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| Backstage at the 2008 Pillsbury Bake-off |
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The Pillsbury Bakeoff is the mother of all cooking contests and the
2008 event was no different...with a cool $1 million Grand Prize.
But even if you don't win the big money, just being a Finalist is a prize in
its own right. Just ask anyone who has ever been chosen to attend several
days of fun and competition in the contest.
Since CCC
began in 1997 we have always proudly claimed many members who are Pillsbury
finalists and this year we did it again. In all, we had 35+ members of the
100 total number in the final bake-off. Those individuals noted below were
all CCC category winners
at this year's bake-off. Congratulations to all..........
Various Pillsbury Related Items are included so you can experience or
relive the recipe contest which some call the "big dance".
Several members took the time to jot down some words describing
their experience and to share what it's like to attend the creme de la creme of
cooking contests.
We've been fortunate that several finalists brought digital cameras and took
some great pictures.
Because of their desire to share the experience, they allowed us to post them
for your viewing. You can find them here:
Pics
- page 1 of 3,
Pics - page 2 of 3
and
Pics - page 3 of 3
.
Hope you enjoy.........
CCC CATEGORY
WINNERS
Gwen Beauchamp America's Favorite Recipe
Toffee Banana Brownies
Pamela Shank Breakfast and Brunches
Marscapone
Flled Cranberry Walnut Rolls
Niki Plourde Pizza Creations
Apple
Jack Chicken Pizza with Caramelized Onions
Vanda Pozzanghera Old El Paso (R) Mexican Favorites
Mexican
Pesto Pork Tacos
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Links for
Various Pillsbury Related Items
Pictures:
Page 1 of 3,
Page 2 of 3
and Page 3 of
3
of member pictures taken during their participation in the Pillsbury Bakeoff
(pics hosted on CCC site)
Winner Lists & Recipes:
Official Pillsbury Bake-Off Site
Pillsbury Finalist Recipes
Newspaper Articles:
''C'' is for Cookie ... It's Also for Cash - $1 Million (AOL Money & Finance)
Pillsbury Bake-Off contestant wins $1 million prize (with video) (The Dallas
Morning News)
MEMBER COMMENTS:
PBO,
Lawyers, and Conspiracy Theories
Introduction
I took my whole family with me including my dad to babysit the children. My dad
did a great job! A nine-year-old, a three-year-old and an 18 month old and my
dad is still alive! He's really not the babysitting type, so this was huge for
him. And my husband did a great job of keeping me pumped and excited. So a big
thanks to them. Now on with the trip.
First Stop: Amarillo
Room at the Ashmore Inn and Suites: $70. Free Breakfast of belgium waffles,
cereal, juice, eggs rolls. most anything breakfast. Free internet service.
Softest towels I have ever had at a hotel.
Next Stop: Dallas
Room at the Fairmont Hotel: $145 (which I think was a discounted rate with
Pillsbury because we arrived early) Breakfast minimum of $20 which was a little
fancier than the Ashmore. Internet service $15 every 24 hours (we declined)
Towels, not so soft.
What you pay for at the Fairmont is the service which is outstanding. I did not
run into one grumpy person there. And whatever information we needed (which was
a lot to keep three children entertained) we got in great detail and in a manner
that said, I have nothing better to do but tell you how many exits away
Medieval Times is.
We spent the next day doing touristy things which was fun. During the afternoon,
my husband and son had a PBO adventure. They went on a tour of the hotel and
went to floor B which I assume means banquet floor. They had barely gotten off
the elevator and were looking around when this woman ran over to them and asked
what they were doing. My husband said he was taking his son on a tour of the
hotel and they were just looking around. She told them they weren't allowed on
the floor. They needed to remember it was floor B for Bake-Off. I'm sure that
was the hotel designer's intent ;) Thank goodness my son didn't mention I was in
the Bake-Off or she might have disqualified me for spying! I think the woman
scared him.
