Iris_November December 2009

iris

Complimentary november december 2009

sumter’s magazine for women

Sumter’s Miss United States Quiana’ Anderson Sweet baking & Holiday Spirits

The Nutcracker’s Claras See the new 2010 Dodge Challenger november-december 2009 • Iris • 1

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WHETHER YOU’VE BEEN

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Sweets for the Sweet 12

Letter from the Editor 6

Baker’s Sweets is one of Sumter’s most popular bakeries. Here’s why.

Sumter Calendar 8 What to do and where to go

Making Spirits Bright 21

The fair is gone, but they left behind some delicious recipes.

Sumter Profile 48 Michelle Logan-Ownes, vicepresident, Tuomey Healthcare System.

Swan Song 51 Annabelle still working on

features

sections

Divine Cuisine 34

iris A publication of

Get out the shaker. Our holiday drinks will spread joy to the world.

What Dreams Are Made Of 26 Quiana’ Anderson, “Ms. United States” 2009, is showing the nation what Sumter gals are made of.

Visions of Sugar Plum Fairies 42 The Nutcracker ballet, a Sumter, Christmas tradition features one local Clara every year, among the dancers at the Columbia City Ballet.

PUBLISHER/Advertising Director Jack Osteen EDITOR Annabelle Robertson LAYOUT & DESIGN Cary Johnson PHOTOGRAPHY Keith Gedamke General Manager/ ADVERTISING Manager Larry Miller

Want to feature your business in our magazine?

Call an advertising representative at 803-774-1237 or email wwilliams@theitem.com.

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Sumter calendar

What To Do And Where to Go November 13 Sumter WineFest 3rd Annual Sip and Stroll. Downtown Sumter, 5-9pm. Tickets are $20. For more information on WineFest please visit www.sumterwinefest.org or call (803)773-5508.

November 14 Sumter County Branch of the NAACP 26th Annual Freedom Fund Banquet. Sumter County Exhibition Center, 6pm. Keynote Speaker will be “The Honorable Judge Greg Mathis” For more information call 803-469-7019 November 15 Colonial Cup, Springdale Race Course, 200 Knights Hill Rd, Camden, South Carolina.

For more information call (803)432-6513.

November 19 Oyster Roast, Sumter County Museum, 122 North Washington Street. For more information call (803) 775-0908.

Sumter County Library Fall Film Series, Sumter County Library, 5:30pm. The movie will be “The Secret Life of Bees”. FREE admission. For more information call (803)773-7273.

November 19 – December 31 Tom Stanley and Shaun Cassidy. Sumter County Gallery of Art, 200 Hasel Street. For more information call (803)775-0543.

November 21 Indoor Garage Sale. Sumter County Exhibition Center, 700

West Liberty Street - 8am – 2pm.

For information call (803)436-2270.

Morris College Annual Fall Harvest Worship Service and Rally. Morris College GarrickBoykin Human Development Center. For more information call (803) 934-3200.

November 27 Sumter’s House of Classic Movies. Sumter Opera House, 21 North Main Street. Doors open at 7pm and the show begins promptly at 7:30pm. For more information call (803)436-2640.

December 1 –December 31 Swan Lake Fantasy of Lights Opening Ceremony. Swan Lake Iris Gardens, Sumter SC – 6pm.

For more information call the Swan Lake Visitors Center at (803) 436-2640, 800-688-4748 or log on to www.sumtersc.gov/visitingUs/ Festivals.

December 2 - 3 Columbia City Ballet presents “Frosty the Snowman” Patriot Hall Performing Arts Center.

For more information call (803) 436-2260.

December 4 Columbia City Ballet presents “Frosty the Snowman” Patriot Hall Performing Arts Center.

For more information call (803) 436-2260.

Sumter’s House of Comedy Live. For more information call (803)436-2640 - Over 18 years of age please.

Sumter County Christmas Tree Lighting. Sumter County Courthouse. For more information call (803)436-2248.

“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” Sumter Little Theatre.

For more information call (803)775-2150.

A Walk with St. Nick. Sumter County Courthouse, 6pm.

For more information call (803)436-2248.

December 11 Sumter’s House of Classic Movies Sumter Opera House.

For more information call (803)436-2640.

December 5 Columbia City Ballet presents “Nutcracker” Patriot Hall Performing Arts Center. For more information call (803) 436-2260.

Breakfast with Santa. Sumter County Recreation Department.

For more information call (803)436-2248.

Sumter Council of Garden Club’s Holiday House Tour.

1-7pm, Tickets available at the door of each home or by calling (803)775-1111.

December 6 Evening Optimist Christmas Parade Columbia City Ballet presents “Nutcracker” Patriot Hall Performing Arts Center. For more information call (803) 436-2260.

December 8 The Sumter-Shaw Community Concert Association presents “USAF Heritage Band Christmas Concert” Patriot Hall Performing Arts Center. For more information call (803) 499-4032.

December 10 – 13 Sumter Little Theatre presents

December 12 Carolina Backcountry Christmas. Sumter County Museum. For information call 803-775-0908.

December 13 Civic Choral Christmas Concert - Patriot Hall Performing Arts Center, 135 Haynsworth St. – 7pm – For more information call (803) 436-2260.

December 17 – 20 Sumter Little Theatre presents “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” Sumter Little Theatre.

For more information call (803)775-2150.

December 18 Freed School of Performing Arts presents “Jingle with The Arts”. Patriot Hall Performing Arts Center. For more information call (803) 436-2260.

December 19 Freed School of Performing Arts presents “Jingle with The Arts”. Patriot Hall Performing Arts Center. For more information call (803) 436-2260.

