Friday, July 1, 2011

MY SWISS MÉMÉ'S CAKE - THE RAMBLING EPICURE

Galette Du Pont 2 2 bis
What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, lessons in life. And, most importantly, cookies.
- Rudolph Giuliani

Each of us had (or still has) a grandmother that holds a special place in our heart. Most people can speak about their grannies with much love and tenderness as it is impossible not to cherish someone who gave (gives) unconditional love, spoiled (spoils) them with gifts, was (is) a supportive figure in their life and had (has) a big influence on them.

Grandmothers are no less important than our
mother as they are the pillar of the family and the beholders of a certain heritage. We will always remember those beautiful bonding moments we shared with them while attentively listening to them tell stories about the past, our parents' childhood, their misfortunes and youth or while baking cakes, preparing meals together and spending our holidays at their place. Those are valuable memories and indelible happy instants that we will never forget. As a matter of fact, we will certainly still continue talking about them when we reach a certain age ourselves.

Galette Du Pont Plates And Forks 1 2 lighter Bis
"Grandmas are moms with lots of frosting."
- Author Unknown


Some people had doting grandmothers who were not afraid of showing their affection, whereas others had indifferent and teacher-like grandmothers. Unfortunately, even if mine were far from
being unkind, they weren't either very close to their grandchildren. I can't recall seeing them go completely ga-ga over me and my sister. They just treated us with the same deference with which they handled non-family members, but we never got a special treatment or extra kisses and hugs.

Anyway, for somebody like me who is particularly attached the the culinary aspect of things and who was not blessed with the most demonstrative of grandmothers, you won't be surprised if I tell you that what I especially treasure are the times I spent watching my English Na
na and Swiss Mémé busily bustling around the stove. I might not have been shown how to prepare many recipes with my grandmas (as a matter of fact none of them passed any of their recipes on to me), but looking at them cook has made me learn a lot and develop a passion for creating meals from scratch with natural ingredients and for eating in a responsible way. They have helped me become the seasoned home "chef" that I am now and I am very thankful that they have enlightened me with their knowledge, which has been passed on from generation to generation.

I am so proud and happy to be in possession of certain of their kitchen "secrets" hailing from a revolved era and to have been able to witness a way of living that nearly no longer exists. As I owe them a lot, I decided to rightfully commemorate those two unique beings by writing articles about both of them and spreading their gastronomic heritage as much as possible so that others can profit from it as it would be too sad to be greedy and keep it all for myself...

Rambling Epicure
"In our modern world, most women choose or have to work, and countless couples don’t have the time or energy to become kitchen bees. Many people prefer buying prepackaged food and don’t see any point in spending their free time preparing homemade snacks. The majority of 21st-century grandmothers hail from a generation of females who cut themselves off from old traditions..."
- Excerpt by me & taken from my latest article on The Rambling Epicure

So, if you are interested in reading more about my Swiss grandmother and discovering her recipe for a simple, yet versatile sheet cake named "Galette Du Pont", then please visit the
The Rambling Epicure, a daily international food chronicle and online newspaper for which I am a freelance writer and ponder on the meaning as well as significance of food in everyday life. There you'll find my latest article "My Swiss Grandmother’s Cooking: The Deep Roots, Bonds and Nostalgia of Food" which I hope you'll enjoy...

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Beaucoup de mes lecteurs francophones ne comprennent pas forcément l'anglais et malheureusement peu d'entre-eux auront la chance de lire mon dernier article en date sur le site The Rambling Epicure, alors étant donné que vous m'êtes chers, je me suis permise de traduire la recette de ma grand-mère paternelle qui s'y trouve car je pense qu'elle pourra vous intéresser.

J'espère que le cake
simple, humble et à usage multiple de ma Mémé, qui était originaire du canton de Vaud en Suisse Romande, vous plaira. Cette gourmandise a bercé toute mon enfance et occupe une place toute particulière dans mon coeur...
Link
Galette du Pont 1 4 bis
~ Galette Du Pont ~
Recette par Rosa Mayland, Mai 2011.

Pour un grand cake rectangulaire de 24x37cm.


