Please Share Your Thoughts on HHDD

Please Share Your Thoughts on HHDD

Please leave a comment

Aww, you're so sweet. Thank you for your lovely words. Great job with the cupcakes. They look fantastic. Funny but last week I bought my first jar of nutella since arriving in Australia. I think the cupcakes will be made this week now I've seen yours.

barbara — Monday 12th May 2008 5:34 pm

Thank you for becoming HHDD's new 'mom' :) I love what Barbara's started, and I think you'll be the perfect successor to her wonderful leadership.

Answers
1) Yes, but not in a while
2/3) Yes, sort of. :) I knew that the entry post didn't need to follow the Donna Hay original, but I did think (do still think?) that it's best if the spirit of the original is followed, or at least that Donna-like aesthetics and fabulous simplicity should be part of the effort.
4) Not sure what you mean here... I knew there was a changing theme, but I also knew there was a Donna Hay aspect of the event (although not every host explained it in depth). I never knew until now that the original event hinged on the best-looking entry; that certainly makes sense, now that I read it, but I guess that wasn't always clear to me.
5) yes
6) no
7) I'd be honored to host, but I like the way the setup is now, where the winner hosts
8) nope
9) YES
10) no
11) no, I like it as it is, although maybe if someone wins who's won already in the past year, they could pick a co-host or delegate to their favorite entry's poster, to spread the love around?
12) I think it's a sweet tradition, but I would hate for someone to not want to host/enter because of it

Anita — Monday 12th May 2008 5:50 pm

ok here we go:
1) Firstly, have you ever participated in a HHDD event? NO
2a) Have you ever been confused with the entry requirements? YES
if yes
b) Please explain your confusion NEVER REALLY UNDERSTOOD IF I HAVE MAKE A DH RECIPE AND HOW MUCH I CAN DEVIATE.
3) Did you believe your entry had to be the Donna Hay original recipe? SORT OF, NEVER BEEN SURE IF
4) Did you believe the event was based on theme only? NO
5) Do you like the way that HHDD is run on a theme with a Donna Hay recipe inspiring that theme, and would prefer the event to remain this way? YES
6) Would you prefer the HHDD event to celebrate Donna Hay and her recipes more, as with the more recently developed “Daring Bakers” or “Tuesdays with Dorie” groups and stick more closely to her original recipes rather than basing the event on theme? NO
7) Would you like to host HHDD? I LIKE IT THE WAY IT IS NOW
8) Have you hosted HHDD before? NOPE
9) Do you like voting and having the blog entry with the most votes become the host of the next round? YES
10) Do you refrain from entering HHDD as you are not interested in hosting events and would feel obliged to do so if you were to win? NO
11) Would you prefer a waiting list for future hosts, as there is with other food blogging events? NO
12) Do you agree with the host providing a small prize for the winner? IF THE HOST FEELS LIKE IT, YES! NO PRESSURE THOUGH

ilva — Monday 12th May 2008 7:42 pm

thanks for sharing the history behind HHDD and thanks for accepting this new task of being HHDD's new mom,..here are my answers:
1. Yes
2. Sometimes it confuse me on how much i can deviate my recipe, etc
3. I guess so, i see to it i follow her basic recipe and add up my personal touch
4. Yes normally there is a theme and each host explains how we can tackle up the theme...but if there are other criteria its the prerogative of the host, i suppose..
5. Yes, i agree that it should remain the way it is. Becoz we've been used to this kind of system
. In a long run its more efficient that way to avoid confusion adding up new details and stuffs
6. NO , as i said i believe that's what make this event HHDD its different from the rest.
7. Yes, but i prefer the style (the winner get's to host the event), there is more thrill and excitement that way
8. Nope, maybe next time i will be lucky :-)if i win
9. Yes
10. No (the only reason i would refrain from joining is i dont have much time)
11. No,
12. YES, !!! its fun and motivating that way

hope my answers will help you Bron!!

