The Transplanted Baker: One Sweet Year (aka: a giveway)

July 19, 2009

One Sweet Year (aka: a giveway)

There are few traditions in the food blogging world that I haven’t been able to wrap my head around.

First off is the ever-popular act of tying a stack of cookies with a delicate ribbon, as demonstrated here and here. It sounds like a cute idea on the surface, but after seeing a million and a half food bloggers photograph their baking creations this way, you grow a bit tired of the idea. Call me a fuddy-duddy, but the bottom line is, ribbon wrapped cookies are no longer creative nor whimsical. It’s just plain silly. Maybe this is my inner fuddy-duddy, party-pooper speaking.

Another food blogging tradition that has yet to excite me is blogging awards. You create an award, like “the super tasty blog award”, or “fun, fresh, and flavorful blog award!” and send it as an icon to someone you deem worthy of having your award on their blog. I guess it’s a nice gesture and all, but personally, it reminds me too much of junior high popularity contests and trying to collect as many friends as possible as fast as you can. Then gain, maybe this is just the fuddy-duddy speaking.

Lastly, another extremely popular food blogging tradition is the blog giveaway. The Great Blog giveaway, where the blog writer voluntarily purchases (or in the rare case, makes) something for its’ readers to sign up to win and then sends this item in the mail to the winner using the blogger's own hard-earned money. What could possess a normal person to make such a kind gesture of pure unselfishness? Why would a sane person send a total stranger something in the mail (potentially over a very long distance) and not receive anything in exchange?

The good news is, that’s just what this fuddy-duddy is doing. You see, as it turns out, it’s The One-Year Anniversary of The Transplanted Baker. I’m not normally a big one on anniversaries. As it turns out, I had to ask my mom what the date of my wedding was as the one-year mark was approaching- to my defense, it was a court house ceremony on a random Thursday in December. But I do feel like celebrating this anniversary, the one that marks one year of mixing and baking and notes-in-the-cookbook-margin-making and photographing and writing and sharing and dreaming.

And to celebrate, I’m doing two things.

One, I'm baking a cake and eating it.

Two, I’m giving away one of the most quintessential items of the Norwegian table, an ostehøvel.

What you need to do: Now, some food bloggers just have their readers sign their name in the comment section in order entire to win the giveaway. Not me, I’m more of a “make them work for it” kind of girl. As we’re nearing the height of summer and all, I’m going to ask you to write what you believe to be the perfect summer dessert. As long as you do that by next Sunday (the 26^th), you’re name will be entered into a drawing to win this very divine, Norwegian–made, wooden-handled cheese plane. Your cheese plate will never have looked so good.

Thanks for playing along!

-Siri

Posted at 07:56 PM | Permalink

Comments

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Berries, mascapone & meringue.
PS My cheese slicer broke yesterday. Not that I'm trying to sway the judges or anything...

Posted by: Wendy | July 19, 2009 at 11:04 PM

Congratulations!! One year, that is such an accomplishment. My favorite summer dessert is a berry cheese pie when I make when I can get my hands on some nice berries. I add lemon zest to the cream cheese base and lemon juice to the berries so it is sweet and sour and very light. Drat this southern winter!!

Posted by: Megan(Feasting on Art) | July 19, 2009 at 11:55 PM

Siri, So glad I found your blog again and I must also be a fuddy-duddy because I concur with your observations on food blogging. Must be why I haven't read any in a while.
My perfect summer dessert is old-fashioned strawberry shortcake - and old-fashioned to me is biscuits! And a real fuddy-duddy only serves strawberries that are grown locally and are in season!

Posted by: Margaret aka Peggy in MN | July 20, 2009 at 03:05 AM

Congrats on your blogging anniversary! I love following your posts... I read the last few to my parents tonight. :) My favorite summer dessert is strawberry-rhubarb pie with vanilla ice cream. The pie has to be warm to get that perfect mixing of the two.

Posted by: Sarah Hunter | July 20, 2009 at 04:55 AM

My favorite summer dessert is shaved ice flavored with Matcha and condensed milk. In fact anything that's got ice in it or frozen is my favorite summer dessert. ;)

Posted by: Murasaki Shikibu | July 20, 2009 at 06:25 PM

Having just returned from Italy, I'm really in a gelato kind of mood. I tried a lot of flavors, but like bacio (a kind of chocolate/hazelnut) and pistachio the best. Best eaten on the hoof, while wandering around some Italian city.

Posted by: Maven | July 20, 2009 at 07:47 PM

The purist in my says ice cold watermelon. However, the Minnesotan in me says anything with rhubarb, especially rhubarb coconut bars made by my aunt (I'll send you the recipe, ASAP). Hope you're well dear!

Posted by: Mary | July 20, 2009 at 08:58 PM

Happy 1 year! I just made key lime pie and I would have to say it was the best, light but fabulously fresh and sweet dessert for a hot night. And I don't think you're a fuddy duddy. Keep up the good work!

Posted by: Sassy Molassy | July 20, 2009 at 09:06 PM

The best summer dessert.....after enjoying dinner on the deck, avoiding the kitchen where the pile of dishes remains, determined to not create any more dishes, I love to stroll into the back corner of my yard where I can pick fresh raspberries that are still warm from the hot summer sun. That has got to be the best, most satisfying, dish-free dessert!

Posted by: Nikoline | July 20, 2009 at 11:12 PM

So my husband and i have been getting a taste of the norwegian strawberries... we bought some from the stalls in the middle of town, whipped up some whipped cream (sans vanilla, this was before i read your other post :) ) and we had the most perfect dessert ever. Fresh strawberries and cream.

Posted by: Lindsay | July 20, 2009 at 11:27 PM

Now I know any self respecting Minnesotan will be at least thinking Strawberry Rhubarb pie (as noted above), but being from Wisconsin and living in Minnesota, I propose a twist. To me, the only thing better than the pie, is Strawberry Rhubarb BARS. Its the spring time version of fall's apple crisp. It's got everything the pie has and more: sugar, rhubarb, strawberries, but why go with a bland ol' pie crust when instead you can have: more sugar, oatmeal (to pretend its healthy), and tons of butter. Add a dash of cinnamon, and you're set. Plus, they're great warm for desert with ice cream, but also handy enough to pack for lunch or have for breakfast replacing those nasty "cereal bars." Bla! I'll even buy a piece of Gjetost if I win the cheese slicer! --Jd

Posted by: Josh | July 21, 2009 at 03:43 AM

Well now I feel positively unoriginal, but my favorite is absolutely strawberry shortcake. Having a July birthday allowed me to demand fresh strawberry shortcake on an annual basis, and my dear mother always made the biscuits from scratch. In fact, I once revealed myself to be a total shortcake snob when I failed to contain my surprise the first time someone served me strawberry shortcake on an (undoubtedly recently shrink-wrapped) hunk of something resembling angel food cake.
Happy Anniversary!

Posted by: Ellen Hunter Gans | July 22, 2009 at 07:37 AM

My favorite summer dessert is a gin and tonic; whoops, I gave myself away!

Posted by: rachel | July 23, 2009 at 12:51 AM

I've got it:
Birthday Cake Ice Cream!!!!!!

Posted by: Heather | July 24, 2009 at 04:27 AM

Congrats on 1 year of blogging!! My favorite summertime dessert is cherry crisp and homemade vanilla ice cream. I grew up with cherry trees in my backyard and loved spending the afternoon picking ripe cherries and then baking delicious crisp. It was a 4th of July tradition to eat cherry crisp while watching fireworks!

Posted by: Sarah | July 26, 2009 at 04:14 AM