How to Throw a BakeIn Feburary 2016 13,

In Feburary 2016 13,
Mail or e-mail invitations to selected competitors, keeping the number at 10 or less to avoid the risk of overeating or dulling the taste buds of the judges. In the week leading up to the party, make sure the kitchen being used is equipped with the necessary baking equipment, including baking sheets, cake tins, cupcake trays, spatulas and rolling pins. If key items are missing, create an online spreadsheet and ask each guest to bring one or more things. Select a team of impartial judges and prepare enough ballots for each of them to have one on the day of the bake-off. Establish rules and a time limit, and determine the grading criteria by which the contestants are to be judged.
Possible Themes
Host a regionally themed bake-off in which contestants bake foods beloved in a particular country such as Britain or Germany, or desserts featured in a favorite book series such as “Game of Thrones” or 'Harry Potter.' Have a competition to bake foods sculpted to resemble a thing or event, with judges awarding points for the most creative designs and the best execution of those designs. For example, a camping-themed bake-off may inspire trees made out of frosting and bonfires made out of pretzels, while a King Arthur-themed bake-off might have castles made of cakes and knights of chocolate chips.
Recipes and Cooking
Decide with your guests beforehand whether you all want to bake a variety of different food or food from the same category. Possible categories include cakes, cookies, puddings, breads, pies and cupcakes, with each category offering a wide range of options. Clean out the refrigerator before the competition begins to provide room for any foods that might need to be stored, thoroughly wipe down the table and countertops, and go over health and safety precautions with all competitors.
During and After the Baking
Encourage competitors to remember the bake-off is as much about sharing food and recipes as it is about competing, even if prizes are awarded. Create a music playlist with a pastry theme to reinforce the sense of camaraderie, including novelty pop hits such as “Get Your Biscuits in the Oven” by Kinky Friedman and “Sugar Pie Honey Bunch” by the Four Tops. Provide enough tins for everyone present to take home a sampling of the food baked to enjoy after the party.
In Feburary 2016 13,

How to Organize a Tournament ChecklistIn Feburary 2016 06,

In Feburary 2016 06,
Brainstorm major tasks that need to be accomplished on and before tournament day. Examples include reserving event space, placing an ad for participants in a local newspaper, purchasing or arranging for prizes, preparing a registration list and collecting entry fees.
Place items in the order of when they need to be accomplished, starting from tournament day and working backward to today. Ask vendors how much time they need to deliver products to determine where to put ordering from those vendors on the time line.
Break the list down into days, weeks or months, depending on how much time you have before tournament day --- a checklist for a simple tournament two weeks away may have the same number of tasks as a major charity function that takes six months of planning, so knowing that certain tasks need to be done today, tomorrow, next Monday, etc. will help you accomplish tasks quickly.
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Separating tasks by when they need to be accomplished will ensure you hit deadlines and keep you from focusing on later tasks at the expense of immediate ones.
Enter the list into a spreadsheet. Spreadsheet software isn't just for complex math equations --- the built-in grid is perfect for formatting a list and can help keep tabs on expenditures and entry fees.
Organizing Checklist by Category
Brainstorm major tasks that need to be accomplished on and before tournament day. Examples include reserving event space, placing an ad for participants in a local newspaper, purchasing or arranging for prizes, preparing a registration list and collecting entry fees.
Separate tasks based on the type of skill they require. For example, tracking entry fees or operating costs would fall under Money/Finance, registering a charity tournament as a 501(c)3 would fall under Legal and building goody bags and making signs for the event would fall under Crafts.
Enter items on the list into a spreadsheet organized by category.
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Computerized spreadsheets offer built-in structure, helpful to organizing your checklist.
If you enlisted help planning your tournament, print the checklist by section and put people in charge of each section based on their skill sets.
In Feburary 2016 06,