THE socialSCENE MCCOMB,

Ms

60th Annual Azalea Ball

The 60th Annual Azalea Ball of the McComb, Mississippi, Junior Auxiliary was held on February 25, 2023, at Oak Hill Estate in Summit, Mississippi. The principal objective of this organization is the welfare of children and those with special needs in Pike County. Their chapter has numerous service projects, the largest being Camp Sunshine, which centers around the ideal of working together to make a positive impact on the lives of children. The Azalea Ball is the organization’s sole fundraiser. Photos by Beth Hemeter, Image Maker Photography

Queen Carlyn Doyle and King Whitney Rawlings

Colin, Luke, Sara, and Sean Doyle; Queen Carlyn Doyle; and Charles, Patrick, Shannon, Mary Parker, and Allyson Plunkett

Igor Shandurenko, Meredith, Bess, Mary Linley Rawlings, King Whitney

Rawlings, Carol, Whit, and James Whitney, with Sara Love Rawlings

Andrea Green, Robin Bonds, Carlie Stutzman, and Courtney Richard

Brad Woods; India Warshauer; Brooklyn Schmidt; Chance, Carly, and James Michale Schmidt; and Justin Brent

Chris and Allie Seay, LeighAnne

Gibson, Chad and Mallory Robinson, Landon Mars, Jamie Ferguson, Rachel Marrs, and Ben Ferguson

Greg and Melissa Duncan with Kelly and Jason Houston

Keith and Brittany Raybon with Jennifer and John McNeil

Heather Harden, Michelle Cooksey, Melanie Wentworth, Kaitlin Cooksey, and Candi Reid

Hillary Freeman, Claire Freeman, Claire Pigott, Brianna Causey, and Caitlin Elliott

Josh and Lauren Yarborough

Hal Blossman and Haylie Allen

Chris and Caitlin Elliott

Blake Boyd, Virginia and Chad James, Mindy Boyd, Kristen McBeth, and Blake and Leslie Brewer

Brooke Speed, Rachel Marrs, Kelsey

Wilkinson, and Amanda Chappell

THE socialSCENE MCCOMB, MS

60th Annual Azalea Ball continued

Kit Stovall, Kris Smith, Jake Holloway, and Sean Doyle

Mario Duvenay, Kigor Shandurenko, Kristin Ratliff, and Taylor Lazarus

Judi Passman, Terri Leblanc, and Anne Crawford

Rod Crawford, Conway Leblanc, and Clifton Van Cleave

Bill and Jean Voss with Sara Hemphill

Ashley Stovall, Courtney Griffin, and Allie Price

THE socialSCENE MCCOMB, MS

Family Medicine Residency Program

Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center has been granted accreditation by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to develop a Family Medicine Residency Program. Beginning in July 2024, the program will recruit physicians who have graduated from medical school and allow them to continue their medical education to become board-certified physicians in Family Medicine. The initial class will begin with 4 to 6 residents and eventually mature to 16 to 18 residents within three years. Photo by Dorsey Statham

Pictured: Leanne Andrews, R.T.; Dr. Keith Speed, past Senior Associate Dean of the William Carey College of Osteopathic Medicine; Dr. Luke Lampton, Designated Institutional Official; and Robert Weathersby, MSN-HCA, RN

Tried-and-True, Uniquely Southern Pies

The following recipes are from a collection of old and new recipes and hints garnered from members of The Natchez Garden Club and shared with you in the club’s Over The Garden Wall cookbook. The most recently revised version printed in 2019 is available in the gift shops of Magnolia Hall and The House on Ellicott’s Hill in Natchez, Mississippi, or by telephone (601-443-9065) at the club office.

Deep Dish Strawberry Pie

Mrs.

Lewis Todd

Filling:

2 pints fresh strawberries

⅓ cup water

1 cup sugar

Pastry:

2 cups sifted flour

¾ teaspoon salt

⅔ cup shortening

4-6 tablespoons cold water

Filling: Wash and slice strawberries into saucepan. Add sugar and water and set aside until sugar melts. Place over low heat and bring to a boil for one minute. (Frozen berries may be used in place of fresh; reduce sugar to ⅓ cup and water to ¼ cup.)