Orientation
Okay, so the next day was finally the beginning of the event! I went down
midmorning with my husband and registered and did the oven orientation. At
registration I got my goodie bag that I had heard so much about in books and on
the cooking contest site. It was great and filled with lots of sponsored stuffed
animals and dodads for the kitchen. Who else has a stuffed egg from Egglands
Best? I was sad that there were not more coupons. I think I got one for a free
dozen eggs and one for something else. With the amount of money I spent on
groceries for practice and just getting in, I had been kinda hoping for a coupon
book. But I still have money left over on the Pillsbury $100 gift card that they
gave us for expenses in Dallas, so I will use that grocery shopping! The
orientation for the oven was on the B for Bake-Off level, so my husband
followed me up there. They had most of it roped off as do not enter and when I
came out from orientation, they had moved my husband from the couch next to the
orientation room to one way far away by the bathrooms!
After lunch and a quick rest, it was time for the full event orientation. I had
not met any people from the cooking site yet, and was kind of looking for them.
When I got there, though, I met a woman from Texas who is not part of the site
and we chatted for a bit and sat together. During orientation, we met a slew of
General Mills people. We met the runners on the floor, the ref type people, the
organizers, the publicity people, and the lawyer. We also met the people who
knew our recipes inside out. They assured us they would be in the judges room
making sure our recipes were treated as if it would be the next million dollar
winner and tested at the correct temperature. This was a big relief to me. We
also learned the runners were allowed to carry our tray to the judges for us,
but if they dropped it, we were responsible. They could also get stuff for us
from the fridge, but if an egg broke or something it wasn't going to be
replaced. So I decided I would do everything myself.
And then we came to something I had been pondering. When I reread my FAQ, I
noticed that you were allowed to send in a partial amount of your recipe. Prior
to that I had thought you had to send the whole thing in, especially in reading
past posts from other Bake-Offs. Several questions were asked about that and I
began thinking that maybe I would send in 12 instead of 16 because sometimes the
outside rolls get a little crisp and sometimes a center roll will get squashed.
Plus, it is a better presentation if all the rolls are plated in one straight
line, and on the size serving dish I was given I would have to split them into
two rows to fit all sixteen. So this is something I would ponder until the heat
of the competition.
There were several questions about what we were allowed to bring onto the floor
which was absolutely nothing. All possessions would be kept at the hospitality
area. And we found out we were not allowed to communicate in anyway to the
guests in the viewing area. Finally this poor woman raised her hand and said, I
have a three week old baby who I have to communicate with every two to three
hours. Will that be allowed? The General Mills people said there would be a
nursing room available. The woman asked, Will my baby be at the Hospitality
Table? Everyone laughed which was a nice relief to the atmosphere.
The questions finally ended and we did a big group photo and practiced for the
Grand March the next morning. I met a woman whose recipe was the result of
typing in several recipes for a sick friend of hers. At the last minute she did
a couple of her own and she made it but her friend didn't. The Food Network was
there doing footage. The woman in my category who they were following had a
range right next to me. She had already done an hour interview the previous day.
After that we broke for down time before the dinner and some of us scuttled away
to do the secret CCC picture. I finally met some of the people which was fun and
ran into Patricia who is the woman from Albuquerque. She is a really fun person
and I learned from her what was my biggest disappointment of the event. Some of
the grocers were there and gave out gift baskets and had a whole cocktail party
for the contestants that had listed them as where they shop. She listed Smiths
and was invited and I listed Target who didn't do a damn thing for me :) My
husband had even told me to list Smiths because they are big but I hardly ever
shop there. I would've listed Raley's but they got bought out and I didn't know
if I would be staying with Albertsons. So if you go...don't list that you shop
at Target. The ingrates ;)
The dinner was fabulous! It was all gourmet with fancy presentation. I took a
picture of each dish. I think it was the best salad I have ever had. Even my
husband said it was a great salad and it had a little sweet in it which he
doesn't usually like. The main course was filet minogn which is always a
personal favorite. And my husband got the dessert plate I wanted (they had two)
which had this delicate egg shell shaped chocolate. He gave me a few bites and
it was great! I must say the General Mills people were very friendly and mingled
with all of the guests. They truly made us feel special just being there. Two
general mills people sat at our table and they were both from the law department
and one of them was the head lawyer. This made me very happy because I had all
these theories prior to going. I said, I was really glad to hear your speech at
orientation because I came here with all these notions about prescores
contestants might have and you really made me feel like we all start at zero.
