THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY: LIFESTYLES AND RECIPES

AMISH/MENNONITE FANS:

May 20, 2017: If you’d like to follow my latest posts, please go to the Loves of Snyder County Lifestyles and Recipes Volume 2.

Also, please check out my latest releases: THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY TRILOGY:

amish-series

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SNYDER COUNTY MENNONITE RECIPES!

Orange Tapioca

Blog Post Number 98

Raise your hand if you’ve ever had orange tapioca. I’ve never heard of this twist on tapioca pudding, let alone try it. One ingredient that’s included in this delicacy really surprised me: peaches. Let’s look at this simple dessert that’s just a little bit different from your run-of-the-mill tapioca:

Orange Tapioca

(Compliments of Arlene Stauffer)

Ingredients:

1 qt. cold water

1 c. sugar

½ c. Minute tapioca

1 (6 oz.) can frozen orange juice or orange drink mix

3 or 4 small oranges or 1 small can mandarin oranges

1 qt. canned or frozen peaches, diced

Container of Cool Whip or can of Reddi Wip

Directions:

Add water, sugar, and tapioca into a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Remove from heat and add frozen orange juice.

When cool, add oranges and peaches.

Refrigerate and serve with whipped topping.

With my hectic schedule, I’m for “easy,” and you can’t get much easier than this. I have to try this very soon. I have a feeling it is a delicious delicacy that everyone at the table will enjoy!

*****

RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see any of these.

They are listed here in the order they appear below.)

Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Casserole, Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie, Mississippi Mudd Pie, Chicken Spaghetti Fiesta, French Rhubarb Pie/Hoosier’s Cream Pie, Beef Barbecue, Apples and Knepp, Ice Cream Yum Yum, Baked Fish Au Gratin, Recipe for a Happy Family, Meat Loaf, Flan (Custard Pudding), Meat and Potato Quiche, Coffee Scotch Pie, Baked Casserole, Zucchini Burgers/Zucchini Squash Fritters, Bread Pudding, Ham and Bean Soup, Sawdust Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oven Bar B Q Chicken, Steamed Cherry Pudding/Cut Out Cookies, Amish Macaroni Salad, Beer Cookies, Sweet Potato Casserole, Clam Chowder, Corn Chowder, Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, Hot Dog Casserole, Pumpkin Pie, Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf & Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

In the mood for a good Amish story? How about:

Louellen Finds True Love

Volume 1 in

THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY SERIES

Why were Eli and Louellen Friesen shunned by their Amish Ordnung?

(Check it out on Amazon)

*****

May 27, 2014

MORE SNYDER COUNTY MENNONITE RECIPES!

Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Casserole

Blog Post Number 97

If you’re like millions of other Americans the day after Memorial Day, you’re probably a little tired of hamburgers, hot dogs, and potato salad. How about a nice change with a casserole for supper this coming week? Let’s look at a quick and easy one-dish meal:

Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Casserole

(Compliments of Pauline S. Stauffer)

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 ½ c. fully cooked smoked ham cut in cubes

¾ c. shredded Cheddar or white American cheese

1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained

1 (10 ¾ oz.) can cream of mushroom soup

1 ½ c. Bisquick baking mix

½ c. milk

3 Tbsp. margarine or butter, melted

1 egg

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix ham, cheese, broccoli, and soup in 1 ½ qt. casserole dish.

Stir remaining ingredients in separate dish until dough forms.

Drop dough mixture by spoonfuls evenly over broccoli mixture.

Bake uncovered 40-45 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Now, how easy can it get? C’mon!

I’m a casserole cook. I make one or two casseroles practically every Saturday for hubby and me to munch on all week long. I’ve made variations of this casserole in several different ways with fried Spam, with left-over cubes of baked ham, and with ham lunch meat. I’ve also used a potato au gratin box mix as a base, sometimes without extra cheese. All the varieties are delicious in their own right, and all are quite easy to make, which fits my bill to the T.

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RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see any of these.

They are listed here in the order they appear below.)

Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie, Mississippi Mudd Pie, Chicken Spaghetti Fiesta, French Rhubarb Pie/Hoosier’s Cream Pie, Beef Barbecue, Apples and Knepp, Ice Cream Yum Yum, Baked Fish Au Gratin, Recipe for a Happy Family, Meat Loaf, Flan (Custard Pudding), Meat and Potato Quiche, Coffee Scotch Pie, Baked Casserole, Zucchini Burgers/Zucchini Squash Fritters, Bread Pudding, Ham and Bean Soup, Sawdust Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oven Bar B Q Chicken, Steamed Cherry Pudding/Cut Out Cookies, Amish Macaroni Salad, Beer Cookies, Sweet Potato Casserole, Clam Chowder, Corn Chowder, Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, Hot Dog Casserole, Pumpkin Pie, Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf & Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

In the mood for a good Amish story? How about:

Louellen Finds True Love

Volume 1 in

THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY SERIES

(Go to Amazon)

Twenty-five-year-old Amish Louellen Friesen finds herself falling in love with forty-year-old Englishman Dr. David McAndrew, a widower with two children, for whom she cleans house regularly in Mapletown, Snyder County, Pennsylvania. There’s only one problem. Louellen is already married. Well past the “marrying age” at twenty-two, Louellen Bidleman had wed Amish man Eli Friesen three years prior, mostly because of pressure from her family. Eli, also in his mid-twenties and in danger of being “passed over,” had married Louellen for one main reason, to have sons. Louellen has some love for Eli, but because of her church vows, sets out to be the best wife and mother she can be, especially when God blesses them with little ones. However, after three years, there are no children. Louellen is devastated, and Eli becomes bitter, feeling trapped in a marriage that has produced no offspring even though he knows that he has the medical problem, not his wife. Although he treats Louellen civil in public, at home he ignores her needs, and their wedded life is nothing but a disappointment to both. What should Louellen do? Turn her back on her husband and her Amish Ordnung? Should she leave, become “English,” and marry Dr. McAndrew, a man who has promised her the moon?

*****

May 20, 2014

MORE SNYDER COUNTY MENNONITE RECIPES!

STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE PIE

Blog Post Number 96

My mouth waters like crazy just reading this recipe. If you’ve never tried this simple recipe from our Plain Folk friends to make an absolutely delicious dessert with strawberries (which you can buy at any market now), now’s the time. So, print this for your own files and surprise your family with a really wonderful treat:

Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie

(Compliments of Pauline S. Stauffer)

Ingredients for the Pie:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1/3 c. lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. sugar

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 ½ c. water

1 (3 oz.) box strawberry Jell-O

1 Tbsp. vanilla

2 c. strawberries (fresh or frozen)

9-inch graham cracker crust or baked pastry shell

Directions for the Strawberry Glaze:

Combine sugar, cornstarch, and water.

Cook until thick, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat, stir in Jell-O and vanilla.

Cool then put strawberries on top of cheese mixture.

Pour glaze over strawberries and chill.

Garnish with whipped cream if desired.

Directions:

Beat cream cheese until fluffy.

Stir in sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and vanilla.

Pour into prepared pie crust.

Chill 3 hrs. or until set.

Top with desired amount of strawberries and glaze.

I’ll tell you one thing. If this dessert was in my refrigerator, it wouldn’t last long. I’d be tempted to skip the “boring” part of a meal and go straight to the best part: the dessert.

How about you? Are strawberries a favorite?

*****

RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see any of these.

They are listed here in the order they appear below.)

Mississippi Mudd Pie, Chicken Spaghetti Fiesta, French Rhubarb Pie/Hoosier’s Cream Pie, Beef Barbecue, Apples and Knepp, Ice Cream Yum Yum, Baked Fish Au Gratin, Recipe for a Happy Family, Meat Loaf, Flan (Custard Pudding), Meat and Potato Quiche, Coffee Scotch Pie, Baked Casserole, Zucchini Burgers/Zucchini Squash Fritters, Bread Pudding, Ham and Bean Soup, Sawdust Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oven Bar B Q Chicken, Steamed Cherry Pudding/Cut Out Cookies, Amish Macaroni Salad, Beer Cookies, Sweet Potato Casserole, Clam Chowder, Corn Chowder, Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, Hot Dog Casserole, Pumpkin Pie, Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf & Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

May 13, 2014

FAREWELL TO SHEILA, MY HOUSECLEANER AND FRIEND!

Blog Post Number 95

Today I’m taking a break from recipes to tell you about my faithful Mennonite house cleaner, Sheila Martin, who has worked for me for years. Now in her mid-twenties, she started house cleaning for quite a few families after she graduated from high school. She also “sat” with my mother when Mom was in her last few months here on Earth and needed constant care.

My mother lived with me for her last 15 years, so when I had errands to run or work to do, Mennonite gals like Sheila would help with Mom’s care for a few hours at a time. She was a very reliable person I could count on.

It’s not the first time Sheila has left to explore other work possibilities. Over three years ago, she had left the area for a year as well. This time she’s going back to the same place, the Faith Mission Home in Free Union, VA (a home for special needs folks 30 years and older). When she served there previously, she told me she did kitchen work and helped in the bakery. She helped cook as well as supervise several residents who were advanced enough to put in a few hours of “work” a day preparing meals.

Starting in June and over the next year, Sheila will be a cottage teacher. She’s trading her feather duster in for a ruler. She will help supervise about 10 female residents in their cottage with their daily lives, and she’ll teach in the school. Those residents who are functionally literate will attend class every day and work simple worksheets in math and reading and do crafts. Sheila will be right by their sides, helping them with these tasks.

The Faith Mission facility has three girls’ cottages and probably just as many boys’ cottages, she believed. There also is a main house where residents who are more disabled are cared for. The female residents who are able to work learn skills in cooking, baking, and cleaning. The male residents can work at a mini-farm, do woodworking, or care for the landscapes.

Sheila told me that she’ll work six days a week and have a day to herself when she can leave the campus and do as she pleases. I asked her if she would be paid much for her services. “No,” she said. “It’s all volunteer work, but I’ll get a small allowance.”

There’s only one description for a person, who would work for a year in this kind of setting and have a smile on her face all the time: “She has a servant’s heart.”

And I’ll let you in on a little secret. My one dog, Mr. Bailey, absolutely adores Sheila. He’ll miss her terribly. God bless you, Sheila, and return safely to us in a year!

*****

RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see any of these. They are listed here in the order they appear below.)

*****

May 6, 2014

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

Mississippi Mudd

Blog Post Number 94

Mississippi Mudd? I must say with a dessert like this you’ve got my attention. It has three of my favorite ingredients, chocolate, Cool Whip, and cream cheese, and it’s very easy to make.

If there’s one thing that brands the Plain Folks’ culinary habits it’s the fact that they make the best desserts this side of the universe. Let’s have a look at how to make one of their most popular treats.

Mississippi Mudd

(Compliments of Donna Wolf)

Ingredients:

1 stick oleo, softened

1 c. flour

1 c. smashed graham crackers

4 oz. Cool Whip and 8 oz. Cool Whip

8 oz. of cream cheese

1 c. 10x sugar

2 regular instant chocolate pudding

3 ¼ c. milk

Directions:

Mix first three ingredients like you would pie crust.

Press mixture into 13×9 inch pan.

Bake at 330 degrees for 15-20 minutes then cool.

Mix 4 oz. of Cool Whip, cream cheese, and powdered sugar and spread on cooled crust.

Mix pudding and milk and place on cream cheese layer when set.

Spread on 8 oz. Cool Whip on pudding.

Top with graham cracker crumbs or nuts, chopped fine.

Are you ready to brew some coffee, sit down at your table, and have a big piece? Me too!

*****

RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see any of these.

They are listed here in the order they appear below.

Chicken Spaghetti Fiesta, French Rhubarb Pie/Hoosier’s Cream Pie, Beef Barbecue, Apples and Knepp, Ice Cream Yum Yum, Baked Fish Au Gratin, Recipe for a Happy Family, Meat Loaf, Flan (Custard Pudding), Meat and Potato Quiche, Coffee Scotch Pie, Baked Casserole, Zucchini Burgers/Zucchini Squash Fritters, Bread Pudding, Ham and Bean Soup, Sawdust Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oven Bar B Q Chicken, Steamed Cherry Pudding/Cut Out Cookies, Amish Macaroni Salad, Beer Cookies, Sweet Potato Casserole, Clam Chowder, Corn Chowder, Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, Hot Dog Casserole, Pumpkin Pie, Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf & Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

RHONDA FINDS TRUE LOVE

THE SNYDER COUNTY QUILTING BEE II

VOLUME 5

(Contact me for a copy)

Louellen Friesen’s neice Rhonda Bidleman and Rodney Hornberger are set to be engaged. But when Rodney’s old flame, Sharon Hoffnagle from Wisconsin, shows up in Mapletown claiming her two-year-old child is Rodney’s, Rodney has a terribly hard decision to make, one that will leave someone heart-broken.

What does Rodney do? Does he follow the Mennonite church’s edicts to marry Sharon or pursue his own heart’s desire?

*****

April 29, 2014

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

Chicken Spaghetti Fiesta

Blog Post Number 93

If you’re thinking along the same lines as me, then you believe that spaghetti would not be on a list of favorites for Mennonites. But this special spaghetti recipe with chicken is such a favorite, it found itself in the one Mennonite cookbook I have. I also think after you see this recipe, you’ll agree that it has one of the longest lists of ingredients ever in a recipe. Let’s take a look at how the Plain Folk do this special spaghetti:

Chicken Spaghetti Fiesta

(Compliments of Juanita Martin)

Serves 16

Ingredients:

1 6 lb.hen or 6 lb. of chicken breast

2 large onions (unless you’re allergic to them like I am)

2 large sticks celery, chopped

2 large green peppers, chopped

1 stick butter

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 (2 oz.) jar chopped pimientos

1 (8 ½ oz.) can English peas, drained

1 (10 oz.) can whole tomatoes with juice

1 (4 ½ oz.) can chopped ripe olives

1 (16oz.) pack thin spaghetti noodles

1 lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed

Sprinkling of mushrooms and black olives (optional)

Directions:

Boil hen or chicken pieces until tender. Clean meat from bones if hen is used, and cut all pieces into bite-sized chunks.

Save broth and set aside.

Saute onion, pepper, and celery in butter.

Add Worcestershire sauce, pimeientos, peas, tomatoes, olives, and chicken to sauteed veggies.

Cook spaghetti in broth.

Add spaghetti noodles and cheese to chicken mixture, pouring enough broth in to make mixture moist.

Mix well and place in two greased three-quart casseroles and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for an hour or until hot and bubbly.

So…are you ready to make this special kind of spaghetti? I think, except for the onions, this is an excellent change for the usual humdrum spaghetti that we’re all accustomed to eating. The next time you have a houseful of company, consider making chicken spaghetti fiesta!

*****

RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see any of these.

They are listed here in the order they appear below.)

French Rhubarb Pie/Hoosier’s Cream Pie, Beef Barbecue, Apples and Knepp, Ice Cream Yum Yum, Baked Fish Au Gratin, Recipe for a Happy Family, Meat Loaf, Flan (Custard Pudding), Meat and Potato Quiche, Coffee Scotch Pie, Baked Casserole, Zucchini Burgers/Zucchini Squash Fritters, Bread Pudding, Ham and Bean Soup, Sawdust Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oven Bar B Q Chicken, Steamed Cherry Pudding/Cut Out Cookies, Amish Macaroni Salad, Beer Cookies, Sweet Potato Casserole, Clam Chowder, Corn Chowder, Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, Hot Dog Casserole, Pumpkin Pie, Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf & Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

April 22, 2014

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

French Rhubarb Pie/Hoosier Cream Pie

Blog Post Number 92

Well, Easter is history for another year. A while back I asked one of my Mennonite friends how they celebrate the “Christian” holidays. Some Mennonites give gifts at Christmas; some don’t. But most Mennonites do not decorate in any way for Christmas or for Easter. Forget the Santas and Easter Bunnies. Although they might color hardboiled eggs and maybe have an Easter egg hunt in the back yard for the little ones, they concentrate on the Lord and what Jesus has done for mankind.