dhanggit — Tuesday 13th May 2008 1:51 am

1) Yes
2a) Not really
3) Did you believe your entry had to be the Donna Hay original recipe? No
4) Yes
5) I do like it the way it is, but I wouldn't stop participating if the rules dictated we base our entries off a DH recipe.
6) The only real issue I see with that is her accessibility. I know in the US, her magazines are $10 each, so unless you have that specific issue, or you base it out of a book (or maybe just make sure to supply a specific recipe, vs. generally using a DH number), it could be cost-prohibitive for participants.
7) only if I earn it!
8) once
9) yes
10) no
11) no - because those lists are often very long, and set very far into the future. It can be tricky if the assigned host no longer blogs - and it can seem futile to even apply if the list is already 100 people long.
12) It's charming, but I don't think it would hurt the event if it was removed.

Katie B. — Tuesday 13th May 2008 5:08 am

1) Firstly, have you ever participated in a HHDD event?
yes

2a) Have you ever been confused with the entry requirements?
if yes
yes

2b) Please explain your confusion
I wasn't sure at first whether it had to be a Donna Hay recipe.

3) Did you believe your entry had to be the Donna Hay original recipe?
At first, until someone cleared it up for me.

4) Did you believe the event was based on theme only?
No

5) Do you like the way that HHDD is run on a theme with a Donna Hay recipe inspiring that theme, and would prefer the event to remain this way?
Yes, as it is difficult to access Donna Hay recipes here in the US.

6) Would you prefer the HHDD event to celebrate Donna Hay and her recipes more, as with the more recently developed “Daring Bakers” or “Tuesdays with Dorie” groups and stick more closely to her original recipes rather than basing the event on theme?
No

7) Would you like to host HHDD?
Sure, I love hosting events.

8) Have you hosted HHDD before?
No

9) Do you like voting and having the blog entry with the most votes become the host of the next round?
If that's what the consensus is, I'm all for it.

10) Do you refrain from entering HHDD as you are not interested in hosting events and would feel obliged to do so if you were to win?
No

11) Would you prefer a waiting list for future hosts, as there is with other food blogging events?
No

12) Do you agree with the host providing a small prize for the winner?
Kind of. Since it's an international event, that would require shipping internationally and I'm not sure how to do that.

Becke — Tuesday 13th May 2008 5:10 am

1) Yes
2a) Yes
2b) I thought we had to follow the original recipe exactly, then a few weeks later when I saw entries that didn't I made my second clafoutis.
3) Yes
4) No
5) Yes
6) No
7) Yes
8) No
9) Yes, but wouldn't mind having a co-host in case someone one and was too busy to host the following month.
10) No
11) No
12) I think that is always fun, but isn't necessary. Seeing what everyone creates in the spirit of the event, followed by visits to your site with encouraging words is the best part. Community along with food, can't be beat.

Kim — Tuesday 13th May 2008 5:41 am

1) Yes, I have.
2a) No.
3) No, I knew it didn't.
4) No
5) I would like the event to remain the same.
6) No. I think it would all turn out to be the same thing. The fun thing about HHDD is that each person takes part in it with a different recipe. 7) Would you like to host HHDD?
8) No
9) Yes
10) I love taking part but often don't because I think the time to post the recipes is not enough (sometimes there's only 15 days or so, and that doesn't work for me. But I understand that it's good for others,so I have to get organized.). :)
11) I don't think that is necessary
12) I think that should be optional - no pressure on the host.