Your Personal Realtor 2573 BROAD STREET SUMTER, SC 29151 (803) 983-3273 CELL (803) 469-2000 OFFICE SFIELD5168@AOL.COM WWW.ADVANTAGESUMTER.COM 8 • Iris • november-december 2009

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The interior of Baker’s Sweets Bakery and Cafe, located at 1089 Alice Drive in Sumter.

Sweets for the Sweet When Jennifer Baker began making wedding cakes for colleagues, she had no idea that her hobby would soon become one of Sumter’s favorite dessert destinations.

By Annabelle Robertson

12 • Iris • november-december 2009

S

ome cooks are born. Jennifer Baker, owner of Baker’s Sweets Bakery and Café, was made.

“Growing up, my idea of something sweet was to steal a sugar cube from the cabinet,” she jokes.

Sitting at one of the tables in her popular shop on Alice Drive, just 30 minutes before closing time, Baker brushes away a strand of hair and sighs. She’s taken a quick break from the kitchen, where she can be found most days. Customers are streaming in, eyeing end-of-the-day desserts and ordering lattes to go. A foursome is enjoying an early dinner at a corner table, and two women chat over coffee and cheesecake.

More than a few guilty smiles light their faces.

“I love it here,” says shift manager Sam Brunson. “I love the camaraderie.

And the food. Oh, yes! The food.”

The bakery is open from 6 a.m.’ til 7 p.m., every day except Sunday, and the cash register hums along at a steady click most days. Christmas Eve is “crazy,” Baker says – definitely their busiest day of the year. Employees work 24-hour, round-the-clock shifts beginning Thanksgiving weekend, just to keep up with the orders.

It wasn’t always that way. Before going into business for herself, Baker worked in food services – first, for Quincy’s, then, as a manager of the local Red Lobster. She enjoyed decorating cakes on the side. She felt that they made the perfect wedding gift. But it was still a surprise when, after giving away a few, people began calling her, hoping to place orders.

In 2000, she opened her first shop on Old West Liberty Street, next to Teriyaki Wok. The bakery had a mere

The bakery’s famous Nutty Prailine Cake.

A total of 48 pastries are for sale throughout the year.

november-december 2009 • Iris • 13

Jennifer Baker puts on the finishing touches.

Halloween chocolate cupcakes.

700 square feet of space and sold only cakes. Baker manned the place, doing everything from the early-morning baking and serving to accounting and even cleaning. It meant getting to work at 4 a.m. every day and going home late.

But, working for herself, she says, actually gave her more time with her

children, who were ages 3 and 9 at the time. “I could bring them to work with me in the afternoons,” she explains. “If I needed to, I could tell my son to come in and ice a cake.”

Devin, who is now 18, got so good at that task that he’s now her main baker. Daughter Hannah, who is 11, also helps out after school sometimes,

and for special occasions.

Her recipes, Baker says, come from a “hodgepodge” of people, ideas and ingredients. “A lot of effort from a lot of people,” she admits.

Take, for instance, her Nutty Praline Cake – one of the bakery’s most popular items. Baker’s ex-husband spotted the recipe years ago and

Salads, Soups, Sandwiches and Quiche are available for lunch and dinner.

14 • Iris • november-december 2009

suggested she try it. Baker wanted to, but couldn’t find some of the ingredients. So she adapted it, tinkering with new ingredients and cooking times.

The 2001 Iris Festival became her focus group.

She handed out samples from her booth, along with several batches of cinnamon rolls that she was also anxious to try. Both were a hit, and soon landed behind the counter. That’s when the bakery really began expanding their offerings.

Now, Baker’s Sweets boasts 48 different pastries, in addition to a variety of fresh breads and lunch offerings, mostly soup, salad and quiche. All are homemade, every day, with the freshest ingredients.

Cakes, including special occasion and wedding cakes, are available over the counter and for order. Soon, customers will be able to ship them to friends and families.

“I found the nicest tins,” Baker says. “They’ll keep the cakes and look great, too. And make a great gift.”

She added coffee to the menu a few years ago, and buys it from Island Coffee in Charleston, which roasts their beans onsite. “Whenever you drink our coffee, you can be

sure that the beans were never roasted more than a week ago,” Baker says.

She adds seasonal items, like

pumpkin torte, pumpkin muffins with cream cheese frosting and pumpkin bars, for Thanksgiving.

Her chocolate rolls – along with plenty of pies – are popular at Christmas. Last year, she hosted

a gingerbread night at the Opera House. Customers purchased houses to decorate and worked on them in groups. The event was so popular that Baker says she may do it again this year, although it will take place at her bakery this time.

As we head into Thanksgiving, Baker says she’s grateful for her many customers, who make the bakery such a success. She’s also thankful that she hasn’t been hit too hard by the recession.

Catering to sweet tooths, apparently, means solid sales.

Baker knows that all too well.

Since going into business for herself, she’s gained 50 pounds.

But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. As Erma Bombeck once said, “Seize the moment.

Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart.”

It’s advice Sumter appears to be heeding – with good reason.

Baker’s Sweets Bakery and Café is located at 1089 Alice Drive in Sumter, next to the UPS Store.

For more information, call (803) 775-6016 or visit their Web site at www.bakerssweet.com.

november-december 2009 • Iris • 15

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Making Spirits Bright You’ll be laughing – and maybe singing – with these delectable holiday drinks.

By Josh Peters

T

he holidays are about to get underway. That means great times, great laughs, great food and – for good measure – great drinks. So while you wait for that Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas ham, why not indulge in some adult beverages?

So check out these other recipes for the best season ever.

