TIFTON, Ga.–The Georgia Peanut Commission awarded five Georgia School Nutrition members for developing new peanut and peanut butter recipes for the statewide Tempting and Tasty Peanut Recipe Contest and for their usage of peanuts and peanut butter in 2009. The awards were presented April 9 at the Georgia School Nutrition Association Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Ga. Grady County peanut grower and Georgia Peanut Commission board member, John Harrell, presented the awards.

Tracy Kern, Forysth County, received top honors in the breakfast category with her recipe, “Peanut Butter Breakfast Squares.” Sherri Hanson of Rockdale County took home top honors in the lunch category of the peanut recipe contest for the Georgia School Nutrition Association with her recipe, “Peanutty Rice and Chicken”. Danielle Faircloth, Lowndes County, received second place and Jane Raburn, Carrollton City, received third place in the lunch category.

The entries were prepared and judged as part of the Georgia School Nutrition Association Culinary Competition in March, 2010, at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School in Tucker, Ga.

The Georgia Peanut Commission also awarded the Valdosta City School System with first place for the Peanut Usage Contest. This award was presented to Valdosta for using the most poundage of peanuts and/or peanut butter based on a per student amount. The school system served 6,432 pounds of peanut butter and/or peanuts from the beginning of the school year through December 2009 to 7,500 students.

The Georgia Peanut Commission presented these awards on behalf of Georgia’s 4,500 peanut farmers. For additional information on GPC visit www.gapeanuts.com.