Church Pot Luck

[annavon]

Good news, I took the Not Potato Salad from Alissa's book to the church pot luck on Sunday and it was well liked (I LOVE it):D . We have one every week because we don't eat before church and get done at noon. Luckily they are really open to vegan food as we abstain from animal products approx 200 days are year. Soooo, I want to keep raw, so I have to bring raw dishes that fit the theme of the week. Italian is easy, but I'm not so sure about Mexican food. Any suggestions?

[rawstrength]

Mexican food = guacamole, salsa, walnut taco meat, dehydrated corn tortillas :)
Also, use the banana search to find the most excellent unfried "beans" recipe that is floating around this forum. It is just like refried beans. Also, Morn's Cheddar Cheese sauce recipe is really good for mexican food when made with jalepeno peppers.
Congrats on getting your church to like your food! People at my church also abstain from animal products for a large portion of the year.

[Anastazia]

Just curious, do you mind if I ask which churches do you go to?
I know SDA is vegetarian (but not vegan, I think) & I know the catholic church used to have certain dietary restrictions (no fish on Fridays, etc.)
...& I believe Amish people are vegetarian,(Or is that the Mennonites?)...

...I'd love to know what other churches teach their people to eat healthy...
{...& do they give reasons, scripture, etc. for it? & is it a requirement, or just a suggestion?}

...& why only 200+ days a year? *grin*

~Anastazia~

[annavon]

Anastaizia: I'm an Orthodox Christian (Greek/Russian Orthodox) We abstain from animal products every Wednesday and Friday (some add Monday and Saturday as well). Then there are several other "Lenten" periods. Most people know about Great Lent which is the six weeks before Easter. This is to not only cleanse you physically but spiritually as well. We actually begin with a total fast for most of the first week and are encouraged to eat only raw foods that week (so you are doing as little work as possible). I was pleased when I leared about this when I became Orthodox.

[Clare]

Not all SDA's are vegetarian - it is simply encouraged. Also, Amish and Mennonites are certainly not vegetarians in general. Most of them farm and so raise their own meat, dairy and even sell it.

Catholics are still required to give up meat all Fridays but may choose another sacrifice/penance outside of Lent. Vegetarians are asked to choose an additional sacrifice. Many religious orders like the Carmelites abstain from meat most of the year, except perhaps at Easter if it's provided. It's more out of a spirit of poverty though than any other motivation.

I don't think that religion is really allowed to be discussed on this site but I wanted to answer your question since I am also a convert (Catholic). Keep studying! The answers are out there.

[rawstrength]

I am Greek Orthodox, too :) .

[smoothiegirl]

I live around the Amish and they eat the typical SAD diet -cheese and cottage cheese out the wazoo. They do eat farm raised meat and milk from cows. I thought they ate pretty healthy and I discovered they don't. I like to peep into their grocery sacks and look at what they eat-bologna, hot dogs, cheese curls, ice cream like it's going out of production. Some are not as progressive and they do live off of the land. Depends on where they live.

[rawstrength]

I, too, was shocked when I went to Pennsylvania to learn that the Amish eat so unhealthily. Tons of whoopie pies and apple pie and other really rich concoctions.
Yet, they do need all those calories, because they do much more physical activity than typical Americans. For example, they walk everywhere, often many many miles per day.
Although they seemed to be terrible eaters, I did not meet one obese Amish person, and very few of them were overweight.
Excersize counts, too :) .
So does spirituality. I did not meet any depressed / zoned out / over-stressed / angry Amish people.

[Clare]

Yeah, the Amish are pretty cool people. I used to be in a co-op to get raw milk for my adopted babies. Most of the milk came from this family that had 15 children. They would play with my toddler and were so obedient to both the mom and the teenaged daughter that pretty much ran the dairy business. The teenagers all had acne, which surprised me because I thought they ate so naturally, however, they sell candy and lots of baked goods and jams, so i suppose they must eat all that, too. Yet they aren't obese as Rawstrength pointed out because of the hard labor. Maybe also regular meals and no emotional eating. I imagine they still teach the virtue of temperance in eating, while it's hard for me to do that with my children when they see me blissfully eating multiple peaches over the sink :-)

[rusmiley99]

i want to save this :)

[Anastazia]

Lots of good info, thanks...
...I thought it was the Amish they studied for health purposes, but maybe it was cuz they don't vaccinate & have no autism...? Yea, I think that's it!

