Conversation With Steve: The Pot Luck

So yesterday the redoubtable Steve and I were chatting about his upcoming talk to a group of high school students from his church, and, as tends to happen in our conversations, we went off on a tangent. In this case, the tangent was: pot luck food.

The pot luck has a long and inspiring history, which is far too fascinating to go into here, but read on and you just might learn a thing or two about this unique culinary phenomenon. And when you're done, please post your comments voting for your favorite pot luck food or sharing any fun pot luck stories! I always love to hear from you.

A votre sante!

Conversation with Steve: The Pot Luck

5:25:34 PM steve: well i can wrap [my high school talk] up with- "So where does that leave us?"
5:25:42 PM steve: and then emphasize community
5:26:03 PM steve: finish it
5:26:04 PM steve: pray
5:26:08 PM steve: and go eat cookies

5:26:17 PM grackyfrogg: the main goal of any christian get-together
5:26:24 PM grackyfrogg: survive till cookie time

5:26:28 PM steve: i love circus cookies
5:26:36 PM steve: and for some reason they are at EVERY christian event

5:26:46 PM grackyfrogg: i dont think it would be christian otherwise
5:27:00 PM grackyfrogg: or do you mean specifically that circus cookies are at every event?

5:27:05 PM steve: ive eaten whole meals of circus cookies

5:27:22 PM grackyfrogg: lol

5:27:57 PM grackyfrogg: i should write a blog about how being a christian makes you fat

5:28:03 PM steve: i KNOW
5:28:08 PM steve: single even more
5:28:21 PM steve: well fat and/or unhealthy
5:28:51 PM steve: its hard to be in shape or try to eat healthy being a single christian
5:29:00 PM steve: pot lucks are the worst
5:29:02 PM steve: i hate those
5:29:10 PM steve: im anti potluck
5:29:31 PM steve: "there no luck in that pot!"

5:30:39 PM grackyfrogg: you shouldn't talk, though
5:30:45 PM grackyfrogg: you have NEVER been overweight in your LIFE

5:31:18 PM steve: but trying to eat healthy is hard

5:31:27 PM grackyfrogg: thats true

5:31:35 PM steve: and i need to because i have high cholestorol

5:31:38 PM grackyfrogg: right

5:31:43 PM steve: which is worst than being fat really

5:31:46 PM grackyfrogg: its funny the stuff that people bring to pot lucks
5:31:53 PM grackyfrogg: like that weird ambrosia stuff
5:31:56 PM grackyfrogg: what IS that?

5:31:59 PM steve: lol, i like that!

5:32:08 PM grackyfrogg: goopy marshmallows and random bits of unidentified fruit?!
5:32:22 PM grackyfrogg: gross

5:32:23 PM steve: yeah!!!! it rules!!! the savior of the potluck in my opinion

5:32:28 PM grackyfrogg: ewww no
5:32:36 PM grackyfrogg: its like vomit
5:32:42 PM grackyfrogg: i mean, look at it

5:32:48 PM steve: hmmm maybe that explains why i like it

5:33:00 PM grackyfrogg: hmmm, maybe you're right!

5:33:19 PM steve: and then there are those potlucks where 35 people bring Doritos

5:33:23 PM grackyfrogg: LOL

5:33:30 PM grackyfrogg: at least doritos come in different flavors
5:33:32 PM grackyfrogg: that helps
5:33:40 PM grackyfrogg: although... probably not 35 different flavors
5:33:46 PM grackyfrogg: what are some other weird pot luck foods?
5:34:02 PM grackyfrogg: casserole always makes an appearance in some shape or form

5:34:19 PM steve: lasagne

5:34:19 PM grackyfrogg: some sort of macaroni dish, with meat mixed in and some kind of sauce baked over it
5:34:22 PM grackyfrogg: LOL
5:34:34 PM grackyfrogg: thats funny
5:34:46 PM grackyfrogg: i wasnt thinking of lasagna, but i described it! i realized that after i read what you said

5:34:58 PM steve: but see its just not good because you put like 22 different things on your plate

5:35:08 PM grackyfrogg: yeah, you never have enough plate

5:35:12 PM steve: thats not normal

5:35:13 PM grackyfrogg: and then there's dessert

5:35:17 PM steve: and then things start to mix together

5:35:18 PM grackyfrogg: dessert is the savior of the pot luck, for me

5:35:20 PM steve: on your plate

5:35:24 PM grackyfrogg: yeah i hate that
5:35:33 PM grackyfrogg: especially if there werent separate plates for the dessert

5:35:37 PM steve: the lasagne and ambrosia MIX!