The lawyer guy, whose name I cannot remember, said that there are all sorts of
conspiracy theories out there about Pillsbury picking the winner prior to the
event. He said he was in the judging room the whole time at the last event and
everything was according to the rules and the judges did the choosing. Of course
this made me feel really good.
The Bake-Off
Dark and early the wake-up call came at 5:30. I think I had just been asleep for
thirty minutes without Rhiannon on top of me. But I was pumped and got up and
showered and put on my new shirt/sweater that made me feel like a million
dollars. I put all my tags and buttons on what I hoped was the proper place of
my apron. At least no one ever told me to switch them so I guess it was ok. We
ate dinner with the future winner of entertaining appetizers and his mom. They
were both really nice and his mom is a SAP consultant which is what my husband
works with which was kinda cool. We also ate with a General Mills person in
charge of designing new products. She was also friendly, and we learned that
Pillsbury would be doing healthier food if people were buying them. She said
whenever they introduce them they don't sell. Then Sandra Lee did a little
speech which was fun. I thought she was overall the perfect hostess for the
event. I was not nervous at this point, but I did stick to just cereal, juice,
and yogurt instead of the lavish food they had set out.
Then it was time to line up. The woman who did the Apricot Orange Tart was
really nice and I couldn't believe she was about to be a grandmother. She looked
40 and her 25 yearold daughter was getting ready to have a baby. So she was
probably closer to 50. Anyway, we chit chatted a lot. They made us stand there
for like 30 minutes which I think took it's toll later on. Finally we got to
march in. We had to wave our arms and clap our hands and whoop it up big. I
saw my husband and quickly looked away after I smiled! I was a little unclear
about the marching. Some people broke off right away and went to their ranges. I
thought we were supposed to go all the way to the end and go back which is what
I did. I might have done it wrong, but it was not a big deal. Then we had to
stand there clapping for five minutes, I swear! It was crazy. I kept thinking
they were winding down the music, but then it kept going. When the music finally
stopped, the announcer guy came on and said it was now 8 o'clock and we had
until one to get our dish to the judges.
So this was it. We were promised no reporters on the floor for twenty minutes.
David kept asserting that I could have mine almost done, but I didn't want to
rush. First, I went through all of my equipment. I made sure everything was
there that I needed. I had to send back a measuring cup and a fork that were
dirty. My runner actually had a job to do which I think was exciting for him :)
I started smelling garlic and onions right away and somebody behind me was
pounding on their chicken already. I guess they had sent their runners to the
fridge right when they got there. The Apricot-Orange Tart woman next to me was
being pretty methodical too, but she had to move fast because hers needed to
cool for two hours.
Next I went through all of my dry goods to see if I had everything. Finally, I
started getting stuff out to make my first batch. For whatever reason, I was
really glad my counter was to the left of the oven. I think I had been picturing
it that way or something. If I had been on the other side of the aisle it
would've been the reverse. The way they had the room set up was three double
rows of ovens and counters. I was towards the display and guest viewing area, so
it was nice to be able to look up and see David even though I couldn't talk to
him. I dared to wink at him a few times though.
I got everything out and headed to the fridge for my cold food. My runner was a
little disappointed I think, but I just needed to do it myself. I only had one
knife and since I had to use it for the dough and the butter, I went ahead and
cut all my butter and put the butter back that I didn't need for the first time.
Then it was time to start my recipe and I realized that all the reporters were
on the field. Pillsbury had there own reporters there and we actually had a
checklist that we had to have officials sign when events occurred. A camera crew
showed up to mine right away, and I am still unsure where they were from. I
think they were food Network and that food Network came to my oven a few times.
I gave goofy answers that I don't remember now. They shot me mixing the yogurt
and egg together I think. Then they left. Pillsbury picture people showed up
next and took a few pictures of me and then me cooking. The food network people
descended next door at Audrey's oven and stayed and stayed. I figured out right
away why she was chosen. She has the calmest manner and most melodious voice. I
can't wait to see her on the Food Network!
