Family Bible Study Party Menu

We hosted our Family Bible Study group at last weekend and followed the traditional format of appetizers, desserts, and drinks pot-luck style. Yum, yum, yum! Not only is it a blessing to share faith and friendship with this group--they are super-talented cooks! And our spread always turns out with the right balance of foods. Jonathan said we've come a long way since college when everyone brings chips and jarred salsa.

Here's what we supplied:
Shrimp cocktail (Jonathan's go-to appetizer for anything festive)
Rice salad (recipe below)
Honeybun cake (courtesy of a Betty Crocker mix with a few add-ins)
Butterscotch cookies
Lemonade with mint leaves
Sangria with rum, red wine, orange juice, lemon juice, club soda, sugar, and sliced fruit.

Here's what the others' brought:
Chips with fresh fruit salad
Pasta salad with ham and Swiss cubes
Strawberry-stuffed pastries
Whole-wheat crackers topped with cream cheese and sliced fruit
Rhubarb Cake
Beer, wine, and flavored water

The rice salad recipe I used was tweaked from a Quick Cooking Cookbook and could easily be used as a main dish recipe too. Here are the details:

3 cups cooked brown rice, cooled
2 cups garbanzo beans (the original recipe called for chopped cooked chicken breast)
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped dried fruit (I used dates--yum!)
1/2 cup peanuts
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 tsp minced fresh mint
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper.

In a large bowl, combine the beans, peas, celery, fruit, and peanuts. In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the oil, vinegar, lime juice, salt and pepper; shake well. Stir rice into bean mixture; drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Chill at least 1 hour before serving. Serve often as an attempt to eat vegan and welcome in summer weather.