Art, Meaning, Green Living & Health

Hosting a regular potluck group is not only fun and rewarding (people come to you bearing wonderful friendship and food!), but easier than you might think. Sharing food with our fellow humans is a  wonderful and natural way to build the kind of community feeling many of us miss in the anonymity and isolation built into modern ways of living, so replete with devices and garages that we all disappear into.

And doing it on a regular basis makes it even better. We have hosted a potluck of 12-30 people at a time for over 5 years now, as well as put on many parties for groups of professionals attending our seminars for decades. and it has been incredibly rewarding. It has also helped members build a larger network of connections

So, think about it. It can be as simple as inviting 4-6 friends over to share conversation or a favorite film or an interest you have in common, like books or gardens or a plant-based lifestyle. Keep it small to start, unless you a veteran at hosting events. A smaller group also allows people to share in one conversation, which is often a really great way to find common ground and establish group bonds. You could even make in-depth conversations on topics of the day the theme of your group.

Ours started with permaculture and environmental films and discussions. After watching "Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Solution," we morphed overbite into a = potluck. For several years we focussed primarily on videos on how to eat plant-based, but also included topics like reducing plastic, simple living, EMF safety and more. Increasingly, our focus is on discussion.

Here are some tips to help you physically set it up in a sustainable way.

Reusable Partyware

First, unless you already have these things, get yourself a set of thin glass plates or China, and enough drinking glasses and wine glasses  from your local thrift store  to accommodate the group as it grows and as your space allows. Custard cups make great soup bowls. Reusable party ware saves plastic and other waste, and buying it used eliminates packing and shipping impacts, saves money and reuses resources. I keep ours on handy trays in a bookcase. When it's time for the party, I can readily set them out on the counter where the serving line begins:

A few years ago I also found a batch of 20 or so cloth napkins for a pittance online and have used them now at least 50 times at these events, saving on paper waste and making it all more elegant as well. We wash and line dry them the next day.

The evening or morning before the potluck begins, you will want to clean house, make a list of who has RSVPd, bring out extra tables and chairs (plastic stacking chairs are great), arrange your living room as needed to accommodate your numbers, set your party ware (above)  and chill some filtered water, perhaps with cucumber or lemon slices in glass dispensers or pitchers in the fridge. If you are serving tea, wine or other drinks, get that ready too.

For your own food contribution, make a casserole or salad in advance, depending on what others bring and be prepared to provide a simple appetizer if none shows up. (For smaller groups, I suggest clarifying what each one brings in advance, taking the luck part out of the potluck!). Soups are easy to make but can be more complicated to serve and require bowls and spoons not otherwise needed.

Ask people to arrive on time and let them know where to park and where to leave coats, purses and containers when they arrive. We make a space out of the way in the bedroom. Provide name tags if it's a big group and welcome them and their food into the serving area. If you want to allow time to socialize and enjoy appetizers first, try to keep food chilled or warm as much as possible, or at least covered. These days, many people have  thermal casserole carriers they use to bring dishes in, or boxes with towels.

Tables can be a challenge. In our case we have two drop-leaf English oak dining tables that, together at maximum extension, can accommodate 14 people. Other potluck hosts use folding plastic tables, or people just find a spot to sit with plates on their laps, at patio tables or what not. Just make sure it's hospitable and that there are enough places for all guests to sit comfortably. Some of my favorite occasions have been when we hold the potluck after a meeting and it's small enough to continue our conversation as one group as we sit around the table. (8-14 people).

Living Room Setup

And that brings us to the living room, where the gathering usually begins and ends. It helps to ring a bell or strike a drum or crystal bowl to get peoples' attention and draw them from the meal and cleanup. If we are showing a film, I have arranged the furniture so that all seats face the TV screen or can easily be swiveled to do so. I provide throw pillows behind each sofa seat, which usually works better for shorter people, and have a stack of plastic chairs on hand to bring out when the film begins. Or sometimes we have just had people bring wooden dining chairs into the viewing space. I always leave a small chair near the TV to introduce the film and then seat myself elsewhere if need be.

For discussions, place the bigger upholstered furniture in a circle with an opening, and if more seats are needed, arrange an outer ring of dining chairs or stackable chairs. I have found that compact plastic stacking chairs, perhaps with pads, deliver a lot of comfort for their size. (We store a stack of 14 in our guest closet). When facilitating discussions, try to find ways to keep a handful of talkers from dominating the discussion, unless it is of wide interest or you have a guest speaker. If this becomes an issue, try passing a timer around the circle like a "talking stick" or just express that now let's hear from someone else, etc. 

How Many to Invite?

If your potluck gels, and most likely it will, it will naturally want to grow as people ask if they can invite other friends. Some homes can only accommodate 4-6 and that is your bottom line. Others can take 60 or more. Ours is more like 25.  I have often vowed to cap it at a more comfortable, intimate size, like 14-20 but have said OK anyway up to maybe 26. Beyond that, I find it's just too many and it begins to discourage more introverted participants from returning, who are often some of the most interesting people. As it turns out, when it has swelled a bit too high, the universe often trims it back down to 22 or so as people call or email with last minute cancellations.

You will have to feel your way through this one. Perhaps you or another member of your circle needs to start an additional potluck or else do it more often!

Meanwhile, enjoy the process. The more you do it , the easier it gets as you establish your routine. Don't sweat it too much and enjoy how much people appreciate you for creating the community that is often lacking in our lives! It is a real service, and it is also very fun!

AND tasty!!