Then the moment of truth arrived. I had to open my rolls. If I was catholic, I
think I would've crossed myself. My rolls prior to now had been mutilated every
time I made my recipe. So I opened them and they were the most beautiful rolls I
had seen in a long time. Texas must get better batches than New Mexico! I took
them out and unrolled them and Oh NO! They were short and fat rolls and I was
used to long skinny rolls. I tried not to be flustered. I dipped and twisted and
watched them kinda unroll in the baking dish. I fidgeted with them and arranged
them and finally put them in the oven. I decided to go with the straight 15
minutes, as the dear Gwen had recommended, before I opened the oven door to
check them. I started on my syrup and someone came by to interview me.
Fortunately I had not turned on the burner yet, so it was fine. I think it was
the Food Network crew from Audrey's oven who did the interview. I really don't
remember what I talked about. I was focused on my recipe. So I made my syrup and
I checked my rolls and they looked terrible. It looked like they needed a couple
of more minutes which surprised me. So I left them in and when I pulled them
out, I was really unhappy with the results. I practiced putting the syrup on how
I wanted, but I didn't take them out of the baking dish. I set them on the stove
and placed my Do not Eat sign on it and took my first bathroom break. I needed
an escort and I was not allowed to talk to anyone while I was out of the room. I
didn't see my husband and learned later he went to check on the kids and when he
got back someone told him she thought I had taken mine to the judges.
Fortunately, that was not the case! I did see the Upside-down Apple biscuits
going in. She must've been one of the first. They looked beautiful!
When I got back to my stove I had to gather my wits. I decided that the fatter
rolls needed to be twisted more times. I went to the fridge and got all my stuff
again. I started doing my thing and the rolls were a little longer this time,
but not much. I got them in just as the food network showed up to tape Audrey
again. Good thing too because I hit my contest low here. She was telling why she
had the million dollar recipe again and by this time I was sold. It was like her
voice came in and squeezed the life out of my self confidence. The camera people
were also in my way, which was okay because I was not at a critical point, but
still slightly annoying. I felt like this anime character who is always saying
to herself Get it together. Get it Together. I did manage to talk myself back
into my winning mood and got started on my syrup. When they were done filming
Audrey, they filmed me some more and that made me feel good. When I pulled the
rolls out or the oven, I was really excited because they were just about
perfect. The extra twist had really paid off (btw my recipe calls to twist 2-3
times and I had twisted the first ones twice, so I wasn't cheating with the
twisting here!). I decided these were the ones going to the judges. I cut them
and drizzled them and then had to make my decision on how many to plate. I
turned around and asked a ref person to be sure that I didn't have to send the
whole thing in. I decided to go with twelve because there was a squashed one and
one a bit too brown. I trimmed any crusty parts off and lined them all up. I got
nervous because I could tell one of the refs was watching this whole process. I
actually turned and asked her if I had done everything right meaning to the
rules. She looked surprised and said something like yes. So I headed down. The
runner had to clear the way for me. He was not nearly as loud as some of the
others. My husband got a picture of me I think. I signed off on it and hoped for
the best. I was done!!
I still had to do one for display. People had been walking by and commenting
that the runty ones looked good, so I decided to cut them and the four from my
judging one up for samples. I cut them in half and some people came by and took
half of a half. So over 40 people tried my dish which made me feel great! One
man came over and said he had been watching me and was glad I had set out
samples. A reporter from El Paso came by and took a picture and talked to me.
This one guy with a great voice came by and tried mine. He found me later and
told me they were really good and wished me luck. Later I realized he was the
Pillsbury Announcer! So I was thrilled with how well received mine were.
I fixed my display ones with no problems. Audrey was now being interviewed by
Food Network Stars like Sandra Lee and some others. Apparently Sandra Lee always
came by my stove when I was gone according to My husband. So no interview for me
with her. I had to wait in line for half an hour to have my picture taken with
my display rolls. That was a drag. I was by this time feeling the no sleep and
the standing all morning really kick in. It was noon so I decided to take my
oven mits and sign out. I should've tried to sample, but I was tired and shell
shocked and I just wanted to sit down. I felt bad not trying to meet more
people, but really anyone still on the floor is not going to want to be
bothered. They were only an hour away from the deadline so best to leave them
be.