Ingrédients:
500g de Farine blanche
3 CC de Poudre à lever
1/2 CC de Sel de mer fin
125g de Beurre non-salé

250g de Sucre cristallisé
2 CS d'Huile d'arachides (ou toute autre huile ayant un goût neutre)
2 1/2 CC d'Extrait de Vanille pure
4 Gros oeufs, à température ambiante
16-18 CS de Lait (assez afin d'obtenir une consistance de pâte à cake)

Méthode:
1. Préchauffer le four à 180° C.
2. Beurrer un moule à cake rectangulaire et tapisser le fond avec du papier sulfurisé.
3. Dans un bol moyen, mélanger ensemble la farine, la poudre à lever et le sel. Mettre de côté.

4. Dans le bol de votre robot, battre le beurre avec le sucre en crème/pommade.
5. Ajouter l'huile et la vanille. Battre à nouveau afin que ces ingrédients soient bien incorporés.

6. Ajouter les 4 oeufs, un à un et bien mélanger en nettoyant les bords à l'aide d'une spatule en caoutchouc (après chaque ajout).
7. Incorporer les ingrédients secs en alternance avec le lait et bien mélanger afin d'obtenir une pâte lisse et homogène.
8. Verser dans le moule et répartir de manière égale.
9. Cuire pendant 45 minutes ou jusqu'à ce que la pointe d'un couteau inséré à l'intérieur du cake en ressorte propre.
10. Laisser refroidir dans le moule et sur un grille.

Remarques:
Vous pouver sans problème diviser cette recette.

Idées de présentation:
Servir ce cake à l'heure du thé avec un bon café et un thé noir.
Il est délicieux lorsqu'il est servi seul (c'est comme ça que ma grand-mère nous le faisait manger) ou recouvert d'un glaçage, coupé en deux et fourré (crème au beurre, confiture de fraises, Nutella, crème pâtissière, etc…) ou encore tout simplement présenté avec des fraises et de la crème fouettée.

Galette Du Pont Tea 1 3 bis

102 comments:

  1. The beauty and sweetness of this post is only matched by that wonderful cake!

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  2. Merci Rosa de nous transmettre cette recette de famille...
    Bises!

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  3. I remember my own grandma, she transforms old stale bread into wonderful bread puddings.
    Wonderful post and nice plates!

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  4. C'est loupé pour la recette salée :P En attendant, je ne t'en veux pas, parce que cette recette me semble délicieuse ! Je ne connaissais pas, alors merci de partager cette recette de famille ! A bientôt !!

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  5. Interesting post on the site you linked to. I did help one of my grandmothers with cooking and picked up a few tips/recipes. The cake looks delicious, I remember eating something similar with custard!

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  6. Love this cake, a piece of beauty on plate

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  7. Il est presque neigeux ce gateau, comme un souvenir venu de loin. Je vais aller lire ton texte sur Rambling Epicure.

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  8. Even though your Mémé's were not very demonstrative, I'm sure they would have been extremely proud of the amazing food you create and the brilliant writer you've become. :)

    This cake looks delicious! Light and lovely as a cloud.

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  9. Superbe gâteau de "Mamie", les meilleurs car plein de souvenirs d'amour !
    Bisous.
    Merci de nous l'avoir traduit.

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  10. I'll have to check out your article. I'm going to be a grandma in 3 months and I'm sure I'll go ga-ga over him. Looks like a fabulous cake!

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  11. What a beautiful post. I miss my grandma everyday.

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  12. A beautiful post, Rosa, and a very touching tribute to your grandmother. The cake is truly lovely!

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  13. One of my garndmother's is still alive but far away.I hold the fondest memory from the time I spend with both of my nana's.
    Realy being on food blogs reminds me of them (like your blog) almost daily of the fantastic food they use to make and some of those dishes are still my favourites and some of the smells in the kitchen is like their breath..rich is everyone that has that pleasure to have grandparents.Thank you for sahring:)

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  14. I prefer my mom's cooking over my gran's

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  15. What a sweet and beautiful post Rosa! J'ai les larmes aux yeux en lisant ton introduction car j'ai perdu les deux: ma mère et ma grand-mère à cause du diabète!
    C'est un très beau gâteau que tu viens de partager avec nous aujourd'hui, il a l'air si succulent! Rien mieux que la cuisine de grand-mère! Gros bisous,
    Cheers

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  16. how delightful, rosa! this is elegant in its simplicity. :)

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  17. What a lovely cake! Perfect for teatime.