As you would suspect, the holiday centers around church services and family gatherings with a seven-course meal served. There’s always tons of food at any meal, more than can be consumed in one sitting, and that includes all kinds of desserts. Let’s take a look at two favorite pies (as easy as pie!) the Mennonites would serve at a big meal:

French Rhubarb Pie

(Compliments of Mrs. Harvey E. Stauffer)

Ingredients for the Topping:

¾ c. flour

½ c. brown sugar

1/3 c. margarine

Ingredients for Pie:

1 egg

1 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. diced rhubarb

2 Tbsp. flour

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together and put it into an unbaked pan.

Cover with the topping.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

Continue baking at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Hoosier Cream Pie

(Compliments of Mrs. Harvey E. Stauffer)

Ingredients:

Unbaked 8-inch pie shell

½ c. brown sugar

½ c. granulated sugar

2 Tbsp. flour

2 c. light cream

½ tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Combine sugars and flour, mixing well.

Stir in cream and vanilla.

Pour into thoroughly chilled pie shell.

Bake in pre-heated over at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes until knife comes out clean.

Cool on rack and refrigerate until serving time.

I think you’ll agree you couldn’t ask for two simpler recipes to whip up some quickie desserts. I’ve never made either, but I’m really curious about the cream pie. The ingredients are so “basis;” I’m just wondering how creamy the dessert is. It sounds delicious, but most of all, I like the fact that both pie recipes are so easy to make.

*****

RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see any of these.

They are listed here in the order they appear below.)

Beef Barbecue, Apples and Knepp, Ice Cream Yum Yum, Baked Fish Au Gratin, Recipe for a Happy Family, Meat Loaf, Flan (Custard Pudding), Meat and Potato Quiche, Coffee Scotch Pie, Baked Casserole, Zucchini Burgers/Zucchini Squash Fritters, Bread Pudding, Ham and Bean Soup, Sawdust Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oven Bar B Q Chicken, Steamed Cherry Pudding/Cut Out Cookies, Amish Macaroni Salad, Beer Cookies, Sweet Potato Casserole, Clam Chowder, Corn Chowder, Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, Hot Dog Casserole, Pumpkin Pie, Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf & Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

April 15, 2014

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

Mom’s Picnic Barbecue

Blog Post Number 91

Spring has finally arrived, and with it come the warmer weather and lots of outdoor activities for the Plain Folk, including family and church picnics. One of the staple foods that seems to show up at many picnic, Plain Folk or English, is barbecue. Now, when I say barbecue, I’m referring to the meat, whether it be chicken, pork, or hamburg, which is ground up or shredded then simmered for hours in a sauce. Here’s one of the popular Mennonite recipes for barbecue with ground meat:

Mom’s Picnic Barbecue

(Compliments of Valerie A. Martin)

Makes six to eight barbecue

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground meat

1 c. diced onion (optional)

½ c. diced green pepper

1 Tbsp. prepared mustard

1 Tbsp. vinegar

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp. salt

½ c. ketchup

2 Tbsp. sugar

Directions:

Saute ground beef in large pan until brown.

Add other ingredients. Simmer ½ hr. or longer. The longer it simmers, the better it tastes.

Looks delicious? Easy to make? You betcha. Other than the onions, which I can’t have because I’m allergic to them, this recipe sounds scrumptious. I think I’ll make some barbecue the next time I go to the Farmers’ Market right down the road and buy a pound of fresh ground beef.

*****

RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see any of these.

They are listed here in the order they appear below.)

Apples and Knepp, Ice Cream Yum Yum, Baked Fish Au Gratin, Recipe for a Happy Family, Meat Loaf, Flan (Custard Pudding), Meat and Potato Quiche, Coffee Scotch Pie, Baked Casserole, Zucchini Burgers/Zucchini Squash Fritters, Bread Pudding, Ham and Bean Soup, Sawdust Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oven Bar B Q Chicken, Steamed Cherry Pudding/Cut Out Cookies, Amish Macaroni Salad, Beer Cookies, Sweet Potato Casserole, Clam Chowder, Corn Chowder, Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, Hot Dog Casserole, Pumpkin Pie, Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf & Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

April 8, 2014

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

Apples and Knepp//Ice Cream Yum Yum

Blog Post Number 90

Today we’re going to look at two different “quickie” desserts of my Mennonite friends. Desserts are a BIG part of the diet of the Plain Folk here in Snyder County. Let’s have a look at two of their favorites that only take a few minutes to make:

Apples and Knepp

Compliments of Catherine Stauffer

Ingredients for the Knepp: 1½ c. flour 2 tsp. baking powder ¼ c. sugar 1 egg ¼ c. milk ½ tsp. salt

Other ingredients: 2 c. apples ½ c. raisins 1 c. water

Directions:

Apples – Cook apples and raisins until soft. Add sugar as desired. Boil then simmer while you mix the knepp.

Knepp – Mix flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Beat egg lightly and add milk. Combine with flour mixture. Drop by spoonfuls into boiling apple mixture. Add cherries or other fruit to your taste. Serve warm. My mouth is watering. How about yours? Let’s have a look at the next quickie dessert:

Ice Cream Yum Yum

Compliments of Dorothy Haldeman

Ingredients: 2 qt. vanilla ice cream 1½ c. milk 1 (6 oz.) instant vanilla pudding About 60 Ritz crackers ¼ lb. butter

Directions: Mix ice cream, prepared pudding, and milk and set aside briefly Crumb the crackers and butter together and put in large serving dish. Save a few crumbs to sprinkle on top. Pour ice cream blend over cracker mixture and sprinkle remaining cracker mix on top. Store in the freezer for at least 15-20 minutes before serving. (Also very good with chocolate ice cream and chocolate pudding.) I’ve never made either of these desserts, but they sure sound delicious, don’t they? Let me know when you’re making either, and I’ll be right over for a sampling!

*****

RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see any of these.

They are listed here in the order they appear below.)

Baked Fish Au Gratin, Recipe for a Happy Family, Meat Loaf, Flan (Custard Pudding), Meat and Potato Quiche, Coffee Scotch Pie, Baked Casserole, Zucchini Burgers/Zucchini Squash Fritters, Bread Pudding, Ham and Bean Soup, Sawdust Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oven Bar B Q Chicken, Steamed Cherry Pudding/Cut Out Cookies, Amish Macaroni Salad, Beer Cookies, Sweet Potato Casserole, Clam Chowder, Corn Chowder, Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, Hot Dog Casserole, Pumpkin Pie, Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf & Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

April 1, 2014

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

Baked Fish Au Gratin

Blog Post Number 89

You probably are thinking that fish would not be a staple food for Mennonites. However, here in Snyder County fishing in the Susquehanna River, Penns Creek, and their little tributaries is a very popular pastime with the Plain Folk as well as the English. So, I imagine fresh fillets would be used in this recipe if Daed or the sons had had a successful day fishing. Our fishing season is soon upon us here in central PA, so I thought I’d share the recipe for a unique Mennonite dish:

Baked Fish Au Gratin

Compliments of Reba Stauffer

Ingredients: 3 lb. of white fish fillets (or fish or your choice) 6 Tbsp. butter or margarine 3 Tbsp. flour 1 ½ tsp. salt 1 ¼ c. milk 1 ½ tsp. lemon juice 1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions: Rinse fish fillets and dry on paper towel. Set aside. Melt butter or margarine over low heat. Add flour and salt to butter, stirring to blend. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until thickened. Add lemon juice and cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Put half of the mixture in baking pan and add fish. Pour rest of sauce over fish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until fish flakes. There you have a quick and easy recipe for a main dish that adds a little extra to your fish instead of simply frying it in butter. Serve with baked potatoes and a side vegetable or salad, and you have yourself a nice different meal for a change of pace.

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RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see any of these.

They are listed here in the order they appear below.)

Recipe for a Happy Family, Meat Loaf, Flan (Custard Pudding), Meat and Potato Quiche, Coffee Scotch Pie, Baked Casserole, Zucchini Burgers/Zucchini Squash Fritters, Bread Pudding, Ham and Bean Soup, Sawdust Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oven Bar B Q Chicken, Steamed Cherry Pudding/Cut Out Cookies, Amish Macaroni Salad, Beer Cookies, Sweet Potato Casserole, Clam Chowder, Corn Chowder, Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, Hot Dog Casserole, Pumpkin Pie, Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf & Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

March 25, 2014

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

Recipe for a Happy Family

Blog Post Number 88

The Zimmerman Family

Visit them at http://haddygracedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/10/breaking-amish-is-it-reality.html

Believe it or not, this recipe is really in the Mennonite Stauffer/Martin Family Favorites recipe book that my house cleaner and friend, Sheila Martin, gave me about a year ago. (And I’m not making this up!) You who know any Plain Folk have already noticed that Amish and Mennonite people put a HIGH priority on family life. The core of their existence revolves around the family and the church, and the father is usually as involved with the children as the mother. Eating meals and spending “quality” time together is the Plain Folk’s lifestyle. It’s the rule, not the exception. Most of the progressive Mennonites (drive cars and have cell phones) are very happy, contented folk. It looks like they use this recipe every day! Let’s have a look at the recipe some Mennonites in Snyder County use to nurture strong family relations:

Recipe for a Happy Family

(Serves All Members)

Compliments of Erma Stauffer

Ingredients: 1 home 1 husband 1wife Children 1 Bible for each Generous portions of prayer 3 c. love, firmly packed 1 pkg. work 1 pkg. play (together) 1 portion of patience 1 portion of understanding 1 portion of forgiveness 1 small paddle 1 c. kisses

Directions: Mix thoroughly and sprinkle with awareness. Bake in moderate oven of everyday life, using as fuel all the grudges and past unpleasantness. Cool down. Turn out onto a platter of cheerfulness. Garnish with tears and laughter in large helpings. Serve God, country, and community. Well, what do you think? My opinion is if any family, Plain Folk or not, will follow this recipe, it will have a happy and fulfilling life, and every member of the family will enjoy his parents, siblings, and/or children, he/she will not just “tolerate” them. I also bet you a bucket of goat’s milk that the crime rate in the community would drop to almost zero as well.

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RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS: (Scroll down to previous blogs to see any of these. They are listed here in the order they appear below.) Meat Loaf, Flan (Custard Pudding), Meat and Potato Quiche, Coffee Scotch Pie, Baked Casserole, Zucchini Burgers/Zucchini Squash Fritters, Bread Pudding, Ham and Bean Soup, Sawdust Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oven Bar B Q Chicken, Steamed Cherry Pudding/Cut Out Cookies, Amish Macaroni Salad, Beer Cookies, Sweet Potato Casserole, Clam Chowder, Corn Chowder, Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, Hot Dog Casserole, Pumpkin Pie, Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf & Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

March 18, 2014

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

Meat Loaf

Blog Post Number 87

One of the most popular main dishes at a Plain Folk’s supper table is meat loaf. Although there are all kinds of “meat loaves,” the Amish and Mennonite have a certain recipe that’s very tasty. Let’s take a look at their popular way to make meat loaf in Snyder County:

Meat Loaf

(Serves 8)

Ingredients: 2 lbs. lean ground beef 1 egg Small can of tomato sauce ¼ c. uncooked rice ½ c. bread crumbs 1 tsp. parsley flakes Salt, pepper to your taste ¼ c. chopped raw onion (optional) 1 tsp. oregano (optional)

Directions: Add all ingredients into large mixing bowl and thoroughly mix. Place meat loaf mixture into baking dish or pan and cover. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour to an hour-and-a-half. Remove cover and bake for 15 more minutes. If you have the ground beef available, this is a real easy recipe for an extra special supper treat. Serve with baked potatoes and a vegetable of your choice, and you’ll have your family or guests asking for more.

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RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see any of these.

They are listed here in the order they appear below.)

Flan (Custard Pudding), Meat and Potato Quiche, Coffee Scotch Pie, Baked Casserole, Zucchini Burgers/Zucchini Squash Fritters, Bread Pudding, Ham and Bean Soup, Sawdust Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oven Bar B Q Chicken, Steamed Cherry Pudding/Cut Out Cookies, Amish Macaroni Salad, Beer Cookies, Sweet Potato Casserole, Clam Chowder, Corn Chowder, Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, Hot Dog Casserole, Pumpkin Pie, Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf & Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

LOUELLEN FINDS TRUE LOVE

Why were Louellen and Eli Friesen shunned by their Amish Ordnung?

*****

March 11, 2014

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

Flan (or Custard Pudding)

Blog Post Number 86

Flan or Flambe (The PA Dutch Way)

Ah, you haven’t lived until you’ve tried flan, an absolutely delicious (and fattening) dessert that is SO easy to make…and eat. Now, the reason I have “The PA Dutch Way” in the title is because the OTHER flambé, which is probably more world renowned, is served covered with a flaming alcoholic drink such as brandy. But for the Plain Folk and many others who don’t imbibe, we serve the flan “plain” with just its natural sugar juice drizzled over it. However, it’s still one of the yummiest treats you’ll ever taste. Let’s have a look at this easy recipe for flan:

Flan

Ingredients: 3 eggs 1 8-oz. (or small) can condensed sweet milk Using the same can, measure 2 cans of regular milk 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1/3 c. granulated sugar Sugar/cinnamon topping (optional)

Directions: Beat eggs with mixer. Add condensed milk, then regular milk and vanilla slowly, and mix until well blended. Set mixture aside and add enough water to 1/3 c. of sugar to just melt it. (It should barely be runny.) Coat sides and bottom of bundt pan or round cake pan with sugar. Slowly add pudding mixture. Set pan in oven in one inch of already heated water in cake pan. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about an hour or until pudding top is golden brown or pudding quivers when shaking pan. Cool the flam thoroughly. With a knife, loosen the flan on all sides and inner core in the bundt pan or outside of cake pan. On serving dish, flip the flan upside down and it will fall out. Drizzle sugary liquid (left in bundt pan) on top of flan and chill again. Shake sugar/cinnamon topping sparingly on top of flan right before serving. This is a very easy dessert to make that even men go crazy over. It’s very smooth and will satisfy any sweet tooth. I recently served a flan to some company, and two of the ladies wanted the recipe while their husbands almost cleaned up the entire dessert. Guaranteed, this delicacy will be a big hit.

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RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see any of these.

They are listed here in the order they appear below.)

Meat and Potato Quiche, Coffee Scotch Pie, Baked Casserole, Zucchini Burgers/Zucchini Squash Fritters, Bread Pudding, Ham and Bean Soup, Sawdust Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oven Bar B Q Chicken, Steamed Cherry Pudding/Cut Out Cookies, Amish Macaroni Salad, Beer Cookies, Sweet Potato Casserole, Clam Chowder, Corn Chowder, Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, Hot Dog Casserole, Pumpkin Pie, Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf & Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

March 4, 2014

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

Meat and Potato Quiche

Blog Post Number 85

I’ve had quiche only once or twice in my life. Years and years ago, I visited a friend I hadn’t seen in a while, and for lunch she made spinach quiche, which I really liked. Another time, I’m not sure what kind of quiche I tasted, but it had a lot of cheese in it, and it was very good. Of course, with my allergy to onions, I have to be very careful with foods like quiche because the recipes almost always call for onion. But both of those quiches seemed “low” on onion content; thus, I enjoyed them tremendously. I’ve never made a quiche in my own kitchen because my hubby is a “picky” eater, and he’d never eat it. I’d be left with the task of fressing the whole dish, which would only add more pounds to the already-bulging tire around my waist. So I’ve opted out of ever making quiche. Anyway, here’s a Mennonite recipe for a different kind of quiche, a meat and potato quiche, which I’d love to try just because it looks so delicious. Let’s see what it takes to make a very appealing evening meal.

