Renfrow finds niche with kids' salon

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3/19/2014 6:00:00 AM
Renfrow finds niche with kids’ salon

Lindsy Renfrow and daughter Maggie
Coming from a long line of excellent cooks, Lindsy Renfrow never shies away from a new recipe. Her philosophy: If you don’t like it, don’t make it again!

A Neshoba County native, Lindsy likes to experiment with new and different foods for her family, which includes husband Dustin and children Maggie, 4, and Julia, 13.

A graduate of Neshoba Central High School, Lindsy owns Knots on Main Street across from the courthouse.

Knots is a children-centered salon, with an airplane, fire truck, Barbie Jeep and pink car instead of the traditional salon chairs.

Children can also watch cartoons while getting their hair cut as each station is equipped with a television.

Lindsy earned her degree in cosmetology from East Central Community College.

She opened her business in October and has already cut over 300 youngsters’ hair. Her clientele continues to grow!

“I knew I wanted to work with children and I knew I had to find something that I liked,” she said of her new venture.

“We take our time cutting hair,” she said. Many of her young clients like to twist and wiggle!

Lindsy enjoys seeing each youngster progress after their very first haircut, which is sometimes a bit scary.

While she is busy six days a week at the salon, Dustin can be found working at Geek Squad, a subsidiary of Best Buy.

The family lives in McKee subdivision. They attend Burnside Baptist Church. Lindsy is a member of the Junior Auxiliary.

Their house is a perfect fit for their lifestyle. There is a pond in the backyard where the family enjoys fishing.

“We like our outdoor space, the porches, etc,” she said.

Fishing was always a favorite pastime for Lindsy’s parents and grandparents.

One of her favorite childhood memories was when her father took her to the Pearl River fishing.

“They cooked the fish right there at the river,” she said.

“When my husband came into the Dunn family he tried fish gravy, one of the things I have grown up eating. He thinks it must be an acquired taste.

“I was always told when my grandfather and his brothers would spend the night on the river, that if they didn’t catch enough fish, they would make fish gravy to eat on bread.”

Basically, fish gravy consists of a roux made from fish grease, cornmeal and a small amount of water. Sometimes, a little coffee is added.

Lindsy is not the only experienced cook in their household. Dustin often starts supper as he usually arrives home earlier than his wife.

She has shared many of her favorite recipes, including one for easy mac and cheese which is made in a skillet.

Crock pot pepper steak

1 1/2 pounds boneless beef round steak

2 medium onions, cut into slices

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped ginger root or 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 cup beef flavored broth

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 cup cold water

2 medium green bell peppers, cut into 3/4-inch strips

2 medium tomatoes, cut into eighths

6 cups hot cooked rice

Remove fat from beef. Cut beef into 6 serving pieces. Spray 12-inch skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Cook beef in skillet about 8 minutes, turning once, until brown.

In a slow cooker, layer beef, onions, garlic and ginger root. In small bowl, mix broth and soy sauce; pour over beef.

Cover; cook on low heat setting 7 to 9 hours or until beef is tender.

In small bowl, mix cornstarch and water; gradually stir into beef mixture. Stir in bell peppers. Increase heat setting to High. Cover; cook 10 to 12 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in tomatoes. Cover; cook about 3 minutes longer or just until tomatoes are thoroughly heated. Serve over rice.

Blueberry Cake

1 stick unsalted butter, softened and divided (plus more for greasing pan)

3/4 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar, separated

1 egg

2 plus 1/3 cups flour, separated

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

3 cups blueberries

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 375 degrees; liberally grease round cake pan with butter. Beat 1/2 stick butter with 3/4 cups sugar until fluffy. Add egg and beat 1 minute more. Mix together 2 cups flour, salt, and baking powder. Add 1/2 of flour mixture and half of milk to egg mixture; mix just until blended. Add remaining flour and milk; mix again, just until blended. Batter will be thick. Add blueberries to batter and carefully mix in with a spatula. Blend remaining half stick of butter, 1/3 cup of sugar, 1/3 cup of brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in small bowl until crumbly. Layer crumb mixture at bottom of the pan. Pour blueberry batter carefully over crumb mixture, then spread out evenly with spatula. Bake for approximately 45-50 minutes, until knife inserted in middle comes out clean. Remove from oven. Loosen sides with knife, then invert cake immediately onto plate. Let cool upside down for 10 minutes. In small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda to make glaze. Flip cake again onto serving plate, then carefully spread glaze over top of cake. Serve warm or chilled.

