With life comes death, and gathering with family and friends is an important part of accept death and moving on.
At a potluck dinner, each guest brings in one dish to share with everyone. A potluck dinner is a good way to bring people together around the memory of a deceased loved one. It is important to coordinate what people are bringing so that you do not end up with too much of the same food or too many deserts without enough food.
Memorial Cake
Bring in a large plain unfrosted sheet cake, or multiple cakes, depending on how many guests will be there. Bring different colors of frosting, sprinkles and other cake decorations such as decoration tubes. Have the children at the potluck each frost and decorate a portion of the cake in memory of the deceased person. Cover the table with wax paper for easier clean-up. You might snap a photo of the cakes and send a photo home with each child.
Slow Cooker Comfort Meals
Slow cooker meals are convenient for cooking food for large groups, as you can prepare them early and keep them hot during the potluck. Slow cooker food makes good comfort food, such as turkey with gravy and potatoes. Slow cooker chili and other soups also make good comfort foods for times of bereavement.
Favorite Dish of the Deceased Person
Bring in the favorite dish of the deceased person. Alternatively, if the deceased person had a favorite spice or special ingredient, you could ask all the guests who are making either food or desert to use that specific ingredient in their dishes or deserts. This could be a favorite ingredient or spice like cinnamon, eggs, or a favorite staple like rice or potatoes.
Memory Box
Besides food, bring a "memory box" to the potluck, where guests can write down their good memories of the deceased one and drop it in the box. At some point during the potluck, draw some from the box and everyone can reflect on memory. Toward the end of the potluck when everyone has had a chance to write something for the box, take them out and display them on a table so guests can read and reflect on the different memories if they would like.
Tags: Slow cooker, deceased person, during potluck, good comfort, memory deceased