6/17/2009 6:00:00 PM COOK/Megan Pope shares passion for art
Color, texture and a passion for her work are essential to every piece of art Megan Pope creates.
A self-taught artist, Megan can't pinpoint when and where her love for art began but "as long as I can remember I've always been doodling."
She loves working in oil paints which allows her to manipulate the texture of her artwork, and painting flowers of any kind are her favorite.
She paints mostly for herself and family with various pieces gracing the walls in her home, but some of her paintings can be seen and purchased at The Coffee Bean Cafe downtown.
She has also been commissioned to create a painting for a baby's room.
Like many artists, Megan does not limit herself to just painting as she has an eye for photography as well. She enjoys photographing landscapes and then pieces the photos together "like a puzzle" to create a layering effect.
Megan's love for art continued with her to college as she initially declared her major in art while attending Meridian Community College. Just before transferring to the University of Southern Mississippi, though, she changed her major to another passion of hers - law.
Megan graduated in 2006 from USM with a bachelor of art degree in paralegal studies.
She now works as a paralegal for attorney Jenifer Branning, a job she has enjoyed for three years.
"I've always been interested in law," she said.
The daughter of Mel and Wanda Savell, Megan grew up in Neshoba County and has settled in Philadelphia with her husband, Bryant, who works with his father at Pope's Automotive.
The two attended high school together and bumped into each other a few years later. The couple married in 2007.
In her free time - when she's not painting - Megan loves reading "pretty much anything" she can get her hands on while Bryant enjoys playing guitar with his friends.
And Megan also enjoys trying her hand at cooking.
"I do like to cook, and I love to bake," she said.
She and her mom often watch Food Network, with Paula Deen their favorite, and has picked up various recipes "here and there", trying and often altering them the second time around.
And with the summertime here, Bryant helps out by manning the grill.
Megan has shared a few of her recipes with the readers including one of her all-time favorites, Pull-Apart Maple Pecan Sticky Buns.
BREAKFAST
CASSEROLE
1 package crescent rolls
8 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 package smoked ham lunch meat
1 (8-ounce) package shredded cheddar cheese
Spray 9x12-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Place crescent rolls in bottom, pinching together seams. Mix 1/2 cup milk, eggs and salt and pepper to taste. Pour mixture over crescent rolls. Chop package of ham and sprinkle evenly over egg mixture. Pour cheese over eggs as well. Bake at 375 degrees until eggs are cooked.
PULL-APART MAPLE PECAN STICKY BUNS
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, divided
1/3 cup maple/pancake syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cans biscuits
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese (20 cubes)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 10-inch tube pan with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle pecans evenly on bottom or prepared pan; set aside. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in small microwaveable bowl. Add syrup; stir until blended and drizzle over pecans. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter; set aside. Mix cinnamon and sugar in shallow dish. Separate dough into 20 biscuits; press each to 1/4-inch thickness.
Roll cream cheese cubes in cinnamon sugar. Place 1 cream cheese cube in the center of each biscuit; gather up sides of dough to enclose filling. Roll into ball and dip top of each ball into remaining butter then cinnamon sugar. Arrange in pan and pour remaining butter and cinnamon sugar. Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool one minute in pan and invert onto serving platter.
CHICKEN CHILI
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
2 cans zesty chili-style diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons oil
3 cups shredded chicken
1 (16-ounce) can navy beans
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 envelope white chicken chili seasoning mix
1 (12-ounce) can beer *
3 garlic cloves, minced
Saute pepper, onion and garlic in hot oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until tender. Stir in diced tomatoes and chicken, navy beans, black beans, beer and seasoning packet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally for 1 hour.
* 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth may be substituted
SPANISH RICE
2 cups uncooked white rice
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 medium onion
1/2 bell pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* Check instructions for rice/broth measurements
Brown rice in oil on medium-high heat. Add onions and peppers until tender. In a separate boiler, add chicken broth and tomato paste. Bring to a simmer then add rice. Boil and then cover until rice is cooked through.
BARBARA ANN'S PARTY PECANS
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg white, beaten stiff
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
Beat egg white; add sugar and continue beating. Add vanilla and salt; mix thoroughly. Dip in pecan halves and put on a buttered foil baking sheet. Bake at 275 degrees until light brown, approximately 20 minutes. Makes about 75 halves.
