The weekend is just around the corner – phew!!! Will you have time this weekend to bake something for THE 2022 GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE OFF? We love the team effort baking that is going on. Special mention to the Nyamake family – Jacob you make me smile!
Perhaps you don’t have time to bake something new for the BAKE OFF. As always, we are very happy to include photographs of bakes you made in the past.
THE GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE OFF is a celebration of WordPress bloggers and readers – we don’t give you a list of complicated rules. All we ask is that you have fun and enjoy getting to know other bloggers.
For the past three years, THE GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE OFF has been made even more lively by the photographs sent in of bakes that did not quite go according to plan.
Although the 2022 GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE OFF is focusing on three special themes:
BUDGET BAKING
SUSTAINABLE BAKING
SHARING THE JOY OF BAKING
….yes, we love seeing those pictures of bakes that nearly sent Yorkshire (or Texas) up in smoke.
The BAKE OFF is a weekend of fun, colour, music and lots and lots of bakes!!! The international flavour is fantastic this year and we love the low cost recipes that many of you are sending in.
There is still time. Please send a picture of a bake you would like to be featured in THE 2022 GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE OFF to:
I am in the confusing position of having received not one, not two, but three job offers within two days. I suppose I should feel good…. only I really find it hard to make decisions.
The GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE OFF has been an event to bring together some amazing WordPress users – both writers, poets, bakers, bloggers, readers and others who want to engage with other very lovely WordPress users. It has been an incredibly colourful, yummy and joyful event for the past three years, and Jeanne, Gary and I are delighted to be preparing for the 2022 BAKE OFF.
This year, we are inviting writers to respond to a special GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE OFF Writing Prompt. However, your writing does not have to be strictly about baking (although we would be thrilled if there was a baking aspect).
Many of you will have seen that this year’s BAKE OFF has the theme:
The Joy Of Baking
But we are focusing on three areas of baking that can bring joy despite the anxious worries many of us have due to tumultuous world events and personal concerns.
BUDGET BAKING
SUSTAINABLE BAKING
SHARING THE JOY OF BAKING WITH OTHERS
This year we are asking you to write in response to one of the following three themes (you can respond to as many as you like):
THE COST OF LIVING
OUR BEAUTIFUL HOME – PLANET EARTH
HOW TO FIND JOY IN LIFE AND SHARE JOY WITH OTHERS IN TROUBLESOME TIMES
Your piece can take any format you prefer. It can be short, it can be long. It can be comedy, mystery, or real-life drama. It can be a work of fiction, a story, or it can be your thoughts on any of these subjects. But we would love your work to be a reflection of you as a writer. Every year THE GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE OFF introduces us to more and more fabulous bloggers so we would love you to put some of your personality and style into your writing so that new readers can get to know you.
Please publish your writing in response to the special bake off writing prompt ON YOUR SITE. During BAKE OFF weekend (15th & 16th October 2022) we will have a special post featuring links to your posts. But our writing prompt is open now, so please either pingback to this post or copy a link to your post in the comments below, so that we can find your post.
You are very welcome to advertise our SPECIAL BAKE OFF WRITING PROMPT. You are very welcome to use the Pixabay image used for our writing prompt logo. You are very welcome to send in any questions about the BAKE OFF (or indeed baking photographs) to:
Thank you so much for your messages about my email address on the BAKE OFF promotional posts being wrong. Oh deary me!!! This is what happens when you prepare WordPress posts after a long day at work.
A number of you have sent in photos to my correct email address (as in the title above). But if anyone had sent an email which failed, please do try again. My email address is:
crushedcaramel@gmail.com
Triple-checking I have it right this time!
To those who have already sent photographs in – wow!!! You have truly embrace the themes of BUDGET BAKING, SUSTAINABLE BAKING and SHARING THE JOY of baking. But most of all…I just love the international array of bakes – it is wonderful to see!!!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
You are filling my heart with joy and I cannot wait to see your photographs featured during BAKE OFF weekend!!
When I see a theme like this, my mind immediately thinks of a dozen of amazing sixties songs with a feel-good vibe. But for some reason, after going through my Sounds Of The Sixties playlist, my musical mind did a U-turn and recalled this blast from the more recent past.
I think one or two of you will recognize my song choice today, and some of you will wonder what on earth Caramel is listening to. Well, I have to admit I do not listen to Kula Shaker nowadays, but when I was a lass at school, they were one of the many bands that were shoved under the Britpop umbrella (whether they wanted to be under it or not. I saw them live twice.
This track “Hey Dude” was one of the band’s highest charting hits. I remember the crowd loving the way the band went crazy with their guitars on stage. It was a huge crown pleaser of a track. Wikipedia puts them under the psychedelic rock umbrella, which is one I am not at all familiar with. But I just remember us crazy kids thinking this track was incredibly cool.
All I have is all I need enough for love but not for greed, yeah
I was younger once this guy came to me told me about all the honey out there
He said honey gold jewels money women wine cars that shine
I don't know what he was talking about but I think I had an idea
He said smell the rose, the sweet sweet rose
Catch the sun find where it grows
Smell the rose, the sweet rose that grows from castle walls in heaven
In heaven yeah
Well if it feels like summer you're catching the sun
And I'll catch you the moment you fall
Well if it tastes like honey don't swallow it all
Don't wait for the moment to come - and catch the sun
Hey dude, don't lean on me man
'Cause I'm losing my direction and I can't understand, no no
Hey dude, well I do what I can
But you treat me like a woman when I feel like a man
I was crossing the city one day
Everybody was flashing by me
Like images of tombstones, images of tombstones
On a Friday night I've seen everybody looking for their little bit of honey
To alleviate the pain, to alleviate the pain
Well if it feels like summer don't burn in the sun
Don't wait for the evening fall
Well if it tastes like honey don't swallow it all
Don't wait for the moment to come - catch the sun
Hey dude, don't lean on me man
'Cause I'm losing my direction and I can't understand, no no
Hey dude, well I do what I can
But you treat me like a woman when I feel like a man - and I can't understand
N-no n-no n-no n-no n-no n-no n-no n-no - well I can't understand
When I feel like a man, sing it to me honey!
