Wahoo! Just about caught up! It’s been a crazy few days here in Orlando, so I’m sure you can image how easy it is to get behind with blogging. I’m glad to be back on track!
If you didn’t read CNC over the weekend, here are some links to catch you up to speed!
- On My Way to Orlando
- A Warm Welcome and the Hotel
- Backstage Dinner with Walt Disney Chefs
- Seasons 52 with some of my favorite bloggers
- Breakfast in Bed
- Flavor = Taste + Mouthfeel + Aroma + “The X Factor”
- Food News Seminars
- The Science of Grilling
- Entertain with Ease Using New Cooking Technologies from GE
- Dinner at The Ravenous Pig
This morning started bright and early at 6:30 AM with a breakfast buffet with the Pillsbury Bake-Off® Finalists.
There was a nice spread of fresh fruit, eggs, potatoes, bacon, sausage, and pastries.
My plate:
I loved the fresh berries! I missed having them all winter.
Coffee was much-needed this morning. I’m glad that this brand was strong and bold. It definitely got me going!
The 44th Pillsbury Bake-Off® kicked-off with opening remarks from president of Pillsbury, Juliana Chugg. She started by giving us a quick history of the Bake-Off.
History of the Pillsbury Bake-Off®
The Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest originated in 1949, with the first competition at the Waldorf=Astoria in New York City. The contest was held annually from 1949 to 1978, when it switched to an every-other-year schedule. The $1 million grand prize was first awarded in 1996 to Kurt Wait, who was also the first man to win top honors in the contest. The 43rd Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest was held April 2008 in Dallas, Texas. Carolyn Gurtz, Gaithersburg, Md., won the grand prize with her Double-Delight Peanut Butter Cookies recipe.
Then, we heard from Sandra Lee, television host and home and food expert. She will later announce the category and special prize winners during an awards ceremony this evening.
About Sandra Lee
Lee revolutionized the way people think about creating from scratch, with her trademark 70/30 Semi-Homemade® philosophy, which combines 70% ready-made products with 30% fresh and creative touches. She is editor-in-chief of Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade magazine, host of the multi-Emmy-nominated “Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee” and “Sandra’s Money Saving Meals” on Food Network and a New York Times best-selling author.
The Bake-Off is SO exciting!!! The energy in the room is unreal– and, of course, the recipes all sound so delicious, like the Savory Breakfast Pizza that has 6 whole Eggland’s Best eggs on top. (I could totally eat a second breakfast right now!) I can’t wait to tell you guys all about it!
Back to work! 
{ 42 comments… read them below or add one }
What an awesome breakfast spread.
I’ve missed berries so much!
Have a good monday Tina!
Ugh, I dislike Sandra Lee very much.
Oh I have a love/hate relationship with Sandra. I think she has some great cooking ideas, but I really hate how she uses so many processed foods in her cooking. She doesn’t always pick healthy food! But she definitely gives you lots of good ideas and short cuts, and I guess you can adapt them to fit your lifestyle! What do others think?
Have fun today!
Can’t wait to read all about it! It sounds soooo very exciting. I would love to see all the scrumptious creations
:D
sounds like a fun & busy day! bake-offs are even better than chili cook offs & that’s sayin’ something! enjoy your funky 1 – 6pm break!
you are going to have SO much fun (not that you haven’t already, but still)!!! hope your break is fun…make sure you spend some time outside in the sunshine!
Wow so cool! Looks like a nice breakfast buffet. A lot of the one’s I’ve been too have way more pastries and way less fresh fruit!
You’ve been posting so much! It’s hard to keep track. Are those roasted fingerlings at breakfast?! Yummy!
My sister has a lot of Sandra Lee cookbooks at home and loves them! That’s cook you got to see her.
The buffet looks wonderful. I’m impressed by their fresh fruit. Most buffet’s “fresh” fruit looks awful.
sooooooo fun! can’t wait to hear more of the details! so cool that you got to see Sandra!
