Lake Arrowhead mom wins Paula Deen recipe contest

A while back we told you of a local mom, Monica Williams Staniec of Lake Arrowhead, who was one of 16 finalists in the second season of Kraft Foods' and Paula Deen's "Real Women of Philadelphia" recipe contest.

Entrants submitted videos showcasing original recipes featuring Philadelphia Cream Cheese or Philadelphia Cooking Creme.

Well, the final event was held on June 30 in Savannah, Ga., and...she won!

Monica won in the side dish category for her Stuffed Eggplant with Savory Garlic Cooking Creme recipe.

The winners in the other three categories are:

• Appetizer: Paula Todora from Keller, Texas, for her Springtime Shrimp Filled Vegetables
• Entrée: Kirsten Shabaz from Lakeville, Minn., for her Savory Garlic Beef and Broccoli Turnovers 
• Dessert: Amy Williams from Keller, Texas, for her Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookie

Monica and the other three winners each received a talent contract worth $25,000, will star in their own cooking videos, will contribute to a cookbook featuring the community's favorite cream cheese recipes from the season and host the Real Women of Philadelphia community for the remainder of the year.

Congratulations, Monica!

Her introductory post on the Real Women of Philadelphia site has just gone live. You can read it here.

Follow the jump to see the side dish finalists cook-off and to see Monica's original recipe video entry.