...& I'm not actually looking for a new church that believes in healthy eating, Clare, (Is that what you meant? Sorry, don't mean to assume...) I choose where I fellowship based on what they believe spiritually...

...Besides, I know that most people eat SAD regardless of what they believe...}

I just wanted to know what others teach & do with vegetarianism, veganism, & raw, & fasting, too...

I think there are some Mennonite communities that do eat healthier, have big gardens, etc. At least their meat & dairy is more likely to be antibiotic, steroid & growth hormone free, hopefully! Maybe not...?

My mom married a Doukhobor, & she still lives in their little Russian community in the Kootenays (interior of BC) & they're vegetarian, many are vegan, & they live off these HUGE georgous gardens!!! (Never heard of a raw doukhobor, though! I wonder if there are any?)

~Anastazia~

[carolg]

I recently returned to the church where I got "saved" coming from a Jewish background too. Seeing the associate pastor at Sunday's service after probably 10 years he said "where is the other half of you." He was referring to weight loss. He also said I looked great. I told him I am still the health nut and eat according to Gen. 1:29. Didn't seem to get him excited.

Exciting news is that this church will be having a weekly farmers market starting in 2 weeks and benefits part of the youth group. Way too cool. I was thinking maybe I could provide a recipe of the week based on what they are getting from farmers. I know our season so really maybe it can go into the bulletin and make it super simple such as "salsa", "guac", corn on the corn or in your plate dishes, beans, cuke salad.

Oh, got my first batch of dill pickles making. My daughter visiting from TX has not expressed any interest to learn the steps. i got 4 GALLONs and 1/2 GALLON going right now. At least $5 per quart here if I went with Bubbies.

The recipe is posted somewhere here. Look here for Boutenko recipe dill garlic pickles I think, add my name carolg and up it should come.

carolg

[Anastazia]

Oooh, PICKLES!!!! How I wish I'd planted pickling cukes!!!!

Maybe you can do one simple recipe, & one challenge recipe, & ask for reviews! That's so cool your church is doing that! Wow, if that was my church, I'd ask to set up a little area to tell people about the benefits of raw, & especially GREEN SMOOTHIES, with recipe handouts, & a list of links of raw sites to check out & learn about the benfits of raw! With sample goodies, of course, & fun ways to reach the kids!
& do a one page write up with a before & after pic, share it with anyone who's interested! (Sorry, I tend to go into brainstorm-mode this time of night! I've got my second wind!)

Maybe you could also do a little paragraph about WHY raw is best, (enzymes, etc) that could be in each newsletter...(or a little handout, with some links they could check out...like this one!)

Whatever you do, have fun with it!!!

I'll be praying your Pastor (or whoever's in charge!) will let you run with it!!

I just realized you meant the church bulletin!!! Silly me! I thought it was something to hand out at the farmer's market ...hey....maybe the Pastor will let you design a little one or two page flyer & let you print it at church to give out, you could end it with a little invitation for any visitors to the market to come to church, with service times, etc...
...ok, I'lll stop now!

~Anastazia~

[punpkin]

Clare - I am not far from you in Memphis!!

[Clare]

not a lot of Tennessee health nuts, right? We adopted our younger son from Memphis at six weeks old. He cried the entire drive home so it still seems like an extremely long drive to me :-) Hope you have some good farmers' markets there as we do here.

Anastazia - yes I did misundertand you. I agree that this is not something to base spiritual decisions on myself. I tried to do that many years ago and found no peace in that.

Carolg- I am also of Jewish descent (part of a growing population of Jews to join the Catholic Church). Are Doukhobors Jewish then? I have not heard of them. I have always had respect for those who set themselves apart like that by faith. That's why even as a child i longed to join the Amish :-) just to give up all the comforts and luxuries we take for granted out of pure love.