Pastry: Sift dry ingredients and cut in shortening. Add water a small portion at a time until mixture will hold together. Roll out on a floured board and cut into ½ -inch strips. Line bottom of deep dish with pastry; add half of strawberries; put in another layer of pastry strips; add remaining strawberries and top with the rest of pastry strips. Bake at 450˚ for 25-30 minutes until brown. Serve with whipped cream while still warm.

Black Bottom Pie

Sandra

Stokes

1 Gingersnap Crust*

2 cups milk, scalded

4 egg yolks, beaten

½ cup sugar

1½ tablespoons cornstarch

1½ squares bitter chocolate, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon gelatin

¼ cup cold water

4 egg whites

½ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

2 tablespoons whiskey

Whipped cream and shaved chocolate

Add egg yolks slowly to hot milk. Mix sugar and cornstarch; stir into milk. Cook mixture in double boiler for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until it coats the spoon. Remove from heat. Take 1 cup of hot custard and add chocolate to it. Beat well as it cools. Add vanilla to chocolate mixture and pour into crust. Chill. Dissolve gelatin in the cold water and add to remaining warm custard. Cool.

Beat 4 egg whites. Add ½ cup sugar and cream of tartar until stiff. Then add whiskey. Fold meringue into plain custard mixture, and pour on top of chocolate mixture. Chill.

Note: Chill the pie approximately 2 hours before trying to put the whipped cream on.

*Gingersnap Crust

24 gingersnaps, crushed (1½ cups)

6 tablespoons melted butter

Add melted butter to finely crushed gingersnaps; pat into 9-inch pie pan. Bake at 350˚ for 7 minutes. Cool.

Key Lime Pie

Pat

Baldwin McCoy

1 baked (8- or 9-inch) pastry shell, cooled

1 can sweetened condensed milk

4 eggs, separated (Reserve 3 egg whites for meringue.)

½ cup lime juice

2 or 3 teaspoons grated lime rind, optional

Few drops of green food coloring

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

⅓ cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350.˚ In medium bowl, beat egg yolks; stir in sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, rind, and food coloring. In small bowl, stiffly beat 1 egg white; fold into sweetened condensed milk mixture. Turn into shell.

Beat reserved egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy; gradually add sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Spread on top of pie, sealing carefully to edge of shell. Bake 15 minutes or until meringue is golden brown. Cool. Chill before serving. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Hint: Cream, custard, chiffon, and whipped-cream pies should always be refrigerated and used within 2 days.

Chess Pie

Mrs. Bill Clark

Mrs. Claude Porter

1 stick margarine, melted

1½ cups sugar

1 tablespoon vinegar

3 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 unbaked pie shell

Bring margarine, sugar, and vinegar to a boil. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well and pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake 40 minutes at 325.˚

Old-Fashioned Coconut Pie

Mrs. Ellis Leigh

½ cup butter

1½ cups sugar

3 eggs

3 tablespoons vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 can coconut

1 unbaked pie shell

Preheat oven to 325.˚ Blend sugar and butter; add eggs and beat well. Add vinegar, vanilla, and coconut. Pour into unbaked pie shell, and bake for one hour at 325.˚

Grasshopper Pie

Mrs. Robert I. Kerkhoff

1¼ cups fine chocolate wafer crumbs

½ cup melted butter

½ cup milk

20 marshmallows

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

3 tablespoons white crème de cocoa

3 tablespoons green crème de menthe

Combine chocolate wafer crumbs and melted butter. Press on sides and bottom of a 9-inch pie plate. Chill. Heat milk in top of double boiler over boiling water. Add marshmallows and stir until melted. Cool thoroughly. Combine whipped cream (reserving enough whipped cream to garnish pie), crème de menthe, and crème de cocoa. Fold in cooled marshmallow mixture. Pour filling into chilled crumb-crust and chill until firm. Garnish with reserved whipped cream.