UU Dining Group

On this page:
    Overview of UU Dining Group
    2011-2012 Schedule
    2011-2012 Dining Group Members and Substitutes
    Dining Group Guidelines

Enjoying a UU Dining Group gathering at Leslie Luchene's home on March 17, 2012 were,
clockwise from lower left, Diane Suhler, Leslie Luchene, Jackie Byland, Janet Groat, Carl Groat,
Gena Scott, Gregg Suhler and John Byland. Steve Scott took the photograph.

Overview of UU Dining Group

The goal of our UU Dining Group is to provide monthly in-home dining opportunities from October through May for groups of eight, with good and often unusual food and pleasant conversation with interesting people. These dinners help us get to know each other better. The couples and singles participating in the dining group prepare and bring food to the gatherings. Extravagant effort or expense with the food is not necessary. The preparation and cooking of the meals is supposed to be as much fun as the consumption of them. Members make their own food choices consistent with the monthly theme.

Linda Lou Brown and Melinda Farhangi are the 2011-12 Dining Group chairs.

Members can sign up to attend dinners every month or as substitutes to be called upon when monthly members are not available.

All Dining Group participants also are invited to an annual Spring Dinner Party in May at the church. The Spring Party this year will be held on Satuday, May 19, 2012 beginning at 6:00 p.m. RSVPs are due to Melinda Farhangi by May 16, 2012. Each person should bring a dish to share; options will be suggested when you RSVP. If you can help with setup and cleanup, contact Linda Lou Brown by May 16, 2011.

Annual Dining Group dues are $15 per couple and $7.50 per person for both regular members and substitutes. The major portion of the dues is spent on the annual Spring Dinner Party; a portion also is used to produce mailings and to attend to any other Dining Group business that arises. Dining Group dues checks should be made payable to the church, with "Dining Group" noted on the memo line, and given to Church Administrator Kathie Bergman.

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Socializing before dinner at a UU Dining Group gathering on March 17, 2012 at Leslie Luchene's
home were, from left, Carl Groat, Gena Scott, Janet Groat, Jackie Byland, Leslie Luchene,
Diane Suhler, John Byland and Gregg Suhler. Steve Scott took the photograph.

2011-2012 Schedule

The composition of the dining groups changes from month-to-month so Dining Group members have an opportunity to become better acquainted with many other particpants. Dining Group organizers determine the groupings and monthly cuisine choices. Cuisines chosen so far this year are Italian, "Your Favorite Recipe," German and French. Past featured cuisines have included Swedish, Mexican, South African, Tibetan/Nepalese, Micronesian, Thai, and many others.

Following is the 2011-2012 Dining Group Schedule:

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2011-2012 Dining Group Members and Substitutes

The following are regular monthly members of the 2011-2012 UU Dining Group:

Anderson, Wayne and Carla
Brown, Robert and Linda Lou
Byland, John and Jackie
Corey, Katherine
Cuber, Armine
Farhangi, Medhi and Melinda
Giesing, Cindy
Groat, Janet
Hjelmfelt, Allen and Marian
Jackson, Ron
Kardinal, Carl and Sandy
Keller, Roy
Kelly, Cat
Lee, Jim
Liu, Susie
Luchene, Leslie
O'Brien, Mary Lou
Osborne, Linda
Parker, Dick and Maria
Pearson, Ken and Dinah
Redfern-Campbell, Rev. Sue
Reese, Garst and Alice
Southall, Tom Bridewell
Suhler, Greg and Diane
Szucs, Joseph and Tucker, Rita
Tatlow, Gary

The following are substitute members of the 2011-2012 UU Dining Group:

Anand, Sam and Susie
Banerji, Shanka and Zarrine
Burhans, Dirk
Eckhoff, Cathy
Erickson, Jonathan and Marianne
Leuthold, Carolyn & David
Love, Kakie, and Maynard, Ed
Sauers, Desiree
Sauers, Bryan and Valerie
Scott, Steve and Gena
Tatlow, Gary

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Dining Group Guidelines

Dining Group guidelines may change somewhat from year-to-year. If changes are made, they will be posted here. Following are the current guidelines:

• Hosts:

  • Please call or email your guests early in the month or the previous month to schedule the dinner.

  • If someone cannot attend consult the substitute list. If no substitute is available, contract other church members, friends or neighbors who would enjoy being part of the evening's experience.

  • Please be sure to call the other three couples a day or two before the dinner to ask if there are any special needs for their courses and to offer directions to your home. This is also a pleasant reminder of your dinner.

• Guests:

  • When you are to be a guest, and the host has not called or emailed by the second week of the month, contact the host and find out why.

  • When you know in advance that you will be unable to meet a dinner commitment, please call or email the host as early as possible.

  • Plan to arrive pretty much on time unless a very unusual problem arises, in which case a call to the host is essential.

  • If any food preparation at the host's home is necessary, check with the host ahead of time.

  • Please try and prepare as much of your dish or dishes ahead at your own home. The availability of heating and warming or refrigeration at the host's home is expected, however.

  • It is often a good idea to coordinate courses. Guests with side dish or dessert assignments should call or email the main course provider to plan dishes that will complement and not duplicate the main course.

• Comments on what to bring or provide:

  • The host serves an appetizer or soup, an appropriate wine, beer or drink with the meal, and coffee. Before- and after-dinner drinks are optional.

  • The couple bringing the vegetable also brings a salad course.

  • The couple bringing the dessert also brings a bread course.

  • In some cases preparation of your contribution may require research and unusual effort, but that is part of the fun. A multitude of recipes for various cuisines are available by searching on the internet. Of course, libraries have many cookbooks as well, and the librarians are always very helpful if you are having trouble.

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