment on this post.

pariskitchen

Everyone is welcome to enter, I will draw two names on July 1st, 2014 an announce the winners right then. Entries will close on June 30rd at midnight.  Good luck, and a big thank you for all who make the interactions in comments, private emails, and Facebook so much fun!  I invite you all to join me in the journey of my 6th Bewitching year! There will be bread, sous-vide, and pies. There will be macarons, dog tales, and when the mood strikes, pull-ups, push-ups, and sit-ups.   Maybe this will be the year I get to finally conquer the crane pose that I’ve been working on for as long as I’ve been blogging….

It’s the road that matters, not the destination. I firmly believe that.   😉

sunsetwalk1

ONE YEAR AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen turns Four!

TWO YEARS AGO: The Bewitching Kitchen Turns Three!

THREE YEARS AGO:  The Bewitching Kitchen turns Two!

FOUR YEARS AGO:  Bewitching Birthday!

FIVE YEARS AGO: Welcome to my blog!

 

117 thoughts on “THE BEWITCHING KITCHEN TURNS FIVE!”

  1. Five years?? I’m in awe with the jobs you two have and the dogs and the travel that you have time to create a blog I would never want to miss. Okay, now I have to look up grains of paradise. I think I should just eat a teaspoon of it and see what happens. 🙂 Congratulations my sweet friend!

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  2. I like your practical outlook – cooking should be fun and easy when necessary (i.e. in a busy life). It is also certainly messy. I love the shot of the preparation for the cake – so honest!

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    • You hit it – we are practical people, both Phil and I. I guess that defines us well. I had another photo of the kitchen that did not make the cut. Of my pantry as I was searching for grains of paradise…. oh, boy

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  3. Capisci? Only too well! Thank you is all any of us can say!!!!! Please have the desire and strength to continue ’cause you would leave an awfully big vacuum to follow! OK – congrats many times over!!!! [sugar – the dogs look happy but I DO wish I had your bottom . . . . . all my love Eha

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  4. Congratulations on this amazing milestone! Well done, love your work Sally.

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    • Thank you!!!!! Five years indeed feels like a nice milestone… I wonder if blog years is like dog years? I’d be 35… nah…. doesn’t feel that old!

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  5. 688 posts … that is quite an accomplishment. Congratulations.

    Cakes are one of my personal weaknesses as well. (And candy.) I’d love to give this cake a try even with the new ingredient. Grains of paradise is a new one on me.

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  6. Parabéns! If it were a marriage (well, it is to a certain extent) you would be celebrating your Wood Anniversary. This may be inspiring – wood fired food, wooden cooking and serving utensils. That would make a nice post actually… 😉 Love your recipes, your ‘cocada de forno’ is a favourite in my neighbourhood! Keep up the wonderful work! beijos

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    • Oh, yes… you are giving me ideas! 🙂 Maybe I can convince Phil to build me a wood burning oven outside? (trust me, I’ve asked…. so far he’s resisted)

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    • Lydia, your blog was one of the first food blogs I started to follow, so it’s amazing to me to have your comment here when my blog turns five…. I am thrilled! thank you!

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  9. Congratulations and keep up the great work– I enjoy your posts and have gotten several great recipes (Mexican-style rice and miso soup, off the top of my head) from them. Here’s to another 5 years!

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    • Thank you, Jen! I love to know the recipes you got from the site and enjoy…. I love that Mexican rice, in fact the other day I almost made it for our dinner, it is simple but full of flavor!

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    • Creaming is dangerous. You simply never know when to stop. 🙂 I doubt I’ll be baking cakes very often, but let’s say this one went well enough… I should count my blessings….

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  14. Wonderful post as always, Sally. Your writing captures the food, your love of cooking, and your personality, and your photography is spot-on as well. I had to laugh at your kitchen photo, showing the detritus of what turned out to be a successful effort at baking. What is it about cakes? I have made only one successful one in the last 10 years, and that worked only because it was mostly clementines and just had to stay moist in spite of my efforts. This cake looks great, and I want to try it. Do you think it could be done without a Bundt cake? I threw mine out years ago after every single thing I made in it stuck to the surface, no matter how much Crisco or butter I greased the pan with.

