Recipe to Riches ended their first season with the grand finale tonight, giving one contestant a grand prize of $250,000!  This is the largest monetary sum given out on Canadian TV to date!

Viewers watched with anticipation to see who the nation voted for. All contestants had superb recipes that have been made into President's Choice products.  $25,000 and their dishes made into PC products is BIG!  They are all winners in my books!

I'm a big PC fan, and am really excited that the winning recipes are available at supermarkets that carry PC products!  Truly worth switching supermarkets for!
Ultimately, only one winner could be chosen for the grand prize.  That winner is Glo and her Luscious Lemon Pudding! Congrats, Glo and congrats to all the finalists!

Just an aside:
I am really happy to have been able to participate in the Recipe to Riches excitement as an official Recipe to Riches food blogger.  It's been a fun ride!
My family has enjoyed it too. Hubby and Little One thoroughly enjoyed each and every recipe that the finalists brought forward.
Little One says she wants to be Jacqui when she grows up. Too cute!

I was also thrilled to hang out with Melaney (savoury bannock pie).  I can honestly say that she is one of the most amazing people I've ever met! She radiates with joy and love.  How you see her on TV is how she is in person. 100% gold.
I was also over the moon to get together for coffee and a bite to eat with Melissa (banana chocolate wow cake).  She is full of energy and is one of the friendliest people I've ever met. It was like having coffee with an old friend!
 Having a latte with Melissa Lam and D (Matron of Honour at my wedding, and Godmother to Little One).
Melissa was so amazing and so thoughtful to have made a banana chocolate wow cake for Little One!  She brought the cake on the plane all the way from Alberta!!! How fabulous is she!?!
My three year old was so happy. "Melissa made a banana chocolate wow cake for meeeeeeee???"
In case you were wondering, the cake was AMAZING! It was so moist and delicious! *drool*

Little One was generous enough to share her delicious cake with her cousins.
I was also given the opportunity to attend the taping of the finale.  The set was fabulous and I was a little starstruck.  Ummm...Wouldn't you be?  Sitting inches away from Laura Calder, Tony Chapman, Dana McCauley (we were in the front row, just to the right of Laura Calder)...Squeeee!

My two crushes were there too. Yes, I mean Galen Weston and Jesse Palmer!

Oh! Guess who Melissa and I spotted in the crowd?  Brad (maple pouding au chomeur) was at the taping too!
He is so awesome. I would LOVE to try his maple pouding au chomeur! Too bad it's not a PC product! At least his recipe is online (along with all the other recipes from the show).

What a fabulous concept for a TV show.  Really, really looking forward to season two and really, really looking forward to hitting the supermarket so I can get more kulfi, peach bliss, pulled pork, chicken grenades, bannock pie, and luscious lemon pudding!