"Auld Lang Syne" in Derry, New Hamsphire

Should old acquaintances be forgot? Never! We really missed you last month (our dinner was cancelled due to snow) and can't wait to see you at our January dinner(s): January 12 at the Church of the Transfiguration and January 19 at Etz Hayim Synagogue. In the meantime, have a Happy New Year, and please check out the meals being offered by other organizations (see the calendar on the right-hand side of the page) and Sonshine Soup Kitchen. Here is one of my favorite (and recent) versions of "Auld Lang Syne": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FwS4SQSlfc

Stay safe and warm.

Breakfast at the Church of the Transfiguration and dinner at Etz Hayim have been cancelled due to snow.  We are so sorry, and we will miss you all!

Good Tidings to You!

Dinner at the Church of the Transfiguration this past Sunday was amazing:  ham, chicken, roasted potatoes, scalloped potatoes, salad, fruit, cakes and cookies BUT EVEN BETTER:  the caroling.  Sweet and warm.  Here is a snippet.

Time to Give Thanks.

It's snowing outside, and Thanksgiving is just a few days away.  It is always a good idea to say "thank you" to those who make our days brighter, but this week especially so.  "Thank you" to all the volunteers who make community meals possible.  "Thank you" to all of our guests who make the dinners so fun and enjoyable.  And a special "thank you" to Sonshine Soup Kitchen, 4 Crystal Avenue in Derry [(603) 437-2833] which will be opened this Thanksgiving.

Upcoming Elijah's Table dinners:

December 8:  dinner at the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration;
December 15:  dinner at Etz Hayim Synagogue.

Pianos, Pumpkins, and Pineapple

What a fabulous evening we had! Live music courtesy of "Piano Keys Studio," a music school in Raymond; pumpkin spice and chocolate leaf cupcakes, hand-made by some of our teenage volunteers; pineapple upside-down cake; and some delicious main courses -- including a stir fry we are experimenting with. Some of the kids decorated the tables with beautiful red autumn leaves. We had a lot of guests, and the energy was high. We'll see you next time. Upcoming dates for Elijah's Table dinners (5:00-6:30): 11/10/13-- Dinner at the Church of the Transfiguration; 12/08/13-Dinner at the Church of the Transfiguration; and 12/15/13-Dinner at Etz Hayim Synagogue. 

Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor government shutdown will keep us from our appointed tasks!

The government shutdown is depressing, but Elijah's Table will be serving up delicious dinners at the Church of the Transfiguration on October 13, and at Etz Hayim Synagogue on October 20. Please join us! IMPORTANT: There is a problem with Blogspot and, as a result, I had to replace the LIST of free meals (normally on the right-hand side of this page) with an actual calendar -- at least until the problem is fixed. Please send me a comment by clicking on the envelope at the bottom of this post if you have difficulty using the calendar.

Good food, adorable hosts, and styling guests; isn't it wonderful?

We had a ton of food today, including cheese and crackers, eggplant parm, kugel, garden salad, green beans, garlic bread, and LOTS of vanilla and chocolate cake. The three adorable girls pictured here helped serve (with help from a mom, of course). And this "styling" guest let us know she thought the food was delicious. On my way home, the 1976 song, "Isn't she lovely"? popped into my head. (Click on the title to hear the great Mr. Stevie Wonder celebrate the birth of his daughter: "Isn't she lovely? Isn't she wonderful?")

Crazy, hazy days of fruit salad.

It was a beautiful summer Sunday.  And it was Frank's birthday (one of our volunteers).  And it was a day full of fruit salad, and garden salad, and fresh tomatoes with balsamic, and hard boiled eggs, and mac and cheese -- and dessert (pound cake and ice cream), of course.  What could be better?  Find out in September.

The Great Yard Sale

On Sunday, August 4, we held a yard sale at Etz Hayim Synagogue to raise money for our Elijah's Table dinners.  Good forces were on our side and, despite early reports of bad weather, it did not rain until the yard sale was over.  It was a glorious summer day, and a fun and successful yard sale.  I hope you were able to attend but, if you couldn't, stay tuned next year.  After all, there was face painting and free treats to eat!

 

"I love the flower girl..."