Meat and Potato Quiche

(Compliments of Valerie A. Martin)

Ingredients: 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil 3 c. coarsely shredded raw potatoes 1 c. grated cheddar or Swiss cheese ¾ c. chopped or diced ham, chicken, or browned sausage ¼ c. chopped onion (optional) 1 c. canned milk 2 eggs ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. pepper

Directions: Coat grated potatoes with oil and press evenly into 8 or 9 inch baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees or until potatoes start to brown. Remove from oven, layer with cheese, meat, and onion. In a bowl, beat milk, eggs, salt, and pepper. Pour over other ingredients. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes before cutting. There you have a meal that will take a little longer to prepare than the average casserole; however, this quiche is quite different and a nice change that could become a family favorite.

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RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see any of these.

They are listed here in the order they appear below.)

Coffee Scotch Pie, Baked Casserole, Zucchini Burgers/Zucchini Squash Fritters, Bread Pudding, Ham and Bean Soup, Sawdust Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oven Bar B Q Chicken, Steamed Cherry Pudding/Cut Out Cookies, Amish Macaroni Salad, Beer Cookies, Sweet Potato Casserole, Clam Chowder, Corn Chowder, Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, Hot Dog Casserole, Pumpkin Pie, Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf & Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

February 25, 2014

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

Coffee Scotch Pie

Blog Post Number 84

Raise your hand if you’ve never heard of coffee scotch pie. I’d have to raise my hand because I have never heard of it. But the pie must be a popular dessert with the Plain Folk because in my Mennonite cookbook, there are three different recipes for it. I read all three recipes and, since I assumed it had coffee and butterscotch in it, I was surprised to find NO butterscotch. And…surprise of all surprises…it’s not even a pie! It’s more like a cake! So let’s look at how to make:

Coffee Scotch Pie

(Compliments of Erma Stauffer)

Makes 4 Pie-Plate-Sized Cakes

Ingredients (first part): 4 lined pie plates 2 ¼ c. sifted flour ½ tsp. 1 ½ c. sugar ½ c. butter 1 c. milk 2 eggs 1 ½ tsp. vanilla

Directions: Sift all dry ingredients together. Put eggs and butter in mixing bowl and stir well. Combine dry ingredients, milk, and vanilla and beat 2 min. Pour batter into the lined pie plates. Add the following ingredients on the top and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 min.

Ingredients (second part): 1 c. butter 1 c. brown sugar, firmly packed ¼ c. light table syrup 1 c. STRONG coffee (1 heaping Tbsp. instant coffee) I don’t know about you, but this is a tempting recipe. I’d love to try this luscious treat with a real cup of brewed coffee. It sounds out of this world. What do you think?

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RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Baked Casserole, Zucchini Burgers/Zucchini Squash Fritters, Bread Pudding, Ham and Bean Soup, Sawdust Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oven Bar B Q Chicken, Steamed Cherry Pudding/Cut Out Cookies, Amish Macaroni Salad, Beer Cookies, Sweet Potato Casserole, Clam Chowder, Corn Chowder, Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, Hot Dog Casserole, Pumpkin Pie, Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf & Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

February 18, 2014

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

Baked Casserole

Blog Post Number 83

In my Stauffer/Martin Family Favorites Mennonite cookbook, the title for this dish is quite vague, to say the least. Baked casserole could include ground meat, ham, chicken, potatoes, vegetables of any kind, noodles, rice, onions, peppers, barley, or just about anything leftover you want to throw into it. But looking at this recipe a little more closely, it almost resembles a type of lasagna, which uses spaghetti noodles instead of the large flat lasagna pasta. However, although some of the ingredients are the same, there are a few different ingredients in this casserole that would give it a distinctly different taste. Let’s take a look at the Mennonites’ baked casserole:

Baked Casserole

(Compliments of Martha Martin)

Ingredients: ¼ lb. cooked spaghetti noodles 1 can of peas 1 chopped pepper Pinch of salt 6 slices of cheese 2 c. canned tomatoes 1 chopped onion (optional) ½ tsp. pepper 1 c. bread crumbs 1 tsp. butter

Directions: Drain spaghetti noodles, peas, and tomatoes. Layer noodles and vegetables in buttered pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put bread crumbs on top and bake until brown. Add cheese on top and bake until cheese melts. I don’t know about you, but, except for the onions, this sounds like a really different and delicious casserole that I’d like to try sometime. With a side dish of cole slaw or apple sauce, this would be a tempting evening meal and one that doesn’t require much prep time at all. And did you notice there is no meat in this casserole? A perfect new dish is now available for you vegetarians!

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RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Zucchini Burgers/Zucchini Squash Fritters, Bread Pudding, Ham and Bean Soup, Sawdust Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oven Bar B Q Chicken, Steamed Cherry Pudding/Cut Out Cookies, Amish Macaroni Salad, Beer Cookies, Sweet Potato Casserole, Clam Chowder, Corn Chowder, Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, Hot Dog Casserole, Pumpkin Pie, Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf & Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Sou

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More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

Zucchini Burgers

and

Zucchini Squash Fritters

Blog Post Number 82

The vegetable zucchini or courgette is a summer squash which can reach nearly a yard in length, but which is usually harvested at half that size or less. If you visit any farmers’ market in the summer in the Susquehanna Valley, you’ll see lots of different types of zucchini. Amish and Mennonite folk are big fans of zucchini. They can it, bake it, mash it, fry it, and add it to numerous dishes like salads, breads, and cakey desserts. So today, we’re going to look at two different zucchini recipes, mainly because they’re short and very easy to make. So let’s start with a recipe for a really, really unusual kind of “hamburger.”

ZUCCHINI BURGERS

(Compliments of Catherine Stauffer)

A great meat substitute for low-cal dieters or vegetarians

Ingredients: 2 c. grated zucchini Dash of salt 2 eggs, beaten Crushed crackers, enough to hold together Onion (optional) ¼ tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. seafood seasoning

Directions: Mix together, form patties, and fry. (How easy is that?)

ZUCCHINI SQUASH FRITTERS

Makes 8 to 10

(Compliments of Anna Mary S. Good)

A great meat substitute for low-cal dieters or vegetarians

Ingredients: 2 c. grated zucchini squash, shredded 2 Tbsp. butter or oil ½ c. white American cheese, shredded 2 eggs ½ c. Bisquick mix Salt, pepper, parsley to taste

Directions: Mix together Bisquick mix, cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir in beaten eggs until mixture is moist. Fold in zucchini. In skillet, melt butter or heat oil. Drop mixture in hot pan like pancakes. Fry 3 to 5 minutes or until brown on each side. Enjoy with your zucchini burgers and home-made baked beans. What a great idea for a “different” kind of meal.

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RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Bread Pudding, Ham and Bean Soup, Sawdust Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oven Bar B Q Chicken, Steamed Cherry Pudding/Cut Out Cookies, Amish Macaroni Salad, Beer Cookies, Sweet Potato Casserole, Clam Chowder, Corn Chowder, Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, Hot Dog Casserole, Pumpkin Pie, Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf & Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

Visit the Plain Folk in Snyder County

LOUELLEN FINDS TRUE LOVE

(Go to Amazon)

*****

February 4, 2014

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

Bread Pudding

Blog Post Number 81

My Mennonite friend and house cleaner, Sheila Martin, is here today shoveling the dust out of my home. She comes once a month to help me keep my house in order and has been doing this faithfully for about six years.

Today I asked her what one of her favorite dishes was because I thought I’d feature that on my blog post today. Well, surprisingly, she said that she really loves (drum roll, please!)…stromboli. Yes, stromboli. I’m sure you’re as surprised as I was. Well, I looked in my Mennonite cookbook, and (I already knew this), the recipe for stromboli wasn’t there. I went online to look at recipes, and, frankly, the recipes are so simple, especially if you buy bread dough, mozzarella cheese, and marinara sauce, I figured it wasn’t worthy of being posted in here. Also, since Sheila really likes stromboli, I decided to order one from a local pizza shop for our lunch so we could both have a special treat. Why bother making one when we can get one of the best in the area from Pizza Ruhls? So, then I had to decide what to post today online. Well, since we had a main dish last week, ham and bean soup, I decided to go with a dessert today. Let’s look at a very popular treat with the Plain Folk (but one I don’t care for at all unless it’s part of baked pineapple): bread pudding

Bread Pudding

Makes 6 servings

(Compliments of Erma Stauffer)

Ingredients: 2 c. bread cubes 2 c. milk ¼ c. sugar 2 eggs ½ tsp. salt 3 Tbsp. butter 1 tsp. cinnamon ¼ tsp. nutmeg (optional)

Directions: (Use bread a day old) Cut cubes ¼ inch square. Place cubes of bread in a buttered baking dish. Scald milk and add butter and sugar. Beat eggs slightly and add salt and vanilla. Pour scalded milk over beaten eggs and mix thoroughly. Pour mixture over bread cubes and blend. Set baking dish in a pan of hot water. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until knife comes out clean. Serve hot or cold with cream or your favorite sauce.

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RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Ham and Bean Soup, Sawdust Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oven Bar B Q Chicken, Steamed Cherry Pudding/Cut Out Cookies, Amish Macaroni Salad, Beer Cookies, Sweet Potato Casserole, Clam Chowder, Corn Chowder, Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, Hot Dog Casserole, Pumpkin Pie, Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf & Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

Visit the Plain Folk in Snyder County

LOUELLEN FINDS TRUE LOVE

(Check it out on Amazon)

*****

January 28, 2014

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

Ham and Bean Soup

Blog Post Number 80

If you attend any carnival, fair, or Plain Folk event in the central Susquehanna Valley in Pennsylvania, you most likely will see bean soup on the menu of food stands, pot luck suppers, or picnics. Bean soup is a very popular dish with the Amish and Mennonite folk, maybe because so many of them raise pigs and do their own butchering, thus having fresh ham for their dishes. Bean soup was (and still is) a favorite of my husband’s and my families, having Dutch and German roots respectively. In fact, there’s a pot of just-made bean soup sitting on my stove right now. Thus, I’ll be sharing my own recipe for bean soup, which varies little from the Plain Folks’ version of the tasty main course meal.

Ham and Bean Soup

(Make in a gallon-size cooking pot)

Ingredients:

1-40.5 oz. can of Northern beans 1c. to 2 c. ham juice (from the baked ham) 2-40.5 oz. cans of water (Use 2 ½ to 3 cans water if no ham juice is available.) 3 c. of baked ham, cubed 3 raw medium potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 small raw carrot, thinly sliced or chopped ½ small onion or 1 tsp. onion salt ½ tsp. pepper 1 tsp. parsley ½ c. to 1 c. instant potato flakes

Directions Combine all the ingredients except the potato flakes in cooking pot. Bring to a boil, reduce, stir, and simmer for 2 to 3 hours. After simmering is done, stir in potato flakes for desired thickness of the broth. Simmer 15 more minutes. Enjoy with home-made bread or crackers. As a child, I had bean soup often. But my father always made that dish, not my mother. Dad didn’t do a lot of cooking, but there were several dishes he always claimed as his own, and bean soup was one of them. I remember we always added a touch (maybe ½ tsp. to 1 tsp.) of white vinegar to the delicious soup when it was in each person’s bowl on the table. My husband’s family always added ketchup. Today neither of us adds anything to the soup once it’s served. I think I’ve got a handle on flavoring it just right as it’s simmering in the pot. So, if you’re looking for a great but simple meal on a wintery, cold day, try some ham and bean soup. It might become a favorite dish of yours and your family.

*****

RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Sawdust Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oven Bar B Q Chicken, Steamed Cherry Pudding/Cut Out Cookies, Amish Macaroni Salad, Beer Cookies, Sweet Potato Casserole, Clam Chowder, Corn Chowder, Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, Hot Dog Casserole, Pumpkin Pie, Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf & Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

THE SNYDER COUNTY QUILTING BEE SERIES 2

SKIP SAVES THE DAY

When Skip Friesen, Louellen and Eli’s adopted Down syndrome teen, is offered a job to work with his brother-in-law Lamar Hornberger at his garage business, Skip can’t wait. But his entire interest isn’t in learning how to fix cars. Lamar’s Down syndrome teen daughter Patience (through a previous marriage) has had her eye on Skip ever since the Hornbergers moved to Snyder County, and the couple has gotten in trouble before when they were caught kissing in a deserted hallway at a wedding reception. Does Skip’s distraction with Patience hinder his efficiency in the garage or does he come through on the job when it really counts?

Ask me for a copy!

*****

January 21, 2014

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

Sawdust Pie

Blog Post Number 79

Sawdust pie? Yes, this recipe is for sawdust pie. However, the recipe has no sawdust in it, despite the fact that the Plain Folk use sawdust in their barns as bedding for their horses, cows, and sheep. So, rest assured…there’s no sawdust in the recipe. You’re probably thinking, Well, that’s a no-brainer. And if you’re in a hurry today, this blog post and recipe are for you. It’s the shortest recipe and shortest blog I’ve ever written. Looking at the recipe, I dare say you could probably make this pie in only a few minutes on one of your busy days. So take 45 seconds and take a peek at how easy this dessert would be to make:

Sawdust Pie

(Compliments of Martha Martin)

Ingredients: 1 ½ c. coconut ½ c. graham cracker crumbs 1 ½ c. pecans 1 ½ c. granulated sugar 1 c. egg whites, unbeaten 1 unbaked pie shell Directions Mix all ingredients together and pour into the pie shell. Bake at 325 to 350 degrees for about an hour. Get the coffee pot brewing and have yourself a delicious treat. Then put it on the table at supper time and tell your family you made something “really different” for them to try. Watch the expressions on their faces when you say you made sawdust pie. You might want to keep your camera handy for this one.

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RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Chicken Pot Pie, Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oven Bar B Q Chicken, Steamed Cherry Pudding/Cut Out Cookies, Amish Macaroni Salad, Beer Cookies, Sweet Potato Casserole, Clam Chowder, Corn Chowder, Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, Hot Dog Casserole, Pumpkin Pie, Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf & Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

January 14, 2014

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

Chicken Pot Pie

Blog Post Number 78

One dish that my Aunt Dot borrowed from the Plain Folk is one of my favorite stews: chicken pot pie. Chicken pot pie is almost a staple food of “English” people with German/PA Dutch roots as well as the Amish/Mennonite communities. This past August, my hubby and I attended a fund-raising supper at a nearby Amish farm. The Amish community came together (as it has the past few years) to raise money for the neighborhood Amish school. One of the main items on the menu was chicken pot pie, which was no surprise to me. The Amish and chicken pot pie go together like ham and eggs.

But, back to my aunt. I remember as a child going to her home next door and watching her roll out her pot pie dough from scratch, slice those little one-inch pieces, and then add them into her boiling base. I’m probably partial to her pot pie, but to this day, I still think hers is the best pot pie I’ve ever eaten. Sadly, my Aunt Dot is not cooking anymore. At the age of 96, she resides at a full-care facility about a half-hour’s drive from my home. Her health is good, but she had a stroke about five years ago and lost her ability to walk. I visit her regularly, and we discuss good times gone by. Next time I’ll have to mention her wonderful pot pie and see if she remembers those days so long ago when she made such a wonderful dish.

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients for Pot Pie Squares: 3 c. flour ½ tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking powder 2 T. shortening 1 egg 1/3 c. water or enough to make dough to roll out Chicken broth to your taste

Ingredients for Pot Pie Stew: 2 c. cubed cooked chicken already boiled ½ c. chopped onion (if you’re not allergic to onions like I am) 3 T. margarine or butter 2 T. flour 1 T. chicken-flavor instant bouillon ¼ tsp. pepper 1 c. milk 1 c. canned corn, frozen corn, or creamed corn (optional)

Directions for Pot Pie Squares: Cut shortening into dry ingredients. Stir in lightly beaten egg and water (or chicken broth). Knead dough and roll out then cut into thin 1-inch squares. Drop into boiling stew.

