Fellowship at LPPC
Who is the Fellowship Committee? We're the group who keeps "fun" in Fellowship!
We meet monthly in the Upper Room (or the kitchen) and discuss how to keep the kitchen organized, maintain supplies for fellowship gatherings and most importantly, plan the delicious church lunches and dinners and other gatherings!
Some of the more popular events Fellowship is involved in are: Rally Day Breakfast, brunches for Mother's Day, Father's Day, Church Birthdays, Ordination Anniversaries, Staff Appreciation, Easter and Christmas and the always wonderful after-service Fellowship Coffee time.
Of course, the wonderful red and green chile that LPPC is known for making and selling (see below) is a product of your Fellowship Committee as well! Some of the other special activities we sponsor include:
- Fall Festival Enchilada Dinner (community dinner/fund raiser)
- November Blessings Day Project for Christmas (project provides food, gifts and clothing to families)
- Soup and Games Night for the congregation and friends
- Navajo Taco Dinner (community dinner/fund raiser)
- Preparation of lunches for church retreats held at LPPC
- Opening Chili Pepper Cafe for Placitas Artist Tour and the November Holiday Sale
- Decoration of the Fellowship Hall and Chili Pepper Cafe
We welcome new members at any time. The Fellowship Committee would like to thank the entire congregation for supporting our efforts to have great fellowship and hospitality for our congregation
Update Fall 2009 from our Committee Chair: Joan D.
A new fall season is upon us and the Fellowship Committee is looking
forward to many activities. For starters we need volunteers to sign up
for Sunday Fellowship to prepare the coffee and fix snacks. It is nice
to have the coffee ready by 9:10 am, prior to the adult education hour.
Remember our refreshments should be kept simple and easy: chips and salsa,
nuts or cookies and fruit are always good. The choice is yours.
A sign-up sheet is posted beside the coffee pot. It is helpful if two individuals sign up together or a couple. You may also contact Joan D. through the church office to sign up. Directions for making coffee are posted on the cabinet in the kitchen. The Fellowship Committee and congregation thank you in advance!
PLEASE, if you have an event or meeting, please do not leave any food items out on the counters or tables. Items should be stored in the refrigerator or removed from the building. Trash bags with food should be placed in the covered bins outside, on the West side of the church. Please avoid leaving bags containing food in the church. If you are one of the WONDERFUL volunteers who is taking trash home for disposal, many thanks for removing it as soon as possible.
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Welcome to the "The Chili Pepper Cafe" - Update September 2009
We have a lot of activities planned this fall at the Chili Pepper Cafe and look forward to your participation. Our church kitchen - also known as the Chili Pepper Cafe - was certified by the New Mexico Environmental Department last year. As we anticipate the inspection of our facility, there are many important thing we need to keep in mind. The inspection can include Fellowship Hall and the bathroom facilities.
We know the inspectors are looking at the following:
- Are equipment and supplies put away?
- Are the counters clean and sinks wiped dry?
- Is the refrigerator clean and all food items covered?
- Are out-of-date food items stored in the refrigerator?
- Are wet or dirty towels lying around?
- Are the garbage cans empty and no food waste present?
- Are soap and paper towels beside the hand washing sink?
- Are floors swept and mopped if needed?
- Is there any evidence of bugs or mice?
- Do restrooms have soap, paper towels and paper, and neat and clean?
We sure appreciate everyone's help in keeping our facility in top order!
LPPC Chile - It's a HOT story!
This traditional fall culinary adventure offers newcomers and old-timers an opportunity to share in the rhythm of the seasons and join in one of the many historic cultural rituals of our New Mexico neighbors. In addition, the periodic dinners and sales of chile raise substantial money for our church budget.
If you would like to learn how to make authentic red and green chile, come join us and learn from our local experts! See Elsie D. for more information.
In cooperation with the Mission Committee, we sell our famous LPPC red and green chile by the quart at the LPPC booth in the Placitas Holiday Sale tent. We also offer Frijoles Festiva by the quart, so you can stock up for holiday entertaining. Volunteers are always needed to help with sales each year. See Joan D. or Joyce L. THANKS!
The History of LPPC Church Dinners - by Vivian G. D.
Las Placitas Presbyterian Church (LPPC) began serving dinners to raise money in the late 1950s, when the church was a simple adobe structure with a bell tower.
Siria Salazar, descendent of one of the Las Huertas Land Grant families, graciously presided over the preparations. In those years, there were no paper or Styrofoam plates. The ladies would ready the basement with festive tablecloths, china plates, real silverware, and beautiful centerpieces—complete with candles!
Supper menus included enchiladas, beans, salad, sopapillas, and dessert. On the day of a supper, the ladies would clean chile pods, roast them in the oven, and then grind them in preparation for making the famous LPPC chile sauce. The traditional red chile always had customers coming back for seconds!
When the growing church needed to add on to its building in the 1980s, the enchilada suppers lost their home. During construction—which was completed for the most part by the members of the church themselves— the suppers were moved to the Placitas Elementary School gymnasium.
The whole process of assembling the enchiladas at the school was a lot tougher because so much more work was involved. Traditionally, enchiladas are made in layers of corn tortilla, red chile, cheese, and onions. Then they are covered with the chile sauce and topped with a fried egg. As delicious as that sounds, it was impossible to do in the makeshift kitchen in the gym. The ladies had to adapt the process, frying the tortillas in hot oil and then rolling them with a cheese and onion filling on the inside. They carefully poured the chile over them and then topped it off with lettuce and tomatoes.
In the school gym days, crowds were usually about two hundred. The red chile was still the magic ingredient in the enchiladas. Some folks claimed that the LPPC ladies made the best enchiladas in the state of New Mexico!
In 1984, when the new sanctuary and fellowship hall were finally completed, everyone was ecstatic about being able to cook in the new kitchen. Styrofoam plates and cups were now part of the times. The church kitchen now had to adhere to public health regulations for serving food—the state strictly enforced standards for disinfecting and rules for keeping foods at a certain temperature. Of course, members were thrilled with their new kitchen and gladly conformed to the new standards.
With the expanded space and growing reputation of the LPPC chile, enchilada suppers began drawing crowds of three hundred or more. Encouraged by community response, and hoping to raise more money to pay off their brand new building, the faithful members continued holding suppers several times a year. For variety, the ladies expanded their menu to include Navajo Taco Dinners—which also became an instant favorite as soon as that wonderful traditional chile was poured over them.
Upcoming Events:
Please check back here for upcoming events!
Recent Events
February was “The Sweetest Month of the Year”: We want to thank all who helped support the “The Sweetest Month of the Year” homemade rolls sale during February. We were able to earn enough money to purchase a reverse osmosis (water purification) unit for the kitchen!
We want to thank Cheryl and Jack F. for all their time and their contribution of equipment and supplies.
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Annual Tamale Dinner, December 13, 2009
Thank you to everyone who helped make our Annual Tamale Dinner on Sunday, December 13 such a success. We sold out of all the tamales and were able to serve everyone present! The red chili was DELICIOUS!
Placitas Holiday Sale: November 20 and 21, 2009
Thank you to everyone who helped make the Placitas Holiday Sale at the Chili Pepper Cafe such a success! We actually ran out of food we had so many customers - what a wonderful weekend!
Fall Festival Enchilada Dinner, October 31, 2009
The Fellowship Committee would like to thank all who helped make our Fall Festival Dinner on Halloween night such a success. We had a great turnout, great costumes, great food and great company!