Harvest Dinner

Every year, the Catholic church in Jordan has a harvest dinner on opening day of antelope season, which USED to always be on Sunday but in a mean trick of bureaucracy turned out to be Saturday this year.  They still had the supper on Sunday, and I'm glad they stuck to their guns.  Church harvest dinners SHOULD be on Sunday evenings!

Anyway...
It's really something to look forward to, if you like food, neighbors or have pie love.  Since I fit into all those categories (but not my jeans, anymore, after attending) I load up whomever will go and we partake.  Usually, it's just Maggie and me.  This year, however, the men joined us! 

It's held at the VFW hall, the only building with a kitchen that will accomodate very large crowds.  Long tables set up and festively decorated with autumn themed things...this year, to our great delight, they sprinkled candy corn on the tables! (As if there wasn't enough food.) 

We paid our paltry sum of eight dollars for grown-ups and kids for free and got in line. 

We had to walk past the pie tables to get to the real food. 

That's right, I said tables...plural.  They put two long tables together and they are both just covered in plates of pie.  I almost didn't make it past.  I asked one of the ladies if it would be possible to completely forgo the rest of the meal and just have three pieces of pie instead, and she didn't seem to think that would be a problem. Bless her heart! But that would be a bad example for the kids, so I kept moving....

....toward the tables groaning under big white roasters of roast beef and lamb, homemade mashed potatos and (I completely understand this) gravy from a mix, cheesy green beans, baked squash, no less than 12 different salads, relish tray, homemade rolls and real butter....and a drink, if you could manage.

This is before you have pie.

Then you find a spot at one of the decorated tables, near friends if you can, which is not hard, and start the job of eating. 

It's a happy job, and all around you, you hear the clink of silverware and a cheerful hum of conversation, occasionally the sound of little kids' voices as they escape the table and find someone to play with on the bandstand.

This year, we found my Dad and Karen and had a visit with them.  Or they visited with us, while we ate.  They had been through the line a bit earlier, so they were full...Dad was polishing off a piece of pecan pie when we sat down. 

I won't go on and on about the pie anymore....except to say that I met a caramel apple pie, there, and I may never fall in love with another.  I know who made it, and if she'll share the recipe, I'll do a special post with it. 

What a great way to spend a Sunday evening!  Especially if you're the cook. 
I have no idea if there are harvest dinners in your community, but if there are, you should try it sometime.
The Lutheran ladies are gearing up for theirs, in Jordan, in a couple weeks...

I have to go run, now. 
Even my fingers feel fat, this morning.