Directions for Stew: Boil chicken breast until done. Cube chicken and set aside. Add pot pie pieces to broth the chicken was boiled in. Add corn and other ingredients. Simmer for about 40 minutes or until noodles are tender. Add chicken back into stew and simmer fifteen more min. Serve with home-made biscuits and apple sauce on the side.

*****

RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oven Bar B Q Chicken, Steamed Cherry Pudding/Cut Out Cookies, Amish Macaroni Salad, Beer Cookies, Sweet Potato Casserole, Clam Chowder, Corn Chowder, Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, Hot Dog Casserole, Pumpkin Pie, Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf & Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Sou

*****

January 7, 2014

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies

Blog Post Number 77

It doesn’t matter when I go to the farmers’ market or to which one I go, but I’ll always find the Amish or Mennonite ladies selling molasses cookies with their whoopie pies, home-made bread, and sticky buns. I think what really makes their cookies so good is the fact that they use blackstrap molasses in their cookies, a molasses that is so super rich in taste compared to what you would buy in a bottle at the grocery store. Check this out online and you’ll find prices from $8.75 a bottle to over $100! https://www.google.com/search?q=black+strap+molasses&biw=1821&bih=829&source=univ&tbm=shop&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=5ATLUte8LoXe2AWhvYCYBg&ved=0CCkQsxg If you’re fortunate enough to be able to buy blackstrap molasses, then I guarantee you’re in for a treat if you make this recipe. But if you can’t find blackstrap molasses, go with the “other” kind, and make the cookies anyway. I’m sure you’ve already got all the other ingredients you need. You’ll still have yourself and your family a nice little treat that doesn’t take a lot of work to make.

Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies

(Makes 4 dozen)

Ingredients: 1 c. blackstrap molasses 1 c. sugar 1 c. shortening 1 c. sour milk 1 tsp. vanilla extract 5 c. all-purpose flour 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 4 tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. salt Procedure: In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and shortening until smooth. Stir in the molasses and vanilla. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; stir into the mixture alternately with the sour milk. Cover the dough and chill for about one hour. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. On a lightly-floured surface, roll out about 1/3 of the dough to 1/4 inch in thickness. Cut into circles 3 inches in diameter using a cookie cutter or drinking glass. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookies sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Enjoy with your favorite hot drink!

*****

RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oven Bar B Q Chicken, Steamed Cherry Pudding/Cut Out Cookies, Amish Macaroni Salad, Beer Cookies, Sweet Potato Casserole, Clam Chowder, Corn Chowder, Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, Hot Dog Casserole, Pumpkin Pie, Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf & Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

Order the complete short story series in either e-book or hard copy now!

THE SNYDER COUNTY QUILTING BEE SERIES I

(12 SHORT STORIES THAT WILL WARM YOUR HEART)

*****

December 31, 2013

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Blog Post Number 76

Sharing a Family Holiday Favorite

A Holiday Recipe from Jeanette Hanscome

Just for today we’re shifting from the Mennonite recipes to share a holiday favorite from an author friend, Jeanette Hanscome. Jeanette, it’s yours from this point on: “The past few years have brought a lot of changes, including changes to my family’s holiday celebrations. One thing has remained constant, however, and that is my baking traditions. One on-going favorite is pumpkin-chocolate chip muffins. I gave up a long time ago on designating these as a Thanksgiving treat. Late November usually marks the first of a half a dozen batches, and each batch makes a lot! In honor of Christmas, I thought I’d share this much-loved recipe with you. I got it from a cookbook, so I can’t take full credit, but I do alter it a bit by only adding nuts occasionally. (I tend to forget them, nuts are expensive, and the recipe often calls for toasting them, and the risk of burning $3 worth of almonds feels like too big of a risk sometimes.) I pray that your family will enjoy them as much as much family does. Note: The recipe suggests baking them a day or two ahead to give the flavors time to blend, but ours rarely last that long. I use mini muffin tins to make them bite-sized, but you can also use regular sized tins.”

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

Ingredients: ½ c. slivered almonds (optional) 1 2/3 c. flour 1 c. sugar 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice 1 tsp. baking soda ¼ tsp. baking powder ¼ tsp. salt 1 c. plain pumpkin 2 eggs ½ c. melted butter 1 c. chocolate chips

Procedure: Preheat oven to 350. Toast almonds for 3-5 minutes. (Watch them carefully.) Whisk together pumpkin, eggs, and butter in a medium bowl. Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients and mix. Fold in chocolate chips and almonds. Spoon batter into mini muffin tins and bake for 12-15 minutes. (Larger muffins will take about 20 minutes.) Let them cool. Store in a container for a day or so, if you have the will power. Enjoy with your favorite hot beverage! HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!

RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Oven-Baked Barbecue Chicken, Steamed Cherry Pudding/Cut Out Cookies, Amish Macaroni Salad, Beer Cookies, Sweet Potato Casserole, Clam Chowder, Corn Chowder, Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, Hot Dog Casserole, Pumpkin Pie, Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf & Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

Looking for a visit with some Amish and Mennonite folk?

THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY AMISH/MENNONITE FICTION SERIES

(e-book or hard copy)

*****

December 24, 2013

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

Oven Baked Barbecue Chicken

Blog Post Number 75

One Day Late! Yes, you must forgive me because this should have been posted yesterday, but Christmas Eve was an extremely busy day. Our one foster daughter and her husband were visiting for the week, and we were, as Bob Cratchett says in “A Christmas Carol,” “making rather merry yesterday.” So here’s my weekly post with a delicious recipe for chicken. If you’re like the millions of other Americans, who are in a “food rut,” then you’re probably going to have ham or turkey tomorrow for the big Christmas dinner just like you usually do. But if you’re looking for a change, a delicious change, it’s not too late to drive to the store and get some chicken. Then use this favorite Mennonite recipe for really delicious:

Oven Barbecued Chicken

(Compliments of Mrs. Rosane Good)

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients: 3 to 4 lbs. chicken pieces 1/3 c. chopped onion 3 Tbsp. butter ½ c. cooking oil ¾ c. ketchup 1/3 c. vinegar 3 Tbsp. brown sugar ½ c. water 2 tsp. prepared mustard 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce ¼ tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper

Procedure: Heat cooking oil in frying pan. Fry chicken pieces until brown; then drain. Place chicken in large baking dish or pan. In a saucepan, sauté onion in butter until tender. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer uncovered for 15 min. Pour over chicken and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hr. or until chicken is done, basting occasionally.

*****

RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Steamed Cherry Pudding/Cut Out Cookies, Amish Macaroni Salad, Beer Cookies, Sweet Potato Casserole, Clam Chowder, Corn Chowder, Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, Hot Dog Casserole, Pumpkin Pie, Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf & Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

Need a special gift for a friend?

THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY AMISH/MENNONITE FICTION SERIES

(e-book or hard copy)

LOUELLEN FINDS TRUE LOVE

TO JOHN WITH LOVE

VALERIE’S LOST LOVE

*****

December 17, 2013

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

Steamed Cherry Pudding

And

Cut Out Cookies

Blog Post Number 74

Figgy pudding? What do you know about figgy pudding? That dessert is mentioned in the song, “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” but that’s as far as my knowledge goes concerning the delicacy. So, we’re not going to look at a recipe for that today. Sorry if I misled you. But I do want to share a recipe for a certain pudding, one I’ve also never heard of: steamed cherry pudding. Have you ever heard of it? Well, steamed cherry pudding is a favorite dessert of our Mennonite friends so we’re going to look at that. Another favorite of theirs is cut out cookies, and the Plain Folk really know how to do those cookies right.

Since we’re just a few days away from Christmas, I think recipes for pudding and cut out cookies would be just the ticket to help any last-minute bakers get ready for the big day or for friends to stop by. So here are two recipes to help you round out your holiday menu.

Steamed Cherry Pudding

(Compliments of Maggie H. Stauffer)

Ingredients: 1 egg 1 c. sugar 1 c. sour cherries 1 tsp. baking soda 2 c. flour 1 c. sour cream Spices and salt to taste

Procedure: Cream egg, salt, and sugar together. Dissolve baking soda in sour cream, and add to the egg, salt, and sugar mixture. Add flour and mix. Add cherries and mix. If mixture is runny, add a little more flour. Steam the mixture for 1 ½ hrs. Enjoy with sugar and milk.

Cut Out Cookies

(Compliments of Martha Martin)

Ingredients: 1 c. margarine 2 c. sugar 3 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla ½ tsp. salt 1/3 c. milk 1 ½ tsp. cream of tartar 3 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 5 c. flour

Procedure: (How easy can it get?) Mix all the ingredients together. Roll out thin to your liking and cut with cookie cutters. Add a touch of food coloring (red or green) to dough for the season. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Enjoy both desserts together for a special Christmas treat1

*****

RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Amish Macaroni Salad, Beer Cookies, Sweet Potato Casserole, Clam Chowder, Corn Chowder, Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, Hot Dog Casserole, Pumpkin Pie, Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf & Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

To read a heart-warming Christmas story, read

SADIE BLETCHLER’S CHRISTMAS MIRACLE, volume 2 in my

SNYDER COUNTY QUILTING BEE SHORT STORIES (SERIES 2)

please contact me for a copy:

Spunky widow Sadie Bletchler gets a surprise phone call from widower Ken Shellhammer, a man she met on a trip out West a year past. Originally from Illinois, Ken has moved within an hour’s drive to Mapletown in Snyder County, and he wants his relationship with Sadie to be much closer than that. But Sadie is concerned about Ken’s seeming disinterest in the things of the Lord. Can she allow herself to become emotionally attached or ever consider marriage to a man who has no time for Gott? Then life becomes more complicated when Sadie’s routine medical check-up leads to surgery and an uncertain future. The only thing she can be sure of is her need for the Savior whom Ken seems to acknowledge so casually.

*****

December 10, 2013

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

Amish Macaroni Salad

Blog Post Number 73

There must be dozens of recipes for macaroni salad, which is a very popular side dish this time of the year for Christmas parties, church pot lucks, and family gatherings. Although I’m not a fan of macaroni salad that has other ingredients besides the macaroni, especially those that are chewy, this “AMISH” recipe sounds quite appetizing. It’s particularly appealing to me because it has no onion, an ingredient which I have to avoid like the plague because I’m allergic to the little rascals. So, if you’re offering to make macaroni salad for a food event this month, why don’t you try this one. I think you’d really rouse some interest when you tell everyone it’s an “Amish macaroni salad recipe from central Pennsylvania!”

Amish Macaroni Salad

(Compliments of Linda Martin)

Ingredients: 1 lb. macaroni, cooked and cooled 2 c. sugar 2 Tbsp. mustard 1 can evaporated milk 2 c. mayonnaise 1 Tbsp. salt ¼ c. vinegar 1 chopped carrot 2 stems celery, chopped 5 hard-boiled eggs, chopped Procedure: Mix the sugar and mustard together. Add cooked and cooled macaroni and all other ingredients and mix well. Chill for an hour before serving. Enjoy with hamburgers, meat loaf, bar B Q, or sandwiches of your choice!

*****

RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Root Beer Cookies, Sweet Potato Casserole, Clam Chowder, Corn Chowder, Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, Hot Dog Casserole, Pumpkin Pie, Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf & Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

To read a heart-warming Christmas story, read

SADIE BLETCHLER’S CHRISTMAS MIRACLE, volume 2 in my

SNYDER COUNTY QUILTING BEE SHORT STORIES (SERIES)

please contact me for a copy:

*****

December 3, 2013

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

Root Beer Cookies!

Blog Post Number 72

Root beer cookies? Raise your hand if you’ve ever heard of root beer cookies. I have to say I’ve never heard of them, but after looking at this recipe in my Mennonite cookbook, I think the cookies would be a very special treat.

Christmas is right around the corner, so if you’re looking for a really simple dessert recipe that might just have your friends and family asking for more, if you go. Here’s the recipe for:

ROOT BEER COOKIES

(Compliments of Dorothy Haldeman)

Ingredients: ¾ c. brown sugar ½ c. butter or shortening 1 egg ¼ c. milk 1 ½ tsp. root beer extract ½ tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. salt 1 ¾ c. flour

Icing: 2 c. 10X sugar 1/3 c. butter 1 ½ tsp. root beer extract 2 Tbsp. hot water

Procedure: Cookie: Mix all ingredients and bake at 325 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Icing: Mix all ingredients and spread on cooled cookies. I’m not a baker at heart. Most of my baking is done from box mixes. However, I love root beer, so I’m really tempted to try this fattening treat. I think you’ll agree this recipe sounds simple and best of all…delicious!

*****

RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Sweet Potato Casserole, Clam Chowder, Corn Chowder, Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, Hot Dog Casserole, Pumpkin Pie, Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf & Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza,

Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

To read a heart-warming Christmas story, volume 3 in my

SNYDER COUNTY QUILTING BEE SHORT STORIES (SERIES 1),

please contact me for a copy:

Louellen Friesen, her daughter Valerie (married to Lamar Hornberger and eight months pregnant with her second child), and Louellen’s daughter-in-law Katrina are in the middle of their busiest baking time of the year, Christmas. With dozens of orders from Kauffmans’ Groceries and Goods, folks in Mapletown, two farmers’ markets, and Darlings’ Bakery in Mifflinburg, the ladies have laid aside their quilting bee duties and baked practically every day since the beginning of December. Although Valerie’s biggest concern is whether her baby will come in the middle of the month as projected and she won’t be able to help for several days, the ladies’ baking chore is still one of pleasure, enjoying each other’s company and welcoming the extra income. One of the perks they enjoy is delivering cookies to the neighbors in a horse-drawn sleigh “if the good Lord sends enough snow.” Two days before Christmas with the roads drifted shut from a snowstorm, Valerie goes into labor. Her trip to the hospital across farmers’ fields in the horse-drawn sled results in not only the birth of a healthy baby girl, but in an unwelcomed surprise for Valerie’s parents, Louellen and Eli. When their paths cross with a man and his daughter, whom they haven’t seen in twenty-five years, how do Louellen and Eli handle this encounter? How do they face their not-too-pleasant past when they were still Amish and just newly weds?

*****

November 26, 2013

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

Sweet Potato Casserole

Blog Post Number 71

Thanksgiving in the U.S.A. is just two days away, and we’re getting the weather here in central PA to prove it. I drove in the snow to our local farmers’ market this morning, where the car driving Mennonites showed up at their vending tables, but the buggy driving Plain Folk did not dare go out on the slick roads, so their tables were bare. The buying crowd was thin with the bad weather, as well, but some brave souls were buying produce to get ready for the big day. Last week I had bought a sweet potato for the Thanksgiving meal, so all I needed today were bananas for my hubby. Talking about sweet potatoes, I can’t think of a more favorite side dish served at the holiday meal than sweet potatoes, which can be prepared in a variety of different ways. My son-in-law, originally from Canada, says his family’s favorite way of enjoying sweet potatoes is to bake them then take them out of the skin, mash them on a plate with a fork, and sprinkle brown sugar and butter on top. I like to peel the raw sweet potatoes and cut them into one-inch slices then simmer them in a thin coating of olive oil and maple syrup in a frying pan until the chunks are tender. That only takes about 20 minutes cooking time. But one of the most popular ways of preparing sweet potatoes is to make them in a casserole. Although sweet potatoes are a definite favorite in the Mennonite community, I recently talked to two Plain Folk acquaintances (girls in their 20s) at different times and at different places, and both said they didn’t care for sweet potatoes, which I thought was really an oddity because Mennonites are not picky at all when it comes to different foods. Anyway, here’s a recipe for a side dish that will have your family and friends begging for more:

Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients: 3 c. mashed sweet potatoes ¾ c. sugar 2 eggs 2/3 c. sweetened condensed milk 1 tsp. vanilla ½ c. melted butter

Ingredients for the topping: 1 c. brown sugar ¼ c. butter 1/3 c. flour 1 c. chopped pecans or walnuts

Procedure: Bake or boil sweet potatoes until soft. Peel and mash. Mix with all other ingredients and add to a greased casserole. After mixing the topping ingredients thoroughly, sprinkle on top of sweet potato mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 min. I must admit that I think I’ve only ever made a sweet potato casserole once or twice in all my cooking years, but my hubby and I eat sweet potatoes regularly, not only because they’re delicious but they’re healthy too. So, if you’re planning to have sweet potatoes on Thanksgiving, here are a few ideas for you to try. Enjoy and have a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration!

