One of the highlights of 2020 was helping to host THE GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE OFF 2020 SUMMER PICNIC. We were overwhelmed by the support from WordPress bloggers and we truly hope you enjoyed this international blogging event as much as we did!
It’s important to remember that what makes the GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE OFF so special is you – yes the great bloggers that make up a warm hearted friendly international community on WordPress. Without your fantastic baking photos, wonderful poems and your lovely comments it would not have been anywhere near as much fun!!
To make it easy for to find the baking photographs, special guest poems and all the other fun that made up this special event, we have compiled a directory of all the posts featured during our 2020 SUMMER PICNIC weekend!
The suspense has been hard to endure! After the amazing display of BAKING and PICNIC creations we saw from THE GREAT BLOGGERS of WordPress, we have awaited with breathless anticipation for the announcement of the 2020 STAR BAKER!
At last our wonderful judge Jeanne, the creator of A Jeanne in the Kitchen, has had chance to peruse all of the gorgeous photos she received and has made her decision!
Scroll down to discover who THE GREAT BLOGGERS BAKE-OFF 2020 STAR BAKER is…
Please give a huge cheer to this year’s STAR BAKER…
…and to find out who it is…click the link below to read Jeanne’s post where she makes the announcement!!!
It has been a hard year for so many of us. In one way or another, we have all been anxious, stressed, confused and afraid by the events of this year.
That’s why this weekend has been an absolute joy for us! Thank you all for a perfect perfect weekend! WordPress bloggers and writers and all those who joined us for the weekend have made us forget so many of our worries and look forward to great times ahead.
For our final post, we are featuring the PICNIC creations of our 2019 STAR BAKER, Sheree, the creator of View from the Back. Sheree certainly knows how to picnic!!! This is the post she published sharing with us the contents of her PICNIC basket:
And you really do need to visit Sheree’s post…there are so many amazing PICNIC snacks…I did not know which to show in this post! I hope you had chance to see Sheree’s STAR BAKER (2019) interview. If not, head on over, it is great!
What a great day! What amazing BAKES and PICNIC creations. We have seen some outstanding talent and we have drooled throughout the parade of photos sent in by our superb bloggers.
I want to say a few THANK YOUS to some very special bloggers who behind the scenes have been supporting THE GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE-OFF 2020 SUMMER PICNIC to make it something very special. The first person I would like to thank is:
Last year Bee was one of our wonderful bakers who made a beautiful sandwich cake (last year’s themed challenge). Bee is not only a very strong and inspiring woman (and if you follow her posts, you know exactly what I am talking about) with a heart of gold, but she is also a wonderfully supportive blogger. Bee – thank you so much for reblogging our promotional posts and drumming up support for this year’s GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE-OFF. We appreciate all that you have done! We send you so much love ❤
In addition I would like to thank our special guest contributors who both wrote stunning poems for this weekend. Our special guests were Puman, the creator of paeansunpluggedblog and Kristian, the creator of Tales from the mind of Kristian, two of our great WordPress force of creative writers. We love your work.
Thank you also to the WORD OF THE DAY hosts – we loved that you chose CAKE for your WOTD on Saturday!! We loved seeing the creative posts from the many great bloggers out there who were inspired by this theme!
We are super grateful for all of the bloggers who have supported this weekend by viewing, liking, commenting on the posts featuring our amazing BLOGGERS who submitted photographs, and thank you so much for visiting their sites and making blogging connections! That is what this awesome BLOGGING PARTY has been about – contributing to a fabulous BLOGGING community!
We would also like to thank Jim Adams, the creator of A Unique Title For Me, the host of the hugely popular SONG-LYRIC-SUNDAY, who very kindly chose a baking/picnic theme for SLS. He has helped to make THE GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE-OFF even more of a party all day on Sunday!
I would also like to thank Jeanne, the creator of A Jeanne in the Kitchen, who is just the right person to handle the judging – I think Gary and I are agreed that we would not know where to start with choosing a STAR BAKER! Jeanne has a huge task this year. What an amazing array of BAKES and PICNIC creations. After this post, you won’t hear another word from me about THE BAKE-OFF until after Jeanne has revealed who the 2020 STAR BAKER will be – it’s so exciting!!!!!!
Special thanks go to Gary, aka bereavedandbeingasingleparent, who last year had the idea of holding a BAKE-OFF FOR BLOGGERS. We have been so impressed to see Gary take on extraordinary BAKING challenges in his own kitchen which quite frankly we are still trying to come to terms with – apologies to any who were offended by the Soufflé. I am so glad that Gary had this idea to begin with…and it is such a joy to work along with him on throwing the most awesome BLOGGING PARTY on WordPress!!!
And then there is Jack! Now…I have two reasons to thank Jack. First of all because all weekend he has been looking after me! He has been making me drinks (he went out and bought a watermelon so he could make Ribana’s watermelon cocktail!) and he made me a summer fruits salad too! He injured himself trying to recreate a Choco Lava Mug Cake, so I had to play nurse yesterday afternoon. (Hee hee, in a wholesome way!) I am so glad he has been willing to keep me company while I was glued to my laptop all weekend.
