9/23/2009 6:00:00 PM COOK/Posey enjoys leading active lifestyle
By LEAH TOLBERT Staff Reporter
Shannon Posey found that staying close with family members, teaching kindergarten at Neshoba Central Elementary School and keeping active as a Zumba instructor are three key ingredients to a happy, healthy life.
As the wife, the daughter and sister to three coaches, Posey's life is never short of sports or competition.
"I'm a sports fanatic, so I love being married to someone who likes sports as much as I do," said Posey. "I honestly wouldn't have a whole lot else to talk about."
On Friday nights after watching the football game at Neshoba Central, she can't help but talk about it. She said there are times when her husband, Pepper tells her that he just lived through four quarters of it, and he's not quite ready to relive the game.
"I'm very competitive," said Posey. "He wants to let it rest until the next day, and all I want to do is talk about it."
Posey grew up playing almost every sport, playing softball in college and cheering on the Pom Squad at Mississippi State, which is why Posey said she is always looking for ways to stay busy and active.
When not working out or teaching swimming lessons, she often goes for walks in the neighborhood with her four-year-old, Lauren Gwen and in the summer swims with Lauren Gwen and Chandler, 7, or takes them to Geyser Falls Water Theme Park.
During the school year, Posey spends her time chasing after a class of 24 five - year - olds. This is her fifth year teaching kindergarten at Neshoba Central.
Posey said she taught sixth grade at Scott Central for several years, but now she absolutely loves teaching small children.
Posey fell into her career as a kindergarten teacher. When she was nine months pregnant with Lauren Gwen, she was still driving back and forth to work in Scott County. That is when she found a job opening at Neshoba Central in kindergarten.
"After a year of teaching here, I realized I was passionate about helping them grow intellectually," said Posey. "As long as I am teaching school, I can't imagine doing anything different. They are loving and influential."
As a National Board Certified Teacher, it teaches you a lot about yourself as a teacher, broadens your thinking and how your teaching affects the children, said Posey.
Two nights after school, Posey spends her time teaching Zumba, a cardio-based Latin dance fitness class, to about 40 women at the Philadelphia Athletic Club. Teaching aerobics helps her stay in shape, she said. She has been teaching fitness class for about four years but only recently acquired her Zumba certification.
Posey is also actively involved in East Philadelphia Baptist Church, the local Junior Miss program and the Junior Auxiliary, a community service group.
She thoroughly enjoys spending time with her family, and whenever she visits her grandparents, she always requests a favorite food her family cooked for her as a small child.
Posey said she loves her family and tries to cook for them when she can.
"I am very close with my mother, Barbara Harrison, and I come from a close family with lots of aunts, uncles and cousins and married into a family with even more," she said. "We are a close family, and at family get-togethers like reunions, holidays and the Fair eating was a must as I suppose it is for all southern families."
Her favorite part about being in the kitchen is getting to eat the finished product. While she enjoys cooking and trying out new recipes, she said with her busy life she's allotted little time do so.
Sweet Potato Casserole
3 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
1 cups sugar
1/2 cup oleo melted
2 eggs, well beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk
Combine all ingredients, mix well. Pour into a 2 quart casserole dish and sprinkle with the following topping.
Topping:
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 teaspoons melted oleo
1/2 cup pecans crushed
Mix well, sprinkle over casserole. Bake 30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees.
Beef Skillet Fiesta
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon salad oil
1/4 cup onion, diced
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 can tomatoes
1 small can whole kernel corn
1 beef bouillon cube, dissolved in 1 1/4 cups warm water
1/4 cup bell pepper, cut in thin strips
1 1/3 cups Minute rice
Brown meat in oil in skillet. Add onion, reduce heat and cook onion until tender, but not brown. Add seasonings, tomatoes, corn, and bouillon. Bring to boil; stir in green pepper. Boil again. Stir in rice directly from box and bring back to a boil shortly. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand 5 mins. before serving.
Macaroni Casserole (Hot)
1 cup shell macaroni cooked
1 pound ground beef
1 bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 cup grated cheese
Brown meat. Reduce heat and saute onion and bell pepper. Mix all ingredients together in casserole dish. Bake until it bubbles at 350°.
Pepper's Groom Cake
Cake Ingredients:
1 box German Chocolate cake mix
1/2 cup self-rising flour
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup oil
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla flavor
Preheat oven to 360 degrees. Mix dry ingredients together. Add eggs and liquid ingredients and mix all together. Pour batter into 3 cake pans. Bake for 25 minutes at 360 degrees.
Icing Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup sugar
12 ounces cool whip
8 Hershey's Chocolate Bars with almonds (crushed)
Mix together cream cheese, confectioner's sugar, and sugar. Fold in cool whip and 4 crushed Hershey's bars. Spread icing between layers and on the cake. Sprinkle remaining 4 crushed Hershey's bars on top.
Chocolate
Chip Cake
1 box butter flavored cake mix
1 box (3 oz) instant vanilla pudding
1 box (3 oz) instant chocolate pudding
4 eggs (or 5)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
8 oz sour cream
1 cup oil
1/4 cup water
6 ounce bag chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix all ingredients together and beat until smooth. Add chocolate chips and mix well. Pour batter into a greased Bundt pan and bake at 325 degrees for about 1 hr. Put on rack to cool 10 to 15 minutes. Do not let cool completely. Turn out.
Pasta Salad
Salad ingredients:
2 package curly macaroni
1 red onion, chopped
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 large cucumber, chopped
1 large jar pimento
Dressing ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vinegar
1 1/2 cups oil
1 1/2 tablespoon garlic salt
1 1/2 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoon Accent
1 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons Honey Mustard
Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Add other ingredients. Mix dressing together and pour over pasta mix. Allow to sit several hours, in refrigerator, before serving.
JA Punch
1 large jug cranberry juice
5 cups pineapple juice
1 tablespoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 bottle of Ginger Ale (for serving)
Mix ingredients together and freeze. Allow to somewhat thaw and add Ginger Ale to taste when ready to serve. Serve slushy.
Husband's Delight
Crust:
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup flour
1 stick oleo
Mix crust ingredients and put in a Pyrex/casserole dish. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
1st layer:
8 ounces box cream cheese
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 box cool whip
Mix together and spread over cooled crust.
2nd layer:
1 box chocolate instant pudding mix
1 box vanilla instant pudding mix
2 cups milk
Mix together and spread over 1st layer.
Top layer:
1/2 box cool whip
Spread over 2nd layer. Sprinkle with chopped pecans (optional). Chill and serve.
Captain Rodney's Cheese Bake
(like Puttin' on the Ritz "with a kick")
1 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 or 2 green onions, chopped (optional)
8 slices crispy cooked bacon, chopped
1/2 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
Captain Rodney's glaze (the Potting Shed)
Mix the above ingredients, minus the crackers and glaze, and place in a greased pan or anything made for baked dips. Top with the crushed crackers and bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. Remove and top with bacon and drizzle with Captain Rodney's glaze. Return to the oven for a few more minutes. Serve with Ritz, Fritos, chips, crackers, etc.
