By Staff
FOOD FESTIVAL – Elois Godeaux, left, and Elaine Pogue, look over the selection of food that will be on sale Saturday at Jones Memorial Presbyterian Church's Annual Fall Fest and Catfish Feast. Photo by Paula Merritt/The Meridian Star
By Penny Randall / staff writer
Sept. 25, 2002
Meridian area residents can do some early Christmas shopping, enjoy a catfish dinner with all the trimmings, and even buy a chance to win a handmade quilt during Jones Memorial Presbyterian Church's Annual Fall Fest and Catfish Feast.
The festival began 15 years ago when the church needed to refurbish its kitchen. The congregation chooses a local charity to receive part of the proceeds. This year's recipients will be the local chapters of the American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity.
The bazaar is Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the church, 4415 Royal Road in Meridian, just off 20th Street.
The day's activities will include a bake sale, featuring homemade preserves, pickles, pastry, candy and homemade cakes. Frozen homemade casseroles, soups, gumbos and stuffed potatoes will also be on sale.
Handmade arts and crafts will be on display. This year's selection includes quilted baby quilts, pillows, cross-stitch items, dolls, wall hangings and wooden crafts. Holiday items will also be available.
For a $1 donation, you can purchase a raffle ticket for a handmade quilt or a Betty Long Caramel Cake. The drawings will be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday and you don't have to be present to win.
For those who just want to taste great food, catfish fillet plates will be on sale for $5 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. The fish, fresh from the Delta, will be cooked in peanut oil and is guaranteed to "melt in your mouth." Fixings include slaw, hush puppies and homemade french fried potatoes also cooked in peanut oil.
Tickets can be purchased in advance from any church member, or at the door. Church members will deliver catfish orders of five plates or more.
These recipes were provided by members of Jones Memorial Presbyterian Church.
Mexican Casserole
11/2 pound ground beef
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 package taco seasoning
1 10-ounce package yellow rice
1 pound Velveeta
Nacho Cheese Doritos
Cook rice according to package. Brown beef and add taco seasoning. Melt Velveeta and add Rotel.
Mix meat mixture, cheese mixture and cooked rice together and put in casserole dish. Top with crushed Doritos. May be heated at 350 degree for 10 minutes or until bubbly. Tip: Can use Mexican Velveeta.
Chicken Broccoli Casserole
2 package frozen broccoli
1 teaspoon lemon juice
6 chicken breasts
2 cups cheese, grated
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup toasted bread crumbs
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup mayonnaise
Cool chicken, cool broccoli and drain. Place broccoli in bottom of greased dish. Place chicken on broccoli. Mix soup, mayonnaise and lemon juice and pour over. Put crumbs and cheese over top. Dot with butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.
Chicken Casserole
Ritz crackers
2 sticks oleo
Cooked chicken, de-boned
1 cup sour cream
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 can Chicken broth
Put a layer of crushed Ritz crackers in bottom of casserole. Place a layer of cooked and de-boned chicken on top of the crackers. Melt a stick of oleo and pour over chicken. Mix together and pour over chicken one can of mushroom soup, can of chicken broth and 1 cup of sour cream. Melt another stick of oleo and pour over. Place a layer of crushed Ritz crackers and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Apricot Nectar Cake
1 yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1 can apricot nectar
3/4 cup oil
2 cups sugar
Mix all together with mixer. Put in tube or bunt pan. Bake 1 hour. Let set in pan 25 minutes. Remove.
Glaze:
Juice of 1 lemon (use own judgment)
1 cup powdered sugar
Mix together and pour over cake.
Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
1 package lemon cake mix
4 eggs
1 package instant lemon pudding
1 teaspoon poppy seed
1/3 cup oil
Mix and then add 1 cup of boiling water. Bake at 350 degrees in greased pan about 30 minutes. Makes 2 regular loaves.
White Trash
2 cups honey roasted peanuts
2 cups Captain Crunch
2 cups small marshmallows
2 cups Rice Krispies
1 pound white almond bark
Melt almond bark in microwave. Mix in rest of ingredients as fast as you can and drop on waxed paper. Tip: Do half of a batch at a time.