Thanksgiving Michelada Turkey legs aren’t the only star at the Thanksgiving table. For most, football is the glue that keeps guests hanging around, impatiently waiting Mom’s mashed potatoes. And, what goes with football? Beer, of course. To really combat the hunger pains, we’ll show you how to spice things up.

Once your guests get their hands on this tasty concoction of spiced beer, you won’t even need to think about smacking any of them away.

One 12 oz. beer (lagers are best) Juice of ½ of a lime A sprinkle of salt & pepper (or, if you’re me, a truckload) A few dashes of Tabasco Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix (or tomato juice) Salt the rim of a pint glass. Fill halfway with ice.

Start building your ingredients: First comes the lime juice, then salt and pepper. Add a few dashes of Tabasco then your Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix (which good mixologists should always have on hand).

If not, just add tomato juice and spice it up, per your usual Bloody.

Here’s the hard part: which beer to use. I suggest sticking to a lager, but be creative. It’s Thanksgiving, after all.

20 • Iris • november-december 2009

Holiday Nuts n’ Berries Delicious and easy to make – and the taste and texture are fantastic.

1 ½ oz Frangelico 1 ½ oz Chambord 1 ½ half & half Build all of these into your shaker or mixing vessel with ice and shake. Strain into a martini glass and garnish.

New Year’s Kir Royale On the eve of 2010, you’ll need something more than your average champagne toast. Remember, we’re ushering in a new decade. So fancy up your drink and just you wait. That New Year’s kiss won’t be the only thing you get in return.

This is a gorgeous cocktail that tastes just as good as it looks.

1 oz Chambord 5 oz champagne

Mother’s Manhattan A classy cocktail that will warm you up as the temperature goes down. Can be served on the rocks or as a martini – whatever Mom prefers, as she slaves over the stove.

2 ½ oz bourbon ½ to ¾ oz sweet vermouth Dash of bitters 1 maraschino cherry Manhattans are best when all the ingredients are shaken with ice in a mixing vessel then strained into a chilled martini glass. If you like yours a bit sweeter, just add cherry juice.

First, fill your champagne glass with the Chambord.

Then slowly pour the champagne over it. Want to get really fancy? Drop in a raspberry for garnish.

The Party’s Over Cognac Ah, the perfect nightcap – and a very impressive show.

The flame will release a distinct aroma, and the taste is sublime.

2 ½ oz of fine champagne cognac Take a snifter and fill with your cognac of choice. Hold your glass at a 45 degree angle, strike a match and light the alcohol. Roll the flame around the glass until it dies.

Be sure to have an audience on hand. Happy New Year!

Spiked Eggnog Spiced eggnog is a great holiday cocktail – romantic, fun and festive, all at once.

To jazz yours up, just pour a half gallon of grocery store eggnog over ice in a pitcher. Add 7 to 8 ounces of Myer’s dark rum.

Sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg and stir.

Way too good to pass up!

november-december 2009 • Iris • 21

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Christening and Dedication Outfits Gift Certificates • Baby Shower Registry One of a kind clothing and gifts

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The Junior League of Columbia cordially invites you to the 24th Annual

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Preview Party Ladies Night Out featuring Columbia’s Top Chefs PJ’s with Santa

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november-december 2009 • Iris • 23

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www.imperialdining.com november-december 2009 • Iris • 25

What Dreams Are Made Of

By Gina Vasselli

When Quiana Anderson became Ms. United States, her win was not an overnight success. This Sumter High School grad has been working toward her goals since she was a teen.

S

tanding on the stage, cameras flashing, confetti and glitter falling, only one thought was running through the mind of Quiana’ Anderson. All the 26-year-old Sumterite, who had just been crowned Ms. United States 2009, could think was “When am I going to eat?”

Anderson had been competing in pageants for years, starting when she won the first Miss Sumter Teen USA Pageant in 1999 at the age of 16. She wore another crown – homecoming queen – at Sumter High School, and still another – Miss Newberry – during her senior year at Newberry College, where she received her bachelor of arts in 26 • Iris • november-december 2009

Miss United States 2009, Erin Grizzle (left); Ms. United States 2009, Quiana’ Anderson (center); and Miss Teen United States (right), Courtney Turner. november-december 2009 • Iris • 27

Quiana' Anderson at Swan Lake Iris Gardens.

communications.

After graduation, Anderson joined the staff of her alma mater and later, the University of South Carolina, all while working on her master’s degree in business in marketing from the University of Phoenix. Meanwhile, Anderson also competed in pageants.

This summer, she hit the stage for the biggest one of all. Ms. United States, representing the Palmetto State.

The Ms. United States 2009 competition began in Las Vegas on July 12, after months – years, to be precise – of preparation. The days leading up to the pageant were filled with rehearsals, photo shoots and social activities for the 35 or-so competitors. One of those activities came with a curse. Rumor had it that the winner of the Super Models competition, where the Ms. United States competitors display their fashion skills on a catwalk, had never won the 28 • Iris • november-december 2009

big title.

When Anderson won that contest, she knew that more than a few of her competitors were smiling. “Some of the girls were kind of reassured. It was kind of a victory for them,” she says. But Anderson didn’t let that bother her. “I was just like, that does not mean anything.”

On Wednesday night, when the preliminary round began, she said she felt pretty good about how she had done so far. But, after going through all the elements of the competition and performing the opening number, Anderson was tired, hungry and ready for bed.

The problem was that she couldn’t do that until she “took off all the caked-up makeup on my face,” she says. No small task. “It was like taking a shovel and raking it off!” she jokes.

Anderson finally got to sleep about 2.a.m. But, just a few hours later, it

was time to get up and rehearse one final time, before the final round, which was to be broadcast on national television. “That’s when the butterflies started going,” she says.

