Lisa Keys entered her first cooking contest when she was in 9th grade. It was sponsored by her school’s French club and she won the grand prize. That was in 1972. She didn’t enter another recipe contest until 1990 when she became a finalist in the Pillsbury Bake-Off with just one entry. “That win changed my life forever,” she says. “I discovered a new hobby and lots of new friends.

NOTABLE WINS: Finalist, 1998, 1994 (won a prize this year) and 1990 Pillsbury Bake-off; Finalist, 2000 Snow’s Clam Cook-Off; Grand Prize, 1998 National Pasta Association Contest sponsored by Family Circle Magazine ($10,000); Second Prize, 1998 Delmarva Chicken Cook-Off; First Prize, 1998 Kretschmer Wheat Germ; Third Prize, 1998 Bays English Muffins; Finalist, 1998 Mama Mary’s Pizza Cook-Off; First Prize, 1997 & 2002 & 2006 Goldkist; Finalist, 1997, 1992 and 1991 National Beef Cook-Off; Grand Prize, 1996 Sargento Cheese ($5,000.00 for her and another $5,000.00 for a local soup kitchen); Finalist, 1995 Sutter Home “Build a Better Burger”; Finalist, 1993 National Chicken Cookoff; Finalist, 1993 Crisco American Cookoff; Finalist, 1992 Land O’Lakes Family Reunion; First Prize, Better Homes & Gardens Lamb contest. 2002 first prize in Quaker Oats. 2001 1st prize Krestchmer wheat germ. 2002 Canned Food Alliance grand prize. 2003 & 2005 (category winner) Southern Living Cookoff . 2005 Sunkist Citrus grand prize. 2005 Smithfield Pork/Stew Leonard’s grand prize 2007. Hood Holiday HM. 2009 Puff Pastry to Paris grand prize–a dream come true!  2010 GP Beringer Great Steak Challenge, 2011 GP America’s Test Kitchen Cook’s Country Magazine Lost Recipes, 2012 2nd place National cornbread Cook-off, 2012 GP Better Recipes Grilling.

FUNNIEST PRIZE: Cherry Apple Red Harley Davidson Motorcycle from Stew Leonard’s

ADVICE: “Don’t throw out your losing recipes. Relook at them, give them a tweak or two and re-submit them to another contest. And re-read the advice the other Hall of Famers have given as those are words to live by.”

FORUM NICKNAME: Lisa