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Yay…1st Blog Anniversary and a Giveaway!

By: 👩‍🦳 Linda · · · 🗨 74 Comments

Roti n Rice is ONE year old today and what a ride it has been! Exactly 365 days ago today, I sat down to inaugurate this blog as a journal of my culinary efforts. In my mind’s eye I had visualized leisurely evenings recounting my latest food endeavor to a receptive community of my peers. I am happy to report the that the latter part did come true but I was way off the mark on the notion of it being “leisurely”.

Talk about being naive. I had no idea about site design, copyright, links, advertising, and the grand daddy of a successful food blog…Photography! In a course of one year I went through three cameras starting with my little point-and-shoot Nikon to my intermediate level Panasonic FZ-35, and now using a Canon EOS Rebel-XT with multiple lenses, tripods, and studio lights. I spend as much time struggling with the photography as I do planning and cooking the dish. Ro-Ri San says I rail more against the camera than I do against the pot. 🙁

Some of you may recall my first post which is also the Namesake of my Blog. What a picture of simplicity! Little did I realize that from this little beginning, I have made many good friends and shared many wonderful food experiences. I could not have done it without your support and participation. THANK YOU so much for your encouragement and for cheering me on.

As a token of my appreciation, I have chosen a cookbook by Shelley N.C. Holl and B.J. Carpenter as my 1st Blog Anniversary Giveaway. This wonderful cookbook entitled The Minnesota Table was first published in May, 2010. Both authors are currently travelling around Minnesota signing their book. I was fortunate to have two copies of the book, one for myself and the other as a giveaway, signed by B.J. Carpenter. It was fun to meet her and to hear first hand about when the book was conceived.



The Minnesota Table is more than just a cookbook. It is a culinary adventure of two good friends traversing the state finding local sources of key ingredients. Shelly recounts about the farms they visited and the people they met. At the end of each chapter are recipes by B.J. using some of those ingredients they encountered on their travels. The book is organized by months and there is a chapter for each month accompanied by photographs and beautiful watercolor illustrations by Shelley.

This book is a good read and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. This giveaway is open to ALL my readers including international readers. Please leave a comment on this post to be considered in the giveaway which will be opened until 9:00pm Central time, Wednesday, January 12, 2011. I will randomly pick a winner and make the announcement on Friday, January 14, 2011.


And now for today’s recipe. This White Anniversary Cake was adapted from The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion. This is a very white and fine grain cake. I used a simple whipped cream frosting to ice the cake.


[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:441]

Disclaimer: I did not receive any monetary compensation nor free products for this write up. The two copies obtained as mentioned in this post were purchased entirely with my own funds. What was written are my personal thoughts and views. For full disclaimer, please click here.

Thank you all for visiting and for your kind wishes this holiday season. Sorry I have not been visiting but will do so soon. Wishing you all a HAPPY, HEALTHY NEW YEAR! 😎

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  2. Magic of Spice says

    Happy Anniversary 🙂 Do you feel like a grownup? 🙂
    The cake looks delicious and a great giveaway along with it…
    I know I have already said this, but…
    Have a very lovely New Years to both you and your wonderful family.
    Love and hugs,
    Alish

    Reply

  3. lequan says

    Happy one year anniversary to you and your wonderful blog, Biren! I think every food blogger goes through the “cameras” stage…teehee.

    what a perfect cake to make for this occasion. it looks delicious. this is such a great giveaway! thank you for this opportunity. wishing you and your lovely family a happy new year filled with prosperity, good health, and many great foodie adventures. Have a Happy New Year!

    Reply

  6. Christine says

    Hi

    Congratulations ! Happy 1st Anniversary to You = )

    Wishing you & your family a very Happy New Year and May 2011 be a year filled with your heart’s desire..

    Thank you for the giveaway too =)

    Blessings
    Christine

    Reply

  8. Nasifriet says

    Happy 1st Anniversary to Roti n Rice! Yay, indeed!! I am a fan of your blog, Biren. You’re an inspiration to small bloggers like me 😉 Way to go….!!

    I love your creative cookings and your “grand daddy”….photographs!! So crisp and stylish.

    I take this opportunity to wish you and your family good health, wealth and prosperity for 2011. Happy grand New Year! 😀

    Reply

  9. Maya@Foodiva's Kitchen says

    Biren, your beautiful Roti n Rice is now one year old…. Happy Blogoversary! Doesn’t time just fly when you’re having fun? This has only been your first year and look at how much you’ve accomplished. I know there will be exciting things to come in 2011! Have a fabulous New Year, my dear!

