KULPMONT - Diane Bender called her trip to Minneapolis, Minn., to see an institution of cooking and baking a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Bender, of Kulpmont, was named one of 10 finalists in the Betty Crocker 90th Birthday Bash Contest, and received a tour of the Betty Crocker test kitchens for her winning entry.
"This was great because Betty Crocker isn't going to have another 90th birthday, so I was proud to be a part of it," Bender said.
The contest, for members of the Betty Crocker website, invited entrants to plan Betty's 90th birthday party, using recipes found on the site and their own ideas for activities. Many who know Bender thought this was right up her alley.
"I'm always going all out when I'm planning my children's birthday parties and some people say that I should have been a party planner. So one late night, I gave it a shot," Bender said.
Her party theme was to show "Betty Through the Years," mixing classic recipes and flavors of today. Her activities included recipe testing and swapping while guests enjoyed dishes such as crab-filled crescent wontons, apple-cinnamon butternut squash soup, thyme-roasted chicken with vegetables and the classic Tom Collins drink to imbibe on. For dessert, her guests would enjoy strawberry and white chocolate buttercream cake.
Confusing package
After entering in August, Bender put the contest out of her mind until an overnight package arrived at her door in September.
"I was very confused when I got a FedEx package, because I didn't remember ordering anything. Inside was a letter saying I was chosen as a potential finalist in the contest," she said.
After rushing around to notarize documents and send them back, another letter arrived, telling Bender she was one of the 10 finalists and won a trip to Minneapolis.
On Monday, Nov. 7, Bender and the other finalists toured the Betty Crocker test kitchens, learning about the history of the lady and the company.
"We saw their archives and the old boxes of products. One of the pictures I loved was a photo of Marcia Brady and the Pillsbury Dough Boy from a commercial they made together, the prop area for all the photo shoots and the stage where their how-to Internet videos are made," she said.
The highlight of the trip was the opportunity for the finalists to bake a new recipe inside the Betty Crocker test kitchen.
"We made cake batter cookie stackers," Bender said. "We got to try the recipe before it was released to everyone on the website." She also sampled a new cupcake recipe, made by the bakers.
Finalists also toured Betty's Portrait Room, which is lined with paintings of different likenesses of Betty Crocker over the years. Not everyone gets to see the boardroom-type chamber, Bender said.
"We were told that if you saw the inside of that room, you are someone special," Bender said.
The Kulpmont woman did not win the grand prize, but did take home two new Betty Crocker cookbooks. She also received spending money for the trip and will be receiving a gift basket with Betty Crocker products. She also received a memorable experience.
"It was a great time, and I'm honored to be a part of the tradition of Betty Crocker," Bender said.
According to www.bettycrocker.com, Catherine S. (no last name given) from Arizona won the grand prize.