Despite the bitter cold and a few inches of fresh snow covering the ground, the St. Luke’s Lutheran Church Community came out in droves on Saturday, Jan. 25 for the first “Taste Of St. Luke’s” event. More than 125 people chowed down on dishes made by more than 30 church members in an effort to raise money for a new community center.
“A lot of people don’t know, but we bought the Chase bank next door, the building,” explained Karen Wiking, organizer of the event and the director of Christian education for the parish community. “Even though all of the teller windows and all of the bank stuff is gone—we already ripped that out—it still very much a bank. All of the proceeds from this event are going towards renovations on that building for more community programs.”
Put on by the church’s women’s group, Wings, a ticket price of $20 per person not only bought some delicious food, but also included beer and wine tastings for a fun night out. There were four categories—appetizer, entrée, dessert and other for things such as soups, stews and chili—and each attendee was able to cast their vote for their favorite dishes of the night. The winner, said Wiking, would be given a gift card to a local restaurant as a prize, all of which were donated from those in the community.
“It was basically a step up from a traditional church pot luck. This is the very first time we are doing this and it’s so nice to see everyone so excited,” Wiking said.
Deidre Schelling, a member of Wings, made chocolate chip cookies for the occasion because she loves to bake, she said. “I make them a lot, so I’m used to making them and it’s easy to make them small,” she said. However, it was her love for the church community that kept her smile on her face as she served those stopping by her table.
“It’s so nice to see the people from the church get together because you really don’t see that often,” Schelling said. “It’s a nice night out.”
People lined up for seconds and thirds of Christine Krauss’ turkey chili, a definite crowd-pleaser. “It was an old Weight Watchers recipe that I just modified. I thought it would be a good idea because it’s easy to serve to a lot of people,” she said. Krauss, also part of the Wings group, explained that even though she worked hard to prepare the chili—as well as the dessert—it was worth it. “Having everyone come together for something like the new community center is really great,” she said.
And those that came out were not disappointed. “Everyone keeps calling this the ‘first annual’ so it looks like it’s a hit,” Wiking said.