    Keep up the great work, Sally! Here’s to another 5 (10, 20) years! (Raising my coffee cup in salute.)

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    • I swear I’m not trying to influence the name-picking for the gifts! 🙂 Just another question: if I do buy a Bundt pan, which one should I get? There is a bewildering variety online. Which one do you use, Sally? Love to hear from others too.

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      • Paula, you are funny! Well, I feel a little strange about giving advice for cake pans (is the world coming to and end?) – but I feel very strongly that Nordic Ware is the best for bundt pans. They simply do not stick – ok, I use so much butter and go over every tiny little spot, but the cake comes off like magic. The pans are heavy, feel extremely well made. I would not have any other brand. You see, i need all the help I can have

        as to this particular cake, I am sure it would work in any other type of pan, it’s just that the bundt has such a dramatic appearance, don’t you think?

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        • Indeed, the Nordicware pans are beautiful. I think that’s what my mother had and probably what I had too. I guess the non-stick coating had come unstuck, so I tossed it. I see so many kinds on Amazon, including a pretty one that has a rose shape. Is yours non-stick inside?

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          • Paula, it is not black inside like most non-sticks. If you look at the edge of the pan (the part not covered with flour), you can see the material – it is non stick but it doesn’t have a layer that could peel off. Well, am I making a big mess with this explanation? maybe if you click on the composite photo you can see the edge better. I love this pan. I do have the flower pan, but not in large size, mine is a pan that makes 6 small flower cakes. I used it in the past for a chocolate cake

            GOT STOUT?

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  15. By the way, look what I found on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Frontier-Natural-Products-Grains-Paradise/dp/B00I335NUI/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1402920691&sr=1-1&keywords=grains+paradise

    Just ordered it. I like the fact it has the grinder as part of the jar. I don’t have a spice grinder anymore after we switched to a real burr grinder for coffee beans, and I would never put spices in that. I do have a big Thai mortar and pestle, which works fine on small amounts of things, but this will be so much more convenient.

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    • How cute! I have a few recipes that use grains of paradise, and I intend to post about them in the future. Not near future, I confess that I have A TON of stuff in line waiting to be published. But slowly I’ll get there…

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  17. Happy Birthday BK!

    That cake interested me as well. Grains of Paradise will be added to the list for my next trip to Dallas. Apples will be in season by then.

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    • Hope you try it… I tend to order all my spices from Spice House online, I am not sure if I could find Grains of Paradise in Manhattan, maybe it’s available

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  18. Congratulations on 5 years! Of all the food blogs I follow, yours is one of maybe 4 that I routinely read. A few years ago when I took up sourdough bread baking, your blog inspired me to try different things and try to perfect my technique. Your helpful and thoughtful responses to my comments were always supportive and encouraging. Thank you for being a delight and for sharing your love of food with all of us. Good luck as you embark on a happy, fruitful, and adventurous 6th year!

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    • Oh, that is so sweet! Thank you! Glad you could profit from some of my sourdough adventures, it’s such a rewarding thing to do… I wish I could bake bread more often, but in a way it’s not bad to space those adventures – there’s only so much bread we can consume 😉

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  19. Sally, first congrats on the 5 year milestone, your outlook makes it so fresh, reading you shows how it gives you pleasure to share, it never feels or sounds like a chore (the blogging or the cooking!),

    The cake looks fabulous and sounds like something even I would bake! And btw, the in process kitchen photo still looks 20 times neater than any kitchen when I’m amidst a cooking project. I tell my clients I will brag that I’m a good cook, but never claimed to be a neat cook! Most are shocked when I leave and the kitchen is once again spotless after they’ve seen it mid-way through my day!

    Toasting you (albeit a glass of water) to a very successful 5 years of blogging and hoping it keeps bringing you pleasure for many more years! The benefit is equally pleasing to your readers!

