"contest" news and stories

If the old saying, "you are what you eat" holds true, plenty of us are walking-talking chicken nuggets, a side-order of fries and an icy-cold soft drink. Yoxi.tv founder Sharon Chang is trying to change that through an internet-based competition in which teams of problem solvers tackle the most egregious issues surrounding fast food.

The challenge? To devise real solutions to our nation's fast and cheap food habits, and to spread those ideas through online videos on the Yoxi.tv (pronounced YO-see) website. Whether those solutions come by way of products, technology, ad campaigns or community programs is up to the teams themselves.

The idea is a riff off of American Idol. Instead of bestowing a singer with super-stardom, the ultimate goal of the Yoxi competition is to find and fund solutions. Just don't look for Simon Cowell's scowl or snarkiness here. Judges include Food Politics author Marion Nestle; notable chef and Wholesome Wave founder Michel Nischan, and Whole Foods Market Northeast Region president Christina Minardi.

"What I love about this is the social change bent," Nischan told Slashfood. "It's not just the most talented person wins. Whoever wins this has the opportunity to get the type of support to pursue a dream that makes life better for many people, not just one."

Dream of seeing your artwork on every Chiquita Banana in the grocery store?

The thought probably never crossed your mind until right now. Well, timing is everything: Chiquita Banana is holding a Sticker Design Contest to revamp its look, Unbeige reported.

The contest runs through July 18 and would-be sticker designers can upload their art to the Web. Contest rules stipulate that entries should not have any "Inclusion or reference to Miss Chiquita" nor can they have any writing or text.

Also be sure to avoid material Chiquita could deem "inappropriate, indecent, obscene, hateful, tortuous, defamatory, slanderous or libelous."

When it comes to finding the perfect gift for Mother's Day, where do you start? Even harder, what do you get a mom who's had a huge influence on your passion for food? Dish towels and a new apron just won't cut it.

Blurb is offering four Slashfood readers a chance to give mom something she'll never forget -- a custom bookstore-quality book, perfect for a family cookbook filled with recipes, photos and memories. To create it, you download Blurb's BookSmart software, import your photos, text, artwork or even your blog, and drop the content into the layouts of your choice. The software is easy and straightforward -- trust us, we've tried it ourselves!

Create a book for her that reflects her style -- whether your mom is like Lady Gaga or like Julia Child in the kitchen. It'll be her new favorite cookbook.

Find out how to enter after the jump.

Flickr, pwbaker

A bakery that first became profitable when it found a four-year-old to grace its snack cake cartons is on the hunt for another Little Debbie.

O.D. McKee, who sold nickel cakes out of the back of his car after graduating from college, opened a Chattanooga bakery with his wife Ruth in 1934. But their products didn't catch on until 1960, when McKee took a supplier's suggestion and borrowed his granddaughter's name and image for a new line of 12-cake packs. The McKees sold 14 million oatmeal cream pies that year.

McDonald's is offering the chance to win $1 million to lucky winners in its online McDonald's Monopoly game. The game runs through Nov. 2.

Game pieces for McDonald's Monopoly Game come with McDonald's Angus Burgers, 10 and 20 piece Chicken McNuggets, large fries, medium and large fountain drinks, large hot drinks and hash browns. Players can go online, roll the virtual Monopoly dice, and see how their pieces land. Players who land on "Chance" are entered into the $1 million daily drawing.

Like with real-world Monopoly, players can acquire Monopoly properties but win real cash prizes. The game can also be played on Facebook and on mobile devices.