Spencer gains inspiration from Pinterest

Quanta Spencer is the mother of three boys and the wife of Vincent Spencer. Quanta and Vincent got married in 2001 and have been married for 19 years. Spencer is the oldest sibling of three brothers. She mentioned that since growing up with three brothers and having three sons, she wouldn’t know what to do with a girl.

Vincent works with Star Petroleum out of Texas, a firm that hires truck drivers and handles payroll, hours, schedule routes and so on.

Quanta was born in Lauderdale County but grew up in Philadelphia. Spencer attended Neshoba Central and graduated from there in 1996. She then furthered her education at East Central Community College for two years where she got a liberal arts degree.

“I continued my education at Mississippi State Meridian Branch and got a degree in social work,” Quanta said.

She currently works as a substitute teacher at Neshoba Central. Quanta enjoys being a sub at Neshoba Central and mentioned that the kids are doing great with wearing their mask and practicing social distancing.

“Everything is still the same besides checking the students' temperature each morning, and eating in the classroom,” she said.

Before working for Neshoba Central as a substitute teacher, she was a unit student director at the Boys & Girls Club.

Her hobbies include her three sons. Cobie Spencer, who is the oldest, Ashton Spencer, who is the middle child and the youngest Hayden Spencer. All of Spencers’ sons are involved in sports. They attended Neshoba Central, where she is a member of the high school P.T.O. Quanta mentioned that their kids have had nothing bad to say since school started back, and have adjusted well to wearing a mask at school. She also helps assist her husband Vincent in managing their business Star Petroleum out of Texas.

Quanta’s husband Vincent recently built her what she calls a “she-shed.” It has a swing outside and solar lights. She likes to spend her mornings and free time in her “she-shed” drinking coffee, meditating, and going over Bible lessons. 

“The she-shed is my time to myself while my children are at school,” she said. “That’s why I call it the “she-shed.” 

Quanta loves to cook but mentions that she is not a baker. She gets fulfillment knowing that whatever she fixes is something that everyone likes. With feeding three growing boys Quanta sometimes feels like she cooks too much until she realizes it all been eaten, and then she knows she made enough. She likes getting recipes off of Pinterest and cookbooks to try new things.

SLOW COOKER PORK TENDERLOIN

1 Smithfield Prime Pork Tenderloin (about 1.5 pounds)

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon celery seeds

1/2 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small to medium onion cut into 4 large slices

3 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 to 2.5 pounds of potatoes scrubbed and cut into 1 to 1.5-inch cubes

3 tablespoon chopped parsley

Add additional salt and pepper to taste

Open the package of pork and remove tenderloin. Place the pork on a large plate. Mix together the salt, rosemary, celery seeds, black pepper and minced garlic in a small bowl. Rub the pork all over with olive oil and then coat it well with the spice mixture on all sides. Place the sliced onions on the bottom of the slow cooker, favoring one side of the slow cooker, and then place the pork on top of the onion. Gently drizzle the soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce over the pork. Use large piece of foil to make a pocket for the potatoes next to the pork. Be careful to make it large enough so that the juice won’t get into the foil. Fill the foil with cubed potatoes and add 1 tablespoon of butter. The pork should be off to one side but not completely touching the side of the slow cooker. Add the lid and cook for 3.5 to 4 hours on LOW or until the pork registers 145 degrees using and instant-read thermometer or the probe on your slow cooker. When the pork is cooked through, remove from the oven and allow to rest for 3 minutes. While the pork is resting, place the potatoes in a large bowl and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, chopped parsley and salt to taste. Stir to combine. Slice the pork and place it on a serving platter. Serve right away with buttered potatoes on the side.

CROCKPOT SAUSAGE AND CABBAGE

1 small head cabbage, coarsely shredded

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 to 2 pounds organic kielbasa

1 cup apple juice or water

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2-3 large potatoes, diced

2-3 large carrots, diced

Salt and Pepper for taste

Layer the cabbage, onion, potatoes, carrots and sausage in a 5 or 6 qt. Crockpot. Whisk together the juice, mustard, vinegar and pour over crockpot ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.

LOADED SLOW-COOKED POTATOES

Cooking spray

2 lb. baby potatoes, halved and quartered if large

3 c shredded cheddar

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

8 slices bacon, cooked

1/4 c sliced green onions, plus more for garnish

1 tablespoon paprika

Kosher salt

Freshly grounded black pepper

Sour Cream, drizzling

Line a slow cooker with foil and spray with cooking spray. Add half the potatoes, 1 1/4 cups cheese, half the garlic, 1/3 of the cooked bacon, half the green onions, and half the paprika. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat. Cover and cook on high until potatoes are tender, 5 to 6 hours. (The bigger the potatoes, the longer they will need.) About 20 to 30 minutes before serving, top with remaining cheese and bacon (this is the moment to make your potatoes look pretty). Garnish with more green onions and drizzle with sour cream before serving.