Huntsville First United Methodist Church
Saturday, September 04, 2010
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Open Doors Cookbook Open Doors, a United Methodist Women's Success Story
United Methodist Women at First United Methodist Church in Huntsville, Alabama, have completed an eighteen-month project to produce a cookbook. This project was inspired by Martha Dotzheimer, long-time member of United Methodist Women, who challenged each of the then-seven (now eight) circles with fifty dollars of seed money to raise funds for local and Global Missions. Projects included a bake sale, sales of lithographs of the church, and a luncheon from recipes submitted to the cookbook committee. Several thousand dollars have already been raised from these efforts. Mrs. Dotzheimer's intent with these challenges was not only to fund missions but to create opportunities for the Circles and ultimately all church members to work together with purpose and fellowship. Wow, was she ever successful!
The Ruth Circle chose to do a cookbook project, which would require church-wide support and participation. With the support of the other UMW circles, Open Doors is such a collaboration, involving well over one hundred fifty congregational volunteers, their extended families and friends. Although the Administrative Council guaranteed the funds for publication, allowing the project to go forward, benefactors, early orders, and initial sales upon delivery allowed the project to fund itself without the need to borrow from church funds.
After testing, tasting, editing, and proof reading almost one thousand recipe submissions, four hundred thirty-three recipes were selected for publication in our 276-page book. Selection was based on testing results, variety, needs of a specific section, and space. There are recipes for appetizers, breakfast, lunch and dinner courses as well as specialty entries for Teas and Receptions and a section suggesting complete Menus from the included recipes for seventeen occasions over a calendar year.
Nancy W. Van Valkenburgh provided historical and descriptive text for each of the sixteen full-color photographs marking the divider pages of the eight sections of the book. Terry T. Lewis photographed both interiors and exteriors of the church buildings in varying light and scope. The Chrismon tree, member-designed and created Advent banners, and the steeple at night provided especially dramatic depictions of church life. A copy of an old map showing the location of the church is the cover liner while photographs of the principal church building are on the front and back covers. Invaluable contributions from so many others make this book a church community project.
Cookbooks are also available from the following merchants:
Open Doors Retail Locations
Huntsville
Lawren's
Café Michael
Shaver's Books (Railroad Station Antique Mall)
Burritt Museum
Bragg's
FUMC Office
FUMC Bookstore
Arab
Fine Things
Jones Pharmacy & Gifts
Athens
Crawford's Gifts
Pablo's
Decatur
Glee Interiors
Jimmy Smith Jewelers
Sam Frank & Moore
Hartselle
la-T-da!
Cullman
Deb's Bookstore
Jasper
Deb & Co.
Florence
The Yellow Door
Rogersville
Village Interiors & Specialty Gifts
Muscle Shoals
Lynda's Loft
Tuscumbia
Coldwater Books
Scottsboro
The Grapevine
Wimberly House Interiors & Gifts
Rainsville
To & From
Fort Payne
The Book Shelf, etc.
Gadsden
Claudette's Peppermint Pony
Gifts on Wings
Birmingham
Jonathan Benton Bookseller (Mountain Brook)
Chelsea
Chelsea Lane
Shelbyville, Tennessee
Colleen's Cottage
McGee's Prescription Shop
Tullahoma, Tennessee
Tullahoma Drug Store
Franklin, Tennessee
The Registry
If you have questions, please contact:
Pat Martin, 536-1424, email patlmartin@bellsouth.net;
Nancy Darnall, 797-6327, email nbd51@aol.com;
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