Merry began entering recipe and food related contests after a winning a trip to the 2009 Food and Wine Classic in Aspen, CO. “I was on a business trip with my husband and had a little extra time. I must have been online and spotted a Green & Black Organic Chocolate essay contest. I entered a paragraph on how I like in the green and black and WON! The prize: a wonderful trip to the Classic. My girlfriend attended with me because my hubby was scheduled to go camping. WE had a BLAST taking classes from Mario, Giada, Ming, Jacques, and Bobby Flay! Upon arriving home I quickly checked online to find out how I could WIN more Food and Wine Festival trips. I FOUND the world of recipe contests. OH my, my name was being CALLED!
2009 WINS
Fine Cooking Create Your Own Salad finalist Prize: Ultimate Salad Kit, plus our 15-year Fine Cooking Archive DVD
2010 WINS
January: Grand Prize MadAboutMushrooms.com Smoky Caramelized Mushroom Pear Galette
February:
1.”Congratulations! Our panel of food blogger judges has selected your recipe for Asian Beef Medallions with Cucumber Kicking Coleslaw as a runner-up! We will be sending you a bottle of our White Truffle-infused Olive Oil—a glorious addition to any dish.”
2. Congratulations! Your contest entry was selected as a Runner Up Winner of a Betty Crocker’s Baking Basics Cookbook in the ”Celebrate the Season” Sweepstakes sponsored byGeneral Mills Sales, Inc. Please see the Official Rules which are attached for the Prize information.
MARCH:
1. Congratulations! You are a Finalist in the Gorton’s Grilled Recipe Renovation Contest. Congratulations! You are a first place winner in the Gorton’s Grilled Recipe Renovation Contest. You will be receiving 12 Free Gorton’s Product coupons – a retail value of $72.00!
2. BARTENDER Magazine Third Place: $500 for TROPICAL CHERRY JEWEL
3. Mr. Bacon Head: “I am happy to tell you that you won the contest! You should receive your basket in time for easter. Do you happen to have a photo of your recipe?” (A nice basket full of bacon related items, $25.00, dishes etc.)
APRIL:
1. Your recipe for Sorry Gramps, Shrimp & Blueberry Coleslaw with Hotty Maple Vinaigrette has been selected as a finalist in our 2010 Recipe Contest. (I received lots of cookbooks and my recipe is published in the beautiful Mississippi Magazine 2010 Foods addition).
2. Grand Prize: Sweet Baby Ray’s Supreme Super Fan $650 in meat!
MAY:
California Strawberry Blast Off Cook-off Grand Prize (a 4 day cruise) for
Snappy Shrimp and Srawberry Coleslaw with Maple Vinaigrette
JUNE:
1. 1 case of Rotel tomatoes in a giveaway and then my recipe: “Your Mini Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting recipe earned a runner up spot in the RO*TEL Across America recipe contest. Your hard work and creativity have earned you a $25 cash gift card. Please respond with your full name, address and phone number so we may send over your prize.”
2. Blue Ribbon in Just A Pinch ~ Chocolate Chili Raspberry Cake
3. Toyota Mother’s Day Essay Contests. I WON Sienna for the day, $1,000, prof. photographer and videographer. SO AWESOME! OUR VIDEO LINK
JULY:
1. “Congrats again, your muffins are wonderful! Our website is www.DoctorGrandmas,com. Give it a look and then give me a call and I will take care of your $25.00 gift certificate. FYI, our pancakes and sweetener are fabulous!”
2. “Good afternoon! Thank you for being a Facebook Fan of CHEFS Catalog. I am pleased to tell you that your picture of the Cajun Pistachio Crusted Swai was chosen as one ofhonorable mention photos and community favorites. I am please to be able to send you a Henckels Twin Profection Bread Knife.” I LOVE my $120.00 knife it is so awesome I bought 2 as gifts!
AUGUST:
1. True Lemon 4th of July Contest “We did notify the winners yesterday but still haven’t heard back from all of the yet which is why we haven’t sent out the announcement. We had over 200 recipes submitted and had so much fun testing so many of them. Your Citrus Cooler Mini Muffins did make it into the top 25 which is an accomplishment given how many recipes we had. I hope the next time we have a recipe contest, you’ll enter again.”
2. Congratulations from the NatureSweet Homegrown Tomato Challenge! You’ve been selected as a finalist in the Cherry Tomato Cook-Off Challenge that will take place this coming Saturday, August 21st at the Raley’s at 25025 Blue Ravine Road in Folsom. Thank you for your essay, “Tomatoes Spark Creativity”. I came in second ~ $250. Great experience as we were given 15 ingredients and one hour to develop a masterpiece of flavors! I loved it! Many months later a photo of my dish won a Buitoni contest and $650 worth of free foods and tableware!
3. Hi Merry! CONGRATULATIONS ONCE AGAIN! As we discussed on the phone, your submission, Caramelized Cranberry-Mushroom Gallette with Cranberry-Orange Topping, was selected as THE GRAND PRIZE winner in the Ultimate Cranberry Recipe Contest, sponsored by Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. and Reader’s Digest Association.
$10,000 Ocean Spray Ultimate Cranberry Recipe Grand Prize plus NYC trip.
*Trip To New York Food and Wine Festival for Savory Category in the Tree Top Apple recipe contest
*$1,000 for grand prize Mezzetta Vegetarian Sandwich Category
*Cruise for grand prize California Strawberry Festival
*And lots of $500, $200, $50 gift cards!
2011 Wins
Red Hot Sauce, Nate’s Meatless Meatballs, Duck Board, American Lamb Association, and perhaps a few I’m forgetting!
Sponsor: Tree Top
The Recipe: Poached Ginger Apple Sea Bass
The Challenge: Use one of their products
The Prize: A trip to the New York Food & Wine Festival
Value: $1,100 in tickets to the festival, $1,000 for flights, $300 spending visa, $1,000 for the hotel.
Media:
Tree Top release: http://www.treetop.com/RecipeDetail.aspx?ID=425&CategoryID=3
Home Town News: http://hometownstation.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22166:newhall-secret-ingredient-contest-tree-top-2010-10-06-15-41&catid=26:local-news&Itemid=97
Merry Notes:
GO MERRY!
Love this summary….I should do that and put it all together!