*****

RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Clam Chowder, Corn Chowder, Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, Hot Dog Casserole, Pumpkin Pie, Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Q Beef Loaf & Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

To read my brand new short story, THE BAR MAID OF DODGE CITY, volume 7 in Murray Pura’s

BLUE HEAVEN ROMANCE SERIES

please go to:

http://www.amazon.com/Murray-Puras-Blue-Heaven-Romance-ebook/dp/B00GOFPEQK/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1384788383&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Bar+Maid+of+Dodge+City+by+Marsha+Hubler

*****

November 19, 2013

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

How About Some Chowders?

Clam Chowder and Corn Chowder

Blog Post Number 70

Winter is just a few weeks away, and our thoughts turn to Christmas while our tummies turn to lots of food, including soups of all kinds. Many Amish and Mennonite folks are great soup lovers and keep the pot warm on the stove all day long. You wouldn’t think that clam chowder would be a favorite of the Plain Folk, but we have a recipe for that today plus one for corn chowder, which is very popular with our Plain Folk friends. So here we go:

Homemade New England Clam Chowder

(Compliments of Nicole A. Stauffer)

Ingredients: 4 slices of bacon ½ c. finely chopped onion 4 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced 1 c. of bottled clam juice ½ c. whipping cream 1 Tbsp. flour 2 (6 oz.) cans minced clams with liquid 1 c. Half and Half Salt and pepper to your taste 2 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley

Procedure: Saute bacon until brown. Pat dry with paper towel. Dice or crumble bacon. In the same skillet, saute chopped onion and potatoes for a few minutes. Add clam juice and stir with other ingredients while bringing to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add Half and Half and season with salt and pepper. Add minced clams and heat until simmering, but don’t boil. Add whipping cream and sprinkle with parsley. You say you don’t like clams? How about corn? Corn in chowder?

Corn Chowder

(Compliments of Mrs. Edward Good)

Ingredients: 6 slices bacon ¼ c. finely chopped onion 2 c. diced potatoes 1 ½ c. water 2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper 2 c. cream style corn 2 Tbsp. butter 2 Tbsp. flour 2 c. milk

Procedure: Dice bacon and fry until crisp. Take bacon from pan and pour off all fat except 2 tablespoons. Fry onion until translucent but not brown. Cook potatoes in water with salt, onions, and bacon until potatoes are tender. Add pepper and corn. Melt butter. Add flour and blend. Add milk, stirring constantly and cook until thickened. Add corn to mixture, stir and simmer for 10 minutes, and serve. I must admit that I’m not a chowder fan, but that’s probably because I’m lactose intolerant, so anything with milk in it doesn’t appeal to me for obvious reasons. But if you’re looking for a nice warm dish on a cold winter day, throw together one of these chowders and chow down!

*****

RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, Hot Dog Casserole, Pumpkin Pie, Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf &Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

To read my brand new short story, volume 7 in Murray Pura’s

BLUE HEAVEN ROMANCE SERIES

THE BAR MAID OF DODGE CITY

please go to:

http://www.amazon.com/Murray-Puras-Blue-Heaven-Romance-ebook/dp/B00GOFPEQK/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1384788383&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Bar+Maid+of+Dodge+City+by+Marsha+Hubler

***** November 12, 2013

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

Blog Post Number 69

If you know any Amish or Mennonites, you know one of their favorite desserts is muffins of any kind. My favorite is double chocolate chip, but we’re not sharing a recipe for that one today. We’re going to look at a very popular “cupcake” with the Plain Folk, blueberry oatmeal muffins. Many of the local folks pick their own wild blueberries then use one of their staple foods, oatmeal, to concoct a delicious dessert.

BLUEBERRY OATMEAL MUFFINS

(Compliments of Elva Stauffer)

Ingredients: ½ C. oatmeal 1 C. blueberries ½ C. orange juice 1 ½ C. flour ½ C. sugar 1 ½ tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. baking soda ¼ tsp. salt ¼ C. oil 1 egg, slightly beaten 2 Tbsp. sugar and ¼ tsp. cinnamon mixed Procedure: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare 12 muffin cups. Pour orange juice over oatmeal. Combine dry ingredients, including sugar. Add oil and egg to oats then stir in flour mixture. Fold in blueberries and fill muffin cups with mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Bake for 18 minutes. Have you ever eaten a muffin like this while it was still warm with melted butter on it after you cut it in half? Oh, my, is my mouth watering or what? How about yours? Give yourself a treat and try this dessert. How about for Thanksgiving? Your family and friends will rave over your blueberry oatmeal muffins. Guaranteed.

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RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Hot Dog Casserole, Pumpkin Pie, Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf &Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert,

Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza,

Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies,

Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

To read BACHELOR’S CHOICE, volume one

THE SNYDER COUNTY QUILTING BEE SERIES I

please go to Amazon.

*****

November 5, 2013

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

Hot Dog Casserole

Blog Post Number 68

Okay, everyone likes hot dogs, right? Well, not everybody. I like hot dogs fried or grilled almost black and cracking open, but I can’t tolerate them boiled. And the thought of having them in sauerkraut turns my stomach sour! (We make our sauerkraut with chicken, not with hot dogs or pork. No grease!) Now, when you think of hot dogs, do you think of picnics and carnivals instead of Mennonite gatherings? Well, Mennonites like hot dogs…and in different recipes besides grilling and frying. Here’s one of their “frank” recipes:

HOT DOG CASSEROLE

(Compliments of Marian S. Martin)

Ingredients: 6 medium potatoes, sliced thin 4 large carrots, sliced thin 1 onion, sliced 6 hot dogs, sliced Parsley flakes 1 ½ tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper 3 Tbsp. flour 2 C. scalded milk 8 bacon strips Procedure: Place the ingredients in a greased casserole dish in the order they are listed. Cover the top with strips of bacon. Cover casserole and bake at 400 degrees for one hour, uncovering the last 10 minutes of baking time. Reduce heat to 350 degrees for 30 min. There you go, a simple hot dog treat! So, if you’re looking for a nice alternative to the ho hum hot dog in the bun, try this rather quick and tasty (except for the onion) recipe for the little dogs.

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RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Pumpkin Pie, Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf &Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert,

Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza,

Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies,

Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

To read LOUELLEN FINDS TRUE LOVE, volume one

THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY SERIES!

please go to Amazon:

*****

October 29, 2013

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

Pumpkin Pie

Blog Post Number 67

’Tis the season for fresh pumpkin pies. I know, I know. We can go to the store and get canned pumpkin anytime, but to have a really good pumpkin pie, we need to go to a farmers’ market and get a fresh pumpkin (make sure you ask if it’s the “eating” kind, not the carving out kind!) My mother-in-law, who is now with the Lord, always loved to make fresh pumpkin pies at this time of the year, especially for her scrumptious Thanksgiving dinner with turkey and all the trimmings. Her pumpkin pies finished off the feast in a tremendously satisfying way. If you’re game for a little bit of work but a very delicious reward at the end of your labor, try this Mennonite pumpkin pie recipe. If you like pumpkin, you might find yourself eating most of the pie yourself.

Recipe for Pumpkin Pie

(Compliments of Martha Martin)

Ingredients: 1 ½ C. cooked pumpkin 1 C. brown sugar 1 ½ C. milk, scalded 3 eggs, separated ½ tsp. salt 1 Tbsp. corn starch ¼ tsp. ginger ¼ tsp. cloves 1 tsp. cinnamon Pastry for 1 (9-inch) crust

Procedure: Mix pumpkin, beaten egg yolks, salt, and spices. Gradually add scalded milk and mix thoroughly. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour mixture into unbaked crust. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 min. Reduce heat to 350 degrees for 30 min. I think you’ll agree this recipe sounds fresh and delicious…and why wait until Thanksgiving? Try it out this week!

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RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Asparagus Casserole, Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf &Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert,

Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza,

Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies,

Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

To read NANETTE’S NEEDLE AND THREAD, volume one

THE SNYDER COUNTY QUILTING BEE SERIES I

please contact me for a copy.

“I hate quilting! I hate sewing! I hate anything that has to do with needles and thread!” Mennonite gal, Nanette Peachey, is a member of the Snyder County Quilting Bee, a group of ladies who sew as a ministry, giving their beautiful hand-made quilts to new babies, missionaries, newly-weds, and the needy. But Nanette is a tomboy, who’d rather play softball at church picnics, ride her Tennessee Walking Horse, or just be outside than attend the ladies’ bee every Thursday evening. Nanette can’t take it anymore and resigns from the quilting bee but offers to sew the bindings for all the quilts on her own time. When a gorgeous sateen gold binding that she has finished disappears into thin air, Nanette is baffled and has to start all over, lamenting over the hours of work she has lost. Shortly before her wedding day, Nanette receives one of the biggest surprises of her life when her mother and the quilting bee ladies throw a bridal shower for the bride-to-be. What is it that leaves her speechless?

*****

October 22, 2013

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

Asparagus Casserole

Blog Post Number 66

Asparagus? And in a casserole yet? Not many folks like asparagus, let alone using it as one of the main ingredients in a casserole. But one thing I’ve learned about my Plain Folk friends is they love all kinds of vegetables, and many of them grow a menagerie of veggies in their gardens or on their farms. Today’s recipe is relatively simple. I love fresh asparagus, which I believe would work beautifully, but so would frozen asparagus, but I don’t think canned asparagus would work at all. It’s too soft and mushy before you even cook it. Nevertheless, if you’re an asparagus lover, then you should enjoy this recipe:

Asparagus Casserole

Serves 8

(Compliments of Rosemary Lavy)

Ingredients: 2 lb. asparagus, diced 2 C. cooked chicken, diced 2 Tbsp. butter or margarine 2 Tbsp. flour 1 C. milk 1 C. grated cheese 1/8 tsp. pepper ½ tsp. salt 1 C. bread crumbs 2 tbsp. melted butter or margarine Procedure: Cook asparagus 5 min. in salt water and drain. Melt butter and add flour. Add milk then cook until it’s thick. Add asparagus, chicken, cheese, salt, and pepper. Pour into buttered baking dish. In a skillet, melt extra butter or margarine. Add bread crumbs and mix well then spread on top of casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 min. I think you’ll agree this recipe sounds fresh and delicious as well as a quick fix for supper when you have little time to cook. Enjoy!

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RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Chestnuts, Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf &Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

WHAT’S NEW WITH MARSHA AND HER PUBLICATIONS?

To read ALL THE PRETTY LITTLE PONIES, volume one

by Murray Pura in

HEART-WARMING HORSE STORIES

on Amazon

Young Jay Price only has a few pleasures left in life after a serious accident incapacitates her. One of them is watching the wild horse herds run and dreaming of running with them on the back of a mustang pony. But the doctors have told her not only will she never walk again, she will never ride either. Her future looks bleak until one day her father brings an injured colt to their ranch and she does everything in her power to nurse him back to health. Soon the fate of the colt and the girl are bound together by a wild prayer and an even wilder hope that one day both of them will be well enough for Jay to saddle the palomino pony, sit astride his back, and ride him through meadows and valleys of their land. It will take every ounce of faith she has. It will take a miracle. And it will take one young cowboy who is the son of the man Jay hates and fears more than any other person on the face of the earth.

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October 15, 2013

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

Do You Like Chestnuts?

Blog Post Number 65

“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,

Jack Frost nipping at your nose….”

It soon will be the Christmas season, when most folks hear “The Christmas Song,” made famous by Nat King Cole in the 50s. The very first line in the song mentions chestnuts. Chestnuts, not horse chestnuts. (You can’t eat horse chestnuts.) But does the average Joe on the street think of chestnuts any other time of the year? How about in the fall or at Thanksgiving…maybe to roast with a turkey? (I haven’t tried that yet.) Well, in Amish/Mennonite country, chestnuts are a popular produce at any weekly farmers’ market this time of year. I’ve talked to several Mennonite acquaintances who told me they eat the chestnuts raw. When I mentioned how I prepare my chestnuts and that they resemble the taste and texture of sweet potatoes, two of the gals said they didn’t care for sweet potatoes, which really surprised me because Mennonites are usually healthy eaters and not picky at all.

Eating Chestnuts Raw? Last week, I bought my second pound of chestnuts, and before preparing them the way my dad showed me when I was a kid, I peeled a chestnut and tried a piece of it raw. All I have to say is “yuck!” I thought the little tidbit was tasteless and, of course, hard as any nut would be. In fact, it was so awful, I didn’t swallow what I had chewed, vowing to never eat another raw chestnut in my life. Today I bought another pound and will enjoy them as I have for the last 50+ years.

The Best Way to Eat Chestnuts When I was a child, I looked forward to every fall season when my dad and I would buy chestnuts, prepare them, and eat them as a savory snack. Now when I eat the chestnuts, I think back to those pleasant times I had with my father and smile. By now you’re probably wondering how I prepare the chestnuts if I don’t eat them raw or roast them…either on an open fire or in an oven. I’m glad you asked. Here’s how I prepare the little rascals:

Hublers’ Recipe for Chestnuts

Ingredients: Chestnuts in their shells Water enough to cover them in a cooking pot ¼ tsp. salt 1 tsp. sugar Procedure: Boil, yes, boil the chestnuts from 15 minutes to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the chestnuts. (Test their doneness by taking one out of the water and stabbing the chestnut. It should be soft on the inside.) Drain the hot water from the chestnuts and rinse them in cold water. Peel (This is tedious work. There’s a hard outer shell and an inner very thin skin covering the chestnut that you must peel.) Slice the chestnut in half to be sure there’s no worm embedded. Enjoy! Ah-h, my mouth’s watering already. As I said before, if you like sweet potatoes, you’ll probably like chestnuts. They are a pain to peel, but they’re worth it. It’s a tasty treat that you can only enjoy for a short time every year.

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RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Bread Dough, Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf &Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

To read VALERIE’S LOST LOVE, volume three in my

LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY, please go to Amazon:

Beautiful single Mennonite gal Valerie Friesen is engaged to Jeremy Zook, her boyfriend since grade school. Valerie’s family is concerned that Val and Jeremy have a platonic relationship that won’t stand the test of time. Nonetheless, Valerie is determined not to be an “alt maedel” and plans to wed Jeremy as soon as he wishes. But then Lamar Hornberger, a handsome widower with a mysterious past, comes to town and sweeps Valerie off her feet. What’s she going to do now?

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October 8, 2013

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

Bread Dough (Used for Bread, Sticky Buns, or Donuts!)

