Lucie R. Willsie | The News
Newly-met friends at the Highland Park Baptist Church’s Lenten Lunch Wednesday are, from left, Annabell Hodges, Jane Joyce, Paul Beasley, Willie Hutchins and Glenda Hiatt.
Lucie R. Willsie | The News
Baked spaghetti is the featured main hot dish at last Wednesday’s Highland Park Baptist Lenten Lunch.
Lucie R. Willsie | The News
Some of the Women’s Missionary Unit, better known as the WMU, volunteers who help organize, plan the menu, cook, serve and clean for the Highland Park Baptist Lenten Lunch this year are, from left, Sherri Sexton, Elaine Shelton, Wanda Dobbins, Glennice Lynch, Ruth Handy, Francis Nixon, Joyce Hardy, Annie Laurie Smith, Glenda Weddle and Ann Cruise.
Lucie R. Willsie | The News
A total of seven Lenten lunches will be offered to the community for a voluntary donation every Wednesday starting at 12:30 p.m., after Lenten services, at the Highland Park Baptist Church.
Lucie R. Willsie | The News
Around 170 diners enjoyed the first Lenten lunch at the Highland Park Baptist Church on Feb. 13. The number seemed to increase this past Wednesday to around an estimated 200.
Lucie R. Willsie | The News
Dessert is always included in the Lenten lunch menus. This past Wednesday both vanilla and chocolate pudding was served. The first week, pound cake was served to guests.
Lucie R. Willsie | The News
A full meal is planned for every Lenten lunch at the Highland Park Baptist Church for the seven weeks between Ash Wednesday and the Wednesday before Easter, including a garden salad this past week.
Lucie R. Willsie | The News
As a perfect compliment to the spaghetti bake, garlic bread also was on the menu for Wednesday’s second Lenten lunch at Highland Park Baptist Church.
A parking space could not be found.
Cars filled the entire main lot of Highland Park Baptist — in every visible parking space — as well as around the side and even on the street on a sunny and temperate day last Wednesday.
This year is Highland Park’s turn to offer spiritual and physical sustenance to the folks of Mount Airy.
Parishers of many area churches enjoyed the church’s second Lenten service on Feb. 20, and a special Lenten meal provided by the members of the Women’s Missionary Union, better known as the WMU, of Highland Park.
“Lenten services are held each year at a different church … All the members of the WMU work on the lunch,” said Joyce Hardy, a member of WMU and one of the lady volunteers who put together, organizes and serves the lunch. “Many of the other women in the church do as well.”
Including today, for the next five weeks, until March 27, Lenten services will start at Highland Park at noon with the Lenten lunch following right after at around 12:30 p.m.
One of the issues the ladies had to deal with is knowing exactly how much food to prepare, especially for the first lunch.
“All recipes have been adapted to serve between 150 and 200 people … Everybody contributes to the recipes,” said Francis Nixon, one of the WMU members. “We served 170 people last week.”
The first week, soup and sandwiches were served. This past week, baked spaghetti, garlic bread and a garden salad.
Dessert also is included in the full meal. The first week, pound cake was the fare. This second week, both vanilla and chocolate pudding were on the menu.
Both sweet and unsweet tea were also part of the offerings.
On the second lunch, the numbers seemed to have increased to at least 200.
Another challenge for the ladies was to make sure the recipes that would be served could be properly increased to serve a fellowship hall full of diners.
“We have to guess,” Nixon said.
But no food ever goes to waste, Hardy added. Any food that may be left over is given to shut-ins.
Lenten services and the lunch are sponsored by the Mount Airy Ministerial Association, of which the Rev. Bob Josey, who attended this event, is the president. The first service and lunch was held on Feb. 13. No fee is charged, but voluntary donations are requested. Highland Park Baptist is located at 1247 Park Drive.
Pastor Dr. Darrell Tate said the services, the luncheon, and especially the ladies were wonderful.
“They are the best cooks in town,” Tate said. “It’s just wonderful of these ladies to do this.”
And a group of newly made friends agreed.
Annabell Hodges first attended a Lenten lunch almost 10 years ago. But none of the five new friends at the table could remember exactly how long these Lenten lunches had been held.
“I’ve been coming since they started,” Hodges said. “And, this lunch is just absolutely wonderful … The meal brings it all together … I just love it.”
Glenda Hiatt agreed. She has been attending these Lenten services and lunches as long as Hodges has. Hiatt remembered using her lunches and sometimes her vacation hours to come to these lunches over the years.
