One day in early March, I got a text from my sister Ask Dr. Renee This text was very common since we are either texting here and there throughout the day or calling each other at the end of the day.  This specific text said check your email.  When I got around to checking my email after work that day, I saw a link for the Rachael Ray Show.  I clicked on the link and it was a video of Rachael Ray announcing the show’s Culinary Tuition Competition.  Immediately I was intrigued.  The final prize was International Culinary Center tuition, and a 5 day culinary vacation in Cancun.  I have to tell you if all that was required was an essay on why I should be the winner, I would have been all over it instantly.  But after reading the entire process, I understood that the first round would require I make a video.  Now I don’t have my usual crew with me here in Valdosta, I have a DSLR, that I hadn’t used a ton, and never used it for video, and I have a tripod that was still in the box.  So in mind, I thought , “Okay, there really isn’t anything stopping me.”  The rules required that I send a video in about why I need a fresh start in career, and include me cooking my favorite meal.  I whipped up my lamb chops, cauliflower mash, and brussels sprouts.  I shared on the video how I felt about my career path, and sent the video in with a prayer of something that brought change to my life, what ever that looked like.


Lamb Chops with brussels sprouts and cauliflower puree

After a few weeks, I received a call from a producer at the show.  She told me I was in the top 20, I was stunned.  Because I entered thinking; “well, at least I tried, but I didn’t really cook anything super special, or fancy”.  So round 1 mission accomplished, up next round 2… The Interview.  I just decided to be completely myself, so I made sure to share everything that I wanted to, regarding needing to follow my dreams and step out on faith and out of my comfort zone.  By the time I finished the call, I was so at peace that I just felt like “I’ve done all that I can do, and if it is for me it will be for me”.  Sure enough…Top 10, yep Top 10.  Now I am totally visualizing myself as a finalist.

I will share the rest of my experience in my next post. But I would love for you to see the video that I created and submitted to the show, and please subscribe to my page youtube.com.  I will be adding cooking videos regularly.
Wow, what a ride, wait until I share the experience of being in NY for the show with you all.