Blog Post Number 64

I’m sure you’ve smelled fresh-baked bread at a bakery, fresh-made donuts at a donut shoppe, or perhaps you’ve done some baking of your own and have filled the house with the mouth-watering aroma of sticky buns or home-made bread. If your schedule is like mine, you have very little time to bake “from scratch” unless it’s a hobby or passion of yours. If that’s the case, then you’ll probably enjoy today’s recipe for bread dough, which can also be used to make sticky buns or donuts. So what we have here is a three-in-one recipe, one that is very handy. So here’s your next recipe:

Bread Dough

(Compliments of Martha Martin)

Ingredients: 1 C. warm milk (not hot) 1 tsp. salt 1 Tbsp. sugar 1 egg 1/3 C. margarine 2½ C. flour 1 Tbsp. dry yeast Procedure: Beat together milk, sugar, egg, margarine, and 1 ½ C. flour. Add yeast and remaining cup of flour and beat until smooth. Add flour and a little margarine as needed to keep dough from sticking to your hands. Knead until spongy. Let rise until doubled in size. Shape into loaf. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes and 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Ah-h, I can smell that delicious aroma already! How about you?

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RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Sticky Buns, Bar B Que Beef Loaf &Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

To read, TO JOHN WITH LOVE, volume one in my

LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY, please go to Amazon:

John Friesen is a bachelor at the age of twenty-three and is having the time of his life. One of the most handsome eligible young men in the Mennonite community, John has never been in a hurry to choose a wife and settle down. He’s not a bit worried about being “passed over.” He enjoys the simple life of helping his dad with the family farm and breeding registered Tennessee Walking horses on the side. Every unmarried gal in the Mennonite community has her eyes on John, not only because of his stunning looks but his godly, quiet demeanor and kind, gentle ways. Whenever the gals are together, John’s the talk of the quilting circles and Sunday fellowships after church. Three girls, in particular, care deeply for John and secretly determine to win his heart in their own special way. Only a serious accident—a fall from his horse—leads John to the one girl who will love him unconditionally. But which one does he choose?

*****

October 1, 2013

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

STICKY BUNS

Blog Post Number 63

If you talk to anyone who’s familiar with Amish and Mennonite baked goods, he/she might mention two of the most famous desserts the Plain Folk are known for: whoopie pies and sticky buns. I featured a peanut butter/chocolate whoopie pie recipe some time back. Scroll down to blog post number 45 for that. I would have to say that those peanut butter/chocolate whoopie pies are one of my favorite desserts of all time. Next on the list would be what we’re looking at today: a sticky bun recipe. The reason I chose that is because a few weeks ago, my hubby and I went to an Amish fundraiser at Weavers’ farm outside Beaver Springs, PA. Besides purchasing a meat loaf and chicken pot pie supper that we ate on the grounds, my hubby had his eye on some baked goods for sale. He bought two “rounds” of sticky buns, one with pecans on top and one without. I don’t want to overemphasize the yumminess of these sticky buns, but, oh, were they good. I think everyone should have the experience of trying a home-made recipe for sticky buns from one of our Amish/Mennonite friends. So here you have it:

Sticky Buns

(Compliments of Betty Lou Good)

Ingredients for the bun: 1 C. lard ¾ C. white sugar 2 Tbsp. salt 1 Tbsp. yeast 4 eggs, beaten 1 ½ C. milk, heated 1 ½ C. warm water 1 tsp. cinnamon Flour

Ingredients for the sticky goo: 3 C. brown sugar 2 sticks butter or margarine A “drizzling” of molasses 1 ½ C. chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Procedure: Mix sticky goo ingredients until brown sugar is dissolved. Pour in round or square cake pan. Add nuts. Soak yeast in small amount of warm water. Put first three ingredients in large bowl. Pour heated milk and water over those ingredients. Add eggs and yeast. Add enough flour to make stiff dough and knead. Let rise until double the original size. Roll out and spread with butter/margarine, white sugar, and cinnamon. Roll up and cut into 2-inch pieces. Place slightly apart on gooey mixture in pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.

Raise your hand if your mouth is watering! Guess what I just did yesterday morning. No, I didn’t bake sticky buns. I thawed out one of the packs we bought at the Amish fundraiser and had a sticky bun as part of my breakfast. Ah-h, dessert heaven!

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RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Bar B Que Beef Loaf &Grated Potatoes and Cheese, Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert,

Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

To read NANETTE’S CHANGE OF HEART, volume one in my brand new

SNYDER COUNTY QUILTING BEE SERIES II, please ask me for a copy:

Mennonite gal Nanette has been married to Brandon Specht for two years and is pregnant with twins. For their livelihood, the couple breeds and sells horses, a dream come true for the horse-loving tomboy Nanette, but now she has to change her priorities. The babies come first! Although the members of the Snyder County Quilting Bee are hoping that new mother Nanette will soon return to the group she left as a teen because she hated sewing, Nanette has no desire to do so. But then Nanette faces a heart-rending trial, she questions God’s will for her life, and she re-evaluates the worth of the ladies’ needle-and-thread ministry. What happens that causes Nanette to consider returning to the Snyder County Quilting Bee?

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September 24, 2013

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

Bar-B-Que Beef Loaf and Grated Potatoes with Cheese

Blog Post Number 62

Back to yummy Mennonite recipes! Today we’re going to look at the recipes of two dishes very popular at covered dish suppers here in Snyder County. Let’s first look at bar-b-que beef loaf and then an excellent side dish to serve with it, grated potatoes and cheese.

Bar-B-Que Beef Loaf

(Compliments of Nicole A. Stauffer)

For the meat loaf: 2 lb. ground meat 1 ½ C. rolled oats 1 tsp. garlic salt ½ tsp. pepper 1 tsp. salt ¾ C. chopped onion (Substitute 1/4 tsp. onion salt if you’re allergic to onions like me) 2 eggs ¼ C. milk For the sauce: 2Tbsp. white vinegar 1 can tomato soup ¼ C. brown sugar 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce ¼ C. water Procedure: Mix loaf ingredients and form into loaf. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 min. Mix sauce and pour over top of loaf. Return to oven and bake for 45-60 min. more

Grated Potatoes and Cheese

(Compliments of Nancy Martin)

1 ½ lb. (or 6 medium) potatoes 1 tsp. salt Dash of pepper ¼ tsp. onion salt 1 C. (4 oz.) shredded white American or Velveeta cheese 1 C. milk Procedure Cook potatoes in their skins until just about soft. Peel and shred potatoes to make 4 cups. Pout potatoes into greased baking dish. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and onion salt on top. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and pour milk over everything. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Wow! If you ask me, there’s only one other side dish or two that would make this a meal fit for a king: steamed broccoli and apple sauce. My mouth is watering. How about yours?

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RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert,

Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza,

Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies,

Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

To read NANETTE’S CHANGE OF HEART, volume one in my brand new

SNYDER COUNTY QUILTING BEE SERIES II, please ask me for a copy:

*****

September 17, 2013

DO THE AMISH PAY TAXES?

More about Stephen and Lena Yoder’s Amish Fundraiser

Blog Post Number 61

On Friday, September 6^th, my husband and I attended an Old Order Amish fundraiser. If you scroll down to last week’s blog post, you’ll read the details of the pot pie/meatloaf supper fundraiser at the Stephen Yoder farm near Beaver Springs, PA. The supper, held twice a year, raises money for two Amish schools in Snyder County. Wanting to know more about the situation, I went to our local farmers’ market last Tuesday and talked with an Amish woman who sells baked goods there every week. Was I ever surprised when I asked the woman who she was, and she told me she’s Lena Yoder, Stephen’s wife. It’s at her farm where the Amish hold the fundraisers all the time!

Amish School Expenses I talked with Lena for a while, bought a half dozen of her delicious sugar cookies, and asked her some questions about the two Amish schools. “I’m sure your schools don’t have that many expenses,” I said. “Your teachers probably don’t make that much, do they? They’re not college grads, are they? How about high school grads?” (And I already knew the answer.) She went on to tell me that the Amish school teachers are young ladies, who have done very well in school as students, and once they finish eighth grade are eligible to teach with no further training. Although Lena didn’t tell me what the teachers earn, she did tell me that the one school had about 50 students, and the second school has about 30 students. “Do you spend the money on books?” I asked her, although I had already figured that curriculum is not a huge expense. Lena told me that most of the expenses are for paying private van drivers to transport the children to and from school and making repairs on the school buildings. If I remember correctly, she told me that one van and its driver costs $400 a week. She also said, “And you know we have to pay regular school taxes plus tuition for our children to attend our own school.” I’m assuming that some of the funds raised at the suppers are divided among all the Amish families to help them with their tuition and taxes.

Paying Taxes I told her I knew what that was like, paying two different “taxes,” because I had been the principal of a Christian school for over 14 years, and all our parents had the same burden: paying regular school taxes to the state and paying a monthly or yearly tuition for the private school as well. I had a few more questions for Lena, but her baked goods table got busy with customers, so I left. Maybe next Tuesday I can talk to her a little while and find out a few more interesting things about Amish fundraisers and Amish schools in Snyder County. So tune in again next time for more Amish news. In a few weeks, we’ll get back to mouth-watering Mennonite recipes.

*****

RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert,

Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza,

Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies,

Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

To read MANDIE’S MARRIAGE DILEMMA, volume 4 in my

SNYDER COUNTY QUILTING BEE SHORT STORY SERIES 1,

please ask me for a copy:

Mandie Kauffman, a Mennonite gal in her early twenties, has always enjoyed helping her parents run the large family business, Kauffmans’ Groceries and Goods, on the outskirts of Mapletown, PA. She’s engaged to Tobias Schmidt, a handsome young Mennonite man also neck deep in his father’s feed mill business. After their wedding just two months away, the couple expects to assume the responsibility of both businesses, a task that Mandie anticipates with open arms. However, as the wedding day draws near, Tobias feels God’s calling to be a missionary in Brazil. Mandie knows what this change in Tobias’s plans means. She’s devastated and is torn between the two choices: marry Tobias, leave her family and business, and go with him to Brazil or call off the wedding and stay home to run her family’s store. What should Mandie do?

*****

September 10, 2013

A POT PIE/MEATLOAF SUPPER!

An Amish Fundraiser!

Blog Post Number 60

We’re taking a break from Mennonite recipes today (and maybe a few more weeks) because I want to tell you about an Amish fundraiser I attended last Friday, a blue-sky, fresh summer evening. This was an Old Order Amish fundraiser! You’re probably thinking that Amish folk would never do such a thing, especially opening it up to us “English” folks, but there were more English there buying than Amish. I’ve been living in Snyder County for over 40 years and never knew about this fundraiser, which someone told me has been held twice a year for the last 12 years! I wouldn’t have known about this particular fundraiser if my hubby hadn’t seen the flyer in the Sunday newspaper and showed it to me. By the way, the “someone” who told us about the fundraiser was a man (in line with us at the supper) known to the Amish as The Trapper, a local English man, who kill-traps groundhogs. A groundhog killer or trapper is a very valuable person to any farmer. Unfortunately, groundhogs, as cute as they are, are not a farmer’s friend. They burrow holes in the fields, making it dangerous, sometimes deadly, for farmers to drive tractors or horses and plows over the holes, causing the equipment to upset or a horse to break a leg. The Trapper told us since March, he had killed 1200 groundhogs in this central PA area. I asked him what happened to the dead groundhogs, and he said some folks actually eat them, but most of the meat went to nearby large-animal rescue retreats. (And, no, I didn’t wonder if my pot pie would have groundhog in it.)

Where was the fundraiser? My hubby and I drove to Beaver Springs (about a 10-minute ride from Middleburg and still in Snyder County) to the Stephen Yoder farm, where we bought either a pot pie or meatloaf supper for $8.95 each. Hubby gave the Amish fellow (mid-thirties with red hair and blue eyes) a $20 bill and told him to keep the change. I enjoyed chicken pot pie with lima beans, macaroni and cheese, and French fries. My hubby had meat loaf, corn, limas, and mashed potatoes with gravy. For dessert, which we took home, I chose two small pieces of cake for him and a cream cheese/peach cobbler and small piece of cake for me. Hubby also bought two pans of home-made sticky buns ($2.75 for six rolls), one pan with walnuts, one without. Concerning the food, I was pleased and disappointed at the same time. The chicken pot pie, meatloaf, corn, mashed potatoes, and limas were all home-made and were delicious. But the French fries were pre-cut frozen ones and were not done well enough. They were raw and soggy. The macaroni and cheese was also a box mix and had very little cheese on it. I brought those two items home to “doctor up” and enjoy with another meal.

How did the Old Order Amish look? Of course, I already knew the answer to the question I asked the red-headed “cashier” about taking pictures. I had my camera in my jacket pocket and was so tempted to “sneak” some pictures of the Amish folk, but I didn’t. When we left, I snapped a few distance shots, not getting any close-ups of any faces. These Old Order Amish of Snyder County wore traditional clothing for their sect. The men had white non-collared shirts with one button on the front. I’m not sure what kept the rest of the shirts closed, maybe snaps? The men wore straw hats, their hair was long (over the ears) and cut straight off all around their heads, and the men all had beards but no mustaches. Their home-made trousers were dark with one button, most trousers held up with suspenders. The women, about 12 of them working like busy beavers in the make-shift kitchen, a buggy garage, either had dark blue or dark purple bibbed dresses all the way to their shins. Their dresses had a lot of safety pins and a few buttons, but there wasn’t a zipper in the place. The gals all wore white caps completely covering their heads, and the ladies were either barefoot or wore what I would call brogans, black work boots with laces. All the children were carbon copies of their parents.

How was the fundraiser conducted? After hubby and I pulled in next to the barn and a few other cars and buggies, we walked through the yard to the buggy garage, which now served as the cashier counter and kitchen. While three men took customers’ orders, writing the orders on small slips of paper, the ladies in back of them retrieved the orders and filled them. I watched as one gal rolled out fresh pot pie dough pieces, two or three ladies were manning the French fries, and in a smaller back room, several ladies were working at what looked like large cooking pots or really huge square crock pots, powered by gas generators. We waited for about 10 minutes until the ladies brought us our meals on Styrofoam plates. I then bought a bottle of water for $1.00, and hubby and I found a place to sit at a long table with benches in a make-shift tent.

What was the fundraiser for? I asked our cashier about that, and he said the money is used to support two Amish schools in the local area. I’m going to ask a few Amish ladies at our Tuesday farmers’ market what the money is used for. I’m having trouble imagining why thousands of dollars would be needed when the teachers are usually local Amish gals with no more than an eighth grade education (who probably get paid very little), the students only go to eighth grade, there are no computers or fancy “sports” equipment, and they have no electric bills to pay. (And there are outhouses behind the schools.) F

ood with flies One of the downsides to this fundraising meal was the flies…and there were lots of them. Could it be they were represented in full force because we were on a farm and the food tent was about 50 feet from the cow barn and the attached paddock where the cows, and their manure, stood in full force? Nonetheless, as we shooed the flies away, we enjoyed our meal for about a half hour and then left. However, I have one regret about the entire evening. I think we should have bought a shoofly pie! (This morning on my weekly visit to Keisters’ Farmers’ Market five minutes from my home, I asked one of the Amish women, who sells baked goods, about the Friday fundraiser. Lo and behold, the woman is Lena Yoder, Stephen Yoder’s wife! It was her farm where the fundraiser was held. She gave me much more information about the fundraiser and the two Amish schools, so next week I’ll continue telling you about this most interesting event and the folks associated with it.)