Despite the nerves, Anderson knew she was at the top of the competition. “I had no doubt in my mind that I was going to get in top six.

Had no doubt,” she says. “I had come too far. (It was) ten years of coming too far for me to come to a national pageant and not place in the top.”

Steven Gambrell, state director of the South Carolina United States pageants, was also confident about Anderson’s chances. “I knew from the time the pageant started that she was going to win the thing,” he says.

“I know it sounds crazy, but I knew.”

Anderson did place in the top six, but it meant that she had to compete all over again. “I was shaking like a leaf,” she says.

The first thing Anderson had to do, after they announced the top six, was the onstage interview – the very part of the competition that made South Carolina infamous, thanks to 2007 Miss Teen South Carolina Caitlin Upton’s incoherent, rambling answer to her onstage interview question.

Anderson shakes her head. “I was just like, ‘We’re not going to do a Caitlin Upton. We’re not going to do a Caitlin Upton’,” she says.

Alphabetically, South Carolina was last, so Anderson had to stand onstage and listen to the other questions, which did nothing to ease her nerves. “Everyone else had these hard questions, whether it was about their platform or community,” she says.

Their answers, she adds, were phenomenal. So when Anderson stepped up to pull her question, she was expecting a daunting one.

“I’m waiting for ‘How would you save the world?’” she laughs.

Instead, Anderson’s question read: If you could ask one question to determine who would be a good friend, what would you ask and why?

Not at all what she was expecting. She took a deep breath, smiled and said, “Can you keep a secret?”

The crowd roared with laugher. “I almost knew that would be a good thing. (My answer) was a little more fun and little more laidback,” she recalls. She walked back to her place, looked into the crowd and saw her director giving her a big ‘thumbs

up.’

Now, all she had to do was the swimsuit and evening gown segments. But to do that, Anderson would twice have to walk across a 12 foot, slender bridge – in 6-inch heels.

“It was very narrow,” she

no accidents and, despite a slight “stutter step” in front of the judges, felt good. But the swimsuit segment had always been her downfall. That was the one area where, despite many runner-up titles, Anderson’s previous scores

says. “I’m talking, some of the teens who had the big poufy dresses, they hung off the sides. And no railing.”

Anderson made it across in her evening gown with

showed a distinct need for improvement. “You can pretty much cover up anything else. In swimsuit, you can’t cover up anything,” she says.

But, for this competition,

she was lean. “I dropped (my weight) to where it needed to be,” she says.

“I worked my butt off. I perfected it.” All Anderson had to do next was wait.

When she walked back onstage for the award ceremony with the other five competitors, Anderson was feeling fairly confident. She had made the top six, after all. But now, her main competition were Ms. Georgia, Jennifer Nohra, and Ms. Missouri, Ami Gully. The emcee began calling names.

Ms. Georgia won second runner up. Ms. Missouri, first. “I was just like, ‘They’re going to give it to Ms. Alabama,’” Anderson says, explaining that there is usually one girl who is a surprise winner. She braced herself.

When the emcee announced the winner, Anderson couldn’t hear him or the crowd. All she saw was his mouth forming words that looked like “South Carolina.”

“I was like, ‘Did he say South Carolina?’”

Anderson remembers. Then the girl next to her started hugging her. The next thing Anderson knew, she was crying.

“All the hard work I had put in,” she says. “Tears of exhaustion, tears of joy, tears of money that I had spent over the years.”

The money, she says, is no small investment. Once, she spent $8,000 for a pageant before. But that

november-december 2009 • Iris • 29

HolidayGifts

Tiffany McCarol, cousin (left), JoAnn Anderson, mother (center) and Quiana' (right) pose for a picture.

night, all she could think about was eating. “I was like, ‘Get me off this stage. I got to go eat!” she laughs.

Her first indulgence, after months – years, really – of dieting would be a half-pound burger from Fuddruckers, with a side of fries. Then ice cream from Baskin Robbins. The ice cream shop was closed, so after the burger, Gambrell took Anderson to the local Chocolate Factory and bought her a dark chocolate almond cluster.

“I just sat there and savored it,” she says, and it’s obvious she’s talking about far more than just that desert. Anderson was now Ms. United States, after all. For an entire year.

Mother JoAnn Anderson says she’s extremely proud of her daughter for all that she’s accomplished. “She won a national title!

That’s good enough for me,” she laughs.

As for Gambrell, he’s sad to see Anderson give up the pageant lifestyle, but knows it won’t be goodbye for the two of them. “Quiana is part of my family now,” he says.

30 • Iris • november-december 2009

“And she’ll always be part of my family.”

Anderson will wear the title until next July, when she will crown next year’s lucky winner. After that, she plans to attend law school. She would also like to travel and teach overseas, and help train Sumter girls for pageants. She may even do some grant writing. The possibilities are now endless for this Sumterite-turned-national figure.

One thing that isn’t on Anderson’s agenda, however, is pageants.

“I am done,” she says. “Once you’ve hit the national level, that should be it for you. If at all possible, end on a high note.”

There’s a lot Anderson wants to do with her title. “I want to be that person that, when they Google me, they see the things that I’ve done,” she says. “I want someone to say (to me), ‘You’re not just another pretty face who wore a crown and a sash. You actually went out and did something with it.’”

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divine cuisine

And the Winner Is….

The South Carolina State Fair has just packed up their bags and left.

