Junior Miss Neshoba County Daycy Barrier will be representing the county in the Junior Miss Magnolia State Pageant on Thursday.
Junior Miss Neshoba County Daycy Barrier will be representing the county in the Junior Miss Magnolia State Pageant on Thursday.
Neshoba Central student Daycy Barrier will be competing this Thursday at the Junior Miss Magnolia State Pageant. For Daycy, there’s no competition, just an opportunity to create and build friendships with other contestants.

“The focus is on having fun, not on winning,” says the 14 year-old freshman from Neshoba Central. “It builds confidence, going in alone and coming out of it with friendships.” Contestants often meet new friends and continue these relationships beyond the final crownings by interacting and following each other on social media.

Daycy also sees the Junior Miss Magnolia State competition as a way of supporting a Mississippi organization that’s near and dear to her heart. The pageant provides her an opportunity to serve as an exemplary proponent of Blair Batson Children’s Hospital Cardiology Services. Several years ago, the contestant was diagnosed with a heart murmur, and through the adjustments that come with such a life-changing event, Daycy found a renewed interest in pageant competitions. She feels this is a great opportunity to encourage other young people with similar conditions to live a full an active life as directed by their medical providers.

In addition to a busy pageant schedule and regular appointments at Batson, Daycy still plays recreational sports and pursues challenging academic courses to prepare her for post-secondary veterinary studies one day. A pageant win could help with that, as there is a $1,000 prize for winning at the state level.

While a crowning this Thursday might be nice, Daycy seems content with the process so far, and likes to look back at an even more satisfying achievement from this past September. Her family had a winning chili recipe for the cookoff at the Wildlife Jamboree. Using a carefully guarded family recipe, and one developed by her late grandfather, Daycy and her grandmother were ecstatic when the announcement was made. 

As a cook, Daycy enjoys making sweets, cookies, brownies, and especially cupcakes. The pageant will not have a baking competition, but she’s sure to work up an appetite during a busy three days of interviews, judgings, and stage walks with contestants from 43 other counties. “It’s going to be really busy,” says Daycy, but if you miss the pageant, you’ll be able to see her during the CDP Christmas Parade on December 2nd.



Chicken Pie

Ingredients:

Chicken cooked and de-boned

1 can cream of chicken soup



2 can of water

1 stick of margarine

1 2 cup of flour

12 cup of buttermilk

2 cups broth



Instructions:

Place de-boned chicken in baking pan

Combine soup and water. Pour over chicken. Mix margarine, flour, and buttermilk. Pour over chicken. Pour 2 cups of broth on top of mixture. Bake at 350F until golden brown.



Cream Cheese Sausage Balls



Ingredients:

1 lb. sausage uncooked

1-8 oz block cream cheese

2 cups Bisquick baking mix

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese



Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees

Line baking sheets with parchment paper. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together sausage and cream cheese. Add in baking mix and stir until combined. Then add in cheese. Feel free to be generous with your cheese measurements. Scoop up meat mixture and form into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheet. Once you have them all on the baking sheet, just go back and roll them around in your hands to. Stir until combined. Make them a bit smoother on the outside. Then pop your baking sheet in the fridge for 10 mins.



Southern Pecan 

Pie Cake

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter

2 cups sugar

11/2 cups self-rising flour

4 whole eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups chopped pecans

1 package (16 oz. Package) whipped topping

1 can (14 oz. can) sweetened condensed milk

8 oz, weight cream cheese

Instructions:

Cream butter and sugar; add flour, eggs, vanilla, and pecans.

Stir by hand until well combined.

Bake 30-40 mins in a glass 9x13" baking dish at 350 degrees.

While cake is cooling, mix whipped topping sweetened condensed milk, and cream cheese until

combined. Crumble cake. Layer half of the cake crumbs followed by half of the frosting mixture. Repeat. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.



Crock Pot Salty Sweet Candy

Ingredients:

2 Pounds white chocolate candy coating

6-Ounce white chocolate baking bar

12 ounces white chocolate chips

3 cups dry roasted peanuts

2 cups pretzel twists broken in small pieces



Festive sprinkles if desired

Instructions:

Place white chocolate candy coating, white chocolate baking bar, white chocolate chips in a crock pot that has been set on LOW. Heat candy for 1-1 hours until melted. Uncover; stir the chocolate mixture. Stir in peanuts and broken pretzels until completely coated in the candy. Drop by spoonful's onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. If desired,

top candy with sprinkles. Allow candy to set for at least one hour.



Snowmen Cookies

Ingredients:

1 Package (16 oz) Vanilla CANDIQUIK Coating

24 nutter butter cookies

Confetti Sprinkles

Orange chocolate coated sunflower seeds

Black edible marker

Decorative cake writing icing



Instructions:

Melt vanilla CANDIQUIK coating in melt and make microwaveable tray according to directions on package. Dip cookies in melted CANDIQUIK and place on wax paper. Press (3) round confetti sprinkles as buttons and (1) orange coated sunflower seed as the nose. Once dry, create faces with edible marker and hats with decorative icings.