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RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Matrimony Cakes, Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert,

Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza,

Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies,

Chicken Noodle Soup

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To read CHRISTMAS COOKIES FOR MRS. DARLING, volume three in my

SNYDER COUNTY QUILTING BEE SHORT STORY SERIES 1,

please ask me for a copy:

*****

September 3, 2013

MENNONITE COOKING IS TOPS! (Part 16)

Matrimony Cakes

(Compliments of Maxine Martin)

Blog Post Number 59

Anyone getting married soon? Already married? Have you ever heard of matrimony cake? I think I had at one time, but it was so long ago, I had forgotten what the dessert was. Matrimony cakes are little squares of dates and oats blended with flour and a few other ingredients. It only stands to reason that matrimony cake would be made of “dates.” (Yes, that’s a bad joke.) Anyway, matrimony cakes are a favorite sweet snack of our Mennonite friends. Let’s see how easy it is to make:

Matrimony Cakes (or Date Squares)

A raw date

Ingredients for Mixture 1: 1 (8 oz.) pkg. stoned dates, cut fine 1 C. warm water 1 C. sugar Pinch of salt

Ingredients for Mixture 2: 1 C. brown sugar 1 ½ C. rolled oats ¾ C. shortening 2 C. flour 1 tsp. baking soda Pinch of salt

Procedure: Blend all ingredients of Mixture 2 together and place 2/3 of it on the bottom of an unbuttered 9 x 13 inch pan. Blend all ingredients of Mixture 1 together and spread it over the top of Mixture 2 in the pan.

Sprinkle the rest of Mixture 2 on top of the date mixture. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Cool and cut into two-inch squares.

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What do you think? Isn’t that easy? I think you could whip up that tasty dessert in less than 15 minutes. I’m not a big fan of dates, but I believe with the added sugar, this little snack would be quite tasty.

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RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Zucchini Chow Chow, Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake, Deer Meat and Rice Casserole, Chocolate Lasagna, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Rhubarb Cake Dessert, Meatball Sub Casserole, Potato Salad, Peanut Butter Pie, Veggie Bacon Pizza, Granola, Gooey Shoo Fly Pie, Baked Corn, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

To read SADIE BLETCHLER’S TRIP OUT WEST, volume two in my

SNYDER COUNTY QUILTING BEE SHORT STORY SERIES,

please ask me for a copy:

Fifty-five-year-old Sadie Bletchler, a widow of fifteen years, is a woman in her central PA Mennonite community who, despite the heartache of losing her husband Roland, enjoys life to its fullest. The head of the Snyder County Quilting Bee, she is also known as a lady who “gets things done and done right” but often finds herself in humorous or embarrassing situations because of her impulsiveness. Sadie plans a trip out West to see some of the natural marvels and wonders of her beautiful country. She has invited Katrina Friesen to accompany her on the ten-day trip in early September. Sadie is excited about the trip for more than one reason, saying she wouldn’t mind if she’d meet a nice man looking for a widow who’s still got some kick in her. Well, that’s exactly what happens. Sadie meets a charming widower who sweeps her off her feet. But handsome Ken Shellhammer never speaks of his faith, let alone whether he’s Mennonite or not, so Sadie’s “quick romance” appears to be just that. As soon as the trip out west is over, Sadie figures her relationship with Ken must end as well. But what big surprise awaits Sadie on the last day of her trip?

*****

August 27, 2013

MENNONITE COOKING IS TOPS! (Part Fifteen)

Zucchini Chow Chow

(Compliments of Arlene Stauffer)

Blog Post Number 58

Today we’re going to look at a recipe that seems quite short, but it will never be made in my kitchen because it has a LOT of onions and some garlic in it. I’m allergic to onions and garlic, and even the smell of them can make me nauseous. Anyway, this recipe seem easy, but it does require quite a bit of time to make the tasty dish that’s so popular in the Snyder County Amish/Mennonite community. Let’s see how to make:

Zucchini Chow Chow

Veggie Ingredients: 4 qt. zucchini cut in chunks 6 onions 3 red or green peppers 2 C. carrots 2 C. celery 1 head cauliflower cut in chunks ½ C. pickling salt Pickling Juice

Ingredients: 5 C. sugar 1 tsp. turmeric 2 C. vinegar 1 C. water 1 tsp. alum 1 tsp. garlic salt

Procedure for the Veggie Ingredients: Put all in water so they are covered. Cover the pot. Let set for 3 hours. Drain and rinse.

Procedure for the Pickling Juice: Mix all ingredients in a cooking pot and bring to a boil. Add all vegetables and boil for 2 minutes. Pack in canning jars and seal.

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So, if you’re looking for a side dish that’s really different that most folks will enjoy, try zucchini chow chow. I think you’ll probably be handing out Arlene Stauffer’s recipe to some of your friends, who will love this Pennsylvania Dutch cooking recipe. J

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RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake

Deer Meat and Rice Casserole

Chocolate Lasagna

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

Rhubarb Cake Dessert

Meatball Sub Casserole

Potato Salad

Peanut Butter Pie

Veggie Bacon Pizza

Granola

Gooey Shoo Fly Pie

Baked Corn

Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

To read LOUELLEN FINDS TRUE LOVE, volume one in my

LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY FICTION SERIES,

please check it on Amazon:

Twenty-five-year-old Amish Louellen Friesen finds herself falling in love with forty-year-old Englishman Dr. David McAndrew, a widower with two children, for whom she cleans house regularly in Mapletown, Snyder County, Pennsylvania. There’s only one problem. Louellen is already married. Well past the marrying age at twenty-two, Louellen Bidleman had wed Amish man Eli Friesen three years prior, mostly because of pressure from her family. Eli, also in his mid-twenties and in danger of being “passed over,” had married Louellen for one main reason, to have sons. Louellen has some love for Eli, but because of her church vows, sets out to be the best wife and mother she can be, especially when God blesses them with little ones. However, after three years, there are no children. Louellen is devastated, and Eli becomes bitter, feeling trapped in a marriage that has produced no offspring even though he knows that he has the medical problem, not his wife. Although he treats Louellen civil in public, at home he ignores her needs, and their wedded life is nothing but a disappointment to both. What should Louellen do? Turn her back on her husband and her Amish Ordnung? Should she leave, become “English,” and marry Dr. McAndrew, a man who has promised her the moon? ***** August 20, 2013

MENNONITE COOKING IS TOPS! (Part Fourteen)

Sinful Pumpkin Cheesecake

Compliments of Nicole Stauffer

Blog Post Number 57

Sinful pumpkin cheesecake? Are you kidding me? You would think that Mennonites wouldn’t even want to say the word “sinful,” let alone use it as part of a title of one of their delicious recipes. But here it is in black and white, a recipe for what looks to be an absolutely “sinful” cheesecake, which I’ve never tasted but would sure like to:

Ingredients: 1 ½ C. graham cracker crumbs 1/3 C. butter ¼ C. granulated sugar 1 C. granulated sugar 1 ¾ C solid pack pumpkin 2/3 C. evaporated milk 1 ¼ tsp. cinnamon ¼ tsp. almond extract ¼ to 1/3 C. granulated sugar 3 pkg. cream cheese ¼ C. packed brown sugar 2 eggs 1 Tbsp. cornstarch ½ tsp. nutmeg 2 C. sour cream 1 tsp. vanilla

Procedure for the crust: Combine cracker crumbs, ¼ C. sugar, and melted butter. Press into 9-inch springform pan, and bake at 350 degrees F. for 6-8 minutes.

Procedure for cheesecake: Beat cream cheese, 1 C. sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat pumpkin, eggs, and milk. Add cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg and beat well. Pour into crust, and bake at 350 F. for 55 to 60 minutes. Next: Combine sour cream, vanilla, almond extract, and ¼ to 1/3 C. sugar. Spread over warm cheesecake. Return to oven to bake for 5 minutes. Cool, remove side of pan, and chill several hours or overnight. Enjoy with your favorite tea or coffee.

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I don’t know about you, but I’m a pushover for cheesecakes, and this one sounds delicious. So, here’s one more recipe I’m going to have to try. How about you?

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RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Deer Meat and Rice Casserole

Chocolate Lasagna

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

Rhubarb Cake Dessert

Meatball Sub Casserole

Potato Salad

Peanut Butter Pie

Veggie Bacon Pizza

Granola

Gooey Shoo Fly Pie

Baked Corn

Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

To read VALERIE’S LOST LOVE, volume three in my LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY FICTION SERIES, please check it out on Amazon.

*****

August 13, 2013

MENNONITE COOKING IS TOPS! (Part Thirteen)

Cubed Deer Meat with Rice

Compliments of Alice Stauffer

Blog Post Number 56

If you know anything at all about the Amish and Mennonites, then you know they are avid hunters. The rolling hills and acres and acres of farmlands in Pennsylvania offer wild game of various sorts, white-tailed deer being the most prominent and most popular. So why question today’s recipe from Sheila Martin’s family cookbook, provided by one of her relatives. Let’s see how this Mennonite chef prepares her venison.

Cubed Deer Meat with Rice

(Serves three or four)

Ingredients: 1 ½ lb. cubed meat (use sirloin tips if venison is not available) ½ C. flour seasoned with salt and pepper ¼ C. olive oil or melted shortening 1 pkg. dry onion soup mix 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup 1 can sliced mushrooms 2 C. instant rice 1 C. water 1 carrot (optional)

Procedure: Shake cubed meat in bag of seasoned flour to coat well. Slice carrot and add to skillet Brown meat and carrot in skillet with oil with lid on. Add onion soup mix and enough water (1 C. more or less depending on size of skillet) to barely cover meat. Simmer until meat is tender and liquid has been absorbed. Add cream of mushroom soup and mushrooms, stirring to blend and simmering for several minutes. Cook instant rice then serve meat mixture over hot rice.

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If you’ve never tried deer meat, this might be a good way to break into the venison habit. Although my hubby and I are not deer meat lovers, many of our friends are, and they’d jump at the chance to try this new way of preparing one of their favorite meats.

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RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Chocolate Lasagna

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

Rhubarb Cake Dessert

Meatball Sub Casserole

Potato Salad

Peanut Butter Pie

Veggie Bacon Pizza

Granola

Gooey Shoo Fly Pie

Baked Corn

Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

To read TO JOHN WITH LOVE, volume two in my LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY FICTION SERIES, please check it out on Amazon.

John Friesen is a bachelor at the age of twenty-three and is having the time of his life. One of the most handsome eligible men in the Mennonite community, John has never been in a hurry to choose a wife and settle down. He’s not a bit worried about being “passed over.” He enjoys the simple life of helping his dad with the family farm and breeding registered Tennessee Walking horses on the side. Every unmarried gal in the Mennonite community has her eyes on John, not only because of his stunning looks but his godly, quiet demeanor and kind, gentle ways. Whenever the girls are together, John’s the talk of the quilting circles and Sunday fellowships after church. Three girls, in particular, care deeply for John and secretly determine to win his heart in their own special way. Only a serious accident—a fall from his horse—leads John to the one girl who will love him unconditionally. But which one does he choose?

*****

August 6, 2013

MENNONITE COOKING IS TOPS! (Part Twelve)

Chocolate Lasagna

Compliments of Danita Stolzfus

Blog Post Number 55

Jah, your eyes are reading it correctly: CHOCOLATE lagagna. Ewww, does that sound delicious or not so? If you’re thinking chocolate mixed in with lasagna noodles and spaghetti sauce, you’re way off the mark. This yummy recipe is for a mouth-watering dessert. So let’s find out what Danita Stolzfus puts in her dish that she says her family considers one of their favorite recipes.

Ingredients: 1 pk. Oreo cookies, crushed 6 T. butter, melted 1 8-oz. cream cheese, softened ¼ C. 10x sugar 2 T. milk 1 12-oz. container of Cool Whip 2 3.9-oz. pks. instant chocolate pudding 3 ¼ C. milk 1 ½ mini chocolate chips Procedure: Mix crushed cookies and butter and put in a 9×13 pan. Mix cream cheese, sugar, milk, and Cool Whip and spread over crust. Mix puddings and milk until thick. Pour over Cool Whip mixture. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips over top. Refrigerate at least an hour.

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I wish I had a piece of this delicious dessert right now, especially since I’m a chocolaholic. How about you? The only way I’d EVER turn down a chocolate treat is if it had onions in it, of which I am quite allergic.

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RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

Rhubarb Cake Dessert

Meatball Sub Casserole

Potato Salad

Peanut Butter Pie

Veggie Bacon Pizza

Granola

Gooey Shoo Fly Pie

Baked Corn

Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

To read The Snyder County Quilting Bee Reunion, the last story in my SNYDER COUNTY QUILTING BEE SERIES SET ONE, please contact me for a copy:

Two years have passed since the gals of the Snyder County Quilting Bee have been in the same place at the same time. Circumstances in their lives moved some of them to other towns, into difficult situations, or to faraway places with strange-sounding names. But every member of the bee has her heart set on gathering for a reunion in August to catch up on each other’s busy lives. So important is this meeting that even Mandie Kauffman Schmidt, ministering with her missionary husband, Tobias, in Indonesia, has planned ahead for the special occasion. Join all the gals for this heart-warming reunion and find out what’s happened in the ladies’ busy lives that had drawn some far away from their beloved quilting bee.

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July 30, 2013

MENNONITE COOKING IS TOPS! (Part Eleven)

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

Compliments of Sheila Martin

Blog Post Number 54

Since strawberries are “in” right now, I thought we’d look at one of my favorite desserts. I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve never made it myself. (My excuse is that I don’t have the time to cook and bake much.) But I’ve eaten this delicious dessert at our church socials and other “food” gatherings, and I love it. Sheila, my Mennonite gal, who helps me clean and helped care for my mother several years ago said this is one of her family’s favorite treats, as well. Let’s have a look at how to make strawberry pretzel dessert. Ingredients: 2 store-bought pks. or 2 pts. (fresh) frozen strawberries, slightly thawed 2 c. crushed pretzels 3/4 c. butter melted 3 Tbsp. sugar 1 c. 10x sugar 1 eight-oz. pk. cream cheese 8 oz. whipped topping 1 six-oz. pk. strawberry gelatin 2 c. boiling water

Procedure: Mix pretzels, butter, and sugar together and put in 9×13 pan. Bake for 8 minutes at 400 degrees. Do NOT overbake. Set aside and let cool. Mix gelatin, hot water, and strawberries together. Let set while mixing the cream cheese, sugar, and whipped topping together. Spread on cooled pretzel crust. Top with gelatin mixture and let in fridge until firm.

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I wish I had a piece of this delicious dessert right now, especially with fresh strawberries “in.” How about you? Surprise your family with this very special treat soon. You’ll be a hit, guaranteed!

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RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Rhubarb Cake Dessert

Meatball Sub Casserole

Potato Salad

Peanut Butter Pie

Veggie Bacon Pizza

Granola

Gooey Shoo Fly Pie

Baked Corn

Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

To read Story 7, A New Home for the Harners, in THE SNYDER COUNTY QUILTING BEE SERIES, please contact me for a copy.

Through the Snyder County Children and Youth Services, Katrina and John Friesen take in an African American brother and sister, whose mother died of a drug overdose and whose father is in prison. Although the children are deeply troubled, Katrina and John start to see positive changes in them, and everyone foresees adoption in the near future. However, when a stranger comes to town, says he’s the children’s father, and demands full custody of the boy, Katrina and John must face the possibility of losing one of “their” children. Then, when their backs are turned at a farmers’ market, the boy disappears. Has he run away or is he with his father? Will Katrina and John ever see the boy again?

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July 23, 2013

MENNONITE COOKING IS TOPS! (Part Ten)

Rhubarb Cake Dessert

Compliments of Sheila Martin

Blog Post Number 53

H’m, rhubarb cake. I’ve heard of rhubarb pie, but not rhubarb cake. Of course, I’m not known as one of the better bakers in Snyder County. But Sheila tells me this is a very popular dessert among her Mennonite community. Here’s another delicious looking recipe from the gal who helps me clean and helped care for my mother when Mom was nearing her entrance into heaven. Let’s have a look at how to make a rhubarb cake dessert.