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  18. the cream on that slice...hummmm...I wish I had a spatula right now!

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  19. This looks like a very yummy cake!

    Grandmothers are very special, I hope I would be a nice grandmother when I my time comes.

    have a great weekend :)

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  20. i dolci semplici, i dolci dell'infanzia e delle nostre nonne sono sempre i migliori e qualche volta ci fa un piacere immenso poterli gustare.

    grazie per aver condiviso questo dolce con noi. :)

    Baci^^

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  21. Looks so wonderful thts a perfect slice of cake:)

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  22. How wonderful the cake look, perfect texture and lovely flavors, Rosa!

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  23. That cake looks so simple yet absolutely delicious. Perfectly moist.

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  24. Rosa I think this delicious look absolutely perfect!!! Have a nice weekend! gloria

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  25. Oh grandmothers. Mine ttakes such great care of grandpa too, always making him sandwiches - slicing onions and tomatoes for him.

    lovely pictures, I really enjoyed them.

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  26. Hum j'aime beaucoup les recettes de famille remplies de tendresse et de bons souvenirs! Merci du partage.

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  27. Your observations and quotes on the importance of grandmothers resonated with me as my "teta" was an all-important pillar of our household and passed on to me the fundamentals of Lebanese traditions in the kitchen.
    She used to make a simple cake such as this one too, and these are the cakes I love best to this day.

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  28. Such a sweet post Rosa, you made me miss my grandma..

    The cake looks so tasty n gorgeous! I know I won’t be able to stop eating it! ;)
    US Masala

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  29. Completely agree about the hand-me-down grandma recipes, the ones I possess hold such a special place in my heart. My first blog post was a simple one my gran taught me as a little person, and my favourite cookie recipe ever is one of hers too, i spose for nostalgia just as much as taste :) This was a lovely post and it looks like a gorgeous recipe too, thank you for sharing

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  30. Beautiful sentiments;-)
    I am now a grandmother and nothing gives me more pleasure than time spent with my grandchildren, they are the best:-)
    Your cake looks just perfect to me, this would be the perfect recipe to make for your grandchildren, thanks for sharing;-)

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  31. Very touching Rosa and a wonderful looking cake too!

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  32. I have one mère still living and she reminds me of yours, my other was exactly the opposite but passed when I was 10. They of course both had quite the passion for food as most French do :)
    I will check out your article...

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  33. Gorgeous photography Rosa. Really beautiful! Love the cake maybe I will make it next week when we are back home.

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  34. that first photo is very impressive Rosa. how did you get the frosting so so perfect? very nice.

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  35. Gosh, I am drooling here! How I wish I can hace a bite. Happy weekend, Rosa.
    Kristy

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  36. Such a wonderful cake, and the texture looks perfect!

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  37. il y a des mets comme ça qui nous rappelle tel ou tel moment, une personne, un endroit..... Ton cake me fait bien envie en tous les cas. bisous ma Rosa. <3

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  38. A lovely slice... beautiful clicks as well as post.

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  39. Rosa this brought tears to my eyes. I didn't know my Grandmother well but I play a huge part in my Grand children's lives. I hope their memories of me will be as fond as the ones you paint.
    Your cake looks delicious.x

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  40. Je n'arrive pas à me décider ce que je préfère, le cake, les photos ; les photos, le cake... Bon je me repais les yeux avec les photos et l'estomac avec le délicieux cake de ta grand-mère et de son souvenir.

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  41. How fabulous to possess kitchen secrets from the past. You're so right Rosa. Grandmothers are very special people.
    Sam

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  42. Beautiful photography, gorgeous cake and a wonderful post!!

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  43. My grandmother was old school. We never got special attention, not even in the kitchen:) I think trying so hard to please her made me more determined to learn. And learn I did!

    Your post leaves a tang, poached with sentiment, thanks Rosa.

    Gorgeous cake and lovely pictures, Rosa. Thanks for sharing...

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  44. C'est le genre de gâteau que ma mère faisait. Elle le fourrait toujours de confiture de fraises. Ah comme j'aimerais en manger présentement...

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  45. Rosa, the key to any good cake is a fluffy, airy recipe...you got it here!

