The Boga Blog

Thursday, December 28, 2017

2017 Boga Bake-Off WinnerS

We have a...winner? In an unprecedented ending to the Boga Bake-Off, there are TWO TIES for both the first and third place cookies! We watched with bated breath over the last 36 hours, and "Bey's Baby Reveal" (by Robin) and "Matt Lauer's Peacock Will See You Now" (by Jamie) went back and forth for first place. Within minutes of the end of the voting period, Matt Lauer had a one vote lead, but some stragglers placed final votes resulting in a TIE for the top two cookies.

As this is the first time in 12 years there has been a tie, there was no existing Boga Bake-Off by-law for determining a sole winner. Some people thought Doug should determine the final winner, since he was the original judge. But it was pointed out that Doug had already placed his vote in the poll, so he couldn't vote twice. For the record...he had voted for Matt Lauer!

Initial family reactions to hearing there was a tie:
"We need to flip a coin"
"We put both cookies in separate corners and see which one baby Ethan crawls to"
"We need to check if any unregistered voters snuck in...or a Russia hack"
"Check with Roy Moore"
"Check if there are any hanging chads"

Indeed there were no hanging chads, and it was a clean tie with 56 votes each.

Almost as interesting was watching the fight between the next top cookies: "Christmas Fidget Spinner" (by Jamie) and "Down with Rocket Man" (by Robin). They too went back and forth for third place, but in the end it was another tie. Sadly absent from the top contenders was Nancy's "Mount RushBoga." Despite it being a very original interpretation to her traditional "Bogas" cookie, it did not command mass appeal as it had in years past. And finally, Patrick's eclipse themed cookie surprised everyone by getting ANY votes, let alone 15 to place right behind MountBoga.

Thanks to everyone for voting - we hope you enjoy it as much as we do! Below are the full tallies and cookie artists. Until next year...

1 (Tie). Matt Lauer's Peacock Will See you Now (Jamie): 56 votes

1 (Tie). Bey's Baby Reveal (Robin): 56 votes

3 (Tie). Down with Rocket Man (Robin): 25 votes

3 (Tie). Christmas Fidget Spinner (Jamie): 25 votes

5. Stranger Holidays (Robin): 20 votes

6. Mount RushBoga (Nancy): 16 votes

7. Must Wear Glasses to Stare at this Cookie (Patrick): 15 votes

8. Comey is my Homey (Nancy): 13 votes

9. Just a Cute Penguin (Nancy): 12 votes

10. Meghan and Harry (Jamie): 9 votes

11. Our Lucky Charm #EthanPatrick (Patrick): 8 votes

12. What? I Was Hungry (Patrick): 7 votes

13. Ski Santa Fe (Doug): 2 votes

Monday, December 26, 2016

Boga Bake-Off Winners: The beginning of a Jamie dynasty

Another year, another Boga Bake-Off, another record set - 601 votes (beating last year's 512)!
Thanks to everyone for voting and participating in our favorite family tradition.

2016 was a year filled with political headlines, and the cookie entries and eventual winner reflected this trend. First place goes to Jamie, for the second year in a row, for Nasty Women #pantsuitnation commanding 95 votes. Her big plan was to post on the Facebook Group by the same name, get the cookie 10,000 votes and a one way trip to the Today Show after the Boga Bake-Off went viral...but alas the administrators never approved her post. But the people appreciated her work nonetheless, beginning what could become a cookie dynasty if she three-peats next year.

Jamie also won second place for LEMONADE, a tribute to Beyonce's album and her Beyhive (can you hear her smiling?). Though LEMONADE didn't resonate with the older crowd, some people voted for the cookie not knowing the reference - reflecting the excellent cookie artistry present in the design. LEMONADE received an impressive 87 votes, and actually held first place during the first day of voting.

Third place goes to Nancy for Bogas Join the Resistance with 66 votes. We must admit, the Bogas thought this cookie would be a first place contender - but it consistently trailed by 20 votes during the entire voting period. Nancy is licking her wounds but is at least appreciative of ranking in the top three.

Noticeably absent from the top three, for perhaps the first time ever, is Robin. It appears she overestimated the popularity of David Pumpkins (who is that?), and had hoped the Game of Thrones contingent would have shown up in stronger numbers. The Bogas definitely appreciated the humor (and boobies) in the Mother of Dragons cookie.

Finally, thanks to the men for their contributions - Doug for his orange Trump Deplorable #1 cookie, and Patrick for Hamburger Helper (how cute!), RIP Prince, and Dec the Halls: Type 1 Diabetes Awareness cookie for his cousin Declan.

Here are the full rankings and # of votes:

1. Nasty Women #pantsuitnation (Jamie): 95 votes

2. LEMONADE (Jamie): 87 votes

3. Bogas Join the Resistance (Nancy): 66 votes

4. Mother of Dragons (Robin): 53 votes

5. Breaking the glass ceiling #imwithher (Robin): 45 votes

6. New Addition to the Family (Nancy): 36 votes

7. @realDonaldTrump - Just. Stop. (Nancy): 35 votes

8. Da Piña and Da Coco (Jamie): 32 votes

8. R.I.P. Prince (Patrick): 32 votes

10. Deplorable #1 (Doug): 30 votes

11. I'm David Pumpkins! Any questions?! (Robin): 26 Votes

12. Christmas Dinner brought to you by Hamburger Helper (Patrick): 25 votes

13. Dec the Halls: Type 1 Diabetes Awareness (Patrick): 22 votes

14. Holiday Sprinkle Wreath (Jamie): 17 votes

See you next year!

Saturday, December 24, 2016

Vote for your TOP THREE cookies!

Welcome to the 2016 Boga Bake-Off!

Predictably, the 2016 contest showcased many politically themed cookies. But you'll also find a collection of other pop culture memes and completely random designs. And it wouldn't be a Boga Bake-Off without the Bogas-in-a franchise...and this year's promises to be a top contender.

So gather round with your friends and family, and get ready to VOTE! Cookie images are included first below, followed by the poll. Click images to enlarge.

Voting ends Monday, 12/26 at NOON EST. SHARE with your friends and family, and thanks for voting :)