Do you consider yourself a good bitch?
I’d like to think that I am, don’t you? Most of us want to be a good bitch, even if we’re just getting by, and doing our best (which is also entirely legit).
Being a good bitch is more than just taking care of your immediate friends and family (although that’s a very important part). It’s also caring about your community by doing the odd random act of kindness. We desperately need kindness in the world - especially when things are tough out there. Your kindness could take many forms. It could be by volunteering at your local school, charity or mission. It could be by helping collect rubbish on the beach. Or it could be baking the occasional cake. Even better, you could donate to the fabulous Good Bitches Baking Annual Appeal Week, on now.
Good Bitches Baking is a network of volunteers across New Zealand who want to show kindness to those in our communities having a tough time. This collective shows kindness in the form of home baking (aka the best kind of kindness). It’s amazing how a plate of cookies or scones can help those in need. The work Good Bitches Baking does, looking after the often forgotten part of people in need by nourishing their soul and stomach, is one I stand behind - especially with my own movement, Soap For Society (which aims to give hygiene products to people in need).
This year I’ve been humbled to be asked by Good Bitches Baking to be a ‘Sharing Ambassador’ - aka Honoury Good Bitch - for their annual appeal. This involves me giving you a wee run-down on the amazing Good Bitches Baking Annual Appeal Week - a fantastic cause where this incredible collective seek to raise money to help take them and their volunteers through the rest of the year. The appeal is on now (between 2 - 9 August) and if you can, you should absolutely donate to this excellent kick-ass cause. We need to support incredible women in our community, and Good Bitches Baking are a Wellington institution!
If you’re not up to speed, allow me to catch you up!
Who are these bitches?
Good Bitches Baking have over 2,000 volunteers donating their time, ingredients and aroha to bring baking to those who need it most. These ladies know first hand what a difference a simple cupcake can make to a mum whose child is battling illness at Starship Hospital; or how much it can mean to a family who has fled domestic violence to know that someone cares enough to have baked them some delicious cookies. They’re on a hefty mission to make Aotearoa the kindest place on earth so also do things like teaching prisoners how to bake and fundraising for the victims of the Christchurch attacks with their kindness tees.
I was keen to get a bit more of a scoop on their baking secrets so I chatted to founders Maria and Nic about the reasons they do Good BItches Baking, and what makes them tick. They also kindly shared a DELICIOUS recipe for Berry and Coconut Cupcakes, which you can find down below!
Lucy Revill: How did Good Bitches Baking begin?
Marie and Nic: Well, there we were, two ladies, a couple of glasses of pink bubbles down, having a bit a cry about the state of the world. It can be a pretty crappy place sometimes.
We thought the least we could do was to make a few people feel a little bit better in a time of crisis. It didn’t take us long to realise that what brings people comfort can be something as simple as a cup of tea, a piece of home baking, and knowing someone cares about them.
Next thing we knew, we’d accidentally started a national charity, because, as we found out, thousands of people also want to help others in their communities. We try to make it easy and fun for them to do just that.
We’ve been doing this since 2014. Since then, we’ve delivered a treat, or as we like to call it “a moment of sweetness”, to 650,000 people having a really bad day.
LR: What is the power of delicious home baking for people in need?
M&N: Almost every day we hear from someone who’s had a treat from a stranger, a Good Bitch. Some of those people tell us that it made them smile when they thought they might never smile again. Others say it made them feel less alone at a scary time, or gave them hope that tomorrow could be a better day. Most people tell us that they felt like someone cared, and that made them feel more worthwhile. We think everyone should feel like that.
LR: What will the appeal deliver for those in need and where will the funds go?
All our volunteers donate their time, bakers donate their ingredients and drivers donate their petrol. This will never change, because giving and being kind helps our volunteers too. They feel more connected to their communities and more positive about the future because they are contributing to making Aotearoa better.
The simple fact is that running a charity with 2000 volunteers costs money, especially if you’re committed to running it well. We want to be great hosts to our volunteers, keep them safe and feeling great about what they do. And we want to make sure that everyone in NZ who needs a pick-me-up can have one. We need help to pay the salary of our coordinator, bring on new chapters, provide cake boxes and labels etc so the treats arrive in good shape.
It’s more than that though. Our mission is to make Aotearoa the kindest place on earth, and that’s a big goal. We want to explore more ways of promoting kindness and ways of giving more people the opportunity to be kind. This includes things like extending Prison Bake, the trial programme we ran with men at Remutaka Prison.
We need help to do all this.
M&N: What have you been using to date as your equipment?
Whatever we can! We make use of a range of “free” (haha) tools like social media channels, Google for Business (which we get free as a charity). We use spreadsheets and things, the horror! Everyone involved uses, and pays for, their own gear like laptops and mobile phones. We run a very tight ship.
LR: What is your favourite comfort meal and why?
M&N: Cheese. All the cheese. All the time. And good bread. Oh and pickles.
I guess because it’s a bit of a luxury and it actually feels and tastes like it. And good bread and cheese take time and skill to make. It has a lot of love in it.
You thought we’d say cake, eh? Actually neither of us are amazing bakers. I sometimes make cheese and Marie often makes bread.
LR: How can we all be better bitches?
M&N: Just be kind. If you see someone who looks down, give them a smile. If you know someone is having a rough time, send them a text or drop off some flowers from your garden (or a cake!).
Lately I’ve been trying to ask myself “what’s the kind response?” before reacting or responding to things. It’s surprised me how often I’ve stopped myself from an unnecessary snide or sarky comment on twitter, or correcting someone just to be right when it doesn’t really matter.
Being purposefully kind is my resistance to the bad stuff in the world.
Coconut & Berry Cupcakes
By Nic Murray
This recipe is from our cookbook Bloody Good Baking. Nic likes making these to cheer people up because the icing is such a ridiculously bright pink that it makes her smile and she hopes to pass that on.
Makes 10-12 cupcakes
INGREDIENTS
Cupcakes
125g butter, softened
1 cup sugar (I used unbleached)
2 eggs (free range if you can!)
¾ cup plain yoghurt
Zest of a lime (optional)
1½ cups self-raising flour
¾ cup desiccated coconut, lightly toasted if you can be bothered
Small handful of raspberries, frozen is fine
Icing
50g butter, softened
1 cup icing sugar
Small handful of frozen raspberries, thawed
A splash of hot water, if required
METHOD
Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 160oC
Line muffin pans with pretty paper cases
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well
Stir in the yoghurt and zest
Sift in flour, add coconut and stir until just combined
Pour into the cases and press a few raspberries into the centre of each cake
Bake for about 20 minutes, until they bounce back when pressed, or skewer comes out clean
Cool on a wire rack
Icing
Blitz the butter, icing sugar and raspberries in a food processor (or vigorously whisk if you don’t have one) until there are no lumps of butter
If necessary, pour in the boiling water until you get the consistency you want
Smear, drizzle or pipe over the cooler cakes