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    • Jim, if blogging is ever a chore, I won’t be doing it… it MUST be fun, otherwise, why bother, don’t you think? And cooking, if made into something fun and exciting, cannot possibly be a chore either… Plus, I love doing dishes, so there’s absolutely nothing to be negative about 😉

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  20. Congratulations on your 5 year anniversary! I just recently found your blog so I have abit to catchup on!

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    • I hope you find lots of recipes that appeal to you… sometimes I enjoy going back and reading stuff from three years ago, amazing how we can forget things, what we cooked, where we were… it’s nice to have this type of written record.

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  21. I love how you have “evolved”. I agree with you wholeheartedly regarding the need for simple dishes that are reasonably quick to prepare, but flavorful and fun to eat. I certainly enjoy every post I read. And get a load of this bundt cake! I love how wonderfully spiced and glazed…and look at the state of your kitchen! Ha! Believe me…it looks familiar! Lovely post and congratulations on turning five!

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  22. happy upcoming 6th year!…..your kitchen is a great place to visit… your curiosity and versatility with food give me much to contemplate on the plate!
    mac

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  24. Woot-Woot!!! ☆ CONGRATULATIONS on Five years Sally ☆ With your warmth and charm, you bring a beautiful energy and enthusiasm to everything you do! It’s a joy to witness you (and your four-leggeds 😉 ). Yes indeed, we all evolve along this blogging path – like all other life paths – and ultimately, the important thing is to adopt an approach that we are comfortable and peaceful with, whatever that may mean for each of us. You and your delightful blog are certainly well loved in this home ♡. Your festive looking bundt cake is the perfect way to celebrate ~ the ingredients are making me a little lightheaded (in a good way 🙂 ). Thank you for the generous giveaway and a huge thumbs up to The Bewitching Kitchen!! xx

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    • I know what you mean by ingredients making you lightheaded… sometimes I see a recipe that hits on all the right spots of my taste buds, and the imagination goes wild…. this cake had me dreaming in front of the TV, glad I finally made it!

      and you are absolutely right, it’s not just the path of blogging but that of life that we must follow according to our won internal “music”

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    • Thank you so much! Glad you enjoy my site, it gives me a lot of energy to keep going…. and going… and going… am I the Energizer Bunny???? You’d think? 😉

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  28. Congratulations on a wonderful 5 years…as you’ve been seeing I’ve been baking several of your breads of late!

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    • Thank you so much, Meryl! the cake looked beautiful, I think…. I was pretty happy with the results, particularly because the taste matched the appearance… or maybe it was even better! 😉

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    • I think cake is pretty much mandatory, so at least once a year I must take a deep breath, flex a few muscles, take a few more deep breaths, and walk bravely towards the Kitchen aid….

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  33. Wow! I just found you this year through Secret Recipe Club, and I’m so glad I did. Happy Birthday to your blog, may the two of you have many more. And I too am a firm believer that it’s the road that matters. Most of the time, I don’t even care about reaching a destination. Your cake looks heavenly!

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  34. Great blog Sally, I’ve just spent a lot of time playing there. Being able to combine your love of science with the foodie world is the best!

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    • Thank you so much, Karen! I would like to write about scientific stuff more often, that’s something I’ve been considering for this new year… we shall see… 🙂

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  35. Congratulations on five yrs! I would love to win either one of these two great gifts! I am always looking for new cookbooks to add to my collection and I love the look of the wooden board!

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    • Well, the best of luck for you! I think the wooden board is gorgeous, so smooth, perfect! And you cannot go wrong with Lebovitz book either… it’s that win-win situation 😉

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  36. Oh my, 5 years!!! Seems like only yesterday… Congratulations, lovely lady, and thank you for all the wonderful recipes and glimpses into your kitchen.

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    • Thank you! So nice to “see” you here! I just told Phil I am officially a “lovely lady”, so I want to be treated like a Queen. He seemed ok with it…. 😉

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  37. Sally how can five years go by in such a flash? Congratulations! I’ve really enjoyed your bog and have found some real keepers on it. You constantly amaze me. Keep it going!

