Recipes 5/19/11

May 19, 20110

Meet Mary Chastain, LaCrosse

When Mary Chastain was in seventh grade, her choir teacher told her mother to get Mary a piano so she could take lessons. She did and Mary took piano and voice lessons, beginning a long deep relationship and love of music that she now passes on to younger generations.

“I knew from about the seventh grade I wanted to be a music teacher,” she said.

Mary continued to take piano lessons through high school and was in the choir through all her school years and into college. She attended California State University at Sacramento and graduated in 1974 with a degree in music.

While following her love of music, Mary also started a family with Jerry Chastain. They lived in their home state of California for six years before moving with their four children to Endicott where Jerry’s sister and mother lived. Jerry’s mom offered to take care of their children while Mary went back to school to get her teaching certificate.

Mary attended Washington State University and did her student teaching at the first and second grade at Endicott.

“I always figured I’d be a classroom teacher, so when they asked if I’d teach music, I said ‘yep’,” she said.

Mary taught at Endicott for three years, then went to Colfax for one year. She was then hired at LaCrosse and worked for three years as the music teacher. Then she was moved to full-time and started teaching Spanish and art also.

Before she took over the Spanish classes, LaCrosse students learned via videos recorded from a satellite. The school district helped her with the cost of getting her Spanish certification. She attended Eastern Washington University for two summers and Whitworth for one summer term.

Mary has also been working on her art certification for six years. Last summer she took a correspondence course on art history from BYU.

Mary also earned her masters in early childhood education from EWU in 2000.

Mary also kept busy with family and business. After moving to the area, she and Jerry added one more to their family.

The family moved to LaCrosse.

The owner of the LaCrosse Market decided to retire. Jerry had experience with business and said “We can do that.” So, in 1991 the Chastains bought the LaCrosse Market. They operated the grocery for 18 years.

Mary recalled it was lots of work, but also lots of fun running the store.

“I liked seeing the people and talking to town folk,” she said.

For a while Mary would go straight to the store after a full day at school. She did everything in the store from stocking to checking and bagging.

“That was a real grueling schedule for a while,” she noted.

Mary’s musical activities have extended beyond the classroom. She was a member of the women’s choir Tapestry for six years. She and Jerry, who also likes to sing, were members of the 89ers, a major singing group in LaCrosse. They sang with the group for eight years and then directed for two years.

“The 89ers was a big thing in our lives for quite a few years,” she recalled.

Mary and Jerry like to attend musicals at the Spokane Opera house and Colfax. Mary directs the musicals put on by the LaCrosse students. She also plays piano for the Missoula Children’s Theater each year.

“I really like watching the (Missoula Children’s Theater) director,” she said. The directors are top notch, she added, and she adapts some of the things they tell the children for directing the school plays.

Mary also likes to write short stories about experiences in her life. Some are only one page, others are longer. She hopes to compile them for her family. She and Jerry both enjoy singing and cooking.

With siblings in Delaware and California and grandchildren in Chattanooga and Astoria, Ore., Mary spends time visiting. She also babysits two grandchildren who live in LaCrosse.

Retirement isn’t something Mary is planning because she’s content where she is.

“I love my job and love our administration,” she said.

Recipes:

Good for you cookies (no bake)

1 cup peanut butter

1 Tbs. margarine

3/4 cup dry powdered milk

1/2 cup chopped nuts

2 graham crackers

Mix the first four ingredients and roll them into small balls.

Roll balls in crushed graham crackers in crumbs.

Lazy Dad Enchilada Casserole

1 lb. ground beef

1 med. Onion

1/4 cup oil

12 corn tortillas torn into small pieces

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

1 (#2) can enchilada sauce

1 lb. grated longhorn cheese

Brown meat and onion in oil. Add broken up corn tortillas. Stir in sauces and 2 cups of cheese. Pour into 9 x 13 casserole dish. Top with the remaining cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

Mississippi Mud

1 cup shortening

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cup flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup chopped nuts

1/3 cup cocoa

1 bag miniature marshmallows

Cream shortening, eggs and sugar. Add remaining ingredients except for marshmallows.

Bake in 9 x 13 pan at 300 degrees for 40 minutes. Take out of the oven and top with 1/2 bag miniature marshmallows.