Excellence Living Magazine

THE TRAILBLAZERS

HOW THE WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE ARE BLAZING THE TRAIL TO

REVIVAL

CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYSRENEW YOUR FAITH &

JESUSWITH

HOLIDAY RECIPESSURPRISE YOUR GUESTS WITH THESE OVER THE TOP RECIPES

BEACON OF HOPEA CONVERSATION WITH

JOAN FOSTERTHE BESTCHRISTMAS GIFTSEXCELLENCE LIVING EDITORSHAVE CURATED THE BEST PRODUCTS LYNCHBURG STORES HAVE TO OFFER!

Excellence Living Magazine / Dec 2015 1

CONT

ENTS

CHRISTMAS WITH SHAY

RONNIE SHOULTZ

CHRISTMAS DECOR

CHRISTMAS RECIPES

MONICA DE GOES

JOAN FOSTER

THE TRAILBLAZERS

Shay spends the day with us and gives us a behind the scenes look at her custom products in her downtown Lynchburg store.

A man of distinction, Ronnie Shoultz talks about how he got into the fashion business.

Lifestyle Editor Tammy gives us some inspiration for decorating for the holidays.

Magazine Editor Stephanie blessed us with some of her favorite Christmas recipes. You gotta check them out!

Women of Excellence are going global with the first stop in Brazil. WOE leader, Monica visits Lynchburg and shares her story.

Editor in Chief, Stephanie Whit-ted sits with the first female Mayor of Lynchburg Joan Foster in her home and catches up on the latest assignment she is most passionate about.How the Women of Excellence are silently

preparing for God to show up with revival in our city.

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14

12

28

18

COVER STORY

THE TRAILBLAZERS

HOW THE WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE ARE BLAZING THE TRAIL TO

REVIVAL

CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYSRENEW YOUR FAITH &

ESUSWITHJ

HOLIDAY RECIPESSURPRISE YOUR GUESTS WITH THESE OVER THE TOP RECIPES

EMERGING LEADERSWOMEN LEADERS IN THE FAITH

COMMUNITY WHO ARE PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL

THE BESTCHRISTMAS GIFTSEXCELLENCE LIVING EDITORSHAVE CURATED THE BEST PRODUCTS LYNCHBURG STORES HAVE TO OFFER!

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EDITOR’S NOTE

A lot of fun and work to make this issue happen. But we did it!

Welcome to the first edition of Excellence Living. We are thrilled to have finally arrived at this moment where hard work and late nights have culminated into what you hold in your hands right now. The premise of this magazine is based upon Philippians 4:8 “...whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, what-ever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” You will be captivated as you browse through the pages and read about the remarkable people, places and things that are of excellence in Lynchburg Virginia. I was especially excited to sit down with Joan Foster our first female mayor and see the other side of her life apart from Council-woman. I am elated to share with you the story of Women of Excellence who started as a small group and are now preparing to host their first city wide evangelistic event in the city of Lynchburg.We have great gift ideas for Christmas and our Lifestyle Editor Tammy is sure to inspire with her Christmas designs.We are working hard on our bigger and greater next issue that’s our official launch issue in January of 2016. Check us out online at www.excellencelivingmagazine.com and keep up with all that’s going on at Excellence Living Magazine.

STEPHANIE WHITTEDEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Lynchburg’s Vice Mayor Ceasor T. Johnson mod-eled for the FanFare photo shoot with Ronnie Shoultz.

BEHIND THE SCENES

LOOK WHO WE SPOTTED


PUBLISHER

Copyright 2015 by Elani Publishing. All rights reserved.

excellencel i v i n g

life more abundantly

WHATEVER IS TRUE, WHATEVER IS HONORABLE, WHATEVER IS JUST, WHATEVER IS PURE, WHATEVER IS LOVELY, WHATEVER IS COMMENDABLE,

IF THERE IS ANY EXCELLENCE, IF THERE IS ANYTHING WORTHY OF PRAISE, WE FEATURE IT!