But fortunately, they left behind some award-winning recipes that will give your guests an evening to remember Pillsbury® Merry CherryPlum-Berry Tart Crust and Topping

box (15 oz) Pillsbury® 1 refrigerated pie crusts 1/4 cup chopped almonds 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar

Filling

1/2 cup dried cranberries 1/2 cup dried cherries 3/4 cup amaretto 1 1/4 cups fresh blueberries 2 plums, cut into pieces 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

White Amaretto Truffle Sauce oz white vanilla baking chips 2 (1/3 cup) 1/2 cup whipping cream 2 tablespoons amaretto

1. Heat oven to 425°F. Let 1 pie crust stand at room temperature 15 minutes to soften; unroll crust into 9-inch tart pan. Lightly press crust into fluted edge of pan. Run rolling pin across top of pan to cut off excess crust. Prick side and bottom of crust with fork. Bake 10 minutes. In 2-quart saucepan, heat dried cranberries, dried cherries and 3/4 cup amaretto over medium heat 5 minutes. Add blueberries and plums. Cook 15 minutes longer. Stir in cornstarch. Pour into partially baked crust.

2. Remove remaining pie crust from refrigerator. Chop cold crust 34 • Iris • november-december 2009

into small pieces, adding almonds and sugar while chopping, to make crumbly topping. Sprinkle over filling.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 15 minutes.

3. Place baking chips in medium bowl; set aside. In 1-quart saucepan, heat cream over low heat. As soon

as bubbles form around edge of pan, remove from heat; pour warm cream over baking chips in bowl. Stir until chips are melted and completely smooth. Stir in 2 tablespoons amaretto. Refrigerate 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Stir sauce well before serving. Drizzle each serving

with about 2 tablespoons amaretto sauce. Cover and refrigerate any remaining pie and sauce.

This Merry Cherry Plum Berry Tart earned grand prize honors in the 2008 Pillsbury® Refrigerated Pie Crust Championship. The recipe was the Kansas State Fair first place winner, created by Denise Pounds.

Layered S’more Bars 18 whole graham crackers 2 cups crispy rice cereal 1 cup Karo® Light Corn Syrup 1/3 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons butter or margarine 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 6 milk chocolate candy bars 1 package (10 ounces) mini marshmallows 1/3 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips Spray 13 x 9-inch pan with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400°F. Crumble graham crackers by hand into small pieces. Combine with cereal in a large mixing bowl; set aside. Combine corn syrup and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat.* Cook 4 to 5 minutes until mixture just comes to a boil around edges, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat; stir in butter, baking soda and vanilla. Pour syrup over cereal mixture and stir to coat completely. Pour mixture into prepared pan; press firmly to level.

Place chocolate bars in a single layer over cereal mixture; sprinkle with marshmallows. Bake for 5 to

8 minutes or until marshmallows are puffed and lightly browned.

Remove from oven and top with mini chocolate chips. Refrigerate for 1 hour until firm; cut into squares.

Store in air tight container for up to 2 days.* Alternate method: in a 1-quart microwave safe bowl, microwave on HIGH (100%) for about 2 minutes or until syrup boils.

Makes: 24 Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 10 to 15 minutes

Frosted Cinnamon Rolls Rolls:

cup mashed potatoes from 2 1 medium potatoes 1 cup reserved potato water 3/4 cup butter 3/4 cup sugar 2 teaspoons salt 1 cup hot water 2 envelopes Fleischmann’s® Active Dry Yeast 1/2 cup warm water (100° to 110°F) 2 eggs 8-1/2 to 9 1/2 cups flour

Filling:

1/2 cup butter, softened 1 cup sugar 1-1/2 tablespoons Tone’s® or Spice Islands® Ground Cinnamon

Icing:

3 cups powdered sugar 6 tablespoons butter, softened 1 teaspoon Tone’s or Spice Islands Pure Vanilla Extract 5 to 6 tablespoons milk

Combine potatoes, potato water, butter, sugar, salt and hot water in large mixer bowl. Stir until butter melts; set aside and let cool.

Combine yeast and 1/2 cup warm water in small bowl. Add eggs, 2 cups flour and yeast mixture to potato mixture. Continue adding flour, 1 cup at a time until soft dough forms.

Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic (about 4 to 6 minutes), OR knead with electric mixer using dough hook.

Place in a greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft free place about 1 hour, until doubled.

Punch dough down; divide in half. Roll one portion of dough on a lightly floured surface to a 12 x 18-inch rectangle. Spread with half the butter. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle half of the mixture over surface. Roll up tightly, sealing edges. Cut into 12 slices. Place in greased 13 x 9-inch pan.

Repeat with remaining dough.

Cover and let rise 30 to 45 minutes.

Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool for 15 november-december 2009 • Iris • 35

minutes. Combine icing ingredients and drizzle over rolls.

Makes 24 rolls Prep time: 30 minutes Rise time: 1 hour, 30 to 45 minutes Bake time: 25 to 30 minutes Sarah Michaelsen of Ankeny: Iowa State Fair, Overall Champion. Tone’s Cinnamon Roll Contest - Iowa State Fair 2008

Favorite Fudge Birthday Cake 2 cups (14 ounces) sugar 2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 2 tablespoons (3/8 ounce) Instant ClearJel® or cornstarch 3/4 cup (2 1/4 ounces) DoubleDutch Dark Cocoa or Dutch-process cocoa 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons espresso powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 4 large eggs 3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) vegetable oil 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) water

Filling

12 ounces semisweet chocolate 6 ounces cream (light, whipping, or heavy) or milk, or a combination* flavors of your choice (see filling directions below) *Hint: Since you need 4 ounces of cream for the icing, and you’ll most likely buy an 8-ounce container, use 4 ounces cream in the filling supplemented with 2 ounces of milk.

