Finally the sun - St. Henry's style

A leisurely drive in south central Minnesota on one of the first 'nice' days of 2013 was a treat as St. Henry's Catholic Church held its annual Salad Luncheon amongst the tweeting birds, calm countryside and warming sunshine.

Last year as I attended a salad luncheon in LeCenter a woman asked me if I had been to St. Henry's luncheon and when she found out I hadn't she highly recommended it. Well, that was almost a year ago and the country church already held theirs, so a full 11 months would have to go by to taste their delectable treasures.

An almost record number of people filled the small community room across from the church proper - because of the food and the fact the sun came out to warm up a disappointing spring season. Joan Traxler, chairman of the event, was happy with the turnout, "It went wonderful, such a great crowd. We were very, very pleased - about 150 attended." In case that doesn't sound like a huge number, this rural church on a Wednesday in April usually draws 35 families to Sunday church. "I think the weather did us a huge favor - no snow and sun!"

The little church on the hill celebrated a 150 years of worship in 2009. It's layout includes the church and cemetery on one side of the paved road and the playground, ball field and community room on the other side. Joan chaired this year's event but each new luncheon rotates the vice chair to the top notch next year, so Laurie Schotz will be continuing a tradition held for over 40 years.

As volunteer numbers dwindle, the men have helped pick up the slack, plus dedicated younger members are now stepping forward. Good thing, because great food, atmosphere and friendly smiles should be part of everyone's schedule as often as they can get it!

Back row: Laurie Schotz, Sandy Gernsheid, Cindy Widmer, Gay Surano,
Joan Traxler; front row: Sharon Riebel, Lucy Helfter, Dolores Wieland,
Megan Holychy

"I think we were one of the first parishes in this neck of the woods that started up a luncheon," Joan recalled. "Then others joined in." About 15 volunteers share the work, including Sharon Riebel, who when she spoke to me, caused us both to speculate where we had met before. She was performing her hostess duties and making sure everyone had what they needed when she asked me - we realized three years ago I bought a golden retriever from her Island Golden Farms nearby. My dog Millie would have loved to come, more to meet everyone than the food, but it constantly impresses me how small the world is when you get out and experience it!

Theresa Widmer and Sharon Traxler welcome Elaine
Willette to the luncheon.

The church's altar society has a bake sale and raffle in the fall and the men just hosted their annual Irish Stew in March. Joan shares feelings all church volunteers (and any in general) about planning a yearly event, "the anticipation is the most stressful, when you get going it runs smoothly." That simplifies what takes years of experience in the top spot to coordinate, but nary a church event has disappointed me yet in performance.

St. Henry is a entity located just off Hwy. 112 between LeSueur and LeCenter. One would suppose it was a bigger town in bygone years, but for now the church property functions as top dog. In protocol established years ago, tables flanked by the wall are broken up by a long row of tables combined for the 'regulars'. The community room is a quaint little facility with memories nailed on the wall. A particular one caught my eye and after investigation, found out this posting was the list of families and what they would bring to the annual picnic many years ago.

Yesteryear's festival signup sheet 

It was humorous to see the family listed by the male head, but the women brought the food and performed the manual labor! Items such as 12 quarts of potatoes, one gallon of carrots, 1/2 bushel of tomatoes, two pounds of butter, a pound of coffee, jelly, pickles, six pies were amongst the sign up items to bring for preparation - then a list of duties that needed to be filled. And besides that, most families chipped in $5- $15 each to pull off this shindig.

At the 11 a.m. start almost 45 people were lined up ready to fill their plates full of an assortment of pastas, salads, casseroles, deviled eggs, desserts, lemonade or coffee. It never ceases to amaze me how when I go through the line how difficult it is to pick what to eat (I usually take a little everything) and when I tour the luncheon area for pictures and interviews, the food has quickly changed to more time-tested recipes! Not fair! I want to go through twice -which would mean I would have to double the size of my stomach. I'm thinking that five minutes after everyone sits down a whistle blows and everyone  rotates their plate to the right to try your neighbor's choice of food. If there's any left!

Pickled carrots were a treat as were the chocolate candy kisses sprinkled amongst a vegetable tray. The daisies and mums that decorated the tables teased us into thinking spring was coming soon. Even a box elder bug managed to join the crowd, but I quickly plucked him off a woman in front of me and deposited him into the wide blue yonder. All the food disappeared as it has every year - that's because of Joan's leadership and great volunteer corp.