CO-FOUNDER AND EDITOR IN CHIEF

STEPHANIE WHITTED

CO-FOUNDER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR

ANIKA JANELLE PETTIFORD

www.ExcellenceLivingMagazine.com


ORDER ONLINE ATWWW.BUILDACUPCAKEBAKESHOP.COM

Photography by Anika Janelle Pettiford

LOOKOF THE

MOMENT

The Excellence List

Necklace at Shay’s Unique Gifts1102 Commerce Street, Lynch-burg VA 24504$39

Boots at Shay’s Unique Gifts1102 Commerce Street, Lynchburg VA 24504Up to $300

Louis Vuitton Speedy Handbag$950www.luisvuitton.com

Ascots and neckware by FanFareHeritage Connection Gift Shop$25

Create the feline eye look with makeup by M3GZCall 540 871 0173 to book an appointment.Get this look for less at

Shay’s Unique Gifts1102 Commerce Street, Lynchburg VA 24504Up to $300

Get Gifts for the home atHeritage Connection Gift Shop


INDULGEin

HOMEMADEBEAUTYPRODUCTS

Who knew that ingredients found in your pantry and refirgerator could work as beauty care products? I stumbled upon this fact many years ago and it led me to start my own beauty company called Janelle Beauty. In the pages that follow, we will show you how in just a few steps you can have a potent skin care product that leaves you feeling good about the fact that you don’t have to worry about those pesky toxins found in many store-bought products.

BY ANIKA JANELLE PETTIFORD

The Excellence List

Necklace at Shay’s Unique Gifts1102 Commerce Street, Lynch-burg VA 24504$39

RAID YOURREFRIGERATOR FOR

Glowing Skin

Ingredients: 1 cup mashed grapes 1/4 cup milk 1tsp Olive oil 1 egg yolk 1tsp lemon juice 1/2 tsp sugar

Instructions: Combine all ingredients and mix well. Apply to face with gen-tle scrubbing motion. The sugar acts as a gentle exfoliant. Rinse to reveal radiant skin!

GRAPE & MILK FACIAL MASK


THE WONDERS OF HONEYcreate your own high performance cleanser

Honey is known for its many benefits when used on the hair and skin. Honey is a humectant, which makes it an ex-

cellent moisturizing ingredient in hair and face tonics.

Amazing benefits of Honey:

1. Honey is rich in natural antioxidants and have anti-microbial properties.

2. Honey also has the ability to absorb and retain moisture and this helps in keeping the skin well hydrated, fresh and supple.

3. Honey restores dry, damaged and dull-look-ing hair. It helps retain moisture and get rid of dry, itchy flakes on your scalp.

Ingredients:2Tbsp Honey 1 Cup Oats 1 tsp Lemon Juice

Honey and Oatmeal cleanser

SUPERchargewith crushed blueberries

Instructions:Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Apply to skin with gentle scrubbing motions. May leave on as a mask for 10 minutes. Rinse.

Shays Unique Gift Shop offers everything of something to every woman of all ages and style. Whether it is jewelry, clothing, or those incredibly stylish cowboy boots that she wears with panache. Shay is a petite woman who I would describe as a ball of fire! She is confident, powerful and has a heart of mercy and fairness. Her shop is warm, inviting and friendly. It takes more than “a run in” on your lunch hour to take in all of the one of a kind accessories and clothing. Shay sits down with us and gives us a behind the scenes look at her cus-tom gift workshop and studio where she painstakingly creates her painted items.

CHRISTMASat SHAY’S


UNIQUE &CUSTOMIZED

THE DOWNTOWN QUEEN OF UNIQUE GIFTS IS UPPING HER GAME WITH CUSTOM HANDCRAFTED CHRISTMAS ITEMS PERFECT FOR THAT SPECIAL SOMEONE ON YOUR LIST THIS YEAR.

This piece delighted us

with its vivid colors and

handpaint-ed rustic look that rivals any-thing you would find

in high-end boutiques in

New York City.

HANDPAINTED ORNAMENTSHave Shay create your

own custom glassware to set your dinner parties apart.

CUSTOM PAINTED GLASSWARE

This design is a great gift for your child’s teacher or any other educa-tor on your list.

CUSTOM PAINTED ICE BLOCKS

When you examine these ornaments they are each one of a kind. The snow babies on each ornament has something different drawn about them. They are the most amazing precious things and “babies” is the best word for the design.

There are hidden treas-ures in this shop and one of the most amaz-ing treasures we found was Shays’ ornaments. These precious orna-ments are hand made by Shay herself. Her signature design is a snow man. She calls this design Snow Babies because there are usually more than one on an ornament. She prepares these ornaments painstakingly as customers request them. Every drop of paint is from Shays’ hands and that is what makes them so special. The care she takes to create these babies and make each one come to life is something to talk about.

