The Home Baked Challenge Theme: March

I'm so pleased the Home Baked Challenge has enough interest for a third month - thanks so much to everyone who has joined in so far!

If you're new to the challenge, here's how it works: At the start of each month I set a theme. Anyone who wants to join in can make food, interpreting the theme in their own way and submit a photograph and description for the chance to win a small prize and a Home Baked Challenge winners blog badge (I can already hear you squealing with joy)!

The "Home Baked" part refers to my blog name so you aren't boxed in with just baking - your item can be baked, boiled, fried, steamed, grilled, roasted, frozen, raw or any other method you choose. Likewise, they can be sweet or savoury, a meal or treat, cakes or sweets, gluten free, vegan or catering to other dietary needs - as long as you make the item and it is edible, the sky is your limit.

Judges are Cameron, myself and one other guest judge each month. This month the guest judge is Alex who blogs at My Create Corner and Serendipity Home School, the home of Book Sharing Monday.

Obviously, because it's an online challenge, we wont be able to judge submissions based on taste or texture. Judging criteria will be presentation and originality of concept

I see the joy of the challenge really being in the creative process and sharing as a community of home cooks rather than being fiercely competitive. I will be joining in too, but obviously not to win, just for fun.

I have set up a Flickr group so we can pool all entries over the year. You don't have to join the Flickr group in order to participate, it is simply to make things easier for guest judges so they can view entries on the Flickr group rather than having an inbox full of food! Flickr is free to join but if you'd really rather not, I will happily post your entries through my account, with your permission (you can email entries to me at homebakedonline at gmail dot com). Also, you don't have to be a Flickr member to view the group.

I've also made a blog button for everyone who participates or wants to support the challenge by spreading the word. You can find the HTML code for the button at the top of the right hand sidebar of this blog.

Just to touch on some concerns some people have expressed - we aren't aiming for "perfect" creations, it's meant to be fun, so don't be shy! You don't have to invent the recipe yourself - you can put your own twist on a recipe or follow it to the letter - remember, as long as you make it, and it's edible then you can enter it. Also - people from countries outside the UK are welcome to join in too.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask, either in the comments section or via email.

As World Book Day falls in March, the theme is:

Fictional food - food inspired from fictional books!

Fiction is often rich in pictures and references to foods and there's a lot of inspiration to be drawn from stories. Perhaps you want to recreate something from Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, a campfire feast from Swallows and Amazons, enchanted turkish delight from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, something the Secret Seven enjoyed in their secret meetings in the shed, owl ice-cream for the Gruffalo etc. It doesn't have to be from a children's book, those are just examples. I found this page with more ideas too.

As an added extra this month it'd be great if you could include an excerpt from the book you have been inspired by, or a picture, with your description (don't worry if you can't find it though).

The deadline for submissions is Sunday 21st March at midnight UK time and the winner will be announced in the following week.

This month the guest judge is Alex who blogs at Serendipity Home School, the home of Book Sharing Monday - thanks so much for being our guest judge Alex!

I think this one is going to be really fun. Good luck - I can't wait to see your entries!