St. Henry's founding goes back to when Minnesota was a territory. In 1852 a little group of eight families came from Switzerland to the 'big woods' of south-central Minnesota. These people became the first Romancha settlement in America, actually speaking Roman. That group eventually held a meeting years later to build their church and during the remainder of the winter the ring of axes felling and hewing native oak could be hurt. A 18'x28' log chapel was built in 1859. Eventually a bigger church was built two more times. The church flourished with 85 families in its heyday. Thanks to Joan for getting me this information, described in the booklet as proud a parishioner could be. And lo and behold, the church festival attendances drew 700 people in the 1930s & 1940s.  At one time a banner stretched across CR 112 to announce the festival for all to attend.

Yesterday's restrooms

Who knows how long little country church's like St. Henry's will last, with dwindling numbers and rising exoduses to the larger cities. Right now the church shares Father Chris Shofner with St. Mary's in LeCenter, but someone like me who loves traveling through the countryside for that church gem in the valley or on the hill, let's hope dedicated congregations find a way to stay open.

St. Henry's Catholic Church - definitely a jewel amongst jewels!

St. Henry recipes - thanks Joan!

Jayne Gehrke's Calico Party Beans
Fry 1/2 lb. bacon, chopped
1-3 lbs. of ground beef
1 cup diced onions
1 cup celery (optional)
Drain: Add
2 TBSP mustard
1/2 - 1 cup brown sugar
1 TBSP vinegar
1/ cup ketchup
1 can tomato soup or tomato paste
1 can easy of your choice of beans, drain them (baked beans, northern beans, butter beans, kidney beans, chili beans, lima beans, green beans, or wax beans

Combine all in roaster and bake 350 degrees for about an hour. Or in crockpot (longer time).

Lucy Helfter's Chinese Casserole
1 1/2 pound ground beef
1 cup of chopped celery
1/2 cup onion
1/2 green pepper

Brown all the above and put into casserole. Sprinkle in 1/2 cup rice. Add one large can oriental vegetables - drained, one can cream of mushroom soup, 2 cups liquid beef broth, 2 TBSP soy sauce.

Mix altogether and our over meat and rice mixture. Bake two hours at 250 degrees. Just before done sprinkle with chow mein noodles.

Joan Traxler's Wild Rice Beef Salad
3-4 pounds beef roast - crock pot or oven roasted. Save broth. Shred or cube beef and set aside and add to the following:
1 1/2 cups uncooked wild rice. Cook 45-60 minutes and cool.

Add the following:
1 cup celery sliced thin
1 cup green peppers, diced
1 medium onion
2 TBSP sweet pickle relish
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup salad dressing
salt and pepper to taste
Add 2-3 cups green grapes and some broth. Toss and blend together.

Upcoming Events:

Saturday, May 4 
     *Brownsdale United Methodist Church, BBQ Riblet Luncheon, 9-1 with bake sale and rummage sale
     *St. John's Lutheran Salad Luncheon & Bake Sale, New Germany, 11-1

It's the Pearl of Chicken Dinners

Lonapearl and Gene Korfhage brought friend Loraine Andree to the United Methodist Church creamed chicken dinner in Brownsdale, and marveled at the amount of salads, desserts and main course they got. 

Serving over 245 people this year, it seems the secret's out on the good food served here. It was a typical October night (October 27) as far as weather went, and the creamed chicken could be smelled three blocks away and easily from an open window in a car driving by. The fact that there was a line waiting for them to open made my mouth salivate even more.

Loraine Andree, left, and Lonapearl and Gene Korfhage had already
finished their meal, but they had time to talk about the great event.

"There's just too much to eat!" said Lonapearl. The three proceeded to share their breadth of knowledge on not only many delicious meals in the area, but who has the best lutefisk dinners. "We've been to as many as seven in one year, but there are so many to go to," Lonapearl shared. Loraine agreed. "You could go to these dinners all year round and never get a bad one." In that, so far as I have found, she is right.

They warned me that the Preston's Lutheran church lutefisk dinner the first Sunday of December was one to attend, saying their fruit soup and bread pudding was out of this world. Never had fruit soup, I might have to take them up on that!

Sue Amick coordinates all the volunteers, food, etc. and in addition to that is getting ready for their annual Halloween party for kids. "It's not so bad, everyone does their job and we have a good time," she said, which is validated by the smiles, fun jabs and knowledge of most who attend from the workers behind the counter. As the first people were in line and getting seated, Sue said a prayer over the meal - a first in any dinner I've gone to this year, lending an obvious thankfulness over food and friends.

"This year we almost ran out of food," said Jean Way, a volunteer helping out in desserts. "We were wondering what we were going to do if we did." Jean shared that this is her second year helping out at the dinner, but she and her husband just joined the church officially this year. "We sure liked the people here, so we decided why not (join)?"

Myrna Thompson, Sue's sister, has been involved for many years as well. She's one busy lady going table to table helping customers get seated, cleaning tables, chatting, helping out other volunteers, whatever it takes to pull off the yearly event. United Methodist does have one other large fundraiser in the spring, a Swiss Steak Dinner. If that's half as good as this one, put that one on your calendar!