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  38. Congratulations! Such a wonderful milestone 🙂
    You always inspire me Sally, in so many ways and for that I am deeply thankful
    You are one of the few people out there who have a clear picture of what they want and how they want to do and you are never afraid of stepping off the beaten path. You do it your way and I simply love that
    Wishing you many more bewitching years my friend

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  39. Oh I almost forgot! congratulations on facing your cake demons with such a beauty. It does look like the perfect cake!
    Although I am a huge fan of cinnamon, the fact that an apple recipe purposefully leaves it out does make the recipe really interesting.

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    • You and me both, I love cinnamon, both in sweet and savory dishes, and find that it goes perfectly with apples, of course, so it’s nice to see a recipe that dares to look in another direction….

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    • Thanks so much, Jessica! My only regret with the blog is that I should have started a little sooner, I kept doubting myself for at least 6 months…. oh, well – sometimes you need to take your time to dive into something new

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  41. Wow, five years!! Congratulations! 🙂 It takes dedication to make it five years with you working and traveling, having time to create your wonderful blog. I always enjoy reading your post and thank you for all your wonderful recipes and all the great pictures too!! I always enjoy trying your recipes!

    Your cake looks delicious, I am going to give this one a try.

    Congratulations my friend! 🙂 I am looking forward to another five years and thank you!!!

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    • thanks, Michael, I am sure whoever gets your board will be amazed by the quality of your work…. as you know, I am very protective of mine! 😉

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  42. Happy bloganniversary!!!!!!!!!!! Not many blogs can celebrate such a date… and more: Five years working beautifully. This tasty cake is perfect to celebrate such an important date. Alton Brown’s recipes are really awesome. Wishing your blogs many happy returns, Sally!

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    • Thank you, Denise! I know that 2 years is a time point in which many blogs fall off the blogosphere, so it’s nice to have 5 years under my belt… plus, it’s 5 years having fun with it, that’s what I like the most!

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  43. I love crane pose! I mastered it late last year. Now I’m trying to get to the point that I can raise one leg back straight from there. That I’m afraid will take quite some time though. Congratulations on your fifth year Sally! I am so happy that Miss A picked cooking recipes from Brazil as our second country way back when as it led us to you. It has been such a pleasure to get to know you through the years and I’m certain one day we’ll finally get to meet. You are always such an inspiration from your cooking, to your exercising and to your marriage to Phil (of course your drama too – you know we have a fair share of that ourselves!). I’m very grateful to have you as a part of my blogging world. Isn’t it funny the stages we go through. It took me sometime to get to my happy place with it too. I wonder if all bloggers have similar journeys. At any rate, congratulations. I’m looking forward to many, many more wonderful years, great dishes, memorable stories and dare I say an occasional cake or two! 😉

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    • Ah, the crane! I know you mastered it, and I have “good envy” – you know, I think one of the problems is that I am doing these poses by myself, I don’t have a yoga instructor to guide me. Sometimes Phil tries to help by comparing my attempts to what he sees on the video, but it’s not easy to figure out what my problem is. I have enough strength on my upper body to support the weight, I think my problem is fear of falling on my face, and not knowing exactly where to place my knees on my arms… oh, well – I keep trying. I can take one foot off the floor, but that’s about it. Five years, and no cigar! 😉

      well, it’s been great to have you around the Bewitching, and to follow your adventures on your site, which is pure joy to read every single time…. no matter the level of drama, I can take it…. I might even try to top it (did you know I went into the backyard thinking that Oscar and Buck were barking at a toad and instead it was a big snake, its head up, tongue slipping in and out, ready to strike me? drama, my friend… I know drama)

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      • That would indeed cause drama! I can just hear the screams and shouts now! No doubt I would have been beside myself. Although mice tend to get me a bit more than snakes – their ability to pop in and out so quickly. Eek! Congrats again Sally! 🙂

        As for crane, I find the trick is to put use strength in my hands and core and sort of push through the shoulders like in cobra or up-dog. There’s a definite sense of tipping forward, but as my instructor said – you’re only inches from the ground. You won’t get hurt. (I can attest to that!) Still, easier said than done. I have no doubt you’ll get it. Here’s a helpful link: http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/528. Now if only I can get my arms to straighten. Perhaps I’ll work on that as this lifting one leg back thing just doesn’t seem to be happening.