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  46. Super quoi de mieux qu'un gâteau de grand-maman! J'adore ce type de gâteau tout simple, à la vanille!

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  47. I cannot tell which is sweeter the written words or the cake. a truly delightful post rosa!

    sweetlife

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  48. Yeah, grannies are such wonderful gifts to kids and I have been very blessed to have grandmas who pampered me with lots of love and attention.

    This piece of cake is so inviting... Forget the calories, I wouldn't mind having the whole cake by myself!

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  49. Dear Rosa, I enjoyed this beautiful post and the cake looks wonderful. Have a wonderful, blessed weekend. Catherine xo

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  50. I am determined to be so different from my children's grandmothers. One is gossipy and brings out the negative aspects of everyone and well, unfortunately, the other is quite similar. They both, however, have so much offer, and we try hard to steer them in a positive more healthy direction. I completely understand what you are saying in your post. Like you, I do capture the recipes and favorites that I have seen made. Because by doing, that you are carrying on the goodness of traditions and leaving out the unhealthy bits. I'm sure there are many traditions that have many of the same multi-layered negative and positive dimensions.

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  51. A lovely looking cake and wonderful thoughts and post Rosa..loved every bit of it!
    Thanks for sharing..cheers

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  52. What a lovely post,Rosa--in words and photos! You brought me back wonderful memories of my grandmother thank you :)

    And this gorgeous cake is a piece of perfection!

    Hugs,

    Aldy.

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  53. Très très belle recette qui met en appétit !
    Très bonne journée en ce dimanche,
    Bisous, Doria

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  54. Les recettes de grand-mère sont de loin les meilleures!

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  55. Rosa, superbe ce cake! Cela ne m'étonne pas que tu l'affectionnes particulièrement :)
    Et quant'au cuisines modernes, beaucoup de gens disent effectivement qu'ils n'ont plus le temps de cuisiner... Seulement, cuisiner ne prend pas forcément beaucoup de temps! Il y a tellement de plats que l'on peut préparer en 20-30 minutes, que l'on peut préparer à l'avance. Seulemen,t il faut le vouloir. Et ce qui étonne encore plus, c'est que - selon une étude - ces mêmes personnes qui n'ont pas le temps de cuisiner, passent 23-25 heures par semaine devant la télé :/

    Je vais lire ton article, j'espère tout comprendre ;)

    Bon dimanche!

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  56. Love that saying about grandmas are moms with lots of frosting. How true!
    The cake has a really fine and light texture. Thanks, Rosa, for sharing such a sweet post.

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  57. That cakes looks scrumptious Rosa! I never was exactly close with my Grandmother, but I also always loved watching her in the kitchen; it set fire to a passion I still hold strongly today.

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  58. Lovely and yummy Rosa. Have a great weekend.
    Best,
    Melanie

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  59. What a great post, I have still have one of my grand mother (but no more my mother) so that kind of recipe are the last link to my mother and things that I try to preserve from my grand mother.
    Thank for sharing this family recipe with us
    Bises

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  60. You are a great writer, Rosa (among so many things!)
    My grandma was a great cook, but what I remember the most are the huge sandwiches (Jamon ibérico..she was Spanish!) with butter..I was a picky eater when a small girl, so she thought she had to supplement my very light lunches with huge sandwiches for tea time..I ADORED that...and the fact she was spoiling me!! That's what grandmothers are for!!

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  61. What a gorgeous post! And that beautiful cake, I'd love one of those with a coffee right now!

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  62. I love that quote about grandmothers. Your cake looks delicious

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  63. Oh lala ça m'a l'air délicieux !
    Et cette crème sur le dessus ... JE CRAQUE !
    Bise

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  64. Le gâteau de ta grand-mère t'as magnifiquement inspirée.
    Bonne semaine. Bel été.

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  65. Rosa, isn't it funny that my latest article on Rambling Epicure is about a recipe I inherited from my dad, from whom I surely picked up my own passion for baking. I only knew one of my grandmothers and she was no baker so the little you picked up must be so special. Gorgeous, perfect tea time cake.

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  66. That looks like a perfect cake Rosa! Beautiful post!

