LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – This Florida woman thinks she has what it takes to be the next Greatest American Grandma.
GE Appliances is holding a contest to find a grandma looking to join its team as someone who knows her way around the kitchen, insists that food is the best answer to life's problems and demands you lick the batter-coated spoon.
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Sheila Chandler, from Umatilla, was chosen as a top 10 finalist among the 680 video submissions the company received, according to a news release. If chosen as the best grandma, she will receive $50,000, five new GE appliances and will be hired by the company part time for 10 to 15 hours each month. Part of the requirements for the position is that the grandma must work her magic not only in the kitchen, but also on social media as a GE spokeperson.
Chandler said she knows how to whip up some of the best brown butter salted chocolate chip cookies; the difference between braising and roasting; and what it takes to bake a three-tier wedding cake decked out with icing and decorations.
One thing she won't do is clean your kitchen -- she said that's where she draws the line.
For Chandler, she said this competition isn't so much about comparing herself to the other women but about recognizing that everyone is special in different ways.
"These are all a great group of women. I really don’t compare myself to any of them because we are all unique and all very talented," Chandler told News 6. "And I also know that we have people who love us and have encouraged us to enter. I know for me personally, cooking is all about giving somebody something from my heart. Everything I make is filled with heart and love and caring for that person. Feeding someone is a true act of love."
That love is what bonds her and her granddaughter together, she explained.
They spend a lot of time in the kitchen sharing recipes and memories, and after the mess is cleaned up and the food has finished cooling, that's when they share what they make with friends, family, neighbors and her son's fellow crew members at his fire station.
"My neighbor Jennifer Rennard tagged me in the search on Facebook," she said. "She knows about my love of cooking and baking and she is often the recipient of my treats ... She knew this was a natural fit for me, so she encouraged me to apply."
The final winner will be announced during the first week of April.