Food Network Challenge...At Sesame Street!

The Food Network sent me and my competitors to New York on January 28th to visit the set of Sesame Street to prepare for the next Challenge we're doing in this spring. It's a Sesame Street themed Challenge and we are all making a muppet cake. Our Challenge will be filmed at the Food Network studio on March 25th.

From the left, this is Roland Winbeckler (one of the pioneers in American cake decorating and an incredible cake artist. Remarkably, this will be Roland's first Challenge), Mike McCarey (a master cake sculpter, a Challenge multi-winner, and my hero), Marianne Carroll (incredibly creative cake designer and a Challenge veteran). I'm up against some tough competition, but I can't wait!

Me on the Sesame Street stoop.

I'm making the Elmo cake for the Challenge. Each of us interviewed our muppet. This is me during my interview with Elmo. After the interview was over Elmo called my 4 year-old daughter, Stella, in Dallas. She LOVED it!

Here's Marianne interviewing Cookie Monster. What a cute couple!

Roland interviewing Oscar. This was a hysterical interview! Even the cameraman was having trouble holding the camera still. We were all laughing.

Mike interviewing Big Bird. He even prepared a custom "knock-knock" joke for Bird.

Roland snooping around Sesame Street. I'm sure there's some good stuff in that can!

Mike, Marianne and I wanted pictures in Big Bird's bedroom with his huge nest.

This was an amazing experience. I can't even explain how emotional I was all day. From Sesame Street to the brilliant cake artists that I look up to... I was overwhelmed!

Wish me luck for the Elmo cake I'll be making in March on the Food Network. All the cakes will be great. This Challenge will air sometime this year to head the 40th Anniversary of Sesame Street.