I will tell you.
My mom contacted me a couple weeks ago and asked if I would be interested in helping the United Methodist Church in Stryker, Ohio make apple dumplings.
"How many apple dumplings are you talking?" I asked
My mom said, "Well, (and she kind of held onto the word well for a while) last year we made over 1,000."
"ARE YOU SERIOUS!?!" (and I held onto the word serious for a while)
So, as I was getting myself ready today for a full day of apple dumpling making, my first thought was comfortability. If I am going to be on my feet most of the day I want to wear something comfortable on my feet. I chose slippers.
Also the thought of sticky apple juice, sugar, flour, and shortening went through my mind.
And I'm saying again, "ARE YOU SERIOUS?"
This is my first year helping with the apple dumplings, and the fourth year for the church preparing them.
This is my first year helping with the apple dumplings, and the fourth year for the church preparing them.
This church congregation really knows what they are doing.
That is April Sloan in the kitchen cooking up the sauce that is poured onto the apple dumplings before baking.
They offer the customers their choice of baked or unbaked. The sauce is being created for the baked orders.
When I said the congregation knows what they are doing, that's what I meant.
When I said the congregation knows what they are doing, that's what I meant.
They had an assembly line starting with the dough ingredients right down to the packaging and labeling.
Two tables for dough ingredients, then passed on to two tables of dough mixers and cutters, three tables of apple peelers, dough rollers, and apple wrappers, one table for dry ingredient bagging, and three tables for the packaging, labeling, storing, and shipping.
So each station was a department.
Mary Lou Barnum in the picture above was in the dough ingredient department. She measured the flour, baking powder, salt, and shortening.
Way to go Mary Lou!!
Helen Bell was working in the dough cutting department. She cut in the shortening, and then cut the dough into squares for the apple wrappers.
Awesome job Helen, awesome job.
Bob Luke in the background with the bucket was an apple peeler.
The next four pictures are of the apple peelers, dough rollers, and apple wrappers (kind of sounds like a rock band, huh?)
Well, let me tell you, this church was rock'n alright.
We threw out (no, no, produced) over 800 dumplings today....HANDS IN THE AIR, HANDS IN THE AIR...
WOOP, WOOP!!
Great work ladies!!
In this picture is Midge Clark (and I'll have you know, she is 92 years young), Helen Grisier, Carol Sloan, Arlen Horton, Maria Cruz, Jack Kroa, Rena Garber, Gene Garber, and Bev Wheeler.
This picture holds the hard workers of Nancy Woodcox, Cliff Weigle, Susie Smith, and Maria Cruz.
In this picture is Midge Clark (and I'll have you know, she is 92 years young), Helen Grisier, Carol Sloan, Arlen Horton, Maria Cruz, Jack Kroa, Rena Garber, Gene Garber, and Bev Wheeler.
This picture holds the hard workers of Nancy Woodcox, Cliff Weigle, Susie Smith, and Maria Cruz.
I would have missed out on this great experience if my mother wouldn't have invited me.
One of my favorite books in the Bible is Psalm. "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"
Psalm 133:1
Psalm 133:1
And that is exactly what we did today.
This is Gene Garber. He was the go between from the wrapped apples to the shipping department. He would load up his utility cart with foil pans of apple dumplings and make sure they were delivered to the packaging and shipping department.
He was so full of energy, he made me tired just watching him.
They packaged the ingredients that get put in the unbaked orders.
The bagging spices department and shipping department is where all the orders came from.
When I say orders I mean, "HURRY UP!!", "A LITTLE FASTER WITH THE APPLES!!", "IF YOU GO ANY SLOWER YOU ARE GOING TO GET LAID OFF!!" That type of orders, with the instigating help of Ken Culler who missed the photo....Where did you disappear to Ken?
All in fun though, all in fun.
That's a whole lot of apple dumplings there, and they still aren't done.
WHAT A MESS!!
Would I do it all again?
I sure would!!
They are not clean anymore.
It looks like I spent the day making 800+ apple dumplings.
If you ever get the opportunity to congregate with great people, a great church, and be creative, do not pass it up. One thing our world is lacking today is the joy of congregation.
Live Large~Love Much~Laugh Often
Sounds like a great time, and it look like you must have been the youngest chick there! Woop, woop!
ReplyDeleteI don't know how the older ones do it. I am in so much pain today...My arms, my back, oh...my whole body!! I did have a great time, and there were some there my age or younger.
ReplyDelete