My husband was there with a big hug and I was so glad he had stayed and watched
the whole time. What a husband! We went down for a great lunch and I sat kinda
numb from the whole thing. I was so jazzed about all the great comments and
flattered the Food Network people had kept coming by. I felt I really turned in
my best effort. The sauce had never been a problem which was a great relief. All
the preparation had paid off I think.
So after lunch, we gave my dad a break and took the kids to a big discount book
store. They ran crazy in the large kid area and we just kinda hung out. I had to
do the awards orientation next. We were sat in alphabetical order by category so
nothing revealed there. Nothing remarkable happened there and then it was on to
the Bar-B_Que. I started off with a margaruita right away! We sat with the woman
from Texas I had first met. I found Gwen who had fixed my recipe and let me know
how it was closer to sea level. What a lovely woman. I also met the Sperry's who
are a contesting family and really really friendly. I met the fabulous Cover
Girl and her husband and more corporate people from General Mills. We did some
line dancing and I did some drinking. It was all great.
We got back to the hotel ahead of Dad and the kids. When we turned around there
they were totally ladened with toys from the Rainforest Cafe. I don't think that
was the best outing for dad, but the kids were delighted with the gifts.
I didn't
sleep much this night either. I was pretty nervous. I laughed when I later
read an email from my friend about going ahead and making myself so excited that
I would be sick on camera if I won! That's exactly how I felt. I'll skip to
the announcements now.
The Awards
So we were all sitting and waiting to hear the prizes. Sandra Lee did a great
job. Gwen was America's Favorite recipe which was thrilling. Peanut butter
cookies won the Jif award which was a little surprising to me because I was
pulling for the peanut butter struesal in my category. Then my category was
next. I knew I was going to cry if I won or lost. It wouldn't be such a big deal
if I won because they would be seen as tears of joy. But when my name was not
called I had to fight those tears back. I did not want to be seen as a soar
loser because it was not that at all. It was just the let down after all these
months. I was truly happy for the Marscapone Roll lady. I had met her and she
was very sweet and truly thrilled. I knew when I tasted her rolls that she would
be trouble! Then the pizza was announced and it was not my friend Trish so I was
sad. Then the guy we had met won the appetizers and it was very entertaining to
watch Sandra Lee teasing him that he had to marry his girlfriend if he won the
million dollars. Then the last minute taco woman won Old El Paso. She said her
story right there to Sandra Lee and Sandra said, We'll just edit that out. Too
funny. Then the Peanut Butter Cookie Woman won again and ultimately the whole
shebang. I don't remember who won the Innovation award, but I had been pulling
for the crepes made from brownie mix and it was not that. I was still trying not
to cry while I was congratulating everyone. General Mills served us Champagne
and we said goodbyes to people we had met. My husband had met a couple
originally from Albuquerque and introduced me to them. Her parents actually live
really close to us.
So it was over. I finally had a good cry in the bathroom in my room and got it
all out. There was just no avoiding it. It was only 9 in the morning, so Dad
took the kids down for breakfast while my husband and I did some packing. I
ended up going down too, and it is a good thing I did because then the most
thrilling thing happened. The hostess greeted me and asked how I was doing. I
said, Well, I didn't win a million dollars, but otherwise I am good. This
woman at a table next to my dad asked which recipe had been mine. I told her and
she kind of nodded like she was trying to remember it. I didn't think anything
of it. My son asked me all sorts of questions like if I would enter again. I
said yes but I didn't know if it would be the next time or if I would wait. Then
the woman got up to leave and said, I was a judge. You did a good job. You
should keep entering. How cool is that?!?! No one ever gets feed back from a
judge at these things. And she could've kept quiet and I never would've known
she was a judge. I thanked her very much.
The drive back was long but fine. I think we are all still recovering.
