FUNDRAISER: Lutefisk: To be or Not To Be

GRAND TOTALS:
To Be - $47.00.

Not to Be - $156.00.
Money donated to the Nordskogen Baronial General Fund.

It started as a joke.
It turned into a fundraiser opportunity.

HE Aurelia Rufinia offered cash if I would add lutefisk as one of the main courses to the dayboard for 12th Night.

Lady Ellen Our Seneschal offered cash if I would keep lutefisk off the dayboard.

There will be a blind bid for both sides beginning tonight and running through Wednesday, January 10. I'll be at the meetings with two envelopes - "To Be" and "Not To Be". Bring cash and donate to whichever side you'd like to see win. Checks will be accepted, please make them out to 'SCA Inc - Barony of Nordskogen'. Each week, I will announce which side is currently ahead but actual amounts will not be announced.

As of today, Wednesday, December 20, the To Be is ahead.
The Not To Be pulled ahead briefly last week, only to be trumped by Baroness Aurelia as she breezed into town for the holidays.
As of 12/31/06, the To Be is back in the lead!

Wild Game

Well, it was a nice idea but in the long run, it just isn't feasible for a dayboard this size.

Venison is currently $4.85/lb and partridge is Not To Be Found. Pheasant thighs are $3.25/lb.

Assuming an attendance of 500, with roughly 2/3 of the people eating at any given time, I'm looking at feeding 334 people for roughly 6 hours.

That puts wild game right outside the budget.

Phooey.

So, substitutions will be made. Cow for deer and chicken for partridge.

For other cooks, Steve at Venison America in Hudson, WI can get just about anything in any quantities, wholesale priced. I asked about pheasant, partridge, duck, quail, rabbit, venison, buffalo, and mutton. He will also deliver to the twin cities.

"What can I donate/What do you need?"

I've had several people mention they'd like to donate items for the buffet, or ask me what items I need or would want them to bring.

I have one simple answer:

Baked goods or nibbles.

** Period cookies, sweetbreads, regular breads, tarts, etc. will all be put to good use.

** Nibbles such as nuts, candied fruits, marchpane, or other period confections, etc. will also be put to good use.

** Fresh, unpeeled fruits would also be welcome.

How much: My generic rule for donated items is: "Feed 48." It's about the size of one large or two regular batches of cookies. Loaves will be cut into sixths, pies/round cakes into eighths. You are certainly welcome to bring more if you would like to. If you can't do 48 portions, but are gung-ho to donate something, the kitchen help can always use treats. Especially treats we haven't spent all day staring at, making, and serving. I'm just sayin'..

Please do not bring:

** Any product that contains meat

** Anything that requires extensive cooling/refrigeration.

** Any home-canned items.

** Any liquid, drinkable alcohol. We cannot legally serve it so it cannot be part of the buffet.

If you could provide me with an ingredient list on an index card with the item, that would be much appreciated.

Feel free to drop a comment here or email me with questions. If you would like to bring something that defies one of the above descriptions, please go ahead and shoot me an email detailing it. I'm willing to consider other items as long as I know what they are ahead of time :)

Thank you very much to the people who have asked, and who have been patient in getting this information.

-T