Secondly, because some months ago, when I told Jack that I had been planning for THE 2020 GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE-OFF, but then the coronavirus seemed to wreak havoc everywhere, I was worried it might not be possible this year (because we could not find flour, eggs or baking powder at the supermarket)…Jack thought about and said, “why don’t you open it up so that anyone who cannot bake, can still make something foodie?” Jack suggested a PICNIC theme, just like the grand finale PICNIC they have on The Great British Bake-Off. As soon as I said it, I knew he had been a clever monkey!!!
Lastly, we want to say a gigantic…
THANK YOU
…to all of the GREAT BLOGGERS who were busy in their kitchens BAKING and making PICNIC treats! We are absolutely thrilled with the array of photos we received, and totally stoked that so many of you took part! You are all THE BEST!!! I know some of you have had huge health challenges of your own recently. I also know from your own blogging posts that many of you have lost loved ones during this year’s pandemic and may have been anxious and stressed about finances and the safety of your family during recent months. We are so glad you took some time out to get involved in THE BAKE-OFF…it is overwhelming to see the PICNIC FEAST you all helped put together.
Thank you for making THE GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE-OFF 2020 SUMMER PICNIC such a spectacular weekend!!!!!!! We are so proud of you! Remember this important rule essential in blogging and in life in general:
“IN A WORLD WHERE YOU CAN CHOOSE TO BE ANYTHING YOU WANT – BE KIND!!!”
Sorry about all the teasing Gary!! You are awesome!!!
We are almost reaching the end of the BAKING submissions from our truly wonderful WordPress bloggers. It’s time to return to a sweet note.
We have two delicious sweets from theresaly520, the creator of the beautiful website Culture Shocks, who has been very busy in her kitchen, making a stunning Glazed Fruit Tart (this is something I really want to make, so thank you for supllying the recipes you followed Sa!) and some delicious Melt-In-Your-Mouth Butter Cookies – yummy!
This is Sa’s gorgeous post where she shares with us her fabulous baking and the great recipes she followed:
I mentioned yesterday that Sa produces very beautiful posts, so I wanted beautiful music videos to go with her bakes. I also wanted to say THANK YOU! Thank you to Sa for her gorgeous baking and to all of other brilliant bloggers who have made THE GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE-OFF 2020 SUMMER PICNIC such a fantastic party!
Thank you to everyone for putting up with the musical choices of the weekend – that was a big responsibility and I know it may have been testing to some of you. On that note…here is another famous ABBA song!!! Yayyyyyy!
For most of my life, I was not particularly keen on coleslaw. That was only because as a kiddo, I ate a lot of shop-bought coleslaw, and I began to loathe the site of it. But when you taste homemade coleslaw, it’s a different experience. I started making coleslaw a couple of years ago when I realized my food processor could make easy work of the vegetable preparation.
When I saw Margot’s pulled pork sandwiches post, it reminded me that I had these photographs in my drafts folder and it seemed like a fitting addition for our 2020 SUMMER PICNIC.
There are two elements to a good coleslaw, the vegetables and the dressing. These are the main ingredients that go into my home made coleslaw:
One white cabbage
One onion – finely chopped
Two carrots
Three sticks of celery (Jack says it looks like there are only two in the picture but I promise you there are three)
60 g Sultanas
Salt and Pepper
90ml Mayonnaise
The first step is tackling that cabbage. I cut it into quarters lengthwise and then removed the core.
Then I set up my food processor with the slicer. I love that in seconds the cabbage is slashed to fine ribbons. I finely chopped the onion, but to be honest, I probably should have added that to the food processor as well!
I put the shredded cabbage and chopped onion in a bowl with plenty of salt and pepper.
The second important part of a coleslaw is the dressing, and here are the ingredients I use:
6 tbsp of olive oil
2 tbsp of white wine vinegar
1 tbsp of lemon juice
1/2 tsp honey
Salt and Pepper
After mixing the ingredients for the vinaigrette dressing I pour it over the cabbage and onion and mix thoroughly. Then I put it into the fridge and allow it to marinate overnight (at least eight hours).
The following day, I slice the celery finely and grate the carrots before adding them to the marinated cabbage, along with the sultanas and the mayonnaise. After another good mix I put the coleslaw back into the fridge for a good hour before serving.
Coleslaw never seemed very special to me, but now I have requests to take a bowl of my homemade coleslaw along to barbeques and garden parties. It’s a winner! It goes together with all sorts of al fresco dishes.
I have had to reshuffle the scheduling for posts to be published so many times this weekend But I wanted this post to follow Margot’s so much, so that we could continue the Grease theme…with “We Go Together“!
Jack mentioned to me yesterday that our picnic so far a vegetarian event. I just happen to be a vegetarian, so there are no complaints from me about that! However, I can assure you that one of our fantastic bloggers has brought some meat to the picnic!
