Sugar Slam 2011

When I first heard about SugarSlam 2011, I was beside myself. I literally jumped up from my computer chair and screamed. Here is a contest that combines two of my favorite loves -- Baked Goods and Professional Wrestling. I could not believe it.

So what exactly is SugarSlam 2011? Sugar Slam is the brainchild of Natalie Slater, semi-professional baker/writer and fan of professional wrestling. One of her close friends is CM Punk and when they are together they have a cake feud -- she is a fan of frosting/icing who feels dessert is not dessert without it (I agree!) while he vehemently hates it. One day there were going back and forth about it and she said "Hey- we should do a wrestling-themed bake off because fighting and eating are fun!" He agreed to be the judge and like a true heel he picked a CM Punk dessert as the winner! Furthermore, she is heavily influenced by punk rock and is an inspiration to all those who follow the beat of their own drum. She has a unique style with an intense flair that draws you into her blog. She does not have a bakery at the moment and has a 9-5 job in Marketing. Also she has no culinary education, no fancy degree, but yet she knows her stuff and what makes baked goods GOOD for you as well as taste. You can find her blog, Bake and Destroy, here -- Bake and Destroy

When I asked Natalie what made her decide to run Sugar Slam 2011, she responded that the first SugarSlam in 2008 was lots of fun. She didn't plan on doing it again but people kept asking her to. She became friends with Beth Phoenix about a year ago and thought she'd make a great judge so she went big this time with three celeb judges, big prizes, all that fun stuff. Also, when I asked Natalie what does she look to gain from Sugar Slam 2011, she responded that she is getting a lot of fun out of it! Otherwise, her sponsors offer prizes to the winners but don't pay her anything. She is not earning a dime for this -- all the posters and all the PR she is doing herself so it's not like she is profiting off the contest. Will say it again -- INSPIRATION. A lot of people in this world simply do things for profit, but not Natalie. It is amazing that something so simple as FUN and CREATIVITY is the fuel. Natalie can't wait to see who wins, as well as I!

If you would like to enter SugarSlam 2011 please go here: Sugar Slam 2011