Aronn Oakland lend a helping hand
for the dinner.

The church is 156 years old, making it one of the oldest in the area. This building is the second one, built in 1978. As most churches in the 19th century, they got their start holding services in sod homes and shanties of parishioners. From there they moved to the school house in the area and the first church was finished in 1891. The ladies aid formed in 1891 and have ever since been a vibrant spark to church life and activities since.

Money raised for the dinners goes to church needs, with a little spread out in other charities.

Current Pastor Sharon Goetzinger and husband, Vern, manned the ticket table. Pastor Sharon is in her second year at the Brownsdale parish. "Everyone involved does such a great job," she said. "It's hard not to want to help out in some way."

A beautiful Lord's Supper mural overlooked the meal room.

Aside from the warmth from the creamed chicken and biscuit it covered, there were so many choice salads your plate couldn't hold them all. Ladies of the church made at least 20 salads, so selecting which one to take made portions smaller or passing on some to take more of another. Then if that wasn't a difficult enough decision, the women made up 15 different pies or bars to choose from. This is the first dinner I have been to where banana creme and coconut creme pies were available - mostly because they need to be refrigerated until served. I had to pass up my favorite banana creme because of the raves I heard from others about the Better than Robert Redford Dessert. Fortunately, I took a piece and kept it until the end. They were right, or the cook was right.

Marcella Rockwell and Judith Pike took care
of bake sale proceeds.

"People always ask me at events where I work or at meals, 'are you going to make that dessert?', so it's hard not to," said Jean Way. She's made the dessert for over 30 years - the new generation probably doesn't even know who Robert Redford is! An added touch at the counter of food was the option of taking a pumpkin flavored muffin, cut in half with a cream spread, decorated festively on top with a pretzel sticking out the top. There was no end to the great food!

Within the first 15 minutes almost all 10 tables of eight were filled, but they had two other smaller rooms ready for backup. As I left, the line was longer and tables filled. And walking to my van my tummy was full and happy, but the temptation to go back in remained as that luscious aroma still filled the air outside.

Jean Way was a friendly face to those trying to
choose ONE dessert!

Recipes of the Day!

Jean Way's "Next Best Thing to Robert Redford Dessert" (and it is!)

1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 8 oz. cream cheese softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 8 oz. Cool Whip thawed
1 large pkg Instant banana pudding
1 8 large pkg. instant chocolate pudding
3 cups milk
1 Hershey bar grated

Mix together flour, butter, pecans for crust; press in 9 x 13 pan, bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Cool.

Mix cream cheese, sugar, 1/2 Cool Whip and spread over cooled crust.

Mix each pudding mix separately, using 1 1/2 cups of the milk in each mixture. Apply each pudding mix in two separately ayers. Spread remaining Cool Whip on top of them.

Sprinkle with the grated Hershey bar. Cool until ready to serve.

Myrna's (Thompson) Raspberry Salad

3 small pkg. raspberry jello
3 cups of hot water
1/2 quart of vanilla ice cream
whole raspberries

Mix the jello with the three cups of hot water until dissolved. Add the vanilla ice cream and mix; add the whole raspberries.  Pour into bowl and cool until ready to serve.

UPCOMING DINNERS/SUPPERS: 
(And there are more where these come from)

Sat. Nov 3 - Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Lyle, Roast Beef dinner, 4-7
     Annual Chili/Soup Supper, Grace United Methodist, Millville, 4:30-7:30
     Scandian Grove Lutheran Church, St. Peter, Lutefisk/Meatball Supper, 11-1, 4-8

Sun. Nov. 4 - Roast Beef Dinner, Kasson Community Church, 11-1
     Hamball Dinner, Zion Lutheran Church, Buffalo Lake, 11-1
     All Saints Dinner, Holden Lutheran Church, Kenyon, 3:30-7:30
     Roast Beef dinner, Harmony United Methodist Church, 4:30-7:30
     St. Mary's of Geneva, Soup and Pie Supper, 4:40-7
     First Presbyterian Church, Winnebago, Swiss Steak Dinner, 10:30-1
     Windsor Pork Chop, St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Rose Creek, 4:30-7

Tues. Nov. 6 - Turkey Dinner, Vernon Center Grace United Methodist Church, all day

Wed. Nov. 7 - Little Cedar Lutheran Church, Adams, Lutefisk/Meatball Supper, 11-1, 5-
               7:30
     Faith Lutheran Harvest Supper, featuring Scandanavian pastries, 5-7:30, Dodge Center

Sun. Nov. 11  - Emmons Lutheran Church Lutefisk Supper, 11-6:30