Winner will appear in Taste of Home magazine, cook with Carla Hall, and take home $25,000

Crystal Lamas

because I want to represent all of the “favorites” we see in our own kitchen. Most of all, the favorite meals we serve and are served

Currently 5

in their Group

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Voting for the TOP 5 ends Thursday the 2nd of July at 7PM PDT

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What is your signature dish?

That’s hard to answer because it varies depending on the day and the palate. I know it definitely isn’t Purple Chicken or Root Beer Beef Stew. I have a husband and four children so I need to appeal to their tastes on any given day. However one thing they always come back to is CarrotCake Muffintoppers with homemade vanilla cream filling. This has been requested by family for at least 5 years and is the sole reason I began selling homemade baked goods.

Who is your culinary inspiration?

Again, hard to answer. I’m inspired more by my children than any household name or culinary expert. While they may have the experience and knowledge, I’m drawn more towards feeding with love; even if may taste a bit yunky (a mix of yucky and funky) and may require adjusting the recipe a few times to get my family to eat it.

What would you do with the $25,000?

Full disclosure: no idea. After a moment of thought: most likely pay down our mortgage and/or towards tuition to attend culinary school to truly solidify and hone my skills

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