Festival of Lights
Find great recipes, holiday decorations at the First Parish Church on Dec. 2
By Jennifer L. Saunders
"Memories of Maine: Cooking Through the Generations," a cookbook compiled by the First Parish Church Women's Fellowship, will be on sale at this year's Wreath and Greens Sale, as part of the Festival of Lights celebration. The cover artwork, shown here, was created by Kathy Gile Carter.
Courtesy photo
YORK VILLAGE - Fans of the Festival of Lights celebration are certainly not strangers to the work of the First Parish Church Women's Fellowship, as their annual Wreath and Greens Sale is a staple of the event.
This year, however, there will be even more than the favorite decorations of the holidays available at the sale.
The event, which is scheduled for this Saturday, Dec. 2, at the First Parish Fellowship Hall from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., will, as in years past, feature wreaths decorated by the Women's Fellowship.
However, there is a special addition this year in the form of "Memories of Maine: Cooking Through the Generations," a cookbook created by the Women's Fellowship with recipes from innumerable First Parish Church members.
Whether you're craving such tasty appetizers as crab dip or chili con queso, or in the mood to make tomato, basil and mozzarella salad or a sour milk spice cake, this 159-page treasury of recipes has everything you could possible want, from soup to nuts.
Literally.
"This cookbook links all the generations of cooks in our church and features treasured old and new recipes," explained Amy Dutton Murphy of the Women's Fellowship Cookbook Committee.
And in addition to providing recipes for soups, salads, relishes, appetizers, beverages, vegetables, desserts, meats and main dishes, this special cookbook serves as a way to continue the Women's Fellowship's support of a variety of area nonprofit organizations.
The Women's Fellowship's beneficiaries include the Boston Project, Caring Unlimited, Fair Tide, Literacy Volunteers, Pilgrim Lodge, York Community Service Association, York Food Pantry and awards and scholarships provided by the First Parish Church.
While the sale of this cookbook will help many good causes, the book itself also promises something for everyone, with favorite recipes of the past and present.
"It is our hope that this cookbook will bridge the gap of generations," the committee members wrote in their dedication of the book. "May the young and old learn from each other's recipes as we prepare food to nourish our souls. In today's fast-paced world, we hope these recipes will provide a time to pause and reflect on traditions that have been passed down through the generations."
In addition to the sale of the cookbooks and the holiday wreaths, Murphy noted that his year's event will also feature homemade crafts from the Women's Fellowship. And, for those with a need for something sweet, the sale will include candies made by high school members of the church, who are raising funds for a summer mission trip.
To check out all the offerings, stop by the special event on Saturday at the First Parish Church Fellowship Hall when you're visiting the Festival of Lights in York Village.