Shay’s passion is that you come into her store and leave happy. She sincerely want women to love what they buy in her store. It is not so much about the sale but it is about the

customer. Her prices are reasonably set at what she would pay for anything in her store as if she

was not the owner. She left her UPS job because of health reasons and started her business as a trunk show with the sale of jewellry and other items out of the trunk of her car. Once she got her business license she began shopping in Texas for more ways to make Jewellry. Shay was excited to share that she will be moving into a new building with a storefront as soon as it is completed in 2016.

Behind thescenes


THEUNCOMMON

MAN

Ronnie Shoultz

When you walk into Heritage Connections Gift Store you are surrounded by treasures, lots of treasures. That was my experience as I went to interview the owner Ronnie Shoultz. Ronnie epitomizes the notion of a man of distinction who is well dressed, even in casual clothing. As you scan the shop you realize that everything has its place and everyone who would come in can find something that they could take home. Everything is displayed like it is telling a story; the scarf and pocketbook displayed together as if to speak to you that you cannot have one without the other and when you wear me you will be noticed.

4

BY STEPHANIE WHITTED


Ronnie Shoultz

Heritage Connection offers a variety of items for the discerning customer. You will be greeted by either the owner him-self or by one of his loyal staff members.

Ronnie speaks highly of the two ladies that assist him daily - Doris Waller and Mary Woodruff.

THE GIFT SHOP

1. Silver Tea Set available at Heritage Connection 2. Christmas Dinner Setting 3.Stunning Painting avail-able for sale. 4. Zebra Handbag $65. 5. Red scarve $ 12. 6. Glass vase available at Heritage Connection. You can find more info on Heritage Connection Face-book Page: www.facebook.com/heritageconnection

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Ronnie working in his alteration studio.

Ronnie Shoultz

Things got interesting when Ronnie revealed that he is a tailor and designer in addition to running Heritage Connections Gift Shop in downtown Lynchburg. Ronnie and his wife, South Carolina natives, made their home and business here in Lynchburg Virginia a suc-cessful venture. His business started in the Holiday Inn Select with two partners, then transitioned to the end of Main Street in the

old Betty Brite Cleaners and finally to the Galleria with him being the sole owner.

There are three departments within Heritage Connection - a Gift Shop, a Tailor/Alteration Studio and The Flagship store for FANFARE, a line of men’s scarfs and ascots that is designed and distributed by Ronnie. Ronnie tells the American Dream story about his early interest in sewing which was “taboo” for men in his early years. His aunt, a seamstress sparked his interest in sewing, creating and

designing and at a very young age he watched and assisted her starting with taking out seams. He partnered with his aunt years later and launched a successful clothing business in Atlanta, Georgia. They would travel together to do fashion shows but he did not become seri-ous about the clothing business until he came to Lynchburg. The alteration aspect of his business is what he especially enjoys. Ron takes great care in every piece of material that he works on focusing on that assignment before moving on to the next. He is a creator who has an eye for designing that special dress or the perfect scarf. Because of the prime location of the store, business has been abundant and he is highly recommended by his clientele.

Fanfare, his designer creation, carries a line of bow-ties, neck-ties and the

distinguished ascot. Ronnie describes the ascot as the type of neck ware that is worn by the uncommon man. Most men, he explains will not wear

an ascot because it takes a certain type of man to wear it and be comfortable wearing it.

His scarfs are his best seller. At the time of this interview

he was completely sold out with more on the way.

THE BRAND OF DISTINCTION

As a business entrepreneur he offers some advice to those who are considering going into the retail and tailoring business. He says to think ahead and make wise decisions. Those who are interested in retail and the tailoring business must learn the cycles and take advantage of the peak times. At the time of this interview, mid- October, he stated that it was the start of a good season

until January for retail. In January the peak will slow down considerably. It will pick back up in the spring with preparations for proms and weddings. Summer, ironically is not a peak season but the good seasons always off-set the down seasons.


Pastors Jay and Kimberly Logan of Destiny Chris-tian Fellowship in the studio with Ham Bone Pro-ductions working on original songs for release in 2016.

Minister Paulette Williams, a recipient of the WOE Leadership Excellence Award.

Andy Bruce and Melissa Dunn of One Thing Ministries graces the cover of Excellence Living Magazine in Jan 2016

SNEEK PEAK OF THE NEXT ISSUE...