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  67. Rosa, this Galette looks wonderful & you are right the bond with grandmas - nothing like it. I miss mine dearly :)

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  68. Looking yummy cake Rosa! btw, love your kitchen props too:)

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  69. Hi Rosa - What a sweet heart warming post. Your grandmothers must be very proud that you are taking on their kitchen legacy and continuing to spread that passion.

    This is a very special cake that you have just shared with us. Thank you!

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  70. Having the privilege to see your grandmothers cooking is priceless - I would have liked to have this pleasure too.
    Et merci de partager avec nous tous cette recette de famille ;)

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  71. merci d'avoir traduit!
    tout est sublime♥

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  72. I love that quote about grandmothers being like mothers but with frosting! :D So true!

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  73. Ahhh grandmothers. The sweetest thing in my life. And cake. Thank you Rosa.

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  74. J'adore ton titre , je me suis empressée d'écrire la recette , et les photos sont comme d'habitude très belles :)

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  75. Je trouve que les souvenirs olfactifs et gustatifs sont plus présents et intarissables que les souvenirs "charnels"...
    Preuve en est avec cette recette pleine d'amour.
    Bisous.
    Caro

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  76. What a sweet and lovely post..just like the cake..

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  77. wow lovely quotes!! I am so hungry looking at your cake :D

    Come follow my blog hun :)

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  78. Je rentre tout juste de randonnée et je viens te souhaiter une très bonne soirée,
    Doria

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  79. Great trea! I love your shots as always.

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  80. Je passe et je repasse devant le gâteau de ta mémé ces jours-ci, et je sens qu'irrésistiblement, il va finir à ma table... :)

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  81. So simple and yet so decadent and gorgeous just like all your recipes and photographs! Love it :-)

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  82. I love that saying: "Grandmas are moms with lots of frosting.'' Too cute. In fact, they should make T-shirts that say that! ;)

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  83. Beautiful cake. Looks delicious!

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  84. Rosa your pictures are just amazing. I know I always say that but I just can't help it!!! This cake looks and sounds divine : )

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  85. Grandma's are for unconditional love cookies and cakes.....beautiful cake Rosa and nice post!!

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  86. A perfect piece of cake, Rosa! In every way.
    I had one grandma who owned a bakery when she was younger...so you can imagine what came out of our kitchen when she visited us. Then I had an aunt who lived across the street. She was the neighborhood baker and taught me a lot.
    Great memories.

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  87. Moi, je pense tous les jours à ma grand-mère qui me manque, qui me manque...

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  88. hey rosa, tried your galette-du-pont and it came super good, link-http://eq-myblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/galette-du-pont-with-nutella-frosting.html
    thanks for sharing and cheers !!

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  89. Rosa,
    Too true that we glean things from our ancestors that haven't even been directly taught to us. I really enjoyed your story of your grandmothers' cooking influence on your life.
    Gorgeous photos too!
    -E

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  90. That cake looks fluffy, moist, delicious--everything a cake should be! Beautiful!

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  91. Rosa, I just love that even though you say you were not really close to either of your grandmothers that you remember the best you can about your relationship with both of them. That is truly beautiful and enlightened!

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  92. Rosa,
    Amazing post and beautifully written! I'm touched, I can see the passion you have for food and photography. I know that anything you touch you will succeed, because comes from your heart and you are original.

    I like the words "Kitchen Bees", very creative expression, it's definitely how we look inside the kitchen, when we are preparing a meal!

    Also "Grandmas are moms with lots of frosting." Just adorable. ((-:

    Have a great week, with a lot of sunshine! =(^.^)=

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  93. You are such a good writer and a skillful photographer Rosa. Enjoy what I read and see. I always enjoy my visit to your blog.

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  94. il faut prendre bien soin des recettes de famille...C'est très précieux...et comme je connais celles d'ici je suis sûre que c'est délicieux ! merci de nous la faire partager !

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  95. Rosa, my grandma was a great cook, but not a baker. Yet, I have many wonderful memories of her.
    And, although it will be a while before I have grandchildren, I do hope my (future) grands will remember me as fondly as you remember your Swiss grandmother.

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  96. Well, I guess your Nana's recipe must be quite special...I better click real quick and check out her specialty ;o)

    Thanks for sharing Rosa.

    Ciao, Claudia

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  97. This recipe is a real treat in more ways than one - especially if it brings back fond memories of childhood.

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