About The Advance. (Vidalia, Ga.) 2003-current | View Entire Issue (May 5, 2021)
The ADVANCE, May 5, 2021 /Page 4A (51?e Aftuante Augusta Woman Wins Overall Prize in Vidalia Onion Cookoff OVERALL WINNER — Deborah Wakefield of Augusta, above left, with her sister Peggy NeeSmith, is shown at the Vidalia Onion Cookoff. Wakefield won Overall Prize and First Prize in the Miscellaneous category with her Vidalia Onion Danish. By Deborah Clark Regional Editor dclarkadvance@gmail. com A first-time entrant from Augusta won top honors in the Vidalia On ion Recipe and Public Tasting Contest Saturday during the Vidalia Onion Festival. Deborah Wake field went home with the Overall Prize for her Vida lia Onion Danish. She also placed first for the dish in the Miscellaneous catego- ry. Wakefield’s recipe was inspired by one that she found in the original Vida lia Onion Festival Cook book published by the Chamber of Commerce. She combined two reci pes to come up with her winning entry. A native of Toombs County Wake field is the sister of Peggy NeeSmith, Director of The Dream Center in Vidalia. Wakefield asked her sister and a few other volunteers to sample some of the dish es she selected to prepare for the contest. She made six dishes, two for each of the three categories that she planned to enter, and let her “committee” of tast ers select the entries. Wakefield was amazed at how good the Danish was. “It’s sweet and I would serve it right alongside a cherry or apple Danish.” Wakefield recently retired from a position with the Veterans Administration and loves to cook. In the past, she has been unable to participate in the coo koff, but 2021 turned out to be her year. In all, 16 dishes were submitted in three catego ries: Appetizers, Side Dish and Miscellaneous. Other winning recipes in Saturday’s Onion Recipe Contest were: • 1st Place Side Dish, Jerrie Mckenzie — Smokey Vidalia Onion Dressing • 1st Place Appetizer, Todd Helms — Vidalia Onion Bruschetta Winning Recipes Sweet Onion Cheese Danishes Ingredients: 1 roll Crescent Rolls Flour, just for dusting Filling 4 ounces soft cream cheese 1 cup sugar splash vanilla Sweet Onion Topping 1/4 cup butter 1 tbsp. honey 2 medium Vidalia Onions, sliced or diced 1/4 cup sugar Glaze 1/3 cup powdered sugar 2 tsp. milk Open container of rolls and do not unroll them. Use a sharp, serrated knife to cut through them like slice/bake cookies. Make 10 slices. Lay each slice on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Use a measuring cup to flatten each rollout and build a small wall around the edge. Use a drop of flour to prevent sticking and press with your finger tips, too. Cream Cheese Filling Electric mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Dollop a small amount into each “danish.” Onion Topping Saute onions in butter until tender. Add sugar and honey. Add a teaspoonful of topping on top of cream cheese filling. Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes. Let cool and add a drizzle of glaze. Glaze Combine milk and sugar and drizzle on dan ishes. Can use a pastry bag if desired. Deborah Pittman Wakefield Smokey Onion Dressing 5 medium Vidalia Onions, smoked and cooled 2 cups Mayonnaise 2 cups Sour Cream 1 cup Buttermilk 1 tbs. Fresh Dill 1 tbs. Garlic 2 tbs. Worcestershire Sauce 1 tbs. Hot Sauce 1 tbs. Onion Powder 1 tsp. Chives Juice and Zest of 1 Lemon 1 Small Vidalia Onion, grated Salt and Pepper to taste Blend onions until smooth, mix mayonnaise, sour cream, and buttermilk with onions. Add the rest of the ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. Re frigerate. Dressing is better after refrigerated for 3-4 hours or overnight. Jerrie Mckenzie Onion Bruschetta 1 Baguette, sliced Olive Oil 2 cups Ricotta Cheese 1/4 tsp. Nutmeg 1/2 tsp. Salt 1 tbs. Chives 1/2 tsp. Onion Powder 1 cup Goat Cheese Mousse Pickled Onions Slice baguette and brush with olive oil and then toast. Mix ricotta cheese, nutmeg, salt, chives, and onion powder. Spread over toasted bread. Top with dollop of goat cheese mousse and a piece of pickled onion. Todd Helms STUDENTS OF THE MONTH — Toombs Central Elementary School has announced March Students of the Month, (L to R): Front Row: Emilee Ascencio (Kindergarten), Dariel Aguilar (First Grade), Miley Smith (Second Grade), Back Row: Rainie McBride (Fourth Grade), Cole Russell (Fifth Grade), and Jovany Tinoco (Third Grade), ask y M®o Magnolia Letters have been edited for length and clarity. Dear Ms. Magnolia, Our son and his fiancee are gradu ating from Georgia Southern in May and plan to marry in June. So far, we’ve paid all of his tuition and liv ing expenses in college. We’re encour aging him and his future bride to be practical and get their careers started before they marry. We have told them we can’t afford to support them finan cially after they are married. They are now mad at us and say we don’t want them to marry. Are we wrong ? BW Dear BW, No, you aren’t wrong. Perhaps you should have encouraged your son to be paying some of his way through college by working part-time and put ting some money aside for his future, and he would be more aware of the importance of financial planning. Your son is actually a grown per son now and responsible for his own decisions. Explain that you love him and his future wife and will give them your emotional support and the ben efit of any wisdom you have gained over the years to help them, but they are now a well-educated couple who should be able to support themselves. They are adults and need to make adult decisions about their future. Standing by our children when they follow our good advice is easy, but standing by and encouraging them when they don’t is more diffi cult, but often more valuable. If you have a question for Ms. Magnolia, please mail it to P.O. Box 669, Vidalia, GA 30475, or e-mail to msmagnoliaadvance@yaboo.com. Lyons Lions Club Announces Students of the Month of April The Lyons Lions Club Student of the For the month of April, the awards Month program recognizes deserving stu- were presented to Christina Tinoco of dents for their “Dedication, Commitment Toombs County High School and Jus- and Service to Others” and is sponsored tin Walker of Robert Toombs Christian by Peoples Bank. Academy. L to R: Lion Larry Griggers, Lyons Lions Club President Christina Tinoco, TCHS Student of the Month; and Megan Morris, TCHS Teacher. L to R: Lion Larry Griggers, Lyons Lions Club President; Justin Walker, RTCA Student of the Month; and Lion Jacob Lord, RTCA Coach. Alamo continued from page 1A ing north on Wheat Road and negotiating a right curve when the driver lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle impacted the west ditch and overturned onto its left side, striking a fence in the process. The victim suc cumbed to her injuries while enroute to the city of Alamo to meet an am bulance. The wreck is still under investigation and the identity of the driver has not been determined.