EXCELLENCE LIVING MAGAZINEBRINGING YOU ALL THE EXCELLENCE THAT LYNCHBURG HAS TO OFFER WITH A FOCUS ON FAITH . JESUS CAME TO NOT ONLY GIVE US LIFE, BUT GIVE US LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY! WE CELELBRATE FAITH, BUSINESS, FASHION, HEALTH, BEAUTY, EDUCATION, ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT PERTAINS TO EXCELLENCE.

The Founders of City Sing and One Thing Ministries sat down and chatted with us about all that God is doing in their lives and how He has used them to make an

impact in the lives of women in Lynchburg.

Women of Excellence is a group of Christian women from different churches that are led by Rev. Stephanie Whitted in a weekly Bible Study. The group has grown into a registered 501 c3 non-profit organization that hosts conferences, retreats, charitable and leadership events. WOE, as the group is affectionately called, has accepted the call to not only break off the

chains of women in all sorts of spiritual, mental and emotional bondage but to equip women to become leaders in their own right and forcefully advance the Kingdom of God within their sphere of influence.

WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE

a company of women forcefully advancingTHE KINGDOM OF GOD

THE TRAILBLAZERS


a company of women forcefully advancing

FRANCES CLARKEMINISTER & ENTREPRENEUR

BIBLE TEACHEREDNA WIMBUSH

BIBLE TEACHER & ENTREPRENEURANIKA JANELLE PETTIFORD

The multi-talented business woman is a highly anointed minister of the gospel. Hailing from Baltimore, MD, she has been with with WOE for about 5 years. Fran spends a large part of her day on her face before God interceed-ing for people, situations and things God has laid on her heart.

In love with the presence of God, Anika is focused on spending time in the secret place of God’s presence. She runs multiple media businesses and is in the middle of writing her 2nd book titled “30 Days to Peace, Provision and Protection.”

Anika, a Trinidadian born native, is a graduate of the Reinhard Bonnke School of Evangelism and also holds a Bachelor’s with honors in Account-ing with a minor in Information Technology. She also holds a Masters in Theological Studies from Liberty Theological Seminary.

Edna C Wimbush is a powerful woman of God who is gifted in the areas of faith and healing. As one of the original founding members of Wom-en of Excellence she also serves on its Board of Directors. Edna faithfully ministered to women at WOE’s conferences and retreats for the past eight years and she has since advanced to a Women of Excellence Level Five Teacher.

LEVEL 5 TEACHERSwomen of excellence

Bettina Anthony is an ener-getic, anointed woman of GOD that encourages others in their faith walk with GOD. She is a Women of Excellence Level 5 Teacher and she has faithfully ministered within this organization. Bettina is very active in several min-istries in her local church in Rustburg VA. She completed studies at Amherst Theo-logical Seminary and has con-ducted couples ministry bible sessions with her husband in their home.

LEVEL 5 TEACHERS

BIBLE TEACHER DIANE MCCRAY

BIBLE TEACHERNIKKI BRADLEY

BIBLE TEACHERDEBORAH GOINS

Diane Mccray has a prophetic and healing anointing and is a Women of Excellence Level 5 Teacher. She completed all 5 levels of the WOE Online Leadership Training Institute and is a member of the prophetic team at her local church. She has attended many workshops and conferences on the prophetic including Ministering Spiritual Gifts by Dr. Bill Hamon’s Christian International Ministries Network team. She has ministered at WOE’s conferences and retreats for the past eight years and is mandated by God to duplicate her giftings by imparting into other women

Deborah has an anointing to lead people into the presence of the Lord through praise, worship and prophetic ministry. She is a mem-ber of the worship team at Bread of Life Ministries. She believes God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things through Him. She has completed the School of the Bible with Dr. Phillip Wiley the curriculum equivalent of WOE Online Training Institute.

Nicki Bradley, a humbled daughter of the Most High God. Her mission is touching lives through the power of the Holy Spirit. A level 5 Women of Excellence Teacher, she is called to serve with purpose, walking in the spirit of truth and through the knowledge of God. She is working on completing her degree in Psychology and Christian Counseling at Liberty University.

BIBLE TEACHERBETTINA ANTHONY

women of excellence WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE

VISIT US ONLINE AT

WWW.WOE-INC.ORG


WOMEN OF EXCELLENCEWomen of Excellence began with a verse given to its founder Stephanie Whitted 10 years ago. That verse is Isaiah 61:1-2 “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” As WOE celebrates 10 years of service, growth, trials, tribulations and victories, they are poised to be launched unto a national and internation-al platform all for the glory of God and to serve those that are assigned to them.

