Hello! It’s Sunday, which means it’s time to bake. At the moment, there’s a chocolate cake in the oven and I’m really looking forward to sharing a slice or two with my friend Sharon, who is just back from her honeymoon. Wedding photos – yay!

Baking is somehow more satisfying when the results are shared, don’t you think?

Rather than just rave about my own baking prowess today – mighty as it is *cough*, I wanted to let you know about a great event that’s happening this week called Baking Our Blues Away.

This event is the brainchild of Michelle Symes, wife and mother of two, who has had her own experience with dealing with anxiety and illness in her family.

You can read about her experience here on the BOBA website.

Please pop over to the site for all the info about this great volunteer run initiative.

Based on her experiences of life backing up the lemon truck on her doorstep, Michelle is calling on bakers (and non bakers) everywhere to create something home-made (or bought from a local bakery, we won’t tell) and share it with someone in your life on Tuesday 15 July.

You could bake a lemon slice and take it to work, and encourage people to down tools for a cuppa and a chat.

You could whip up a batch of apple and cinnamon muffins and pop around to your mum’s house, or call in on your bestie, your brother or sister. Pop the kettle on, enjoy a treat and connect over a cuppa.

The idea is just to bake, share and connect. Pretty simple stuff really, but easily put in the ‘I’m too busy’ basket.

With 1 in 4 Australians suffering anxiety, something as simple as sharing a cake and a cuppa can be a really powerful thing. I know there have been times when a chance to just chat over a cuppa and cake have been really important. Even though cake is awesome, we know it can’t really help anyone. But conversation can, looking someone in the eyes and asking them how they are can. Caring can.

You can join the Baking Our Blues Away Facebook event here and find out more about this great initiative. Even if you can’t bake on the nominated day, why not make a time to bake, share and care with someone this week? It could be just the tonic someone needs.

Oh, there goes the alarm on my cake….

It needs another five or ten minutes.

Being a big fan of social media (who me? The sun was up when I logged into Instragram, I swear!) Baking Our Blues Away is hashtag ready for all eventualities.

You can share using #bakesharecare or #bobacakefail if you have a bit of a kitchen disaster. My tip – icing covers a multitude of sins!

So, maybe double batch whatever you’re baking today and find a time to sit down and enjoy the fruits of your flan tin with a workmate, neighbour, relative, a new mum, someone just out of hospital, someone grieving… you get the idea.

Let there be baking, and sharing, and caring.

Now, do you think Sharon will mind if I have a slither of chocolate cake before she gets here?

I look forward to seeing what you create to #bakesharecare and hearing your stories about the power of a meaningful chat and a slice of cake.

Bake on, friends!

Annette xx