It started to pour just before dinner started on Sunday and, perhaps as a result, we had a relatively small crowd.  Still, the food was delicious (noodle kugel; tuna, egg, and garden salads; watermelon; ice cream and cookies; and a wide assortment of beverages) and the crowd friendly.  We had lots of teens helping out, so the energy was great.  And for the door prize?  Flowers.   
Hey, do you remember the 1960's song, "The Rain, the Park, and Other Things" by the Cowsills?  Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdT3tn1lWZo

Reverend Bonin has a great voice!

Today I stopped by the church to check out the dinner.  The food looked great (chicken, beans, lovely salad, pie, cookies), and I got to hear Reverend Bonin sing and play guitar.  What a treat!  I understand that he plays often at the church's Elijah's Table dinners. Check it out!

"It was simply delicious!"

"It was simply delicious!"  was what one woman told us before leaving.  And it was.  We enjoyed a wonderful summer meal of egg salad, tuna salad, garden salad, bean salad, watermelon, yoquert, and ice cream and cookies. 
       Where does all the wonderful food come from?  Some comes from The Perfect Platter, LLC, a terrific local caterer (see their picture on the left-hand side of this blog), and some from our talented volunteers.  Today we publicly thanked one of our teen volunteers who raised approximately $375.00 for Elijah's Table by baking and selling cookies. Yay Kayla!

"You gotta' have friends"

On Sunday, June 2, 2013, the folks who bring you Elijah's Table -- the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration and Etz Hayim Synagogue -- celebrated their new granite sign. The sign symbolizes the solid commitment the two organizations have to each other and to the community. It was a great day. Please join us at our upcoming June dinners: June 9th at the church, and June 23rd at the synagogue.

A perfect evening.

It was a perfect May evening. Nice weather. Friends. Good food (tuna salad, garden salad, mac and cheese, eggplant, and noodle kugel). And cake and ice cream. Who could want more? Photos are: "Evidence that Frank Does Dishes," "Three Generations of Volunteers," "The Pie Raffle is Drawn," "I won a pie!" and "I won a pie, too!"

Kayla Raises Money for Elijah's Table.

Today was (1) Etz Hayim Synagogue's "Walk the Land" celebration of Israel's 65th birthday, (2) Cinco de Mayo, and (3) another day of Kayla earnestly selling hand-made cookies to raise money for Elijah's Table. Go Kayla!!! We are so grateful to volunteers like Kayla, without whom we could not offer our delicious dinners to the public. Please join us on May 19th for a great meal, which will include pasta, salad, kugel, tuna fish, and ice cream. Yum!

“Friendship," said Christopher Robin, "is a very comforting thing to have.” (A.A. Milne)

It was good to be with you all on Sunday. We had cheese and cracker appetizers, pie and ice cream and, of course, wonderful food in between. And in between and all around there were good friends. Here are some pictures from our evening: "Cheese and crackers," "A distinguished fellow," "Man in fun checkered shirt," "I won a pie!" "Eryore finds a home," "Folks checking out the blog," "Woman in a fancy red shirt," "Pooh finds a home," "The shirt I want," and "Good friends." Please join us next time.

Time for Fellowship and Pie

I can't think of a better time to have an Elijah's Table dinner. The disturbing events in Boston have affected us all. Come relax with us on Sunday, April 21. Have a great meal and some pie with a bit of ice cream. And maybe a door prize: we're featuring Winnie-the-Pooh and Eryore. "When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?" "What's for [dinner]?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?" "I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet. Pooh nodded thoughtfully. "It's the same thing," he said.” ― A.A. Milne [with a minor edit].

Standing room only!

It was Spring outside today, and we had a huge crowd. We managed to find seats and tables for everyone and we heard folks saying things like, "Fabulous meal," and "I worked as the lead waitress at a fancy restaurant for many years, but the service here is even better than it was there!" We were thrilled to have so many guests, and doubly thrilled that they enjoyed our food. We had appetizer plates with cheese, gaucomole and hummos; eggplant, lasagna, and mac and cheese; and pound cake with strawberries and whipped cream. Please make our next event just as terrific by joining us and bringing your friends.

Love and (chocolate) kisses.

We had a nice crowd tonight, despite the cold and blowing snow.  A serenade by a talented harpist, delicious lasagna and comfy mac and cheese, bright veggies, and chocolate kisses -- and good friends, of course -- made braving the weather absolutely worthwhile.  Here are a few snapshots of our evening.