“There was wonderful fellowship before the lunch,” Hiatt said. “And this food is wonderful. These ladies have outdone themselves. There is something for everyone.”
Willie Hutchins came as a friend of Hiatt’s.
“Today is my first time at a Lenten lunch,” Hutchins said, at least in about a dozen years or so. “My favorite is — all of it. I think it’s wonderful.”
This was Jane Joyce’s first time at Highland Park. Her children are members of this church and that’s how she heard about the lunch.
“It’s like you come get spiritually fed and also get physically fed,” Joyce said.
Paul Beasley also was impressed with how substantial the meal actually was. He was expecting a “light” meal, but instead received what he called a “birthday celebration” meal or a “reunion” meal.
“There’s a different menu every week,” Hardy said. “Planning started way before the first week … Planning for next week is already in the works.”
And, the work doesn’t end once everyone has finished eating, either.
That’s when the ladies have to finish the all important cleanup.
And then, it starts all over again — every week — until the Wednesday before Easter.
Brown hamburger, onions and green peppers, then drain. Combine Ragu sauce, oregano, salt and pepper, add to hamburger mixture. Simmer 10 minutes. Add cooked spaghetti. Put in large 9-by-12 greased dish. Top with mozzarella, cheddar cheese and pepperoni. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted.
Chicken Pie with Vegetables
Makes Around 6 Servings
4 chicken breasts, cooked, salt to taste while cooking, save broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
2 cups chicken broth
4 carrots, sliced and cooked until tender
1 small can of green peas
Black pepper to taste
1 stick of butter
1 cup of flour
1 cup of buttermilk
Cut or shred chicken into bite-sized pieces, place in 9-by-13-inch casserole, pepper to taste. Add carrots and peas on top of chicken. Mix soups with broth, heat in the microwave, and pour over the chicken and vegetables. Melt butter, stir in flour and buttermilk and stir to make a batter, pour evenly over chicken and vegetables. Bake in 375 degree oven for about 50 minutes until browned.
Butter Pecan Cake
1 box butter pecan cake mix
1 cup milk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 can of Betty Crocker butter pecan frosting
Mix all ingredients with mixer and fold icing in last. Cook at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour checking center until done.
Chicken Pie
4 chicken breasts, cooked
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
2 cups broth from chicken
4 carrots slice and cooked tender
1 small can green peas
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 stick butter
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup buttermilk
When cooking chicken, add salt and pepper to taste. Mix soup and chicken broth in sauce pan. Heat until mixed well. Cut or peel apart chicken breast, place in casserole dish. Add cooked carrots and green peas over chicken. Pour soup mixture over this. Make crust of butter, flour and buttermilk. Spread over chicken mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until brown.
Vegetable Beef Soup
Makes Around 6 Servings
1 1/2 pounds hamburger
1 large onion, chopped
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 large can tomato juice
1 can corn, drained
1 can lima beans, drained
1 can green peas, drained
1 can green beans, drained
2 cups diced potatoes
1 cup cooled elbow macaroni
1 cup water
Fry hamburger and onion until brown. Fry slowly and stir often. Drain. In a large pot, add juice add juice, water and tomatoes. Add vegetables to tomatoes. Add hamburger mixture and bake slowly for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Add about 1/4 cup sugar to mixture to take out some of the tomato taste.
Chicken Rice Casserole
4 chicken breasts, cooked, save broth
Salt to taste
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups uncooked long-grain rice
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
3 celery ribs, diced
2 medium onions, diced
1 medium carrot, grated
Cook chicken in salted water with garlic and thyme until tender. Remove chicken, cool and cut into chunks, place in a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking dish. Mix 3 cups broth with soups, heat in microwave, add rice, celery, onions and carrot and pour over chicken. Cover with foil and bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until rice is tender.
Peach Cobbler,
or any fruit of your choice
1 large can peaches
1 stick margarine
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Cinnamon to taste
1 teaspoon vanilla
Drain peaches. Put into 9-by-13-inch pan. Mix margarine, juice from peaches, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and bring to a boil on stove. Add vanilla flavoring. Pour over peaches. Add crescent rolls to top and heat to 350 degrees until top is brown.
Pound Cake
1 box Duncan Hines butter recipe cake mix
1 8-ounce cream cheese
1 stick margarine
1 cup sugar
1 cup plain flour
4 eggs
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla or lemon flavoring
Mix cake mix, sugar, flour, cream cheese and margarine. Add eggs. Beat well. Add milk and flavoring. Bake in tube pan at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Reach Lucie R. Willsie at lwillsie@civitasmedia.com or at 719-1930.
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