My favorite recipes

Angel Colyar has spent her adult life loving and serving the people of St. John and this winter, she found time to share one of her passions with the community by opening a store downtown. In December, Angel and her husband, Skip, opened Funky Junk in downtown St. John.

The store is an extension of one of their favorite pastimes. Angel and Skip love to search out items many people would consider junk and turn them into decorative house and garden items. Many objects in their shop have been restored or simply cleaned up.

“I like history so much, each piece tells a story,” Angel said. “I just like old things.”

The Colyar home is decorated with used furniture and antiques. Their barn is overflowing with items they have collected from estate sales, garage sales and old barns. They bring new items into their shop every week.

“We’re not afraid to get dirty,” Angel said. “Many times people call and say ‘I’ve got a... do you want it?’”

They began going to weekend shows throughout the state selling their unique items. Then, after Skip retired from the Grange, they decided to open a store. Skip now works full-time on restoring, selling and moving his treasures from the barn to the shop. Angel reports Skip has never been happier.

“We like to do this stuff in our free time,” Angel said with a laugh.

Angel also has many other interests. She works as a nurse in Home Health & Hospice care. She also volunteers for many community projects.

“We make tacos for taco trauma, work at the sprint boat races and organize community yard sales,” Angel said.

Both are active in St. John Community Club and are creative in their money raising ideas. Once, after receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer, Angel challenged Skip to a sticky bun bake-off to raise funds for the community. The winner would shave the head of the loser.

“Well, I was already bald from my cancer treatments, so I shaved Skip’s head,” Angel said. “While I was shaving his head, the crowd passed a hat and we collected another $1,000 for the community club.”

They have donated mirrors made from their “junk” and also donated fishing trips on their “party barge” for the club’s auction bill.

“St. John is a great community,” Angel said. “The residents really care about each other and offer support to those in need.”

The only time you can find Angel sitting still is when she’s fishing. She said fishing is one of her favorite pastimes. They enjoy taking out “the party barge” and are very competitive when it comes to who can catch the biggest fish.

“I bought Skip a new pole for Father’s Day this year,” Angel said. “He caught a 16-inch trout and was so excited.”

For many years, they have also cut and decorated the town Christmas tree and organized the Winterfest parade. This Christmas, they enjoyed the holiday with many friends and their blended family of five children and two grandchildren. Angel said Christmas lasted a week because they could not get everyone under the same roof at the same time.

“All our kids are so busy and spread throughout the country. They have only been in the house once at the same time,” Angel said.

Angel enjoys cooking. Since recovering from breast cancer, she has changed the way she eats. She said she has taken all processed food out of her diet and rarely eats out.

“I do not cook with recipes, I just throw stuff in a pan and cook it up,” Angel said. “I try to make food that tastes good. I have learned you have to take care of yourself.”

Recipes:

Angel’s Sticky Buns

3 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup pancake syrup

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup pecans, chopped

1 can frozen rolls

Cream butter and sugar together. Add syrup, cinnamon, vanilla and pecans. Mix well. Cut rolls in half. Lay mixture on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

*Double the ingredients and use Rhodes rolls to make a double batch.

Ugly Chicken

4 chicken breasts, halved

1 package dry Ranch dressing mix

8 ounces sour cream

Olive oil

Garlic, diced

1 package cream cheese, cubed

1 block raw Mozzarella cheese, cubed

Mix Ranch dressing with sour cream. Coat chicken breasts in the dressing, sour-cream mixture. Place olive oil and garlic in the bottom of the baking dish. Place chicken in baking dish and layer cream cheese and Mozzarella over the chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until chicken tests done.

Chicken Enchilada

6 chicken breasts

Olive oil

Garlic clove, crushed

Onion, chopped

2 cups salsa

3 cups shredded cheese

8 ounces cream cheese

Soft tortilla shells

1 cup tomatoes, diced

Sour cream

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Cook in olive oil and crushed garlic clove. Add onions, salsa, 1 cup of cheddar cheese and cream cheese. Stir mixture until it melts to a creamy sauce. In pan, tear soft shell to cover bottom. Add enchilada sauce to cover, then chicken mixture. Repeat until pan full. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes, Top with tomatoes and sour cream.