EASY MAC AND CHEESE SKILLET

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1/3 cup green pepper, chopped

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 cups milk

2 cups cooked ham, cubed

8 ounces macaroni, uncooked

1 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded cheese (Swiss, Cheddar, American, etc.)

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook onion and peppers in the butter until tender. Stir in salt and flour.

Add in milk little by little with a fork or whisk. Add ham and macaroni.

Stir constantly while bringing to a boil. Cook until macaroni is tender

Stir in sour cream and cheese to melt (do not boil).

Coconut Banana Cream Pie

Coconut Pie Shell

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, plus more for pie plate

3 1/2 cups sweetened flake coconut

Lightly butter a 9-inch pie plate and set aside.

Melt the 1/2 cup butter in a large skillet over medium heat and brown the coconut flakes, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. They should be golden brown. Press the coconut firmly and evenly in the pan to form a shell. Chill the crust 30 minutes before filling.

Pie Filling

4 egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar, divided

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup flour

3 cups half-and-half, divided

Yellow food coloring

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 bananas

1 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Combine the egg yolks, 1/4 cup of the sugar, the cornstarch, salt and flour in a small bowl. Gradually add 1 cup of the half-and-half.

Combine the remaining 2 cups half-and-half and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a 3-quart saucepan and bring just to boil over medium heat. Add the egg mixture and cook and stir until the mixture returns to a boil and thickens, about 1 minute.

Remove from the heat. Stir in 2 drops of food coloring and the vanilla. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool.

Slice the bananas into the pie shell. Pour the filling into the shell.

Whip the cream with the powdered sugar until stiff. Spoon in dollops or pipe with a pastry bag around the edge of the pie. Chill 2 hours before slicing.

Crock Pot Creamy Chicken Chili

2 chicken breasts, can be frozen

1 can Rotel tomatoes

1 can corn kernels, do not drain

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 package Ranch dressing mix

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

8-ounce package cream cheese

Put the chicken in the crock pot. Top with the tomatoes, corn, the drained and rinsed beans, Ranch dressing, cumin, onion and chili powders, stir to combine then top with the cream cheese.Cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring one or twice to blend in the cheese.Shred the chicken into large pieces and serve over rice. Can also serve in tortillas or taco shells.

Breakfast Muffins

1 package biscuit dough (10 biscuits)

3 eggs

3 tablespoons milk

1/3 cup of shredded cheddar

4 slices bacon or cooked crumbled sausage

Salt and pepper

Cook the bacon/sausage in a pan until it’s almost done. Chop into small bits and set aside. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together eggs and milk, a pinch of salt and some cracked pepper to taste and set aside. Meanwhile, roll out each biscuit until it’s slightly bigger than the circumference of your muffin tin. Grease the muffin tin with cooking spray and push one biscuit into each muffin cup being sure to push it all the way down and to the sides. Leave the ridge hanging over the edge. Divide the cheese evenly in each of the biscuit cups and then pour egg in, filling each cup only 1/2 way. They will look empty but do not top them off. You must account for the biscuits puffing up. Sprinkle the meat over the egg and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until biscuits are golden and eggs are set.

LEMON BLUEBERRY SCONES

2 1/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

4 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup (1 cube) cold butter

3/4 cups buttermilk

1 egg

3/4 cups blueberries

grated zest from lemon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sift the dry ingredients of the scone into a food processor. Cut the cold butter into cubes and put into bowl of food processor with the lemon zest. Pulse the mixture until the butter is the size of peas. Pour the mixture into a large bowl, add the blueberries and toss with the flour. Mix together the buttermilk and egg and add to the dry ingredients. Fold mixture together gently, being careful not to break the berries. Press dough into a large circle on a flour surface. Cut out dough with a biscuit cutter. Sprinkle streusel (recipe below) on top of them and place on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper. Bake scones for 18-20 minutes. Let scones cool a bit before drizzling with the lemon glaze (recipe below). Serve while warm and fresh.

Streusel Topping:

1/4 cup oats

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 tablespoon flour

Combine all ingredients.

Lemon Glaze

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 cups confectioner’s sugar

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Mix together the glaze, adding as much powdered sugar as it takes to make the consistency you want.

Rolo Cookies
Roll of sugar cookie dough

Rolos

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon sugar

Wrap each rolo in sugar cookie dough, then roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture. Bake according to cookie package directions.