9/30/2009 6:00:00 PM Guidance counselor loves to travel
By LEAH TOLBERT Staff Reporter
A Neshoba Central Elementary School guidance counselor and breast cancer survivor Linda Brewer is a devoted mother and cross-country traveler.
It was 10 years ago when she discovered something wasn't quite right and decided to see a doctor who diagnosed her with breast cancer. Brewer endured nine months of chemotherapy and radiation.
"My husband, family, mother, school and church were wonderful with giving encouragement and supporting me," she said. "Family and church are mine and my husband's top priorities, and they are probably what got me through the cancer."
After surviving cancer and developing an understanding that life on earth really is short, Brewer and her husband Richard quit their jobs three years ago and took off across the country in an RV.
The main thing I learned from having cancer is to spend time with the people you love and care about, she said.
Together they spent a year traveling across the country and visiting with children and grandchildren. They visited family in El Paso, Texas; Syracuse, New York; Charleston, South Carolina and Jackson.
Brewer said it seemed like the right time to buy a motor home and just travel.
They spent Thanksgiving and most of winter of that year in their daughter's backyard in Syracuse before heading to El Paso in the summer where they took the time to site see and visited the Grand Canyon.
I learned that I needed to do what I say I'm going to do instead of putting it off and procrastinating and to do things I need to before it's too late, she said.
For the next two years while her husband returned to work at Neshoba Central, Brewer spent time with her mother and worked from home on her embroidery business, Snickerdoodles. She embroidered and monogrammed children's clothing.
When her mother passed away in April, Brewer did not want to be off work any longer so she jumped at the opportunity to return to her position as guidance counselor in the elementary school at Central.
"It was such a blessing to come back here," she said.
Brewer is originally from Philadelphia, but after attending college she did not return for over 25 years. She met and married her husband who worked as an air traffic controller so she was constantly moving across the southeast.
She lived in Jackson, Raleigh, Memphis, Greenville, Nashville and Atlanta before finally returning to her hometown where she has been for 15 years now.
In her spare time, she teaches a Sunday school class and sings in the choir at her church, East Philadelphia Baptist Church. With work, church, her embroidery business and three grandchildren Brewer said she stays fairly busy.
As for cooking, she tries to cook at least once or twice a week for her family. When she does cook, she uses recipes that her mother and daughter in North Carolina have shared with her throughout the years.
"We fill like it is our civic duty to support all the places in town with the economy," Brewer joked. "Our recreation is eating out."
Brewer has 10 grandchildren: Kyra, 15; Johnathan, 13; Erin, 11; Ryan, 10; Jordan, 9; Logan, 8; Ethan, 7; Jenson, 4; Kaden, 4 and Dylan, 20 months. Her children are Ricky and Kelly Brewer, Paul and Kristin Brewer, Janie and Scott Cruce and Ashley and Josh Jenkins.
Brewer will be speaking on surviving breast cancer on October 3 to the Junior Auxiliary for Breast Cancer Awareness Day. Self - help breast exams will be given and the group plans to march around the square honoring and remembering those who have had breast cancer.
Chinese Salad
The night before: shred fine in a large bowl and refrigerate:
1 head Nappa Cabbage
1 bunch green onions
Brown, then put in separate bowl and refrigerate:
2 packages roman noodles (no seasoning) - (smash before opening)
1 stick oleo
1 package slivered almonds
3 teaspoons sesame seeds
Drain the oil off and put paper towel in bottom of bowl before refrigerating.
Day of serving:
Dressing:
1 cup sugar
1 cup oil
1/2 a cup vinegar
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
Mix all ingredients before serving.
Chocolate
Cherry Cake
1 package Chocolate cake mix
2 eggs
1 can Cherry Pie Filling
1 teaspoon Almond Extract
Mix ingredients by hand. Grease and flour a Bundt or 9 x 13 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees 30 - 40 minutes, until done. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes before removing cake from pan. Let cake cool completely and then add chocolate cherry cake frosting.
Chocolate Cherry Cake Frosting
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup milk
5 Tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Boil the sugar, butter and milk for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add the chocolate chips. Stir to the right consistency and pour over cake.
Doris' Pinwheel Crust Chicken Pie
3-4 pounds chicken, cut up
3 Tablespoons oleo
3 cups water
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon salt
1 1/2cup milk
3 Tablespoons flour
1 and a half-cup chicken broth
Boil chicken in salted water until tender. Remove from bone. Place chicken in 3-quart casserole dish. Make a sauce by blending flour in melted butter, adding milk, broth, and lemon juice. Cook over low heat until slightly thickened. Pour over chicken.
Crust:
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
pimento, as desired
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons shortening
3/4 cup grated cheese
Sift dry ingredients and cut in shortening. Add milk all at once. Roll dough and spread with cheese and pimento. Roll tightly, jelly roll fashion and seal edges with water or shortening. Cut into and a half-inch slices and place on top of chicken and sauce mixture. Bake in preheated 400 degrees oven 20 to 25 minutes or until crust in lightly browned.
Easy Chicken Salad
2 cans chunk chicken
1 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
Mayonnaise to hold mixture together
Crescent Rolls
Mix all ingredients and serve in sliced crescent rolls. Salad is really better the second day.
