Members of the cookbook committee at the Chestnut Level Presbyterian Church (CLPC), 1068 Chestnut Level Road, Quarryville, have begun selling the church's fourth-edition cookbook to benefit sanctuary renovations. Notable changes to the church include the newly exposed balcony, two fieldstone additions on either side of the bell tower, and the restored ceiling with gold leaf details, antique German stained-glass windows, and the wooden pews, dating to circa 1914. Renovations took about a year and a half to complete, said cookbook committee member Linda Myers.
CLPC's first cookbook was published in 1958, the second was released in 1995, and the third was printed in 2008. Work on the fourth edition began in May of this year. The cookbook committee collected recipes from June to August, and the committee members included every recipe that was submitted. As of late October, 1,008 copies of the 2021 CLPC cookbook had been printed, and over one-third of the copies had already been sold.
The fourth-edition cookbook, compiled in a three-ring binder, is titled "Recipes and Remembrances" because more than 100 of its recipes were submitted in memory of loved ones. Additionally, readers can find brief memories from cooking in the Chestnut Level kitchen on the bottom of select pages. "Some are quite humorous," noted Myers. "It's been fun to read them." The book is also filled with current and vintage photographs as well as an overview of the church's history. CLPC historian Anna Mary Barcus wrote the church's history while pastor John Hartman contributed a foreword and original poem to the publication.
"It's not just a cookbook," stated cookbook committee member Sue Murphy. "There's a lot more to read in there besides recipes. This book will be interesting to people not only from our church but also from the area."
"Recipes and Remembrances" features recipes from men, women, and older children, and it includes keto, paleo, and gluten-free recipes.
In addition to Myers and Murphy, members of the CLPC cookbook committee are Joanne Ankrum, Deb Farmer, Vonnie McLaughlin, and Jess Myers. "Recipes and Remembrances" can be purchased at Waltman's Hidden Treasures, Peach Bottom Consignment, Puttzin', Stoner Decorating, DJ's Salon, and Powl's Feed Service, or by calling the CLPC office at 717-548-2763.
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