Recipes

I love living in a farming community during the months of August and September. Those are the months that I catch a glimpse of the church “having all things in common.”

In one week, I was the happy recipient of the overflow of thriving gardens. Gloria gave me part of a huge head of cabbage and some new potatoes. Mike met me at the door with two quarts sized bags of green beans already washed and cut. Alice (oh, God bless you, Alice!) gave me a bowl of black raspberries from the bushes on her hill, apologizing that this year’s crop wasn’t so plentiful. But she had enough to share with us! Last year’s corn crop was so plentiful that some dear soul would leave a bag of sweet corn on my doorstep, ring my doorbell, and then run away. Did they think I was going to turn it down? Whoever it was, thank you, thank you, thank you. Can I make you some homemade bread?

Every week, the table beside our congregation’s coffee stand is filled with tomatoes, peppers, and zucchini free for the taking. One person’s overflow provides the needs of those who have not.

The generosity extends beyond harvest and food. As couples reach retirement and our tummies start to shrink, we’ve started to share items we can’t eat up by ourselves. Mike and Anne split a bag of Gala apples with us and we whack off a hunk of our watermelon or cantaloupe to give to them. When our daughter zipped home from China only to leave two days later for her new job in Iowa, ten church people showed up to load her trailer. At the other end, a dozen people from the church near her new apartment converged to unload her possessions in a record twenty minutes.

We each share what we have and no one is in need. That sounds like the early church to me.

My Friend, Caroline from Ohio, shared this recipe for Fried Cabbage and Noodles with me. It quickly became a family favorite. When I decided to share it with you, I had to make it so I could give you concise measurements. You can easily adapt it to your own tastes. The cabbage cooks down quite a bit so I always tend to add too many noodles. Maybe you can find a fresh head of cabbage from a summer garden to enjoy this summer treat.

 

 

 

Do something special for your hard working Vacation Bible School staff. Create a Hospitality Room that provides healthy snacks and drinks, and a pleasant relaxing environment. You can base your VBS program on a rotation schedule so staff members can take a break during the three hour sessions to get a bite to eat, put their feet up, and have a chance to interact with each other.

Our church found that the “Break Room” provides a great place for workers to fellowship and relax. It’s a wonderful way to show the teachers and workers that we appreciate their ministry to the children and we care how they are doing throughout each evening. We ask a different couple to play host and hostess each night who bring a variety of healthy and sweet snacks and visit with workers, offering encouragement and prayer if needed. Our main Break Room coordinator fills an ice chest with soft drinks and bottled water and prepares a pot of decaf coffee. We tried to offer more substantial snacks the first night, like pulled pork sliders or chicken salad sandwiches so those who haven’t had a chance to eat supper will have something more substantial to eat.

This year, my special friend, Makayla Wainman, brought food for Thursday night. She made an awesome bean dip that she has graciously given me the recipe to share with all of you. In addition to a VBS hospitality room spread, this easy to fix dip would work well the next time you need to provide a snack for a teen or adult gathering. Makayla doubled the recipe and put it in a small crock pot. Don’t forget the tortilla chips!