Eight parents’ recipes were selected from the more than 175 submitted during the fifth annual Home Sweet Home Recipe Contest sponsored by the Virginia Tech Office of Student Programs’ Housing and Dining Services. Laurie Keck and Kristin Riley were awarded the grand prize for their Gnocchi with Artichokes and Sun Dried Tomatoes recipe. They will receive two nights’ lodging at the Inn at Virginia Tech for Family Day.

Winning recipes included:

Gnocchi with Artichokes and Sun Dried Tomatoes, Laurie Keck, of Warrenton, Va.
Mother of Kristin Riley, a freshman psychology major in the College of Science.

Habanera Tomato Salsa, Walt Johnson, of Midlothian, Va.
Father of Kyle Johnson, a freshman general engineering major in the College of Engineering.

Top Salad, Ann Ferrell, of Newport News, Va.
Mother of Elisabeth Ferrell, a freshman human nutrition, foods and exercise major in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Roasted Butternut Squash Bisque, David Barrish, of Midlothian, Va.
Father of Sarah Barrish, a freshman communication major in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.

Hokie Biscuit, Dara Linn, of Cary, N.C.
Mother of Jacob Linn, a freshman architecture major in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies.

Greek Pizza, Joan Hamby, of Virginia Beach, Va.
Mother of Anne Hamby, a senior marketing management major in the Pamplin College of Business.

Baked Chicken Breast with Cheese, Anita Kalajainen, of Manassas, Va.
Mother of Paul Kalajainen, a freshman general engineering major in the College of Engineering.

Craig’s Butter Sauce Cake, Chandra Womack, of Halifax, Va.
Mother of Craig Scott Keys, a freshman general engineering major in the College of Engineering.

The winning recipes will be featured at the Home Sweet Home special dinner to be held at D2 from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 3. Winners are invited to attend the Home Sweet Home dinner to receive special recognition and to have their picture taken with their finished dish. In addition, each entrant will receive a booklet containing all of the recipe entries. The students of the families whose recipes were selected will receive $50 in Dining Dollars and the recipes will also be featured on the Student Programs website later this year. Students, faculty, staff and the public are also welcome to attend.

“The contest has shown great success, growing from around 80 recipes submitted two years ago, to nearly 200 submitted this year,” said Kelvin Bergsten, manager of D2, “The parents are very excited about seeing their recipes cooked and served to all of the guests. We have had some families submit a recipe each year that their child is at Virginia Tech.”

Over the summer, family members were asked to submit their student’s favorite recipe in several categories: appetizers, soups, salads, breads, vegetable and side dishes, main dishes and desserts. Recipes were submitted from families located in 11 states - California, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia.

Flex plans, Dining Dollars, Hokie Passport and cash will be accepted at the door. For more information about this and other upcoming special events, please visit the Student Programs website.

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