Everyone's schedule is off. My son didn't do so well on a test. And what do I
think of the winners?
Well.....it made me realize that the most heavily weighted category in the
judging criteria is consumer appeal. The cookies were a shock, but they are
quick to make and as the winner stated in one of her interviews they appeal to
all ages. And look at breakfast and brunches. Cinnamon rolls have a much broader
appeal than mine which are kinda weird looking and different. You don't have to
sell the idea of a cinnamon roll. And they are a delicious cinnamon roll. And
pork tacos? Great recipe, but pretty standard fare, in NM at least. They allowed
themselves more sophistication with the appetizers and pizzas, but then all the
ones in those categories were much more cutting edge than the other three. Which
leads me to my new conspiracy theory.
The Pillsbury people swore all recipes were treated equally. That may be true,
but what of the pattern? Chicken, dessert, chicken, dessert. This was a dessert
year and a dessert won. My husbands theory is the one I am currently using. They
pick judges that they think will lean toward savory or sweet. They know who is
watching the food industry and what there favorites are. So it is probably easy
to pick judges that will in the end favor a sweet. Notice last time was chicken
and a savory dish won breakfast and brunches and this year was sweet and a sweet
dish won breakfast and brunches. So you add a panel stacked with sweet people
and the consumer appeal score rates maybe 50% of your score, it would be no
surprise if a peanut butter cookie won. Last time the recipe was chicken and
stuffing, although the flavors were pretty sophisticated it was still chicken
and stuffing. The oats and honey pie was likened to pecan pie and who doesn't
like pecan pie? Then Salsa Couscous Chicken was essentially chicken and rice. So
I don't know about entering next year because chicken is not my best dish. And
things could change, but it seems like a pretty clear pattern looking at it. As
far as getting in the Bake-Off, I think the most important part of the recipe is
it's durability. If you can screw it up and still get something decent, it has a
good chance of being accepted.
So that's my grand adventure! It was great, and someday I hope to get to do it
again. Lots of praise to my dad for being such a trooper. He was really great
with the kids. And lots of praise to my husband for supporting me from start to
finish in this endeavor. I only wish that Mom had been here to be a part of it. |
| Averil,
USA |
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MEMBER COMMENTS:
My Experiences at PBO
I believe Alveril was right on target with her post, but here are some of the
highlights she might not have mentioned.
In our goodie bag, we were given a booklet about the 2008 Pillsbury Bake-Off in
Dallas. I believe you only get this booklet if you are a finalist or maybe the
media, grocers, etc.
Some Statistics (bear with me, I was an accountant before I retired)-
Pages 2-4 Real People, Simple Ideas which is their trademark.
I knew the people were real, but I dont think I really understood the Simple
Ideas portion when I sent in recipes in January and February, 2007. It also
looks to me that they want dishes that have been out there for years, but put
your special twist to it. Our own CCC member, Anna Ginsberg, won in 2006 with
her baked chicken and dressing with her special twist. Carolyn Gurtz won this
year with her twist on Peanut Butter Cookies. Now that I have been to PBO, I
understand make it simple, so everyone (even the ones that dont cook) can use
Pillsbury products to make these recipes. By the way, Carolyn Gurtz is a very
nice lady that I met on Sunday at the Bake-Off.
Page 5 Highlight is Dallas Kroger Store furnished us with the ingredients. All
the produce was beautiful and big and shrimp and chicken very fresh (a $15.00
price though for one pound of shrimp). Those using sugar had a 4 lb. canister
furnished by Domino or CH. Everyone around me commented that they had never seen
this sugar in a canister in a grocery store. Im sure if it is not yet out in
retail, it will be soon.
Page 6 and beyond Statistics, Statistics, Statistics (If you are not interested,
please skip down to Other Information)
22 of the finalists are professional musicians or listed music as a hobby or
passion. During the bake-off, I was next to Sarah Lafon from Tennessee. She is a
singer/songwriter who has recorded her own CD. She has the beauty and soft
personality of Faith Hill. If Sarah is into Country Western music, I think we
will see her soon on the Nashville stages.
