Granny’s Sugar Cookies, Buffalo Chicken Dip, Crockpot Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken, and Fried Green Tomatoes. What do they all have in common? They’ve all been recipes that have appeared in the Church Chimes. Since 2021, over 100 mouthwatering casseroles, breads, desserts, and more have been included in the weekly newsletter of Sylva First Baptist Church. You’ve probably tried one or more of them!
How did recipes come to be included in the Chimes? Well, during the height of the COVID pandemic, our church’s WMU was searching for ways to build community, reconnect, and engage our church members. WMU decided that the sharing of favorite recipes was one simple way to work toward this goal. At a time when we were often isolated in our homes, a homey touch shared by a fellow church member was a welcome addition to our church news.
It seems to have worked. I’ve heard folks converse in the hallways about the recipe they saw recently in the Chimes. Just last Sunday, Barbara Vance told me that she had tried my No-Bake Lemon Ice Box Pie and it was really good. Many of the recipes have made their way onto tables at covered dish dinners and picnics.
One of the best things about sharing the recipes comes when someone includes a comment like “This is a family favorite” or “I made these cookies with my grandson – so yummy!” It makes the dish more interesting and offers a glimpse into one’s personal story.
The project has encouraged people of all ages to contribute their favorites – from an elementary school student to a college student, to middle age and seniors. Although the majority have been women, a few men have also contributed, like Guy Hall with his often requested Cinnamon Rolls. It would be great to have more of our male cooks share their culinary specialties.
We’ve even had an international element in our recipes. Adonais Rojas, a member of our sister church in Cuba sent her favorite, Tocinillo del Cielo – “Heaven’s Bacon”, a traditional Spanish recipe for a rich caramel dessert. It was neat to see this cultural exchange take place.
Sharing of recipes is an almost universal ecumenical endeavor. You probably have cookbooks on your shelf from neighboring denominations (as well as the Sylva FBC cookbooks). A quick perusal of some church cookbooks from my collection yielded some interesting titles: Happiness Pie, Turkey in the Sack, and Yankee Spaghetti. Our church friends are creative and good cooks.
I don’t know when the practice of sharing recipes began, but I have to think it could have originated with the early Christians. Imagine sitting around the table with your brothers and sisters in Christ, breaking bread together and someone asks “Who made this delicious bread? Tell me how you did it?” Or, “This fish has an unusual flavor. Did you try a different herb for seasoning?” As you dipped your bread in the communal dish of lentils or hummus, maybe someone comments that they added a little extra olive oil to dress it. With over 1200 references to food in the Bible, you see how there were many opportunities for talking about and sharing food. The fellowship that comes from eating together over good food is a sweet experience.
Thank you for being part of this WMU effort over the last 2 years. Please continue to send your recipes to me or leave them in the Church Office. Add comments about them, bring out your old family stand-bys as well as your new finds. They will become part of the legacy of our church.
Let me close with a statement from my Aunt Nellie’s church cookbook in Graham County that is appropriate for us: “We know each of us will delight in cooking from these recipes, and as we enjoy eating these special dishes, we will rejoice in another way our church people share their love.”