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        • Thanks so much for the link, I will work on it this weekend for sure… I tried putting a pillow in front of my head to be less afraid of falling, but what kind of scared me was one day when I tipped forward (not a pretty sight, by the way), I almost hurt my right wrist really bad, as my arm bent in the wrong direction. I’ve been afraid of that ever since. But I am not giving up – wanna come over and give me a personal lesson????

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        • just took a quick glance at the link… AWESOME! I have the feeling this will be helpful…. will let you know… darn it, I KNOW I can do this

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  45. 5 years?? That’s amazing!!! It’s taken me that long to be in grad school. I love your blog and truly admire how you can keep up with the demanding jobs you have. Looking forward to more great years here!!

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    • It took me 5 years in grad school too…. I guess that’s pretty normal, but the last year is always the hardest, I think..

      Our work as you know is demanding and frustrating – sometimes I don’t know why we do it, but then… one great experiment, one great finding, and it compensates all the struggles…. our big paper will be published next month, I might talk about it here when it is online…. we are thrilled!

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  46. Congratulations on your anniversary, Sally….I just love your blog! I’ve never cooked with grains of paradise, thanks for bringing them to my attention. Cake looks FAB….well done!

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  50. Hi Sally, I can’t remember if i’ve ever left a comment but congrats on hitting the five year mark!! I discovered your blog a long time ago from TFL (I used to use your steaming towels method!) and I’ve liked it from the start. You sound like a nice and warm person—and look it too from the photos!—and you always write in a very open, personal and humorous way. You’re introduced us to many different types of cuisine, and i’ve enjoyed learning more about your life story, how your life changed course, etc. I would love to learn more about your lab work and I’m very admirative of your fitness level!! (I actually googled Tony Horton because of you. Yes, there are some people in this world who have never heard of Tony Horton :)) ) You are one fit lady!! Running, gym, yoga, what else?? And very pretty too 🙂
    Anyway this is just to say, thank you and keep it up!
    PS: about the yoga, i used to do yoga, sadly no more, and I must say that having an instructor makes all the difference. I don’t know what sort of videos you use, but I feel that there’s a lot of pseudo yoga videos out there. Personally I don’t feel yoga is something that can be instructed or passed on through a video demonstration. It’s really over and beyond a ‘workout’. Not just having a real instructor, but the right instructor who inspires and guides you makes all the difference. A good teacher is almost like a mentor. That said, if you’ve done yoga in a class before and are just using videos as a guide, then i guess it’s all right. Just my thoughts!

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    • I remember you of course from The Fresh Loaf, my favorite bread baking spot, which I wish I had more time to participate… haven’t been there that much lately.

      You touch on very important points with the yoga – I have no doubts that having an instructor makes all the difference. About 7 years ago I took “real” yoga classes. But at that time I had ZERO flexibility and could not do much, got discouraged and left. The P90X yoga cannot even be labeled as such, Tony Horton uses yoga postures but the practice has none of the meditation, mental aspects of the real thing. Still, it made a revolution in my flexibility, and I will never stop, I don’t think…. At the present time, I don’t anticipate joining a yoga class for absolute lack of time, but who knows? I might go for it in the future!

      thanks for stopping by, loved your comment!

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  51. I can’t believe it’s been five years! I’m well behind you with 3 1/2 but of those years it’s been such a pleasure getting to visit your blog and getting to know you! I wish you well in the next year and the years that come after:) I think if I ever gave up blogging, I’d still have to come round to visit. And.. did you say macarons!! I can’t wait!! xx

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  52. Wow! Apple cake AND a giveaway? How awesome is that?! I am a new viewer of your blog and am so excited by the fresh and wonderful combinations I have been finding here. I have to eat Gluten Free and love finding blogs like yours to jump start my culinary explorations. 🙂 Thank you!

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