    Reply

  13. Joanne says

    Happy bloggiversary Biren! It has been so much fun getting to know you through you’re blog. Here’s to another excellent year!

    This cake looks fantastic. THe perfect celebration cake!

    Reply

  14. Julie M. says

    Happy Blogoversary my friend! I love your blog and look forward to many more delicious recipes and stories from you. Now pass me a piece of that delicious cake and sign me up for that fabulous cookbook! 🙂

    Reply

  17. Anncoo says

    Hello Biren, Congratulations on your Blog 1st Anniversary 🙂
    The white cake looks unique and thanks for the giveaway. Hope I am the lucky one.
    Wishing you and your family a very Happy New Year and all the best in 2011.

    Reply

  18. Victoria says

    Happy anniversary, Biren! I agree that successful blogging is a lot more work than you first realize, haha. You’ve done a wonderful job here and I always love reading your posts! Happy New Year to you and your family as well. Here’s to an amazing 2011 😀

    Reply

  21. Devaki @ weavethousandflavors says

    Happy Blogoversary my friend!

    I can’t wait for the many more delicious recipes and stories from you.

    Any chance you can drop a price of that yummy cake in the mail to me? lol

    Here’s wishing you a glorious New Year, Biren 🙂

    Chow, Devaki @ weavethousandflavors

    Reply

  22. Kristi Rimkus says

    Congratulations! I can surely relate to the learning experience food blogging has been. It’s truly a labor of love, or we wouldn’t do it. Only other food bloggers understand the time involved. 🙂

    Happy New Year, and I look forward to seeing what your cooking up next this coming year!

    Kristi

    Reply

  25. Claudia says

    Conrats on yoru first blogaversary! How sweet it is. Yor anniversary cake just sings of celebration. I wish you the happiest of New Years and may all good things come to you in 2011.

    Reply

  26. April Dawn says

    Nods of respect and admiration to you, and congratulations for the One Year Anniversary! You’ve put in a lot of work and it shows. Thank you for sharing. Great pick for a giveaway, by the way… What a fascinating-sounding book; I love the idea of local eats!

    Reply

  29. tigerfish says

    Happy Anniversary! Your blog is so amazing considering it is just one year! You have the talent. 🙂 My blog is donkey-years old and still looks like a beginner blog 🙁 …

    Happy New Year to you and your family.

    Reply

  30. Stella says

    Hey Biren, Happy Blogversary! Your blog has come a long way, since I first found it. So pretty and professional it is these days-it was always cute though;)
    By the way, this white cake looks so soft and delicious. Very nice…
    I feel like I’ve said this to everyone by now, but Happy New Year, Biren!

    Reply

  31. kristy says

    Biren, Happy New Year to you & yours! And also Happy Blogaversary to you. What a fantastic year 2010, right! Wishing you many more to come. Btw, the book is such a wonderful giveaway. Thank you so much for everything & god bless you all.
    Best wishes,
    Kristy

    Reply

  32. Lyndsey says

    That is a great way to remember your blog anniversary, I think I missed mine. I thought the same way you did when I started, but I’m still on my point and soot camera. Your photos are stunning! I hope to get to know you better with more years to come!

    Wishing you a wonderful new year!

    Reply

  33. Reeni says

    Congratulations on your first year of blogging Biren! It is an accomplishment to be proud of. I thought you had been blogging much longer – you are gifted. The cake is so pretty – I love King Arthur’s recipes. Thank you for responding so quickly and visiting my new site! Have a blessed and Happy New Year!

    Reply

  34. Teresa R, says

    Happy one year anniversary! That cake looks delicious. I just made the whipped cream frosting for another cake, but I plan to try your King Arthur recipe next week. Thanks for the giveaway.

    Reply

  36. denise @ quickies on the dinner tale says

    Hi Biren 🙂

    I think many of us had no idea what we were really getting into, when we decided to start a blog LOL

    I also think as many of us can say that it’s been so much more than we expected and that the biggest payoff has been the friends that we ‘met’ along the way. I know I am glad I met you and now call you friend.

    Happy First Blogoversary and may you have many more to come 🙂

    Thanks for sharing the white cake recipe – I’ve always preferred white to yellow, though of course chocolate is King 😉

    That is a lovely cookbook and I know whoever wins it will love it!

