Taneisha and Kaneisha Powell

2009 Bruce High School graduates Taneisha and Kaneisha Powell do a lot of meal cooking for their grandmother, Mary Jo Thomas, now and say she will eat anything they fix.

 Taneisha started cooking first and Kaneisha says she didn’t until three or four years ago, and says Taneisha is the better cook.
The girls got a lot of help learning to cook from Mary Jo, and think their food tastes like hers, and say that they cook alike.
The twins cook year-round (and admit they do make a mess in the kitchen) and say the family will eat anything they cook–meals and desserts.

 Their Christmas meal was potluck, but they and their aunt, Patrice Powell, cooked the Thanksgiving dinner.
“Everybody (all the family) comes to the house when we are cooking,” they said, and, “we gotta have a dessert,” they said.
Both of them like to cook (as does their older sister Perdita), but they especially like baking.
They use the internet, especially Facebook, and their grandmother’s old cookbooks when looking for recipes, and say they mostly look for desserts.

“Anything that looks good, we will try it,” Taneisha said about looking for recipes.
The recipes they shared are some of their favorites. They found the Strawberry Brownie recipe on Facebook, and the ones for Meat and Potato Pie and Banana Pudding Cake are from one of Mary Jo’s cookbooks.

They like the peanut butter cookie recipe because you can use Reese’s, Rolos or kisses candies on them.
Kaneisha likes to watch “The Chew,” and Taneisha’s favorite is “Chopped.” Kaneisha works at Sonic and Taneisha at T-N-T in the deli.
Kaneisha’s favorite food is Mary Jo’s macaroni and cheese (to which Cream of Chicken soup is added) and  Taneisha’s favorites are tater tot casserole and upside down pizza.

Strawberry Brownies
1 box strawberry cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2-2 Tbsp. water or milk
Mix strawberry cake mix, eggs and oil until well combined. Spread in 9×13 pan lined. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until done in center. Be careful to remove before edges brown. These taste best when “just done” rather than too done. Mix powdered sugar and water or milk until smooth. Pour glaze over brownies while hot. Spread glaze to edges, allowing it to drip down sides. Allow brownies to cool and glaze to set before cutting into squares.

Meat and Potato Pie
1 lb. ground beef, browned
1 slightly beaten egg
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Instant mashed potatoes (8 servings)
1 cup milk
1/4 cup catsup
1 Tbsp. instant minced onion
Preheat oven to 350°. Combine half of instant potatoes, and remaining ingredients, except cheese. Mix well. Spread in 9” pie plate. Bake 35 minutes. Prepare remaining potatoes according to package directions. Spoon atop hot pie. Sprinkle cheese over potatoes. Bake 3-4 more minutes. Cut in wedges.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut butter cookie dough
Pack of mini Reese’s cups
Bake peanut butter cookies 10-15 minutes. When done, pop Reese’s peanut butter cups in the middle. Let cool and enjoy. (Can use Rolos or chocolate kisses candies instead of Reese’s.)

BBQ Nachos
2 Boston butts
3 barbecue sauces
Nacho cheese
Doritos (any kind you want)
Bake Boston butts two hours in 400° oven. When done and chilled, pull Boston butts apart. Put BBQ sauce on meat. Cook nacho cheese in crockpot. When everything is done, lay chips on plate, put meat on chips. Spread nacho cheese over meat and enjoy.

 Banana Pudding Cake
1-18.25 box yellow cake mix
1-3 oz. pkg. banana instant pudding mix
3/4 cup mashed ripe banana
2 cups confectioners sugar
2 Tbsp. milk (may need up to 3 Tbsp.)
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts, optional
4 eggs
1 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Dash vanilla extract
Combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water, vegetable oil and bananas. Beat with electric mixer two minutes. Pour into greased and floured bundt pan. Bake in preheated oven 350° for 50-55 minutes or until cake tests done. Cook cake on wire rack 15 minutes. Remove cake and continue to cool on rack. To make glaze: Whisk confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla in bowl until smooth and of a drizzling consistency. When cake is cooled, drizzle icing over cake with zigzag back and forth motion. Sprinkle chopped nuts over wet icing if desired. Can also be baked in 9×13 pan or angel food cake pan.