5:35:41 PM grackyfrogg: *gag*
5:35:48 PM grackyfrogg: thats the apocalypse, right there
5:35:52 PM grackyfrogg: it should NEVER happen
5:35:58 PM grackyfrogg: when it does, the world will end

5:36:18 PM steve: maybe thats the secret formula for a nuclear bomb?!?!?

5:36:25 PM grackyfrogg: LOL
5:36:37 PM grackyfrogg: yeah, the deep dark secret... the nuclear bomb was invented at a church picnic

5:36:51 PM steve: there it is! the title for your blog entry
5:37:43 PM steve: i suck at bringing good potluck food

5:37:50 PM grackyfrogg: what do you usually bring?

5:37:50 PM steve: im "dessert" guy

5:37:55 PM grackyfrogg: yeah, good call

5:38:30 PM steve: i go to safeway and bring the typical "Gross cookies in a plastic carrier"

5:38:42 PM grackyfrogg: LOL

5:38:43 PM steve: or a safeway "pie"

5:38:51 PM grackyfrogg: you mean the cookies with giant fake m&ms

5:39:00 PM steve: yeah! that would be them

5:39:21 PM steve: or if you time it right you can get some sort of holiday theme like hearts for valentines or pumpkins

5:39:29 PM grackyfrogg: what is the deal with the fake m&ms tasting so different from real m&ms?
5:39:40 PM grackyfrogg: i mean, how many different ways are there to have chocolate surrounded by a candy shell???
5:39:54 PM grackyfrogg: but they DO taste different
5:39:57 PM grackyfrogg: the fake ones taste icky

5:39:58 PM steve: one costs .000002 cents and the other .000001 cent

5:40:03 PM grackyfrogg: lol
5:40:22 PM grackyfrogg: i'm trying to think of what i've brought to pot lucks
5:40:25 PM grackyfrogg: i think i usually don't

5:40:45 PM steve: there is ONE item that, according to mark, is universally loved

5:40:46 PM grackyfrogg: either i don't go, or i don't bring anything

5:40:49 PM steve: can you guess?

5:40:49 PM grackyfrogg: hmmm
5:40:51 PM grackyfrogg: let me think
5:40:53 PM grackyfrogg: is it a drink?

5:40:56 PM steve: no

5:40:59 PM grackyfrogg: dessert?

5:41:01 PM steve: dinner food

5:41:10 PM grackyfrogg: spinach dip in the bread bowl

5:41:13 PM steve: LOL
5:41:16 PM steve: thats a good one

5:41:18 PM grackyfrogg: you KNOW thats good

5:41:18 PM steve: but no

5:41:20 PM grackyfrogg: oh
5:41:24 PM grackyfrogg: ok, second guess

5:41:33 PM steve: thats always there though, the bread bowl thing

5:41:37 PM grackyfrogg: kentucky fried chicken

5:41:43 PM steve: YYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5:41:45 PM grackyfrogg: HA!
5:41:50 PM grackyfrogg: yes!!!

5:41:54 PM steve: good job

5:42:02 PM grackyfrogg: its annoying when people bring that though
5:42:08 PM grackyfrogg: because there is NEVER enough to go around

5:42:09 PM steve: you cant go wrong with that one

5:42:13 PM grackyfrogg: so you have to fight for your position in line
5:42:24 PM grackyfrogg: and there is never white meat, because the white meat is more expensive
5:42:28 PM grackyfrogg: i HATE it when they bring KFC!!!

5:42:38 PM steve: its "potluck in a tub"

5:42:57 PM grackyfrogg: its "get an elbow in your eye as you jockey for first in line" in a tub

5:43:12 PM steve: lol

5:43:27 PM grackyfrogg: i think i grew up with the pack mentality when it came to food
5:43:34 PM grackyfrogg: i still have trouble not being near the front of the line
5:43:39 PM grackyfrogg: like the food is going to disappear if i wait

5:43:42 PM steve: jeez thats not noticeable

5:43:45 PM grackyfrogg: comes of being in a family of 6
5:43:46 PM grackyfrogg: oh ha