Heidi Szakacs might be only 25 years old – but she has already amassed a lifetime of baking experience.
“I have been baking since I was just little. As a toddler, I remember sitting on the counter and helping my mom as she baked cookies and muffins”
“For nearly 2 years, I have been selling my baking to customers. My specialties are decorated cakes and sugar cookies. If opportunity allows, I’d love to open my own bakery someday”
Recently, Heidi saw an opportunity on social media that would allow her to share a bit about her love of baking and have some fun at the same time.
“I saw an advertisement on Instagram for something called The Greatest Baker Contest. In order to enter the contest, I had to send in some photos of my baking and a write-up about what inspires me as a baker.
When I saw the ad – I thought that it might be fun to enter. So, I did!”
A short time later, Heidi was surprised to learn that her entry had progressed to the next level of the competition.
“To be honest, I didn’t really think about the contest too much after I’d entered. But then, I got a notification prompting me to create a profile. The entrants who have made it to this level have been divided into groups and everyone’s profile has been posted on The Greatest Baker website. People go to that website to vote for the person that they want to see move ahead in the contest.
“People who would like to vote for their favorite baker have until November 3rd to do that. Those who are ranked first in their groups will move ahead to the next level in the competition. At the end of the competition, the person who is chosen as ‘The Greatest Baker” will win $10,000 and be featured in the Bake from Scratch magazine.”
Although she would love to see her daughter win (and has been encouraging friends on social media to go to the website and vote) Heidi’s mom Bonnie Szakacs says that Heidi has already benefitted herself and others by taking part
“I know that Heidi wasn’t expecting to do as well as she has in this contest. But she truly loves baking and enjoyed sharing that with the very inspirational piece that she wrote when she entered the contest.
“For Heidi, baking is a very special way of pouring love onto other people. Baking was something of a lost art – almost a kind of lost ‘love language’ – that has been making a comeback in the past few years.
“There is something very warm and lovely about the feeling you get when somebody takes the time to bake something delicious for you to enjoy” says Heidi. “And it’s an incredibly special blessing to be able to do that for others.”
“It would be wonderful to win. But when I see how much people enjoy the things that I bake – I feel like I already have!”
