Local winners of the Bake-Off stay grounded

How does a million-dollar Pillsbury Bake-Off winner feel?

Largely more financially secure but certainly not wealthy, say two women from the Philadelphia suburbs who know from experience: Sue Compton of Burlington County (who won the grand prize in 2010 with Mini Ice Cream Cookie Cups) and Christina Verrelli of the Main Line (who won in 2012 with Pumpkin Ravioli With Salted Caramel Whipped Cream).

"I'm not yachting anywhere," said Verrelli, a long-term substitute teacher who lives with her husband and two daughters.

Her win turned her into a minor celebrity in the western suburbs. In her "dual life," as she calls it, she writes for Main Line Media News and blogs recipes at www.epicuricloud.com. She teaches classes at Wayne Art Center and also has judged cooking contests, including the Kennett Square Mushroom Festival, in which she had competed for five years. She did a cooking demonstration there. "I was one of the celebrity guest chefs, which was hilarious," she said.

The money, paid over 20 years ($50,000 annually, minus taxes, of course), has come in handy. "I feel like it gives me security," she said. "I'm trying to hold on so I have enough for the kids to go to college."

Compton, a good-humored woman who left her job as a mortgage processor to do volunteer work after her win in 2010, has avoided the limelight.

"My life is not that interesting," she said. "My lifestyle is the same. It's good to have peace of mind knowing that I have a cushion of money for my retirement."

In addition to her million, she won GE appliances that didn't fit her kitchen. So she expanded it. She helped her son with medical school, and she is proud to say that he teaches anatomy at a university.

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