Patricia Scarpin — Tuesday 13th May 2008 6:20 am

1) Firstly, have you ever participated in a HHDD event? YES
2a) Have you ever been confused with the entry requirements? YES
if yes
b) Please explain your confusion. WETHER OR NOT YOU HAD TO COPY THE ORIGINAL RECIPE, THE BASIS OF IT THAT IS.
3) Did you believe your entry had to be the Donna Hay original recipe? SOMETIMES
4) Did you believe the event was based on theme only? NO
5) Do you like the way that HHDD is run on a theme with a Donna Hay recipe inspiring that theme, and would prefer the event to remain this way? YES
6) Would you prefer the HHDD event to celebrate Donna Hay and her recipes more, as with the more recently developed “Daring Bakers” or “Tuesdays with Dorie” groups and stick more closely to her original recipes rather than basing the event on theme? YES, I THINK THE BASIC DH RECIPE SHOULD BE FOLLOWED BUT EG FILLINGS, FLAVOURS, PRESENTATION CAN BE UP TO THE PARTICIPANT
7) Would you like to host HHDD? I'D LIKE TO WIN ONE TIME AND HOST :)
8) Have you hosted HHDD before? NO
9) Do you like voting and having the blog entry with the most votes become the host of the next round? YES
10) Do you refrain from entering HHDD as you are not interested in hosting events and would feel obliged to do so if you were to win? NO
11) Would you prefer a waiting list for future hosts, as there is with other food blogging events? NO
12) Do you agree with the host providing a small prize for the winner? I DO BUT UNDERSTAND IF A HOST DOESN'T BECAUSE OF ECONOMIC REASONS

I think you'll be a wonderful new mother to HHDD!

linda — Tuesday 13th May 2008 6:55 am

1) Firstly, have you ever participated in a HHDD event? YES
2a) Have you ever been confused with the entry requirements? YES
if yes
2b) Please explain your confusion. AS STATED IN COMMENTS ABOVE, I TOO WASN'T SURE WHETHER YOU HAD TO USE THE ORIGINAL DH RECIPE CHOSEN BY THE HOST.
3) Did you believe your entry had to be the Donna Hay original recipe? AT FIRST
4) Did you believe the event was based on theme only? NO
5) Do you like the way that HHDD is run on a theme with a Donna Hay recipe inspiring that theme, and would prefer the event to remain this way? YES
6) Would you prefer the HHDD event to celebrate Donna Hay and her recipes more, as with the more recently developed “Daring Bakers” or “Tuesdays with Dorie” groups and stick more closely to her original recipes rather than basing the event on theme? NO
7) Would you like to host HHDD? YES
8) Have you hosted HHDD before? YES
9) Do you like voting and having the blog entry with the most votes become the host of the next round? YES
10) Do you refrain from entering HHDD as you are not interested in hosting events and would feel obliged to do so if you were to win? NO
11) Would you prefer a waiting list for future hosts, as there is with other food blogging events? NO
12) Do you agree with the host providing a small prize for the winner? IT SHOULD BE ENTIRELY UP TO THE HOST AND SHOULDN'T BE A REQUIREMENT. IT'S NICE TOUCH, HOWEVER, FOR ONE TO WIN SOMETHING, NO MATTER HOW SMALL.

lynne — Tuesday 13th May 2008 10:19 am

Hi Bron. Rather than answer point by point your questions, I am going to generalise. At first I thought the initial theme had to be followed to the posted recipe, but after reading several of the roundups it became clear that as long as you made a Caesar Salad or tart or pie, you could add your own special touch. I think the freedom of this allows bloggers all over the world to use what is available as far as the ingredients are concerned and to be able to use what is in season. If this was not part of the event, it would be very restrictive to enter, not to mention the difficulty faced by the host in choosing a theme each month. So my thoughts are to keep things as they are. My only concerns about this event, which I love participating in, is that there doesn't seem to be any criteria on what makes you vote for the winning entry - the combination of ingredients used, the diversion from the original recipe, the creativity employed, or is it just a pretty photo that catches the eye of the voter? Not all of us can take magazine quality photos in our kitchens, nor do we have expensive SLR's. Obviously a beautifully taken photo will draw the attention of many. I am certainly swayed by a mouth watering photo, but do you think this could disadvantage and perhaps deter some from entering? I think the hosting system should stay the same, but a co-host is a great idea too. A prize at the end should be optional.
I really hope that the event continues and grows, and I'm sure you will do a magnificent job as overseer.