The Women of Excellence are holding leadership and prayer meetings with leaders in local churches as they plan to host a city-wide evangelis-tic event called Awakening Campmeeting 2016. The goal is to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and show His love to those who may not otherwise attend church. The next stop will be Brazil as they continue to share the love of Jesus.

WOE have a heart for women and are always looking for ways to serve women who are in need in all soci0-economic realms. For more informa-tion please visit www.woe-inc.org.

Board members, Barbara Woodson and Jackie Anderson are highly gifted admin-istrators. They have been with Women of Excellence since inception 10 years ago. They are founding members and WOE will not be where it is today without their service.

Barbara serves as Treasurer and Jackie serves as Executive Administrator.

THE GIFT OF ADMINISTRATION

BARBARA WOODSONBOARDMEMBER JACKIE ANDERSON

BOARDMEMBER

MEMBERSPeggy Bennett - Member

Women of Excellence gather for a photo shoot.

Bonita, one of the newest member of WOE, is enthusias-tically leading the Operation Christmas Child initiative with Women of Excellence.Operation Christmas Child, the world’s largest Christmas project, brings joy and hope to needy children around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes and the Good News of God’s love. Since 1993, more than 100 million shoe box gifts have been delivered to children in more than 130 countries. A ministry of Samiratan’s Purse led by Franklin Graham.

Danielle Whitted and Vicki Barber serve on the Board of Directors. Danielle is the Vice President and Vicki is a Director and Head of the Resource Commitee.

WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE

VICE PRESIDENT

BOARDMEMBER

DANIELLE WHITTED

VICKI BARBER

MEMBERS

Bonita Myers-Bifulco - Member


THE AWAKENING CAMPMEETING

presents

A mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the city of Lynchburg

2016for more information visit

www.globalcampmeetings.org

WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE GLOBAL

reaching womenaround the worldHow WOE BRAZIL is strategically poised to lead with Monica De Goes

Monica and her father Pastor Enoc De Goes of Da Baptista Gloria Church in Londrina Brazil visited Lynchburg this past September to speak at the Feast of Tabernacles Celebration at Bread of Life Church. She also spoke at a Women of Excellence Bible Study and shared her story of growing into leadership. She is the Director at the Gloria Baptista Bible School where she creates the curriculum and teaching materials for hundreds of leaders. She has traveled around the world and more recently to Japan to speak and mentor on the creation of Cell Group Leadership Training. She has also ministered at the largest church in Brazil with over 70,000 in attendance.

Monica has accepted the assignment of being the National Leader for Brazil for Women of Excellence and she is excited to lead the growth of WOE Brazil. She will be hosting a WOE campmeeting in Brazil the summer of 2016 and she will also be instrumental in assist-ing WOE USA in expansion into South America and beyond.

2016 will be the year of expansion for WOE with chapters in US cities like New York, Baltimore, Atlanta, and international cities like Dubai, Nairobi,

Sydney and Port-of Spain in the Caribbean.

MONICA DE GOESWOE BRAZIL LEADER


CELEBRATE THIS CHRISTMAS WITH THESE SOUL LOVING, OH SO GOOD RECIPES!

The Editors at Excellence Living were busy cooking up a storm to bring to you these time-tested, taste-approved recipes that are sure to please the most discerning of guests! Put on that apron and give it a try this holiday season :) BY STEPHANIE WHITTED

CHRISTMAS BAKED HEN

STEPHANIE’S SWEET POTATO PIE

GREEN BEANS & PEARL ONIONS

HOMEMADE YEAST BISCUITS

HOMEMADE ALMOND JOY

*Recipes can be found on page 31

CHRISTMAS INSPIRATIONTammyOur Lifestyle Editor Tammy Mccray is all ready for the holi-

days with her homemade Christmas decor. Get inspired to “deck the hall!”

Creating you own Christmas decor can be fun and tradition build-ing for your family. Tammy’s step by step inspiration can be found

online at www.excellencelivingmagazine.com

with


CHRISTMAS DINING

INSPIRATION

Spruce up your tablescape with Christmas themed dinner-ware. The warm feeling of Christmas can be extended by setting your table days before your dining event. Get more inspiration at www.excellencelivingmagazine.com.