If you like meat, I am sure you will be very glad to see that Margot Hamilton, the creator of Margot Dreams of Baking, has brought along to the PICNIC these amazing pulled pork sandwiches on homemade buns with coleslaw.
Margot please forgive me…the BAKING and PICNIC creations are testing my ability to make a musical connection. I chose this song because I was struggling to think of a song, but I am not saying pulled pork is greasy…or is it? I have no idea!
But it is such a fun track for a SUMMER PICNIC – don’t you think!!!
Gary, aka bereavedandbeingasingleparent, is clearly growing in his baking prowess! He is taking on more and more ambitious BAKING challenges and pioneering new flavour combinations. Gary is pushing through all baking boundaries and forging together fantastical fusion food!
I believe these two exclusive and unique dishes are the result of Gary’s LIVE BAKING CHALLENGE over the course of this weekend. After today, we will be taking Gary’s pioneering fusion modern cooking combined with contemporary art on tour. You will be able to pay a fortune for overpriced tickets to see exclusive showings at his enigmatic exhibitions. We have a great ambitions for Gary’s pioneering pizza and pudding productions.
Look out Gordon Ramsay and Heston Blumenthal!!! Gary has created two signature dishes which have already made a sensation amongst WordPress bloggers!!! I loved reading through the comments Gary received on his post:
I mentioned earlier how chuffed I was when I saw that Suze, the creator of suziland too or obsolete childhood, has been busy in her kitchen despite the having one super scary visit to hospital recently.
Many of you know that Suze married the gorgeous George, who she has known since childhood. It’s obvious that they are a fabulous couple, and that Suze and George have a marriage made in heaven! However…when it comes to the heavenly dessert that George loves Angel’s Food, heaven does not seem to be on Suze’s side! Erm…I am trying to be diplomatic about this Suze!
This is Suze’s post, the second half of which contains her candid confession over her battle with what was supposed to be an angelic dessert:
We have a very indulgent treat from Atara, the creator of Atara’s Ideas. We have already had some marvellous microwave baking this weekend, but now Atara has sent a photo of her Choco Lava Mug Cake! It looks so decadent and delicious!
Now Atara…this photo has led to a first aid incident in my household. Jack decided that microwave baking was within his reach. He thought that a chocolate lava cake would go perfectly with the red fruits salad he made this weekend. So he googled Choco Lava Mug Cake and he found a recipe. I will tell you what happened after you have seen Atara’s photo…
…Rather than use a mug, he used one of my ramekins. Jack said the ramekin was only in the microwave for a few seconds when the chocolate began to bubble up. So he opened the microwave door, and next moment I heard him utter a loud yelp and I heard the sound of smashing pottery!
Atara, I had to leave my laptop to come and nurse my poor Jack who had burnt his fingertips! I also had to clear up the chocolate and shards of ramekin that exploded all over half of my kitchenette. Jack can’t play the guitar at the moment Atara, his fingertips are so sore, and he can’t press on the chords without pain!!
Spoilt for choice with chocolate songs…but we have not had any Kylie Minogue this weekend…there is still time to correct that!
Remember…baking is a bit like fireworks. It can be great fun and look spectacular…but always make sure you have a responsible adult with you!!!
One of Jack’s proudest accomplishments is that he may have tried every Turkish restaurant in North London. So he was very enthusiastic about the next delight we have for you.
Margot Hamilton, the creator of Margot Dreams of Baking, has proved herself a true Queen in the kitchen, as you can see from her amazing photos this weekend. This is Turkish Pide, which is essentially pizza shaped like a boat. Margot created two delicious different varieties, one with Cheese and Olives (which would be perfect for me Margot!) and one with a Beef Kofte filling.
Margot told us exactly how she created these fabulous pides in her post below:
Jack has promised to take me to a Turkish restaurant up in Haringey, where he says I can try pide for myself. Jack taking me on a date in Haringey…I must be in love!
Well…even though we are talking Turkish pizza in this case…it was so much easier to find a song with a link to pizza than it was pide! Fast forward to 3:15 to discover the pizza connection!
It has been a hard year for so many of us. In one way or another, we have all been anxious, stressed, confused and afraid by the events of this year.
And you really do need to visit Sheree’s post…there are so many amazing PICNIC snacks…I did not know which to show in this post! I hope you had chance to see Sheree’s STAR BAKER (2019) interview. If not, head on over, it is great!
We would also like to thank Jim Adams, the creator of 
And then there is Jack! Now…I have two reasons to thank Jack. First of all because all weekend he has been looking after me! He has been making me drinks (he went out and bought a watermelon so he could make Ribana’s watermelon cocktail!) and he made me a summer fruits salad too! He injured himself trying to recreate a Choco Lava Mug Cake, so I had to play nurse yesterday afternoon. (Hee hee, in a wholesome way!) I am so glad he has been willing to keep me company while I was glued to my laptop all weekend.
Caramel 