Icing

8 ounces semisweet chocolate 4 ounces cream (light, whipping, or heavy) To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour (or grease, then line with parchment, then grease again) two 8" x 2" round cake pans. Note: These pans need to be at least 2" tall; if you have nonstandard, shorter 8" pans, substitute 9" round pans. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the eggs, oil, and vanilla, beating until smooth.

36 • Iris • november-december 2009

Gradually add the water, beating until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake the cakes for 35 to 38 minutes (a bit less if you use a 9" pan), or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool the cakes in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn them out of the pans to cool completely on a rack.

To make the filling: Combine the chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat until the cream is very hot, and the chocolate very soft. Stir to melt the chocolate completely, reheating very briefly if necessary. Now you have a choice. You may either flavor the filling all one flavor, or use a different flavor for each layer of filling. For all one flavor, use 3 tablespoons of your favorite liqueur–Frangelico (hazelnut), Kahlua (coffee), or Framboise (raspberry) are all good choices. Or try 2 tablespoons rum. Alternatively, add 1 tablespoon espresso powder; or flavor to taste with a bottled extract (coconut, peppermint, cherry, almond…) To mix and match flavors, divide the filling into three parts, and flavor each differently to taste, with an extract; or with about 1 tablespoon liqueur for each flavor. Divide the cooled layers in half horizontally, to make four layers. Place one layer on a serving plate, and spread with filling.

Repeat with the next two layers. Top with the final cake layer.

To make the icing: Combine the chocolate and cream in a microwavesafe bowl, and heat until the cream is very hot, and the chocolate very soft.

Stir to melt the chocolate completely, reheating very briefly if necessary. Pour and spread the icing over the top of the cake, letting it drip over the edges

and down the sides. Once it’s done dripping, you may smooth the sides with an icing spatula, if desired. Allow the cake to rest, covered with a cake cover (or a big turned-over bowl) till the chocolate is set; overnight is good, though several hours are sufficient.

Yield: 12 generous servings.

Orange Nirvana 3 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Topping:

envelope Fleischmann’s® 1 RapidRise Yeast 1 tablespoon butter or margarine, softened 3 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon sugar 1 cup milk 1-1/2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Icing:

egg, beaten 1 1 ounce cream cheese 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange peel 1 cup powdered sugar 1/3 cup orange marmalade 1-1/2 tablespoons orange juice 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated orange

peel Combine 2 cups flour, undissolved yeast, sugar and salt in large mixer bowl. Heat milk and butter to 120° to 130° F and add to flour mixture.

Add butter, egg and orange peel.

Beat for 2 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.

Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 to

10 minutes. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Punch dough down.

Roll into 14 x 9-inch rectangle.

Spread orange marmalade down the middle of the dough, lengthwise.

Make diagonal cuts 1-inch apart and 3 inches long down the two sides.

Fold alternate strips of dough over the filling. Place on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with the two tablespoons of melted butter. Cover and let rise until double, about 30 minutes.

Combine topping ingredients to make crumbs. Sprinkle on top of the braid. Bake at 350° F for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Combine all icing ingredients and drizzle over coffeecake. Yield: 1 coffeecake.

Jayne Judd Adams of Kentucky--Central Region Grand Prize Winner ‘08 Fleischmann’s Yeast “Bake for the Cure”

Ghirardelli White Chocolate Mousse 8 oz. Ghirardelli White Chocolate* 4 tablespoons orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier 2 tablespoons water 1 1/4 cups heavy cream 2 egg whites

blend. Cool until chocolate mixture no longer feels warm to the touch.

In large bowl with electric mixer, beat cream until soft peaks form; fold cream into chocolate mixture.

In large bowl with clean mixer, whisk egg whites until soft peaks form. With rubber spatula, fold egg whites into chocolate mixture. Divide mousse among 6 dessert bowls or glasses. Chill at least 1 hour.

Makes 6 servings *2 Ghirardelli White Chocolate Baking Bars or 2/3 bag of Ghirardelli Classic White Chips Optional Serving Tips: 1. Garnish mousse with fresh blueberries and raspberries, canned mandarin orange sections, or fresh strawberries.

2. Instead of orange liqueur, use 4 tablespoons raspberry, mint or coffee liqueur, or 4 tablespoons water and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

3. Fold 2 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger, 20 crushed gingersnaps or 20 chocolate wafer cookies into mousse along with egg whites.

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 5 minutes Yield: 6 servings

In double boiler over hot water, melt chocolate with liqueur and water; stir gently to november-december 2009 • Iris • 37

Oak Park Dr. Catherine Zybak

Brown Butter Creamy Apple Pie

Brown Butter Creamy Apple Pie 1 Pillsbury® Pet-Ritz® frozen deep dish pie crust

Filling

1/4 cup butter or margarine 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 egg 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon vanilla 5 cups sliced peeled Granny Smith apples (5 medium)

Streusel

1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 cup firm butter

Topping

1/2 cup whipping (heavy) cream 1 tablespoon powdered sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1. Heat oven to 400°F. Place cookie sheet in oven to preheat.

2. In 1-quart saucepan, cook 1/4 cup butter over medium heat until melted and lightly browned, 38 • Iris • november-december 2009

stirring constantly. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.

3. In large bowl, beat 1/2 cup granulated sugar and egg with wire whisk until light and fluffy. Beat in 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in cooled butter. Gently stir in apples. Pour into crust-lined pan.

4. In medium bowl, stir together all streusel ingredients except butter. With pastry blender or fork, cut in 1/4 cup butter until mixture looks like coarse crumbs.

Sprinkle over apples. Place pie on cookie sheet in oven.

5. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and cover edge of crust with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning. Bake an additional 40 to 50 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Cool 2 hours.

6. In small bowl, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add remaining topping ingredients; beat until stiff peaks form. Pipe or spoon onto pie.

8 servings, Prep Time: 30 Minutes Start to Finish: 3 Hours 40 Minutes

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Carter Dwight (center) has danced the lead role of Clara in the Columbia City Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker since 2007. She will star in the ballet again this year at Patriot Hall.

Visions of Sugar Plum Fairies

42 • Iris • november-december 2009

Hundreds flock to Patriot Hall each December to see Clara in The Nutcracker – the role every young Sumter ballerina dreams of dancing. Here are the chosen few who did.

By Jamie Hudson november-december 2009 • Iris • 43

B

efore she took the stage in December of 2007, twelve-year-old Carter Dwight read a small, handwritten letter from

44 • Iris • november-december 2009

the girl who had performed her role the year before. That was the custom for every ballerina lucky enough to play Clara, the lead in The Nutcracker, which is performed each holiday season at Patriot Hall by the Columbia City Ballet.

“It’s usually a note telling you not to be nervous,” says Dwight, who will dance the role for the third time this year.

The Nutcracker has become synonymous with Christmas ever since it was first performed in the United States by the San Francisco Ballet in 1944. After the New York City Ballet performed George Balanchine’s staging of the classic in 1954, it became an annual tradition which spread throughout the country.

In Sumter, thanks to the collaboration between the Fine Arts Council and the Columbia City Ballet, hundreds flock to Patriot Hall in early December to hear Tchaikovsky’s lyrical score, as dozens of dancers perform the two-act fairy tale ballet.

It is a Sumter tradition for dancers and patrons of the arts alike.

When the music swells and the dance begins, the young Clara carries the ballet until completion. The role is one of the most highlysought-after ones in the local dancing world – and it is open every year to Sumter ballerinas.

Holly Dubose, a dance instructor at Miss Libby’s and the mother of a former Clara, says that up until a few years ago, Clara was always filled by the professional ballet company. It wasn’t until recently that the decision was made to use local girls for the role.

The process begins in early fall, when Columbia City Ballet Artistic Director William Starrett comes to town and holds local auditions. Clara is always found among a group of

pre- to early teen ballerinas. Those who are chosen are informed of the decision by a letter that arrives the old-fashioned way – in the mail.

That’s when the work begins.

Savannah Grace Dubose Clara, 2003-2004 Savannah Grace Dubose, now a ninth grader at Wilson Hall, began dancing in The Nutcracker at the age of two. She played several smaller parts before earning the role of Clara, one afforded only a select few. “You have to be a certain height, weight and look to be Clara,” explains mother Holly Dubose.

Dubose had coveted the role from her preschool years. When she finally got it, at just nine years old, she became one of the youngest Claras in local history. “It was awesome and I loved every minute of it,” she says.

“Plus, I was so excited that I got to wear the dress,” she adds, referring to the gold party dress worn by every Clara.

From the time she was awarded the role to her last performance, Dubose’s life was Clara. The family cleared their furniture from the dining room, to make space for her to practice. And she did, every day – for hours at a time. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it,” she says. “When you get on stage, it’s the greatest feeling. You just get caught up in (the dance).”

Maggie Lowery Clara, 2005-2006 Maggie Lowery, also a ninth grader at Wilson Hall these days, remembers what it was like to get the letter in the mail telling her that she had won the role. “I was really excited,” she says.

“But (the thought of being Clara) was pretty intimidating.”

From the moment they receive that correspondence, the girls attend a Nutcracker boot camp which

Carter Dwight, en pointe, holds up the nutcracker doll that gives the classic ballet its name.

november-december 2009 • Iris • 45

includes local rehearsals and day-long exercises alongside the professional ballet company in Columbia – an experience that all three girls said was unnerving. They practice from early fall to December.

Maggie’s mother, Sondra Lowery, says her daughter’s role in the production was “a really good experience.”

“She developed such a bond with the professional dancers. They really praised her,” she says.

“And that gave her confidence.”

Such confidence is not lightly earned.

Columbia City dancers know well that Starrett demands perfection from them. “It’s a lot of practicing and learning,” says Maggie. “But it was great.”

Carter Dwight Clara 2007-2009 “It’s a lot of hard work,” agrees Carter. “And it is really intimidating to be around the professional danc-

ers.”

Carter has been dancing at Miss Libby’s since she was four, following in her mother’s footsteps. Like her predecessors, Carter has danced in The Nutcracker since she was in preschool. “I can’t remember not

dancing,” she says. Although this will be the third year Carter has performed the signature role, she still gets anxious. “I’m nervous every time,” she says.

Throughout November and into the early days of December, before The Nutcracker’s opening night, Carter will spend nearly every day dancing. She will go through three

pairs of ballet point shoes. She will travel from Sumter to Columbia every week. But, as everyone agrees, it will all be worth the effort when she stands in the wings, hair coiffed, arms outspread, as she readies herself to dance across the stage once again.

They play the same role, Sumter’s many Claras.

But each one is unique, in their own special way.

In addition to the experience of this historic role, The Nutcracker’s Claras have one other thing in common.

“It’s the Sumter girls who get the biggest applause,” smiles Dubose.

The Nutcracker will be held December 5 and 6, 2009, at Patriot Hall Performing Arts Center, located at 135 Haynsworth Street in Sumter.

For information or tickets, email patriot_hall@sumtercountysc.org or call (803) 436-2360 to reach the box office.

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sumter spotlight

Breathing Easy From rural Pinewood to a corner office, this hospital executive has never lost sight of the bigger picture.

