Cook of the Week

Angela Haynes

Visitors to Edom's The Shed CafØ won't want to miss a chat with Angela Haynes. This popular character is a hit with The Shed's regulars.

Angela has worked at the cafØ for about two years. She chose the popular eatery because of her new home location at Callender Lake, where she arrived just before she began work at The Shed. She came to the area from Gainesville, where she worked as a unit clerk for a hospital. Originally from Richardson, she enjoys the Edom area's natural beauty, as well as the friendly people.

Angela is married to Martin Haynes. They have no kids, but they do have several dogs. Martin and Angela will celebrate their fourth anniversary in October.

While she's not preparing meals at The Shed, Angela takes time to paint, sew and garden. Her garden contains various flowers and herbs.

She describes herself as a crafty person who is always cooking.

"I find my recipes through trial and error," Angela said. "And through getting my husband to taste them."

She has gotten great reactions from family members at her annual family fishing trip, where she caters to a crowd of 16.

At these family gatherings the group is divided into cabins and each cabin must take turns preparing the meals.

Having cooking experience dating back from when she was 12, Angela has more original recipes on hand than most.

One of her favorite classes of food is the spicy class, and her stuffed jalapeno peppers are beloved by family and friends alike.

Stuffed Bacon Peppers

24 fresh jalapeno peppers, cut in half lengthwise, washed and set to dry on paper towels

12 strips of bacon, cut in half

2 boxes of cream cheese

1 tbsp garlic powder

Tony's Seasoning, sprinkled on top

Mix cream cheese and garlic in a bowl and let sit on a counter to soften. Lay the peppers on a cooking tray, and when the cream cheese is soft spread the mix in each pepper half, then wrap each with a strip of bacon and put a toothpick through the pepper and bacon to secure the pieces. Place the stuffed peppers on the cookie sheet with the cream cheese face up. Bake at 350 Degrees until the bacon is fully cooked.
Baked Cheese Squares
4 eggs
4 cups shredded cheese
4 tbsp chopped onion
2-4 tbsp chopped jalapeno
pepper

Beat the eggs and pour over the cheese. Mix thoroughly and add the onion and pepper. Pour in a baking dish and bake at 350 Degrees for about 30 minutes. Chop into squares when finished.
Rotel Casserole
2 pounds cooked ground
beef
1 package taco seasoning
mix
1 can mild Rotel tomatoes
2 cans ranch style beans
2 cups cheddar cheese

2 boxes Jiffy cornbread mix prepared according to the instructions on the back of the box.

Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees and prepare the ground beef with the taco seasoning mix. Set it aside and grease a 9"x12" casserole dish. Layer the taco meat, beans, tomatoes and cheddar cheese in that order. Pour the cornbread batter on top of the layers. Bake until cornbread is brown or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.