The youngest person was 27 years old and the oldest was 72 years old. Women made
up 92 of the finalists with men making up 8 finalists. As far as education, 53
had 4 year degrees or higher, and 32 had some education beyond high school. As
far as working, 44% employed full-time outside the home, 11% employed part-time
outside the home, 10% self-employed, 10% retired, 3% students, 20% full-time
homemaker, and 2% currently not working. I was trying to figure what side of the
brain in took to make it to PBO, but trying to analyze the work descriptions of
these finalists gave me no solid clue. I was surprised at how many bookkeepers
and accountants made the cut (naturally it was my field). Teachers,
administrative assistants, and graphic artists were large in numbers. I really
liked Mary Beth from Houston, TX reply she was a Multiple Operations Manager
another name for Mom.
Page 33 - There were 9 women that were judges who were mostly newspaper or
magazine editors or cookbook authors. The judges lived in NY, MA., PA, MI., IA,
OR., FL., and two lived in TX. This gave me no clue as to how they made their
decisions.
Other Information-
I had a call from a previous two time judge from St. Louis when I got home. She
is including me in an article that she wrote for the St. Louis Journal. She said
both times she was a judge that Pillsbury did not give them any information
about the GP being chicken or sweet. She was a judge I believe in 2000 and
beyond Bake-Offs.
As far as newspapers go, my local paper had about 5 articles on me. But the day
after the Pillsbury awards, the headline read Hahn loses to a Cookie. I didnt
appreciate that headline, but I know this reporter tells it like she sees it. My
only thought about not winning (never say the word lose) was that I was
going to disappoint so many family and friends where I live. I had such a
support team and I thought I would be letting them down. They dont understand
this hobby of winning some contests and not winning some contests. Well, they
will just have to join CCC to see how it works. The reporter that wrote this
last article did quote me as saying that I would continue with my hobby and have
PBO in sight for 2010.
Eddie Deans The music was good and the dancers had a great time. I was
only a watcher as dancing was the way I got an artificial left knee. The food
was a combination of barbecue, Mexican food, and my favorite, avocado on the
half shell.
The Fairmont Hotel This was a great hotel with services and employees
that took all the time in the world to help you.
General Mills I believe they must send all their employees to Etiquette
School as they were all so friendly, helpful, and answered all our questions.
They made a point to sit at finalists tables and carry on conversations with
everyone. Even if you went to PBO by yourself, you were not alone for very long
when attending any dinner. GM personnel were right there making you feel
welcomed.
My Only Conclusion I think if you make it to the PBO, you have to have
the ability to ask a question of GM employees everyway you can. When the
finalists met with the GM people for question time, the same questions were ask
in just different ways I dont know how many times. My children tell me this is
my worst faultasking a question until I get the answer I want. Well, it looks
like I belonged at PBO because so many did the same thing. The GM people try not
to confuse you as they give their patented answers no matter how you ask the
question.
I Was Distracted While Cooking I thought cooking would be the easiest
portion of PBO, but the media had other plans for me. On my right was Sarah from
TN who The Food Network filmed the whole time. On my left was the lady from
Dallas who the Dallas media, Dallas Kroger, and Kroger corporate spent much
time. Im not complaining about not getting any media exposure. I had my great
moment with Sandra Lee for everyone to see thanks to Pillsbury, my store
Dierbergs sent reps to see me, I met Mrs. Dierberg and had picture made with
her, I did some out of mind interview with Food Network, etc. I really liked my
first dish as everything went right with the first 20 minutes without media,
etc. being on the floor. I was smart and took this one to the judges because
after that everything went downhill. My face usually tells what Im thinking and
after the first dish my runner kept asking me about every 10 minutes Everything
okay, Barbara?
I was very honored to meet so many CCC members. I know I didnt get to meet all
of you. We were so rushed. My husband and I were thrilled to spend quality
time with Laureen and Guy, and Guys mother, Kathleen.
Here it is May 7, 2008 and I'm still on a PBO high. I just had another interview
by phone yesterday with The Post Dispatch, St. Louis, MO for their weekly
cooking section. Next week I have been invited to the Gran
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