By Erica Christmas McLeod

T

here are a very few events in our lives that shape and mold us, and define who we become. For many, those events are impossible to know. But Michelle LoganOwens, vice president, Tuomey Healthcare System, can pinpoint several.

One was the decision to pursue a career in the medical field. When she was still a child. Logan-Owens’ grandfather died from cancer. She watched as nurses cared for him – and provided a loving atmosphere for her grieving family. As a result, the Pinewood native enrolled in the nursing program at the University of South Carolina Sumter several years later, thanks to a scholarship that paid for her tuition.

Logan-Owens’ credits the school with giving her the tools to succeed. “If I had launched my academic career anywhere else, I’m not confidant I would be where I am today,” she says. “I learned so many valuable lessons at USC Sumter.”

The biggest lesson, she said, was the value of relationships. But the most valuable one came from her most challenging professor. A smile comes to her faces as she reminisces about late nights in the science building, preparing for Dr. Stephen Bishoff’s classes. “He would walk by and, instead of just saying ‘hello,’ Dr. Bishoff would sit and talk to us,” she said.

“I wanted to make him proud, because he wanted me to succeed. He invested in me, and I felt I owed it to him.”

48 • Iris • november-december 2009

Logan-Owens finished her nursing degree in Columbia then returned to Sumter to work at Tuomey, on the oncology floor. It was during this time that she feels she was able to help her patients the way her grandfather’s nurses had helped her. But, surprisingly, she was able to draw from those patients as well – particularly their courage.

Logan-Owens’ true calling, however, lay elsewhere.

Twelve years later, she would be one of the hospital’s vice presidents, in charge of fifteen service lines. “I had to work extremely hard and devote countless hours to the responsibilities that had been given to me,” she says.

“My arrival at this point was a twelve-year journey and, at each point along the way, I had to prove myself over and over again.”

Being an African-American was one of many hurdles Logan-Owens had to jump, but she does not let her race define her identity. “I am proud to serve as a role model to other African-Americans and females as a whole, but I don’t like to frame my success or contributions in terms of my race,” she says. “I am equally proud of my African-American heritage as I am of my Caucasian heritage. I would not be who I am without either.”

Her life’s motto, which she adopted in middle school, is a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson, who said, “To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.”

Michelle Logan-Ownes outside Tuomey Regional Medical Center in Sumter november-december 2009 • Iris • 49

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Swan Song

O’ Holy Night

by Annabelle Robertson

What does it mean when holidays aren’t so holy?

I

t’s Christmas Eve, 1999.

We’re at my father’s house in Fayetteville, N.C., and a bevy of aunts, uncles, cousins and friends are gathered in front of the fire, indulging in pecan pie and flavored coffee. The flames crackle, the music plays. And the tree, which stretches to the ceiling, twinkles with promise.

My husband, sister and I hurry up the walkway and into the house, slapping our gloved hands together, to ward off the cold. Rosy-cheeked and laughing, we’re on a spiritual high from the candlelight service we’ve just attended. Ancient carols, inspirational message….it’s everything we love about Christmas.

As we survey the scene before us – a picture perfect moment, plucked from a holiday movie – my father leans back in his chair and sighs contentedly.

Then, in a Southern drawl that no actor could ever replicate, he says, “Christmas is about family.”

His pronouncement is greeted with smiles and knowing nods. But, deep inside my stomach, something catches.

It flickers and latches onto embers of disappointment experienced only hours before, when my family opted to stay at home, wrapped in creature comforts, rather than worship with us. Of course, their pagan expression

– however benign – wasn’t the first, by any stretch. In fact, it has a far lengthier history than the Christian version.

The first public celebration of Christmas came in Rome during the year 336 AD, after Constantine had converted to Christianity. It’s clear that the emperor was hoping to “woo” his pagan citizens to his new faith with the holiday, which had its roots inthea week-long Roman holiday, Saturnalia, held during the Winter Solstice, usually from December 17 to 23.

Clearly, the date chosen for the new celebration – December 25 – had far more to do with existing customs than it did with anything historical. It’s generally accepted that Jesus was born around 4 BC, but the exact year of his has been problematic to pinpoint. The exact day, impossible.

Celebrations of Saturnalia were similar to Mardi Gras and ranged from extravagant meals to gambling, dancing and, in some cases, human sacrifice. Many of the traditions – such as exchanging gifts, lighting candles, wreaths and feasting – were incorporated into the Christian holiday and given new meaning.

The candles and lights came to represent Jesus’ claim that he was “the light of the world.” Gifts became the recreation of the Magi’s generosity to

the babe. Wreaths were the symbol of the eternal life that God offers, to those who embrace his son.

Some say that the pagan origins of the holiday make it pure hypocrisy for Christians to celebrate. I disagree. A celebration isn’t so much a historical event, I believe, as it is a symbolic one. And whether that’s Valentine’s Day, Easter or Grandparent’s Day, our holidays and festivals are about recognizing the many blessings we’ve received. But some, like Christmas, are about just a little more.

Many insist – rightly so – that the meaning of Christmas often gets lost in the shopping, the parties, the decorations. My concern is the meaning might actually become obscured by something far more subtle, even by those who know and love the Lord.

I adored my father, and I miss him greatly. But my father was wrong.

Christmas isn’t about family. None of the holidays – even Thanksgiving – are.

Holidays are, as the very word claims, “holy days.” They were created not for us to bask in the presence of one another, but to worship the presence of one much greater than ourselves.

Anything else, and we really are practicing a pagan tradition.

november-december 2009 • Iris • 51

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52 • Iris • november-december 2009