“Not Bad for a Vegetarian” (Or, How to Feed Your Book Club)

One of the first things I did when I began serving at First and Beckville was accept an invitation to join the Beckville book club.  The group includes, as you might imagine, six ladies from Beckville, as well as a woman from another Lutheran congregation and even a Methodist.  (I know.  It’s radical.)

We meet monthly, and we read all kinds of books.  Everything from The Good Earth to The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  I love being  a part of this group, where the discussion is lively and the food is fabulous.

This month, it was my turn to host.  Since I only managed to read about twenty pages of the book (Vilhelm Moberg’s The Emmigrants, which was just not for me, at least right this minute), I felt the least I could do was provide a nice spread.

Sometimes, when entertaining, I still feel like this.

Also, since my house is too small to host a sit down meal for eight (at least, to host it comfortably), I did my hosting at the church.  So the food I served was all easy to transport and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Here’s the menu:

Artichoke Salsa with Tortilla Chips

Broccoli and Carrots with Lime Dressing

Mom’s Mexican Roll Ups

Texas Cowpoke Trail Mix

Edy’s Frozen Fruit Bars (pineapple, pomegranate, or coconut)

In other words: four things I had never made before and one frozen treat I had never bought.  A recipe for success, right?

As it happens: it was!  All four recipes were easy, and all were at least moderately tasty.  (The lime dressing could have been limier.)  As one of the ladies said, “Not bad for a vegetarian.”

So: which recipe should I share first?  

And, what are your go-to entertaining foods (or your most spectacular flops)?