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Contest Winners |
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Contest Winners |
2004 Thanksgiving Makeover Contest Winner |
THANKSGIVING MAKEOVER CONTEST
Entrants were asked to describe their most outrageous and funny,
food-related, real-life Thanksgiving Day experience.
Here are the winning essays!!
Grand Prize Winner:
Mrs. Audrey Popp
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Prize: A Thanksgiving Makeover Consultation with
celebrity Chef Ming Tsai, at his Boston bistro Blue
Ginger - complete with airfare and accommodations.
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"My sister asked me to help prepare a special Thanksgiving dinner
for a guy she was trying to impress and hopefully marry. I was
not invited to share in the meal, only prepare and set out to
dazzle, and then leave before the special man arrived. When I
arrived she was in a total frenzy trying to manage all the pots on
the stove and get the table set while worrying about her hair and
outfit. I opened the oven door to check on the turkey and the door
feel off right to the floor! She said, "it always does that."
When I pulled the roaster out of the oven, I was shocked.
I asked her where the turkey was roasting because what I saw
did not resemble a turkey in any way. She cried when she saw the
gooey looking thing with bones protruding like the ribs on a model
boat. The meat resembled pudding, giblet bags included!
I asked her how long it had been in the oven and she told
me since 2:00 AM the night before, just like mom always did.
It was now 4:00 PM. This was only a ten-pound turkey cooking
at 350 degrees for 14 hour! Mom always cooked a 25 pounder or
more and we ate at noon. Hoping for the best, I tried to convince
my sister that everything would be fine and some day they would
laugh about it. Unfortunately, the guy didn't have a sense of humor."
First Prize Winner:
Ms. Holly Roge
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Prize: A Year Supply of Contessa Shrimp for a
family of 5!!! $500, and other Contessa Gifts.
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"A Thanksgiving my family will never forget... This was the year my
Dad won the grand prize at a bowling tournament, it was a Thanksgiving
turkey. Late that night he brought home his prize and turned in
for the night. The next morning he woke us up with his exciting
news - he won a turkey for our dinner. With great enthusiasm,
took us out to the garage and there sat a huge crate. When he
opened the box... out ran a live turkey! To say the least we were
surprised and somewhat frightened of the wild turkey.
The incident became rather comical when Dad decided to put the
turkey back in the crate. He chased the turkey around the garage
until he was exhausted and we were laughing hysterically.
At that point, Mom ordered him to take it away. So off Dad
went with the turkey to the butcher. On Thanksgiving Day,
Dad proudly served his prize turkey - which to his great dismay - no
one would eat. We cried because we had seen it alive and
refused to eat it. Dad was crushed but Mom convinced him that
we could still have a great Thanksgiving eating the trimmings
without the turkey. This was truly a Thanksgiving that was unforgettable!"
Second Prize Winner:
Mrs. Noda Shari
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Prize: $250 and an Ocean Spray Gift Basket!!
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"Our Thanksgiving meal truly needs a make-over from last year's dinner
experience. As a new vegetarian, I was determined to create a
veggie-friendly meal for my meat-eating clan. What a fiasco! As
I brought the tofurkey to the table, I heard a gasp from around
the table. "What the H*LL is that?" muttered my dad. "Tofurkey!"
I announced with positivist and conviction. "Toe-whattie?" a prim
and proper auntie whispered as if repeating a possibly
objectionable word. "To-tasteless" snarled my teenage son who
was highly annoyed that he was not having a real turkey like all
his friends. Let's just say that although the other side dishes
were met with acceptance and gratefulness especially the tried
and true Ocean Spray canned cranberry sauce, ridges intact,
the Tofurkey will not be invited to our dinner table this year.
My husband has already proposed that I use the Chez Panisse brined
turkey recipe that was printed in the SF Chronicle as the best
tasting turkey. He said that if I want to keep the family together
and truly give us a reason to be thankful for being related
to me, I better watch my P's and Tofurkey-Q's this year! At least
I was sane enough to not mess with the cranberry sauce!"
We at Contessa Premium Foods want to thank all of you who participated in the Thanksgiving Makeover Contest. We wish you and yours a memorable Thanksgiving celebration.
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