Joan Foster

bEACON

Joan greeted us at her front door and invited us into her beautifully decorated home dressed as if she had a professional glam squad get her

ready for this interview. Understated Elegance is the phrase that comes to mind. As I sat down with Joan to talk with her about her passion, it was as if we had known each other for years. When she began to expound on the initiatives of Beacon of Hope the sparkle that came from her eyes was also heard in her speech. What transpired next was awe-inspiring to me as I listened to Joan pour out her heart about the “why” of Lynchburg Beacon of Hope.

Beacon of Hope is a private non-profit organiza-tion whose mission is to invest in youth for community transformation. Laura Hamilton is

the Executive Director and Joan’s role is that of Direc-tor of Development. Joan came to widespread recog-nition in the city of Lynchburg when she became the first female mayor of Lynchburg; a role she had for eight years. She now serves the city as a councilwom-an at large and as an advocate for post high school success for Lynchburg City students via Beacon of Hope. This is a role she tenaciously executes. She is relentlessly on the phone, researching for grants and

Beacon of Hope evolved out of the Community Dialogue on Race and Racism. Beacon took what was gleaned from the Dialogue on Race and Racism and incorporated the objective of providing opportuni-ties to higher education for socially and economi-cally disadvantaged students. In its infant stage, the group that would later become the Beacon of Hope decided to use what they had learned by setting a goal to make sure that if any student in the Lynch-burg City School system wanted to pursue a post secondary education they would be supported by the Lynchburg community. The group soon realized that support meant money, therefore, the next task for this committee were strategies to underwrite that goal. It took two years of research into making this an achievable goal. Laura Hamilton, who is now the Executive Director of Beacon of Hope, came on board and did a phenomenal job in researching how other cities in other states funded similar programs. Out of this research and meetings, Beacon of Hope was born and it has been in existence for four years now. Joan highlighted the fact that Beacon of Hope supports and serves all students regardless of a students’ eco-nomic status or level of academic achievement.

OF HOPE

Lynchburg

According to Beacon of Hope, their mis-sion is to ensure that all students who graduate from Lynchburg City Schools are prepared for the next step in life. This includes acceptance to a 4 year college, a 2 year college- technical/community/ trade school or an industry certificate. The educational committee wanted to close the gap between “the haves” and “the have nots.” They wanted children to know that their area zip code did not determine their success in life.

In the short time that this program has been in existence it has accomplished more than the committee could have imagined.

The success and the statistics report of the graduating rate of E.C. Glass and Heritage High School are astounding in comparison to before Beacon of Hope was an option. Beacon of Hope is the first program of this kind to be implimented in the Common-wealth.

The Beacon of Hope Future Centers have done so well that the Mayor of the City of Richmond and his Department of Com-munity Wealth Building is looking into a replica of Beacon of Hope Future Centers in Richmond’s city schools.

The statistics are impressive but Joan is not slowing down in her pursuit of greater funding and greater results for the students in the Lynchburg School System.

Joan’s other passion is her family. She is care-giver to her mother who resides at West Minister. As she spoke about her mother, you soon realize the bond between mother and daughter. She visits or calls her every day and at the time of this interview she was preparing dinner for her mother and some of her mothers’ friends at the Home Like a lot of other women that care for their elderly parents, Joan’s plate can be full. There are times when she gets over-whelmed and need to regroup. She credits her daughters for helping her maintain a semblance of balance.

To get more information about Beacon of Hope or to donate please visit:www.BeaconofHopeLynchburg.org

96% of LCSseniors served through financial applica-tions, college applications and/or explora-tion of future aspirations, due in part to Beacon of Hope’s influence.

Extending hope to students in Lynchburg City Schools

Christmas Baked Hen

1 HEN

1TSP EA, CELERY SALT, GARLIC POWDER, POULTRY SEASON, SAGE, DILL

¼ CUP OF LEMON JUICE

2 MEDIUM TURNIPS. Peeled cut in 6 sections

1 SMALL ONION, peeled cut in 4 sections

*½ STICK OF BUTTER

Wash Hen and place in baking pan, I prefer an aluminum pan for baking Hen but it is op-tional. Place 2 sections of the turnip inside of Hen with 1 section of the onion.

Rub butter over Hen until well entire Hen is covered

Pour ¼ of lemon juice over hen and sprinkle all seasoning.

Place remaining onions, turnips around Hen.

Put aluminum foil over entire Hen.

Place in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Basting every 20 minutes with juice from chicken.

