Chaney spent Saturdays in the kitchen

Anna Chaney honed her cooking skills under the guidance of her good friend, Britney Dodson’s mother, Debbie Dodson, while growing up in Booneville.

“She cooked everything from scratch,” Chaney said. “I spent a lot of Saturdays over at her house and she would take the time with us and show us how to make different things.”

One particular Saturday included learning how to make a traditional southern pot roast with mashed potatoes.

“I won’t ever forget that,” she said. “I just thought how cool it would be to be able to cook very well like she did. You just felt like you were at home there.”

She further refined her skills by using recipes passed down by her grandmothers, Sherry Smith and Ann England, who she describes as "wonderful cooks."

Chaney has been married to Nathan Chaney for 11 years and has two boys, Hugh Taylor, who is eight and Henry, who is six. She currently serves as the Director of Product Design for Kellex Seating based in North Carolina and recently moved to Philadelphia last year from Starkville.

“I’m a creative, so making something and having something tangible after that is how I work,” she said. Her creative side extends to baking bread and desserts for her family.

While her husband takes charge of the grilling, she loves making dishes like spaghetti, a favorite of Henry’s, and banana bread, cherished by Hugh Taylor.

“My husband is just glad to get a meal,” she said with a laugh.

Chaney’s culinary prowess shines through making homemade biscuits and carrying on the tradition of her great-grandmother, Mary Thomas’ chicken and dressing during Thanksgiving.

“I was able to sit with her the year before she passed away in her kitchen, watching her and taking notes of how she makes it. Now, I make it every Thanksgiving for multiple people.”

Christmas cooking is little all over the place she says, but she delights in baking cookies with her children during the holidays.

“My love language for others is to cook for them and to give them something they enjoy,” she said. “I love to share it with other people and see them enjoy it.”

In her kitchen, Chaney has collected over a decade's worth of carefully curated recipes, but she is still searching for the best chocolate chip cookie recipe to make for her boys.

Her advice to aspiring cooks is “Just because you think you can’t do it the first time, continue to try. Don’t be scared, just do it.”

EASY SANDWICH BREAD

2 ½ tbsp. active dry yeast

3 cups warm water (as warm as baby bottle temp)

1 tbsp. sugar (helps your yeast activate)

2/3 cup honey

6 cups bread flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

4 tbsp. melted salted butter

1 tbsp. salt

This bread can be mixed by hand OR in a KitchenAid mixer. Whichever you prefer.

In a bowl, add your warm water, dry yeast, and sugar. Stir well. Let it sit for a few minutes or until there is foam on top. This foam lets us know our yeast is activated and ready to go! If you don’t have foam, start this process over. DO NOT PROCEED until you have a foamy liquid. Your water needs to be a touch warmer than what you would put in a baby bottle. 

Stir in your honey, melted salted butter, and salt. Mix well. 

Add in 6 cups of bread flour and mix until incorporated. Add in the cup of whole wheat flour. Mix well until everything is incorporated. Now check the dough. If it is still pretty sticky, add in another 1/4 cup of flour. You want to keep adding flour until the dough doesn’t stick to your finger when you poke it. 

If you’re using a mixer, use the dough hook and mix for 2-3 minutes. If you’re kneading by hand, knead for 2-3 minutes. 

Place a clean dish towel over the dough in a bowl. Set it aside and let it double in size (usually 30-45 minutes).

Dump the dough onto a floured surface and divide it into 3 parts. Form it into loaves and place then into greased bread pans.

Cover again with a towel and then let them rise once more. They should almost double in size (around and hour).

Bake the bread in a 350-degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

MONSTER CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Monster Christmas Cookies

2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter at room temperature

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups old fashioned oats

1 1/4 cups holiday M&M's

1 cup mini pretzel sticks, crushed

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla until combined. Beat in the eggs and 1 egg yolk, 1 at a time, until combined. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Beat in the oats. 

Fold in 1 cup of the M&M's, the pretzels, chocolate chips, and white chocolate. 

Roll the dough into 1/4 cup size balls. Place 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.

Transfer to the oven and bake for 8 minutes, then rotate the pan, and bake another 2 minutes. Pull the pan out and push the remaining M&M's into the cookies. Bake 2-3 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. They will continue to cook slightly as they sit on the baking sheet.

Eat warm (highly recommended) or let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.