The Art of Perfecting Chaos

A wise man once said, "No chaos, no creation. Evidence: the kitchen at mealtime." At Community Harvest, we are no strangers to turning chaos into creation, especially this week. I walked into the kitchen, where I was told that the ham had not been delivered. In other words, the very core of the night's planned meal was M.I.A. Yeah, pretty casual. Back-up plans were in place, assuming the ham never arrived. We were in "creation mode" and we were more than ready to confront our chaos.

I guess I should actually back up 20 minutes to the start of our chaos. Carly and I were on our way to Community Harvest when she had the sudden realization that she had forgotten something. The Easter card for our friend, Richard! This wasn't just any card. It was personally decorated with Easter bunnies and Reese's cups. We had no choice but to turn the car around and get the card. We were set back by a few minutes, but our first minor crisis had been averted.

Back in the kitchen, we poured gallons of pasteurized milk into pitchers for the mashed potatoes. And I have to admit, it was the closest I've come in my 20 (almost 21) years of life to milking a cow.

With the milk in place, it was time to stir some mashed potatoes. And what better way to tackle the huge, chaotic tubs of mashed potatoes than to turn them into a creation? That's right, I'm talking about mashed potato volcanoes. 

And we were having so much fun with our new creation that we almost didn't notice the ham! It arrived in time to be served alongside our mashed potatoes, pineapple, baked beans, and delicious dessert assortment (yes, we still have girl scout cookies!). With so many great dinner options, serving time can get a little...oh, what word am I looking for?...ah yes, chaotic. But this week, we had the help of the St. Andrew's youth group, and chaos was once again averted.

I have to admit, I think life would be pretty boring without a little chaos. Whether it's forgetting an Easter card or ham gone missing, it serves to add a little bit of excitement to the routine. We have come to embrace (and sometimes even expect) chaos at Community Harvest, and we welcome the creation it brings to the kitchen!