    Reply

  41. Jessica says

    Biren! The cake looks to die for and congrats on your 1 yr anniversary! Your right it is funny we both started our blogs just 1 year ago! I wish you all the best and that cookbook sounds great!

    Jessica

    Reply

  42. Sharon Moh says

    Congratulations on your first blog anniversary!! That is one amazing anniversary cake! Looks so delicious.

    That’s a brilliant giveaway. Fancy meeting the author of the cookbook and getting their autograph! Really generous of you to give this away.

    Hope you have a most fantastic and wonderful New Year!

    Reply

  43. Mary says

    Happy Anniversary, Biren. You’ve been a wonderful addition to our blogging community and it’s great to see you pass that first milestone. I also love the cake you’ve shared with us today. It looks delectable. I hope you have had a wonderful holiday and that the new year brings all good things your way. Have a great day. Blessings…Mary

    Reply

  44. Kath says

    To paraphrase the Beatles: “They say it’s your blogiversary…it’s my blogiversary, too, yeah!” I naively started my blog on December 31, 2009, too! What a learning experience!

    Happy 1st Blog Anniversary to you!

    Having mostly grown up in Minnesota, I’d love to win The Minnesota Table! Thanks for the chance with your giveaway, and happy New Year!

    Reply

  54. Faith says

    A huge congrats on your 1 year blog anniversary, Biren! That is quite an accomplishment…a year sure goes by fast, doesn’t it? I’m glad I found your beautiful blog and I’m excited to see what the future brings. Wishing you and yours a very happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!

    Reply

  57. khim says

    Happy 1st Annivery to your blog & A happy 2011 to you 🙂

    I’m not good at words & can’t really express well how great your blog is.. Nevertheless, i still wish i cld be the lucky winner for this give away, or maybe it’s just my fat hope? Oh…^^

    Reply

  58. Sommer @ ASP says

    Oh Biren, it’s had to believe you’ve only been doing this one year! Congratulations on the start of something great. You cake is gorgeous!

    I fully understand the struggle with photography. The food has got to look as good as it does in personal if you expect your readers to want to make it! I just finished my first photography class–it actually may have made my pictures worse to begin with but should help in the long run!

    Happy 2011!

    Reply

  61. Janine says

    Congrats on your first year! I just passed my first week of blogging and yes, it’s more tiring and complicated than I thought it would be!

    The book giveaway sounds great – my blog was started because of a culinary adventure that I started with my bestie so I hope I can continue blogging my adventures in the kitchen 🙂

    Reply

  62. Jasmine says

    hi (: is a pleasure to read your blog. hopefully im one of the lucky winner for this awesome giveaway (: nonetheless, i look forward to more of your nice treats (: (:

    Reply

  65. Quinn says

    Happy Blogoversary to you and your blog Biren! The book you will be giving away sounds like Tessa Kiros’s book, Twelve. It is also all about Tuscan cooking and arranged by months, depending on what is in season and at its best. Am already loving the sound of the book!

    Reply

  66. Lori says

    I saw your site at Anncoo’s site. I thought I would stop by to check out your blog and say Happy Anniversary. Sounds like a great book you are giving away.

    Reply

  67. A Canadian Foodie says

    My gosh – Congratulations! Only ONe? Three cameras – and thousands of comments. “I know how hard you are workin’ baby!” I have seen your name on many many of the sites I read, so thought I would stop by, and what a timely moment I chose to do so. So interesting to hear how caught up you have been in photography. And, you are right. It is SO important to a great site. I am actually headed to DSL bootcamp next month. I have the same camera as you. But, still have no idea how to get the most of it. And I have the tri-pod. It always gets in the way. I want the camera on it – no, off it – no on it… the camera is covered with flour, or dough – or who knows what. I keep trying to make the food and the cooking the focus. How can we be “all that”. The photographer, the cook, the stylist, the writer, the reader, the commenter, the computer technician. But, we are.
    Great read. Lovely to meet you!
    🙂
    Valerie

    Reply

  68. DongXing says

    Happy first blogging anniversary, Biren! You have done a great job on both recipes and photography. I have thoroughly enjoyed making meals from your recipes and letting my daughter drooled over those gorgeous food pictures with a promise to her that one day I will try them…. Keep up the good work and I look forward to learning more from you. Thank you for sharing. Is this white cake a variation from the famous american red velvet cake? Your cake looks so delicious.

    Reply

    • Biren says

      What a lovely comment! Thanks for coming back and letting me know. I am so glad to hear your wife loved the cake. 🙂

      Reply