BLEUBIRD BLOG

SUNDAY'S CAKE

we were trying to think of the perfect winter cake for sunday's baking session and all that came to mind was gingerbread. i love gingerbread cookies but have never made and possibly never tasted, at least that i can remember, actual ginger bread or gingerbread cake. a quick search on pinterest and we were searching the pantry for ingredients and making a short list for the market.

this gingerbread cake is delicious. it smells like christmas and is full of wonderful dark and spicy flavors. not too sweet, but definitely sweet enough to call dessert. serve warm with a little orange butter and you'll be in winter heaven.

gingerbread

you will need: 

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup dark molasses
2 large eggs, at room temperature

preheat oven to 350 degrees. using butter, grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan. tap out excess flour. In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and salt. whisk to break up lumps and set bowl aside. in a separate small bowl, stir together buttermilk and vanilla and set aside. 

next, combine butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. beat on medium speed until fluffy and light in color, about 3-4 minutes. beat in molasses until combined and then one at a time, add in the eggs, beating in until well incorporated. once everything is mixed in, scrape down bowl and paddle. add one third of the flour mixture and beat on low speed until incorporated. add half of the buttermilk mixture and beat until the batter looks smooth, add in another third of the flour mixture. add remaining buttermilk and then the remaining flour mixture. the batter should be nice and smooth. 

pour batter into prepared pan and place on the center rack of your oven. bake for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. the cake should pull away from pan once finished. cool and turn out onto a rack. finish with a dusting of powdered sugar.

recipe adapted from here.

see more sunday's cake recipes here.

DRINK / 01

we partnered up with simon pearce, a heritage brand of glass-blown barware for this new drink series and i'm pretty excited about it. our buddy brice, who is a fantastic craft bartender from the spirit run and one of my very favorite restaurants here in nashville, rolf and daughters is making us one of their holiday drinks. it's called "clear eyes, full hearts" and it's ridiculously good. brice is going to break it down for us so you can try one at home.

you will need:

1.5 oz ford's gin
.5 oz cocchi americano rosa
.5 oz cranberry shrub
.5 oz fresh lemon juice
2 dashes peychaud's bitters
1 oz french sparkling cider.

build all the above into cocktail shaker except the cider. shake vigorously. strain into glass with fresh ice. top with sparkling cider and garnish with a lemon peel.

here is a little explanation of a shrub: "shrubs, which are generally one part juice or fruit macerated with sugar and boiled with vinegar, were mixed with water in 18th century america for refreshment. vinegar was also used as a preservative and for its supposed medicinal benefits." you can find good premade shrubs here.

about the barware: simon pearce is one of america's only remaining heritage glass brands. they are constantly developing new techniques by enhancing centuries-old practices and are training a new generation of master glassblowers in their workshops in vermont and maryland. simon pearce barware makes one-of-a-kind, versatile glasses that make the cocktail experience more special. for great holiday gifts, visit their barware collection and stay tuned for a maker series in the near future and see them in action. 

50/52

"a portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

julian: i couldn't ask for a better kiddo. so sweet and thoughtful.
milla plum: blowing out her ELEVEN candles. happy birthday plum!
birdie: she's always on the move.
sailor: he's got four teeth coming in at once.

GIVEAWAY / NATUREBOX - NOW CLOSED

naturebox is a subscription service that offers healthy and good tasting snacks for kids and adults on a monthly basis, conveniently delivered to your doorstep. they are perfect for snacking at home, on the road, at the office or at school. all naturebox products are made from wholesome ingredients and are nutritionist approved. they abide by strict quality standards and have no high fructose corn syrup, no partially hydrogenated oils, no trans fats, no artificial sweeteners, no artificial colors or flavors.

my kids loved them. their favorites were the whole wheat raspberry figgy bars, the garden tomato crunchies, the everything bagel sticks, the granny smith apples, the sweet blueberry almonds and the antioxidant boost trail mix.

naturebox is available in three sizes: the deluxe snacker, which includes 5 full sized bags for $19.99, the happy snacker, which includes 10 full sized bags for $29.99 and the smart snacker, which includes 20 full sized bags for $49.95. your monthly box ships free with the exception of hawaii and alaska, where shipping is just $1.97.

today we are giving away TWO deluxe snacker six-month subscriptions to naturebox. to enter visit naturebox and browse the snacks that they have to offer. they have more than 90 different snacks to choose from. then leave a comment below with the snacks you would like to try. this giveaway is open to bleubird readers in the US only.

UPDATE: the comments are now closed and a winner has been chosen. thank you for playing!

BONUS: naturebox is offering 50% off of your first box with discount code: BLEUBIRD. offer is good towards any size box and is valid for first time customers only.