My favorite recipe - Meet Katie Chastain Bailey

Jana Mathia | May 27, 20100

When Katie Chastain Bailey switched to LaCrosse High School her senior year, how could she have know she was about to meet the love of her life?

Two weeks before school started she was sitting in the front of a bus with the other LaCrosse volleyball and football players when she heard a sound. A student in the back of the bus was singing his ABCs. His handsome singing caught her attention as did the fact he was singing at 5:30 a.m.

Zoe, Katie, Ben and Steve

Later, the same student asked her to the teen dance at the fair that year. She replied she would meet him there at eight. She meant 8 p.m., but he arrived at 8 a.m. and then waited out 12 hours.

Their courtship continued through high school and college when Katie and Steve Bailey were finally married.

The daughter of Jerry and Mary Chastain, Katie grew up singing all the time. In first grade her family moved to Endicott where she started school. The family then moved to Winona and her father bought the grocery store in LaCrosse. At that point, Katie figured it would be easier to transfer to LaCrosse.

“I think it was the right place for me to be,” she said.

Although her mother and grandmother were teachers, Katie’s first inclination was not to follow them. She attended Eastern Washington University where she started pursuing a math degree so she could be an accountant.

After taking some of the classes she realized that if she became an accountant, she would be spending all her time with numbers. While she liked numbers, she liked people better and switched to elementary math. Katie noted some of her early classes made her realize she could teach kids to understand numbers.

Katie and Steve were married while she was still attending EWU. For the first year of their marriage they lived apart; she was in Cheney and he was in LaCrosse while working in Pullman.

In 1999, she went to work for the Endicott school district. She has taught first, second and third grades. She started full time, but after having two children, she works part-time. Zoe is now 7, and Ben, 3.

Steve works for Motley and Motley.

When not teaching or chasing kids, Katie likes sports, baking, reading and biking.

“I just like being active,” she said. She and Steve play basketball at their church while her dad watches the kids. Katie said that is kind of their date night.

Katie also finds joy in being at home with her family and keeping things running smoothly.

The family likes to camp, work in the garden, visit family in Astoria and play Wii. Zoe is playing t-ball, and three-year-old Ben is constantly active.

Zoe and Ben, in keeping with family tradition, like to sing. Although Steve’s singing voice first drew Katie’s attention, Katie said he, for the most part, just likes to listen to the rest of his family sing.

“He will tell you he is not a singer, he’s a dancer,” Katie said.

Tangy Meatballs

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1 tsp. of salt

1 pound of ground beef

2 packages of brown gravy mix

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1 package of egg noodles (12 ounces)

In a bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape in to 1-1 /2 in. bails. Place on a greased 15 in. x1 0-in. x I -in baking pan. Bake uncovered at 350 for 20 minutes Transfer meatballs to a greased 1-1 /2 quart baking dish. Cook gravy according to package directions. Add brown sugar and vinegar. Pour over meatballs. Cover and bake 30 minutes longer. Serve over noodles.

Best Ever Macaroni and Cheese

2 cups uncooked macaroni

1/4 cup butter

3 Tbsp. flour

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

2 cups milk

4 oz. Velveeta cheese

2 oz. pepperjack cheese

2 oz. of mozzarella cheese

Cook macaroni until nearly done. Melt butter in a large sauce pan. Add salt, pepper, and flour. Cook for 1 minute until smooth and bubbly. Add 2 cups of milk. Bring to boil stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add cubed Velveeta, pepperjack, and mozzarella cheese. Stir until melted. Add macaroni. Pour into greased 2 quart casserole dish. Bake uncovered at 350 for 10-15 minutes.

Crunchy Romaine

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/8 cup cider vinegar

1 tsp. of soy sauce

1 package of ramen noodles, broken

2 Tbsp. butter

1 small bunch of romaine lettuce

4 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup of chopped walnuts

Combine sugar, oil, vinegar and soy sauce and shake well. Saute noodles in butter until golden. In a large bowl combine noodles, romaine and onions. Top with walnuts. Toss with dressing or leave on side.

Glazed Lemon Cake

1 package white cake mix

1 package (3.4 oz) instant lemon pudding mix

3/4 cup of vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 cup of lemon-lime soda

1 cup of confectioners’ sugar

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

In a mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, pudding mix, oil and eggs; beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Gradually beat in soda. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. backing dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Combine confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice until smooth; carefully spread over warm cake and cool on a wire rack.