Apex girl to star in new Food Network show Sunday

McCoy, 12, has been cooking since she was a preschooler and also is interested in gardening and healthy eating. And she's hit it big before. She has appeared on The Rachael Ray Show and cooked alongside celebrity chef Bobby Flay. She's won awards from the likes of McDonald's and Uncle Ben's rice for her recipes, along with many N.C. State Fair blue ribbons. 

In the new Food Network show, set to premiere at 8 p.m., Sunday, Sydney is one of eight kids divided into Team Rachael and Team Guy. During four episodes, the teams compete against each other in a series of challenges that are designed to test the kids' culinary knowledge, according to a press release. 

Here's more about the show straight from the publicists: "In each episode, the teams participate in a pop quiz crafted to highlight their talents in the kitchen, followed by a classroom mentoring session with Rachael and Guy, and culminating in the creation of a menu plan for the Cook-Off. Guest judges, including Chef Richard Blais, Chef Duff Goldman, Jennie Garth (Beverly Hills, 90210) and Marion Ross (Happy Days), will taste and grade the dishes and give each competitor a report card. The kid chef with the highest score on each team will be named MVP of that challenge and win a prize. In the end, the junior chef with the highest overall score will win their own web series on FoodNetwork.com."

In the first episodes, First Lady Michelle Obama will make an appearance. 

We don't watch much TV at my house,  but when we do, my eight-year-old daughter's favorite show, hands down, is "Chopped," another cooking competition show on The Food Network. When she saw the commercial for this show, she insisted I DVR it. Can't wait to see Sydney in action and learn about the great things she does going forward!