Pam — Tuesday 13th May 2008 11:24 am

Hi Bron,

Firstly I'm so happy that you're taking over HHDD from Barbara. I can't think of a better person to oversee HHDD besides Barbara! Here are my answers:

1)I've participated in one HHDD event (even though I follow them closely

2)a)To be honest, I do sometimes find the instructions confusing.

2)b)Am I supposed to follow the recipe or make up my own?

3)The time that I participated, I understood that my entry could be whatever version of the recipe I wanted (pizza) but I believe that we should use Donna's recipe as the basis so that's what I did.

4)Yes, I believed it was based on one theme and I like that.

5)I love that HHDD is based on a Donna Hay recipe. I don't believe it would work any other way (it wouldn't be HHDD). I do not want that to change.

6)While I would prefer there to be a stronger emphasis on Donna Hay and her recipes (love her), I do understand that some people might find this constricting. So I think that using a Donna Hay recipe as the basis/theme is the way to go. However, people should be allowed some leeway for creativity and originality.

7)I would love to host HHDD!

8)Never hosted.

9)I do like voting, although these sorts of things never seem fair as it's usually someone with an awesome photo that wins. While food blogging is obviously largely visual, sometimes I feel people with good recipes (but perhaps not the best photo) are ignored. But I do like the voting and I think that the winner hosting the next round is a nice "prize". But I wouldn't mind if you went to an alternating hosting format either.

10)No. The reason I never enter is that I just never seem to have the time!!!

11)See #9. I don't mind a waiting list or the current format.

12)I do not think that any prize should be provided for winning. The honour to host is enough!

Thanks for the opportunity to voice our opinions, Bron!

Ivonne — Tuesday 13th May 2008 12:21 pm

Just emailed you my responses.

j

jasmine — Tuesday 13th May 2008 1:51 pm

Great post Bron! Those cupcakes are awesome and I'm so glad you posted them because I totally missed the boat the first time around. I emailed you my two cents on the event. I really love this event and have really enjoyed participating in the last three. Thanks for keeping it going!

Holly — Tuesday 13th May 2008 2:08 pm

Thank you ALL so very much, your feedback is invaluable and greatly appreciated, thank you again!!

bron — Tuesday 13th May 2008 9:48 pm

1. 1) Firstly, have you ever participated in a HHDD event? YES
2. 2a) Have you ever been confused with the entry requirements? NO
3. if yes
2b) Please explain your confusion
4. 3) Did you believe your entry had to be the Donna Hay original recipe? NO
5. 4) Did you believe the event was based on theme only? NO
6. 5) Do you like the way that HHDD is run on a theme with a Donna Hay recipe inspiring that theme, and would prefer the event to remain this way? SURE
7. 6) Would you prefer the HHDD event to celebrate Donna Hay and her recipes more, as with the more recently developed “Daring Bakers” or “Tuesdays with Dorie” groups and stick more closely to her original recipes rather than basing the event on theme? NO, I LIKE THE IDEA OF VARYING AN ORIGINAL RECIPE- BUT IT SHOULD MAYBE NOT VARY TOO MUCH- AND I AGREE WITH PAM'S SUGGESTION OF HAVING SOME CRITERIA FOR VOTING
8. 7) Would you like to host HHDD? SURE
9. 8) Have you hosted HHDD before? YES
10. 9) Do you like voting and having the blog entry with the most votes become the host of the next round? YES
11. 10) Do you refrain from entering HHDD as you are not interested in hosting events and would feel obliged to do so if you were to win? NO
12. 11) Would you prefer a waiting list for future hosts, as there is with other food blogging events? NO
13. 12) Do you agree with the host providing a small prize for the winner? IT'S A NICE IDEA, BUT IT CAN BE DROPPED IF IT CAUSES DISCOMFORT. I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE OPTIONAL THOUGH- EITHER KEEP IT OR DROP IT I THINK.