Savory breakfast pizza DOES sound good! It’s trendy now to put an egg on pizza while it cooks, too.
looks super fun!! love berries!
How fun…I LOVE Sandra Lee!!
I’m not a huge fan of Sandra Lee. Sometimes she cuts corners for strange reasons. I’m not a food purist in any way and use premade foods all the time, but sometimes her shortcuts seem odd. I’m with you on the fresh berries, though. So great after a long winter!
What a fabulous event that you are attending! How fun!! Enjoy your day!
Ahhh…what a FUN experience!! So happy you’re sharing some of the excitement with us.
That is so cool! I love Sandra Lee bread!
haha..the coffee was strong and “bog” – you have blogging on the brain! i accidentally type things like that all the time. also, sometimes my nursing vocab slips into my blog vocab and vice versa…maybe a sign i need to work and/or blog less?
I love coffee that is “strong and blog” as well
Sandra Lee is way too skinny in real-life!
I am so jealous you get to do this! Looks like an amazing weekend, have fun! I love Sandra Lee, so cool.
Your breakfast looks delicious! I missed fresh berries too!
I’ve still enjoyed some berries throughout this winter, but they are no way as good as fresh summer berries! That breakfast spread looks delicious!
Have you read Sandra Lee’s book? My parents gave it to me for Christmas a couple of years ago when I got really into cooking and baking and it is wonderful! Gives a lot of insight about her.
Argh so many new posts, I keep losing track!! I find it hard to know what to say….I’ve never heard of Sandra Lee!
Really enjoying your posts– and pictures! Hope you got your pic taken with Sandra Lee…
I, too, am not a huge Sandra Lee fan. I find her TV personality a bit grating and her meals rarely look good to me. HOWEVER, I’ve read about her life and she has had to overcome some pretty heavy situations, and at quite a young age, too. Learning the details made me go a little easier on her, if only because it reminded me that everyone is dealing with “something.”
That looks like so much fun! (And I’m totally drooling over your breakfast right now.)
Can’t wait to hear more about it!
That is not your everyday breakfast buffet! Your job looks so cool!
So much happened in one weekend! Looks like it was a blast.
That is an incredible breakfast buffet!
Tina, your blogs are fantastic, and you are so hard working! They definitely picked the right food blogger to showcase the event. Great work!
I love Sandra Lee especially all of her crazy drink recipes! Just my style!
How fun! All that fruit looks amazing!!
Sounds like you are having an incredible experience. It would be so much fun to see “behind the scenes” action at the bake-off. Like other readers, I have a love-hate relationship with Sandra Lee. I think she has some great ideas but her personality kind of annoys me. Hope you are having a great day! Can’t wait for an update!
so exciting about the bakeoff! i made one of the winning pies one year – it was SO SWEET.
Hey Tina!
This event looked great! Yum yum yumminess
I wanted to let you know that I read every post of yours!! I love the food, the exercise, the doggie and everything else! Love your lifestyle. That said, I gave you a little blog award! Check it out. Cheers!!!!
http://unpolishedspoon.blogspot.com/2010/04/spoon-won-award-first-one-ever-d.html
I think you should start creating tablescapes that match each of your outfits, just like Sandra Lee.
I didn’t realize the bake-off was every other year.
You are in for a treat
I love Sandra Lee, did you see anyone else around their?
My mum is obsessed with those kipfler/fingerling-type potatos… and I must admit they’re pretty good! I’ve never had them for breakfast though, you lucky thing you!
The Savory Breakfast Pizza looks sort of freaky. I can’t imagine eating that!
I had a wonderful time as a Bake-off Contest finalist this year! So excited to have made your blog – that is me talking to Ali Wentworth with my recipe in hand (Caramelized Red Onion-Feta Burgers). It was a whirlwind of excitement and it feels a bit strange to back to my ho-hum everyday life, without the anticipation of the Bake-off day off in the future! I will definitely be entering again!