7/22/2009 6:00:00 PM COOK/Madison vying for state Junior Miss title
Weeks of hard work and preparation will come to a culmination this week as Mallory Madison vies for the 2010 Mississippi Junior Miss title.
Mallory arrived in Meridian on Sunday ready to compete with 42 other girls from across the state. Prior to competition, the contestants have been treated to a luau party, a "college pride" party and a sock hop where they had a chance to meet the judges.
Preliminary competition gets under way Thursday and Friday nights at the Temple Theater with the final night of competition set for Saturday night with the announcement of the Top 10.
The Junior Miss contestants will be judged on physical fitness, self-expression, scholastic achievement, interview and talent.
Mallory will compete in interview and talent on Thursday night with self-expression and physical fitness set for Friday.
The daughter of Don and Christy Barrett and Barry and Janet Madison, Mallory captured the local title in March, her first competition "in a while" as she had entered the Queen of Hearts pageant when she was younger.
As Neshoba County's Junior Miss, she has appeared at various ribbon cuttings and functions throughout the city, but her favorite part throughout her reign has been able to meet "a lot of new people."
Mallory's focus for the past few weeks, though, has been preparation for the state program.
She has been keeping up with current local and world news, staying in shape for the physical fitness portion of the program and working with voice and interview coaches.
She has also been practicing her song for the talent part of the competition. She will sing "Not for the Life of Me" from the Broadway musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie, while wearing an era-inspired flapper dress.
While admitting to not being much of a public singer, Mallory has been singing at her church, Good Hope Baptist, since she was a child and is excited about her song choice for the state program.
"It's fun and upbeat," she said.
Preparing for this week's competition has "been a lot of work and a lot of fun," she said, but throughout it all, she has relied on her family - her biggest support group.
"I couldn't have done it without them," she said.
When she returns from state competition, she will begin her senior year at Neshoba Central High School where she is a member of the varsity cheerleadering squad and soccer team. After graduation, she plans to attend Mississippi State University to major in biomedical engineering with a career goal of becoming an obstetrician.
In her free time, she enjoys reading, being with her friends and going to the Neshoba County Fairgrounds where her family has a camper this week.
Mallory has shared a few of her favorite recipes with the readers.
PASTA SALAD
2 (18-ounce) packages curly macaroni
1 red onion, cut in circles
1 large jar pimento
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 large cucumber, chopped
Cook macaroni 10 minutes or as directed on package.
Dressing:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vinegar
1 1/2 cups oil
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic salt
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons Accent
1 1/2 tablespoons black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons mustard (can use honey mustard)
6 tablespoons parsley flakes
Mix all together and pour over salad. Refrigerate overnight. Lasts two weeks.
PUTTIN' ON THE RITZ
8 slices bacon, crumbled
8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup Swiss cheese, grated
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 sleeve Ritz crackers
Mix and place in serving dish the cheeses and mayonnaise. Place bacon top of mixture. Crumble crackers to cover top. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly, approximately 15 minutes. Serve with Ritz crackers.
MANICOTTI
2 pounds ground beef
1 box manicotti shells
12 ounces mozzarella cheese
8 ounces mozzarella cheese
32 ounces tomato sauce
Brown ground beef. Drain and mix with 12 ounces mozzarella. Boil shells for about 10 minutes. Drain and stuff beef and cheese mixture. Pour tomato sauce over shells. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.
10 CAN SOUP
1 can each:
Whole kernel corn
Cream corn
Chili with beans
Chili without beans
Rotel tomatoes
Tomato soup
Veg-all
Chicken with stars
Green beans
Lima beans
Mix together all ingredients and heat. Can add 1 pound ground beef.
BREAKFAST
CRESCENTS
1 pound sausage, brown and drain
8 ounces velveeta, melted
2 cans crescent rolls
Mix sausage and cheese. Drop one spoonful on each roll. Cover with three corners. Bake at 400 degrees until brown.
CHEESY CHICKEN ROLLS
4 chicken breasts, boiled, deboned and chopped
2 cans crescent rolls
1 can cream of mushroom
1 can cream of chicken
1 1/4 cups milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Separate rolls and lay out flat. Place chicken onto the end of the roll. Roll into crescent. Half of the chicken will be left over. Combine soups, half of cheese and milk in saucepan until smooth. Add remaining chicken to soup. Pour sauce over rolls. Top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.
Cover and bake for 20 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until brown.