Bordeaux — Wednesday 14th May 2008 1:04 am

Hi Bron! Nice cupcakes! :)

My answers:
1) Yes, I've discovered this event in November and I've entered every month since then.
2) Not really.
3) No, I understood from the beginning the idea was to keep Donna's spirit.
4) No
5) Yes!
6) No
7) I would love to host HHDD!
8) No
9) Yes, I think it's a nice prize to host the following HHDD.
10) No
11) No, I like it this way.
12) Yes, but I do understand that it may not be possible for economic reasons.

Suzana — Wednesday 14th May 2008 3:48 am

Holy guacamole... look at those cupcakes!! This is definitely going on my "to try" list! Have just e-mailed you my survey answers too.

Jeanne — Thursday 15th May 2008 5:14 am

1) Firstly, have you ever participated in a HHDD event?
- Yes.

2a) Have you ever been confused with the entry requirements?
- No.

3) Did you believe your entry had to be the Donna Hay original recipe?
- No. I just thought that the theme of the event was inspired by a Donna Hay recipe.

4) Did you believe the event was based on theme only?
- I'm not sure I understand this question, but I'm inclined to say yes (as in, the clafoutis theme).

5) Do you like the way that HHDD is run on a theme with a Donna Hay recipe inspiring that theme, and would prefer the event to remain this way?
- Yes.

6) Would you prefer the HHDD event to celebrate Donna Hay and her recipes more, as with the more recently developed “Daring Bakers” or “Tuesdays with Dorie” groups and stick more closely to her original recipes rather than basing the event on theme?
- I like how it's currently run. I really like the opportunity to be creative with my entry -- I think it makes for a really diverse and inspiring round-up.

7) Would you like to host HHDD?
- Sure!

8) Have you hosted HHDD before?
- Nope.

9) Do you like voting and having the blog entry with the most votes become the host of the next round?
- Sure.

10) Do you refrain from entering HHDD as you are not interested in hosting events and would feel obliged to do so if you were to win?
- No.

11) Would you prefer a waiting list for future hosts, as there is with other food blogging events?
- I'm indifferent, as long as the waiting list isn't toooo long.

12) Do you agree with the host providing a small prize for the winner?
- It's a nice idea, though it may not always be possible for economic reasons, as mentioned above. Perhaps set a ball-park figure for the gift, so hosts and winners know what to anticipate?

Thanks Bron! I'm looking forward to future HHDD events!!

Jackie — Thursday 15th May 2008 5:45 am

1) Firstly, have you ever participated in a HHDD event? ...yes
2a) Have you ever been confused with the entry requirements? ...no
if yes
2b) Please explain your confusion
3) Did you believe your entry had to be the Donna Hay original recipe? .... yes in the beginning I did think so
4) Did you believe the event was based on theme only? ... I thought the idea was that a particular DH recipe was the springboard for our own interpretation
5) Do you like the way that HHDD is run on a theme with a Donna Hay recipe inspiring that theme, and would prefer the event to remain this way? ... yes I like it this way
6) Would you prefer the HHDD event to celebrate Donna Hay and her recipes more, as with the more recently developed “Daring Bakers” or “Tuesdays with Dorie” groups and stick more closely to her original recipes rather than basing the event on theme? ... no I like the opportunity for people to get creative
7) Would you like to host HHDD? ... sure
8) Have you hosted HHDD before? ... not yet
9) Do you like voting and having the blog entry with the most votes become the host of the next round? ... great idea although I do agree with previous posters that a mouthwatering photograph (and mine are not!) might have an advantage
10) Do you refrain from entering HHDD as you are not interested in hosting events and would feel obliged to do so if you were to win? ... not at all although hosting would be a huge deal for me
11) Would you prefer a waiting list for future hosts, as there is with other food blogging events? ... no as this implies commitment to future rounds and sometimes it's not convenient to play along in a particular month
12) Do you agree with the host providing a small prize for the winner? I don't think it should be compulsory but if I were hostess I'd certainly like send a little somethin' somethin' to the winner.

Thanks for taking this over. Barbara has made a very thoughtful decision here.

Morven — Friday 16th May 2008 12:24 am

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