After baking remove Hen from pan and place on platter, place onions and turnips around Baked Hen and pour the juice in the pan from Hen over the top. Garnish as desired.

Serves 6 to 8 people.

*For a healthier version use olive oil, and substitute celery salt for low sodium salt.

My Mother-n-laws’ Homemade Yeast Biscuits

5 cups plain flour

1tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

¼ cup sugar

1 cup shortening

2cups buttermilk

1 pkg dry yeast

2 tbs warm water

Dissolve yeast into water, set aside (until yeast becomes bubbly).

Mix dry ingredients.

Cut shortening into dry ingredients.

Add yeast mixture into buttermilk and add to flour mixture. Knead into a ball.

Slightly Grease sheet pan with shortening and form dough into desired size

allowing for rising and place on cookie sheet. Let rise.

Before placing in oven brush top of dough with butter.

Place in a 300 degree oven until golden brown.

Yield approximately 32 biscuits

*Best when buttermilk is room temperature

GET MORE RECIPES ON WWW.EXCELLENCELIVINGMAGAZINE.COM


Christmas Baked Hen

1 HEN

1TSP EA, CELERY SALT, GARLIC POWDER, POULTRY SEASON, SAGE, DILL

¼ CUP OF LEMON JUICE

2 MEDIUM TURNIPS. Peeled cut in 6 sections

1 SMALL ONION, peeled cut in 4 sections

*½ STICK OF BUTTER

Wash Hen and place in baking pan, I prefer an aluminum pan for baking Hen but it is op-tional. Place 2 sections of the turnip inside of Hen with 1 section of the onion.

Rub butter over Hen until well entire Hen is covered

Pour ¼ of lemon juice over hen and sprinkle all seasoning.

Place remaining onions, turnips around Hen.

Put aluminum foil over entire Hen.

Place in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Basting every 20 minutes with juice from chicken.

After baking remove Hen from pan and place on platter, place onions and turnips around Baked Hen and pour the juice in the pan from Hen over the top. Garnish as desired.

Serves 6 to 8 people.

*For a healthier version use olive oil, and substitute celery salt for low sodium salt.

My Mother-n-laws’ Homemade Yeast Biscuits

5 cups plain flour

1tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

¼ cup sugar

1 cup shortening

2cups buttermilk

1 pkg dry yeast

2 tbs warm water

Dissolve yeast into water, set aside (until yeast becomes bubbly).

Mix dry ingredients.

Cut shortening into dry ingredients.

Add yeast mixture into buttermilk and add to flour mixture. Knead into a ball.

Slightly Grease sheet pan with shortening and form dough into desired size

allowing for rising and place on cookie sheet. Let rise.

Before placing in oven brush top of dough with butter.

Place in a 300 degree oven until golden brown.

Yield approximately 32 biscuits

*Best when buttermilk is room temperature

GET MORE RECIPES ON WWW.EXCELLENCELIVINGMAGAZINE.COM

Sweet Peas and Pearl Onions

2 bags frozen Sweet Peas

8 pearl onions, peeled

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons of flour

¼ cup of water

Salt and pepper to taste

Follow directions on bag for cooking Peas adding butter, salt and pepper. Half way through Peas being completely cooked add pearl onions. Meantime in small bowl mix flour and water stirring till a smooth consistency, adding more water as needed. 5 minutes before Peas are completely cooked making sure that the peas have juice up to the half way mark of peas. The flour mixture is to thicken the juice from peas.

Mac and Cheese

1 box elbow noodles

½ stick of butter

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 cup Colby cheese, shredded

1 cup Asiga cheese, shredded

1 cup Sharp cheddar cheese, block chopped

1&1/2 can evaporate milk

2 cups of 2% milk

2 eggs, beaten

½ cup of shredded cheese, mixture of the three.

Prepare noodles as directed on box. Prepare cheddar cheese in small blocks. Remove cooked noodles from stove and drain. Place noodles back in pan. Add butter, salt and pepper, stirring until butter has melted. Add shredded cheeses (leave about 1/2 cup of mixed chesses for later) and mix into noodles. Add all milk making sure the noodles are covered but do not completely submerged. Stir in eggs well.

Place mixture in an 8 x 11 casserole dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes depending on your oven temperature performance. 5 minutes before dish is completely cooked, remove from oven and sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of mixed cheeses. Return dish to oven for 5 minutes until cheese is melted and brown. Remove from oven and let set for 8 minutes before serving.

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