BY MERLE MONAHAN/CONTRIBUTING WRITER
merlemonah@aol.com

WINDSOR—At work they call her Betty Crocker. But Joyce Copeland doesn’t mind.

She loves to cook, and a little joking brightens her day.

Copeland acquired the nickname because she often shares goodies with fellow workers at Citizens National Bank. And she always makes the cake for employees’ birthdays. A customer service representative at CNB, Copeland makes one cake for all the birthdays in a given month.

Copeland, one of six children, said she was the one most interested in cooking when she was growing up. As a result, she spent a lot of time in the kitchen with her mother.

“I watched and I learned,” she said. “Then I helped. Mom always had three full meals a day so there was a lot to do. Of course, my siblings helped as well, but I don’t think they actually loved to cook as much as I did.”

Copeland remembers once during a revival at her church, when her mother was having lunch for both the visiting and the regular preacher.

“Mom asked me to stay home from school to help,” she said. “I was as happy as I could be. I love to entertain.”

Copeland has not lost her enthusiasm for parties. She has as many as a half dozen such events at her home during the year.

“We always have something here for the family during Christmas and the New Year,” she said. “Then during the summer and especially around the Fourth of July, we have cookouts.”

Copeland does almost all the cooking, from appetizers to desserts, when her family visits.

“Some of the other members bring a dish to help out, but I actually enjoy hosting,” she said. “I like planning the meal, as well as the cooking.”

She likes to experiment.

“Sometimes I’ll add an extra ingredient, or substitute one ingredient for another, things like that,” Copeland said. “And I love to read cookbooks. I guess I have about 30 in all.”

Having grown up on a farm, she is proficient at cooking country dishes, which her husband, Benjamin, also a farmer, likes. But she is just as much at home cooking a formal dinner.

Copeland likes parties, though, where her talents are quite visible. Her creations run the gamut, from meatballs and little smokies to shrimp, crab dip, cheese balls and cookies.

When she hosts her Church Circle Meeting, Copeland serves what the members like — homemade cake or pie with coffee.

“It all depends on the guests,” she said.

NAME: Joyce Copeland

AGE: 57

OCCUPATION: Customer service representative for Citizens National Bank

FAVORITE FOOD: All seafood except oysters

LEAST FAVORITE FOOD: Oysters

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU REMEMBER COOKING: A cake from a mix

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR WORST COOKING EXPERIENCE: I once made some fudge that didn’t set. It was gooey, but we tried to eat it anyway. We couldn’t — so it went out with the garbage

WHAT IS ONE INGREDIENT YOU CAN’T COOK WITHOUT AND WHY: Onions. The flavor just adds to the recipe.

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU HAVE LEARNED ABOUT COOKING: Always have everything you need for a recipe before you start cooking. Also, do not leave what you’re cooking unattended.

WHO IS THE BEST COOK YOU HAVE EVER KNOWN AND WHY: My mother, Rachael Harrell. She loved to cook and could make some of the best meals. She collected recipes and used them often. But she also cooked from memory — things that she learned when she was growing up. Out of six children — two boys and four girls counting me — I was the one most interested in cooking. I learned a lot from her and cook a lot like she did, even today.

IF YOU COULD EAT ONE THING FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD IT BE: Seafood

Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:

3 pounds cooked, cubed chicken (whole chicken or breast)

1 cup chopped celery (cooked in chicken broth)

1 cup rice (cooked in chicken broth)

2 Tbls minced onion

1 can cream of chicken soup

¾ cup mayonnaise

½ cup slivered almonds (optional)

1 can sliced water chestnuts

1 cup Corn Flakes

4 Tbls melted margarine

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix all ingredients (except Corn Flakes and margarine) together and pour into casserole dish. Cover with crushed Corn Flakes. Drizzle margarine over Corn Flakes and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.