Ho
Oh yeah
Catch the sun
Hey dude, don't lean on me man
'Cause I'm losing my direction and I can't understand, no no
Hey dude, well I do what I can
But you treat me like a woman when I feel like a man
Hey dude! N-no n-no
Hey dude! N-no n-no
Ooh-ooh yeah
Hey dude, well I do what I can
But you treat me like a woman
When I feel like a man
Oh yeah
Written by: Crispian Mills, Paul Winter-hart, Alonza Bevan and Jay Darlington
I had another 2022 GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE OFF post ready to be published but when I arrived home from work last night (almost 10pm – very very long day!) there were so many emails with questions about the BAKE OFF in my inbox!
So…I am going to try to provide some quick answers now:
YES – please do publish a post of your own on your own site with your baking creations. During the BAKE OFF weekend, we will be providing links to your site and your baking posts!
NO – sadly our BAKE OFF judge Jeanne is not able to taste your bakes – although I am sure she would love to! All the judging is based on photos.
YES – you can bake absolutely anything – savoury or sweet – bread, cakes, biscuits, pastry – there is a completely free choice.
NO – you don’t have to be a blogger to take part. We love that some of the baking submissions are from WordPress readers rather than writers. You are a vital part of the WordPress community as you read and support the work of other writers, and we are thrilled you want to take part.
YES – you can submit more than one baking creation.
NO – it is definitely not too early to send in photographs. In fact, the earlier the better, as an enormous amount of work goes on behind the scenes to prepare all of the BAKE OFF posts and special features.
I love all these questions…and I also love the photos we have already received. We love that you are embracing budget baking, sustainable baking and sharing the joy of baking!!!
Please send in your photos to:
crushedcaramel@gmail.com
We are already preparing the posts to feature our GREAT BLOGGERS on WordPress which will be paraded on BAKE OFF weekend:
By now many of you will have read that THE 2022 GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE -OFF has a marvellous theme:
The Joy Of Baking
Undeniably, the greatest joy that comes with baking is sharing our creations with others.
So this year, we are asking you to share with us who you bake with or who you bake for. It could be your:
family
friends
neighbours
co-workers
congregation members
club members
We would love to hear how you share the joy of baking and who you share it with!
Although there is a completely open choice with regards to your baking – bread, cakes, biscuits, pastries, sweet or savoury – this year we are going to be drawing attention to three areas that will help us to taste the JOY OF BAKING throughout the dark, cold winter ahead.
We are so excited to be sharing THE JOY OF BAKING with you again for another fabulous GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE OFF!!!
Please send in your photos to:
crushedcaramel@gmail.com
We are already preparing the posts to feature our GREAT BLOGGERS on WordPress which will be paraded on BAKE OFF weekend:
How do you feel about this beautiful earth? There is so much to bring joy and delight to our hearts – from sunsets to alpine mountains, from birdsong to waves lapping on the shore, from the aroma of fresh bread to the fragrance of a spring garden, from the sensation of diving into cool water on a hot day to the feel of pressed cotton sheets when you snuggle up in bed, from the taste of ripe fruit that dribbles down your chin to your favourite cake still warm from the oven. There are so many moments that lift our hearts and fill us with joy.
And of course here on WordPress THE 2022 GREAT BLOGGERS’ BBAKE OFF is going to be shining attention on:
The Joy Of Baking
During the past few years, there has been lots of mention of certain terms in the media:
zero waste
carobon footprint reduction
sustainability
For those of us who love this magnificent planet, that means using our loaf when we think about baking. Which is why one of the special features of this year’s BAKE OFF is:
SUSTAINABLE BAKING
What does baking sustainably mean? Well, do you remember this amazing idea from Malin Nordblom – her cake-cycling creation that used leftover cake to make an entirely new yummy cake creation?
Many bloggers have share with us over the past few years photographs of spectacular bakes which featured local produce, fruit (or vegetables) that were in season.
We would love to see your sustainable baking ideas . If you have a bake that uses leftovers (to avoid food waste) or has a low carbon footprint (using local seasonal produce)…or promotes sustainability on any other regards, please do send in your photos. We are giving out special accolade badges to bakers who can show us how to taste the JOY OF BAKING in a sustainable way.
Please send in your photos to:
cushedcaramel@gmail.com
We are already preparing the posts to feature our GREAT BLOGGERS on WordPress which will be paraded on BAKE OFF weekend:
During 2022 we have heard certain phrases over and over in the media:
the cost of living
the energy crisis
do we eat? or heat?
Horrible – isn’t it! Anybody who has tasted anxiety knows that sometimes mounting worries can eat into our joy of life. The 2022 GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE OFF has a special theme:
The Joy Of Baking
Although there is a completely open choice with regards to your baking – bread, cakes, biscuits, pastries, sweet or savoury – this year we are going to be drawing attention to three areas that will help us to taste the JOY OF BAKING throughout the dark, cold winter ahead.
One of our special features this year is:
BUDGET BAKING
We would absolutely love to see your budget friendly recipes. If you have a bake that you know is cost effective, please do send in your photos. We are giving out special accolade badges to any bakers who can show us how to taste the JOY OF BAKING without spending a fortune.
Please send in your photos to:
crushedcaramel@gmail.com
We are already preparing the posts to feature our GREAT BLOGGERS on WordPress which will be paraded on BAKE OFF weekend:
Caramel 