Calhoun City United Methodist Women

The Calhoun City United Methodist Women’s cooking group enjoys the fellowship as they work together preparing meals for others.

“We enjoy what we do,” said Betty Dismuke, who added they are “constantly looking through magazines for new things and calling each other with ideas” with new things to cook.

The cooking group is a combined effort of the three circles of United Methodist Women of the Calhoun City Church.

Seated, Mae Litton, Julia Harrison, Nanette Williams, Rita Hodges; standing, Barbara Bryant, Betty Dismuke, Leslie Spivey, Frances Burt. Not pictured, Jackie Peden, Judy Moore, Pam Helms and Barbara Schreick.

Members are Barbara Bryant, Betty Dismuke, Frances Burt, Mae Litton, Julia Harrison, Nanette Williams, Leslie Spivey, Jackie Reedy, Barbara Schreick, Rita Hodges and Pam Helms. “We enjoy being together and working together!”

The efforts of the ladies began several years ago when they would prepare meals for families who had lost loved ones. Since the building of

The Methodist Corner in 2007, they “have been steamrolling ever since!”

The ladies keep the building seasonally decorated, and they have prepared food for several big functions. Barbara Bryant describes their group as “well-coordinated and defined.”

Bryant, with Dismuke’s input, coordinates the menu for events. Each banquet has a theme, which is carried out through wall, table, window and door decorations.

According to Bryant, Pam Helms is very instrumental in this aspect, with assistance from other decorating committee members Betty Dismuke, Frances Burt, and herself.

“We use crystal, china and silverware,” said Dismuke, and “The decorating pulls it all together,” said Bryant, “and we have dinner music.”
The annual CEDA Banquet is one of their biggest events, and the first one they did was in 2008 with  snowman decor and “1,000,000 snowflakes,” they said.

This year’s CEDA?Banquet will be this Thursday night. For their meal, the menu includes roasted pork loin with bread crumbs, loaded potato casserole, honey-glazed carrots, green salad with fruit and feta cheese, hot rolls, and coconut cake. The Juniorettes Club will help with the serving of the meal.

The ladies always wants to “serve as attractively as we can,” said Bryant, and “everyone is very complimentary of what we do,” added Dismuke.

“We are blessed,” said Bryant.

They are very supportive of each other and they have a good time preparing food for others, but they don’t like to wash dishes!

Sweet Cream Pound Cake
(Betty Dismuke)
1/2 lb. sweet butter (unsalted)
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 tsp. lemon extract
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups cake flour
1/2 pt. whipping cream
Cream butter and sugar well. Add one egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Add extract. Add flour and whipping cream alternately. Put in greased and floured tube pan. Put in cold oven and bake at 325° for one hour and 15 minutes. All ingredients should be at room temperature before you begin to mix cake. This cake is excellent and is delicious with strawberries or peaches and whipped whipping cream on top or by itself.

Pimento Cheese Spread
(Barbara Bryant)
1-4 oz. can pimientos, drained and chopped
1/4 tsp. red pepper
2 garlic cloves, pressed through garlic press
1/2 cup mayonnaise, more if needed
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp. orange juice
1 lb. mild cheddar cheese, grated
Mix all ingredients, except cheese, thoroughly. Add cheese, mix well and chill. Makes about one quart. Makes two loaves of sandwiches.

Special K Bars
(Leslie Spivey)
1 cup sugar
1 cup Karo
1 cup peanut butter
5-6 cups Special-K cereal
Bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
Bag of butterscotch chips
In small saucepan, heat sugar and Karo until it comes to a boil, then put in peanut butter. Stir until it is creamy and smooth. Pour mixture over bowl of Special-K and mix well. Pour mixture into rectangular cake pan. Take wax paper and smooth the Special-K mixture until it is smooth. Preheat oven to low temperature (200 or less). Pour butterscotch chips and semi-sweet chips on top of Special-K and heat in oven for about 15-20 minutes until chocolate is melted. Spread out melted chips and then cut into squares while bars are still warm. The bars will eventually harden when cool. Enjoy.

Cherry Pineapple Surprise
(Nanette Williams)
1-20 oz. can crushed pineapple, with juice
1-21 oz. can cherry pie filling (or try apple, peach or blueberry)
1 box (18.25 oz.) yellow cake mix
1 cup butter, melted
1 pkg. (7 oz.) flaked coconut
1 cup chopped nuts (Macadamia or pecan)
In 13×9″ baking dish (or pan) with non-stick cooking spray. Layer 1-pineapple,  2-pie filling, 3-sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over butter. Sprinkle with coconut and nuts. Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes until brown and bubbly. Top with whipped cream or ice cream.

Marinated Green Beans
(Frances Burt)
3/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil
1 large purple onion
1 cups green beans, drained
Mix all together and marinate. Will keep several days in refrigerator. Optional: Add cherry tomatoes, black olives, feta cheese.

Chicken Casserole
(Rita Hodges)
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cups cooked wild rice
2-10.75 oz. cans cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 sleeve round buttery crackers, crushed
1/2 cup butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease 9×13 baking dish. In large bowl, combine chicken, rice, soup, celery, onion, mayonnaise, almonds, broth and lemon juice. Spread mixture into prepared baking dish. In small bowl, combine cracker crumbs and butter, tossing gently to coat. Sprinkle cracker crumbs over casserole. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly. This casserole can be covered and chilled overnight. Be sure
to let it come to room temperature before baking.

Fruit Cobbler
(Julia Harrison)
5 cups fruit
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk
Place fruit in casserole dish, set aside. Combine flour, melted butter, vanilla and buttermilk. Stir until well mixed and spoon over fruit. Mia sugar and water. Heat until sugar is melted. Pour over batter and bake at 350° for one hour.

Taco Soup
(Mae Litton)
1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck
1 can Rotel, undrained
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 can chicken broth
2 cans Ranch style beans (black can)
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 pkg. Ranch dressing mix
2 Tbsp. sugar
Brown ground beef and drain. Add all other ingredients and cook about one hour. May need to add some salt. Can add one can drained whole kernel corn.

Oreo Bon Bons
(Barbara Schreick)
1-16 oz. pkg. Oreo cookies
1-8 oz. block cream cheese
Crush Oreos in food processor and blend in cream cheese (room temperature). Roll into small balls and place on cookie sheet and chill for 30 minutes. Melt one 21 oz. pkg. almond bark with 1 tsp. canola oil until smooth. Dip balls in bark and let set.

Squash Dressing
(Jackie Peden)
2 cups cornbread, crumbled
2 cups squash, cooked (fresh or frozen)
1 small onion, chopped
1 stick margarine
2 eggs
1-10 1/2 oz. can cream chicken soup
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
Saute onion in margarine and mix with other ingredients. Bake in 2-qt. casserole dish at 350° for 20-25 minutes.