The Great American Bake Sale

[UPDATE: More on our bake sale at Scoops this Saturday here.]

Friends, we have something very important to talk about today.

And it involves bundt cakes.

I recently learned about Share Our Strength's Great American Bake Sale. Share Our Strength is a non-profit organization devoted to fighting childhood hunger. They're a powerful force who have had a broad impact, investing in over a thousand hunger-related organizations, and involving themselves heavily in the emergency food assistance network in the US. They take a local, grass roots approach, working with local organizations and businesses throughout the country in the following arenas:

- increasing access to the public and private programs that can provide food to those who need it,
- strengthening the community infrastructure for getting healthy food to children, and
- teaching families how to get the most nutrition out of a limited budget.

So, it stands to reason that one of their most successful campaigns brings fundraising back to the community. With the Great American Bake Sale, people all over the country hold bake sales in their own neighborhoods, and the proceeds go toward after school and summer meals programs, as well as nutrition education programs for low income children.

Are you getting what I'm saying here? You have an opportunity to spend some time in your kitchen and get it all delicious with baking scents, meet your neighbors, feed said neighbors and bring huge smiles to their faces. And all the while, you'll be a part of a national effort to bring needed nourishment to the millions of kids who aren't so lucky. Now, isn't that a win-win?

Now then, this campaign runs until August 31, and I encourage you to participate -- get your friends together, pop open a cool bottle of rosé, and bake some bundt cakes! But I'm also here to tell you about my very own bake sale. On August 18, at Scoops Ice Cream Shop in East Hollywood, I, along with a band of accomplished and delightful young Angelenas, will be hosting The No Cookie Left Behind Bake Sale. Luscious baked goods will be in attendance of course, but so will a few surprises (More details in the coming days. Yep, all you get now is a tease!). It's basically going to be the epicenter of all Best Summer Ever activity (yeah, that's right -- we haven't talked much about the BSE this year. That's because summer was saving all its bestness for this singular event). Believe you me, it's going to be quite the hootenanny.

Please save the date. It'd be really great to see you all there. And if you're interested in contributing, in the form of baked goods, a monetary donation, or as a volunteer during the event, drop me a line! See, I told you it was important (why else would be I be using so much damn bold type?)!