Congratulations to Claire Spriggs of Valdosta and Jim Jammes of Ray City who were the first entries in the 40th Anniversary Valdosta Daily Times Cookbook Contest.

Other entries have come from Teresa Davis of Homerville; Glenda Bennett of Lake Park; Penny Ray of Nashville; Magan Smith of Ray City; Emily Crews of Stockton; Barbara Barker, Debbie Broomberg, Denise Charles, Debbi Hart, Ellen Squires McCarthy, Deanna W. Smith and Marie S. Wood of Valdosta.

Only four days are left to enter recipes in our 40th Anniversary Contest. Deadline is May 1.

To enter, simply e-mail your recipes to vdt.recipes@gaflnews.com. Adults 16 and above may enter as many as nine recipes while those 15 and under may enter one recipe in the children’s category. The adult categories are Appetizers, Salads, Breads, Vegetables, Meats, Desserts, Cookies and Candies (one category), diet foods, and 40th anniversary cake decorating.

Be sure to include your daytime phone number as well as your mailing address so we can inform you if you have been selected as one of the 50 contestants to bring your already prepared dishes to the Taste-off June 7 at Valdosta Technical College.

Although those participating in the 40th Anniversary cake-decorating category will bring their already baked cakes (and no pre-made decorations), the decorating will be done during the two hours of judging the other nine categories. The winner will receive a scholarship to the Valdosta Technical College Cooking School for one quarter.

The nine other categories will be judged for Creative Design Winner and Runner-up and presented with prizes from Belk and Valdosta Greenhouses.

Grand Prize will be awarded $300, the Grand Prize Runner-up $200, the remaining seven first places $50 and 10 second places $25. Centerpieces will be given to the third places.

A total of $1,200 in cash prizes will be given in the contest.

The award-winning cookbook will be a part of the July issue of ValdostaScene magazine.

If you were a participant in any of our 40 Taste-offs and would like to share your memories, e-mail me at elizabeth.butler@gaflnews.com or call me at 244-3400, Ext. 256.

Come by our office at 201 N. Troup St. and look through the pages of cookbooks dating back to 1969.

Elizabeth Butler is the Lifestyles editor of The Valdosta Daily Times.

Do you remember when?