Ingredients: 4 c. rhubarb chopped in ½ in. chunks 2 Tbsp. lemon juice 1 c. white sugar 1/3 c. cornstarch 1 can cherry pie filling 1 yellow cake mix Procedure: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook rhubarb and lemon juice for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add sugar and cornstarch; stir and cook 5 more minutes. Cool then add pie filling and set aside. Make cake mix following directions. Pour ½ batter in lightly greased 9×13 pan. Pour rhubarb and cherry mixture on top then add the remaining cake batter. Bake for 40-45 minutes. ***** Well, my mouth is watering. Although I’m not too fond of rhubarb, I’d certainly be willing to try this for something different. How about you?

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RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Meatball Sub Casserole

Potato Salad

Peanut Butter Pie

Veggie Bacon Pizza

Granola

Gooey Shoo Fly Pie

Baked Corn

Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

To read Story 6, Louellen Returns Home, in THE SNYDER COUNTY QUILTING BEE, ask me for a copy.

*****

July 16, 2013

MENNONITE COOKING IS TOPS! (Part Nine)

Meatball Sub Casserole

Compliments of Sheila Martin

Blog Post Number 52

Here’s another recipe that we “English” might never think our Mennonite friends would use. It sounds so “not Mennonite;” yet, my one Mennonite friend gave me this recipe and said it’s one of her family’s favorites. I’ve heard of meatball subs but never a meatball sub casserole. Let’s have a look at this different kind of dish that uses common ingredients we’ve all used in other types of foods, particularly spaghetti, lasagna, or pizza.

Meatball Sub Casserole

(Shown here with the ground meat made into meatballs.

Sheila’s recipe calls for the ground meat to be loose)

Ingredients: 1 lb. hamburger 3 c. chopped onions 1 loaf home-made bread (or store bought), sliced one-inch thick 1 8 oz. package cream cheese ½ c. salad dressing (the “sweet” mayonnaise) 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning 2 c. mozzarella cheese 1 28 oz. jar spaghetti sauce Salt and pepper to your taste Procedure: Fry hamburger and drain. Add onions, salt, and pepper and stir fry together then set aside. Arrange bread in a baking dish. In a bowl, blend cream cheese, salad dressing, and seasoning. Spread over top of bread then sprinkle 1 c. cheese on top. Mix spaghetti sauce with hamburger/onion mixture and pour over bread in baking dish. Top with the other c. of cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

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Well, except for the onions, (I’m allergic), this sounds like a “wunderbaar goot” recipe, and I’d certainly be willing to try this for something different. How about you?

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RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous blogs to see)

Potato Salad

Peanut Butter Pie

Veggie Bacon Pizza

Granola

Gooey Shoo Fly Pie

Baked Corn

Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

To read Story 5, Rhonda’s Rumschpringe in THE SNYDER COUNTY QUILTING BEE SERIES, please ask me for a copy.

*****

July 9, 2013

MENNONITE COOKING IS TOPS! (Part Eight)

Easy Potato Salad

Compliments of Marsha Hubler

Blog Post Number 51

I’m sharing a recipe with you handed down in my family from my Aunt Ruth Heizenroth, who is in her late 80s. I got this recipe from her, probably, thirty years ago, and I’ve never desired to try anyone else’s. Although our family is not Mennonite, we have German roots, and potato salad, a favorite side dish in the Mennonite tradition, is also very popular with us. This recipe is so simple, you can make it in ten minutes after you boil your potatoes. I’ve included chopped onion as an option because most folks like onion in dishes like this. However, I am allergic to onions and garlic, so whatever I make, the onions must be omitted. I’ve tasted many different potato salads over the years, and some that I’ve had were very bland and tasteless. But this recipe has a little “kick” to it with the vinegar and mustard added. What I really like about this recipe is that you don’t have to heat the sauce in which you add the cubed potatoes. So, help yourself to this recipe and enjoy a tasty side dish when you make those hamburgers, hot dogs, or fried chicken.

Easy Potato Salad

Russett.Potato.Photo

Ingredients: Four medium-sized potatoes 1 c. mayonnaise 1/3 c. white vinegar ½ c. white sugar 1 tbsp. mustard 1 hard-boiled egg, chopped Salt/pepper (Optional: small chopped onion or onion salt)

Procedure: Peel potatoes and boil until soft. Cube them. While potatoes are boiling, mix white vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper together in large bowl; set aside After cubing potatoes, add them to the mixture in the bowl and stir gently. Add chopped egg and stir thoroughly. (Optional: Add chopped onion or onion salt to your taste) Enjoy the potato salad with your favorite sandwiches or barbecue.

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RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to see)

Peanut Butter Pie

Veggie Bacon Pizza

Granola

Gooey Shoo Fly Pie

Baked Corn

Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Chicken Noodle Soup

*****

To read Story 4, MANDIE’S MARRIAGE DILEMMA in THE SNYDER COUNTY QUILTING BEE SERIES, please ask me for a copy.

*****

July 2, 2013

MENNONITE COOKING IS TOPS! (Part Seven)

PEANUT BUTTER PIE

Compliments of Arlene Stauffer

Blog Post Number 50

RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to previous posts to read)

Veggie Bacon Pizza

Granola

Gooey Shoo Fly Pie

Baked Corn

Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Chicken Noodle Soup

If you have a sweet tooth, you probably love peanut butter pie. There are all different variations of this tasty dessert, but have you ever tried to make a peanut butter pie? How about with a meringue topping? If not, maybe it’s time to put your culinary skills to the test. Today we’ll look at a non-bake recipe that does have a delicious topping of meringue. Here’s Arlene Stauffer’s recipe for:

Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients for the Pie Filling: ½ c. peanut butter 2/3 c. powdered sugar 1 baked pie shell (your own recipe or a purchased shell) 3 eggs, separated ½ tsp. salt 2/3 c. sugar 3 Tbsp. cornstarch 3 c. milk, scalded 1 ½ tsp. vanilla 1 Tbsp. butter

Ingredients for the Meringue: 3 egg whites ¼ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. cream of tartar 1 tsp. cornstarch 2 tsp. sugar

Procedure for the Peanut Butter Filling: Blend peanut butter and powdered sugar until mealy. Sprinkle 2/3 on bottom of baked shell. Combine beaten egg yolks, salt, sugar, and cornstarch. Scald milk then add this mixture into milk. Cool until thick, stirring constantly. Add vanilla and butter. Cool slightly and pour into pie shell.

Procedure for the Meringue: Beat the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar until the mixture starts to stiffen. Add the cornstarch and sugar and beat until stiff. Top with drizzles of chocolate syrup and crushed peanut butter cups, if desired. Chill pie for at least a half hour. Brew some coffee and indulge.

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This pie sounds just like the kind of dessert I don’t need. My waistline is already…well, never mind.

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To read Story 4, MANDIE’S MARRIAGE DILEMMA, in THE SNYDER COUNTY QUILTING BEE SERIES, please ask me for a copy.

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June 25, 2013

MENNONITE COOKING IS TOPS! (Part Six)

VEGGIE BACON PIZZA

Compliments of Danita Stolzfus

Blog Post Number 49

RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to see)

Granola

Gooey Shoo Fly Pie

Baked Corn

Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Chicken Noodle Soup

Mennonites and pizza? Are you kidding? Well, jah, Mennonite folk love pizza the same as the English do. So today we’re going to look at a unique home-made recipe from the Stolzfus family, who live right over the ridge in Mt. Pleasant Mills. Besides being a good cook, Danita also breeds and shows champion rabbits, but today we’re focusing on her culinary skills. Let’s have a look at her recipe for:

Vegetable and Bacon Pizza

Ingredients: 2 pk. crescent rolls 2 pk. 8-oz. cream cheese, softened ½ c. sour cream 1 pk. Ranch original dressing mix 3 broccoli crowns chopped fine 1 16-oz. pk. bacon fried hard and crumbled 2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Procedure: In 17 x 11 pan, spread the rolls to make a pizza crust, bake for 8 min. at package temperature, then cool. Fry bacon and cool. Chop bacon and set aside. Combine cream cheese, sour cream, and dressing mix. Spread on top of baked crust. Sprinkle broccoli over crust then add bacon bits. Add cheddar cheese sprinkled over top next. Press ingredients into pizza crust and refrigerate for 1 hr. before cutting. Wow! Does that sound ever good to me! I particularly like it because it has no onions in the recipe. I like onions, but they give me a headache and make me sick to my stomach, so I have to avoid them like the plague. Let me know if you try this recipe and how you liked it. When I get a spare moment, I’m going to try it too. I love broccoli, bacon, and crescent rolls. This recipe sounds like the perfect formula to help me gain another two pounds, which I don’t need at all!

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To read Story 3, a “baker’s delight” story in THE SNYDER COUNTY QUILTING BEE SERIES, please ask me for CHRISTMAS COOKIES FOR MRS. DARLING.

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June 18, 2013

MENNONITE COOKING IS TOPS! (Part Five)

GRANOLA!

Compliments of Marian S. Martin

Blog Post Number 48

RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to see)

Gooey Shoo Fly Pie

Baked Corn

Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Chicken Noodle Soup

Today we have a very simple, short recipe for a yummy but nutritious snack, granola. My one Mennonite friend, Sheila, brought her cookbook with her the last time she helped me clean my house. After she left, I noticed that this recipe was submitted by Marian Martin. Now I’m wondering if Sheila and Marian are relatives. I’ll have to ask Sheila when I see her in a few weeks.

My friend and helper, Sheila Martin

Anyway, here’s the really easy recipe for easy, yummy granola bars!

GRANOLA!

Ingredients: 3 c. brown sugar 2 ½ c. butter or oleo, melted 12 c. quick oats 9 c. rice krispies 6 c. shredded coconut 4 c. nuts or cornflakes (Add chocolate chips to your taste, if so desired) Procedure: Caramelize the brown sugar and butter (or oleo) over low heat. Mix all dry ingredients in large bowl then pour brown sugar goo over ingredients and mix well. Pour into cookie sheet and smooth all over sheet. Toast in oven at 300 degrees until tips start to brown. (If you want to eat it loose and not in bars, stir several times or the edge will brown too much.) There you have it, a quick and easy recipe for a yummy AND healthy treat the Mennonites enjoy quite frequently!

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To read Story 2 in THE SNYDER COUNTY QUILTING BEE SERIES, please ask me for SADIE BLETCHLER’S TRIP OUT WEST. Fifty-five-year-old Sadie Bletchler, a widow of fifteen years, is a woman in her central PA Mennonite community who, despite the heartache of losing her husband Roland, enjoys life to its fullest. The head of the Snyder County Quilting Bee, she is also known as a lady who “gets things done and done right” but often finds herself in humorous or embarrassing situations because of her impulsiveness. Sadie plans a trip out West to see some of the natural marvels and wonders of her beautiful country. She has invited Katrina Friesen to accompany her on the ten-day trip in early September. Sadie is excited about the trip for more than one reason, saying she wouldn’t mind if she’d meet a nice man looking for a widow who’s still got some kick in her Well, that’s exactly what happens. Sadie meets a charming widower who sweeps her off her feet. But handsome Ken Shellhammer never speaks of his faith, let alone whether he’s Mennonite or not, so Sadie’s “quick romance” appears to be just that. As soon as the trip out west is over, Sadie figures her relationship with Ken must end as well. But what big surprise awaits Sadie on the last day of her trip?

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June 11, 2013

MENNONITE COOKING IS TOPS! (Part Four)

Verna Hoover’s Gooey Shoo Fly Pie

Blog Post Number 47

RECIPES POSTED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS:

(Scroll down to see)

Baked Corn

Peanut Butter/Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Chicken Noodle Soup

I know Verna Hoover, a Mennonite woman, for many years in two different scenarios. She and her husband have a fruit and veggie stand every Tuesday at Keister’s Auction and Farmer’s Market here in Snyder County for as long as I can remember. Verna and her family had also visited my home when my mother lived with me. In Mother’s ailing years, she was unable to go to church on Sunday evenings, so my Mennonite friends would come (about twenty of them, kids and all) to the house and have “church.” The Mennonite friends would sing hymns for about 15 minutes, then one of the deacons or a preacher would present a ten-minute devotional. These little gestures of love are a fond memory I have from days gone by. Mother is with the Lord almost three years already. I would say that singing a cappella in beautiful four-part harmony and cooking are two traits for which the Mennonites are so well known. So enjoy this recipe for shoo fly pie from my friend Verna!

GOOEY SHOO FLY PIE

Ingredients: 1 ½ c. flour ½ c. brown sugar ¼ c. shortening 1 ½ c. hot water 1 ½ tsp. baking soda ¾ c. more brown sugar 4 eggs beaten Procedure: Mix flour, ½ c. brown sugar, and shortening. Save 1 c. for crumbs for pie topping. Add the rest of the crumbs to the remaining ingredients after mixing them. Mix well again. Pour 2 c. goo into 3 eight-inch unbaked pie shells. Sprinkle 1/3 c. crumbs on each pie. Bake 10 minutes at 400 degrees then 40 minutes at 350 degree.

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June 4, 2013

MENNONITE COOKING IS TOPS! (Part Three)

BAKED CORN (OR CORN PUDDING)

BLOG POST NUMBER FORTY-SIX

So far in our last two posts, we’ve allowed our mouths to drool over a Mennonite recipe for chicken noodle soup and peanut butter whoopie pies. (Scroll down for those recipes.) Now, let’s look at a popular side dish in the Amish/Mennonite world that would just about make our meal complete: baked corn. Here’s the recipe, compliments of Loris Pheasant, published in The All American Cookbook (a church project):

BAKED CORN

(Serves 6 to 8)

Ingredients:

2 T. melted butter or oleo

1 T. cornstarch

3 eggs

1 c. milk

½ c. sugar

1 can corn, drained

Procedure:

Melt the butter in a large bowl and cool. Add the eggs and beat mixture until mixed well. Add sugar, milk, and cornstarch. Blend well. Grease a baking dish and add drained corn. Pour egg mixture over corn. Add salt and pepper to your taste. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. (Recipe is very easy to double.)

*****

Twenty-four years have passed since Mennonites Louellen and Eli Friesen were shunned by their Amish Ordnung. Only a chance encounter with Louellen’s mother at the farmers’ market brings Louellen and her parents together again after all this time. However, her brothers Samuel and Ben Bidleman, still set in their rigid Amish ways, turn their backs on Louellen until a family crisis changes some hearts. What’s happens that causes some of the Bidleman family members to forsake their strict Ordnung edicts, reach out to Louellen in her hour of need, and risk their own shunning?

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May 28, 2013

MENNONITE COOKING IS TOPS! (Part Two)

BLOG POST NUMBER FORTY-FIVE

Last week we started a series about food, Mennonite food, sharing some of their most popular recipes. Mennonites are known for delicious down-home, made-from-scratch dishes and desserts. If you’ve been fortunate to sit down at a Mennonite table, I’m sure your stomach got a blessing far beyond what you expected. If you wondered how some of those delicious dishes were made, perhaps some of their recipes will be posted here over the next few weeks. Feel free to copy any or all of them. Last week we started with that old staple—chicken noodle soup. (Scroll down to May 21^st to see the recipe.) Today, we’re moving right to the dessert, and since I’m a chocolaholic, the mouth-watering goodie HAS to have chocolate in it. Now, when you think of Amish or Mennonite baking, what’s the first dessert that comes to mind? Right! Whoopie Pies!

Chocolate/Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

(Makes about a dozen)

Ingredients for the Cookies: 2 c. sugar 1 c. shortening 4 eggs 1 c. hot water with 2 tsp. baking soda 4 ½ c. flour ¾ c. cocoa 1 c. sour milk 2 tsp. vanilla A pinch of salt Filling: ½ c. natural, creamy peanut butter 2 oz. cream cheese 4 tbsp. unsalted butter room temperature One 7.5 oz. jar marshmallow fluff 2 c. confectioners’ sugar Pinch of salt Directions: Cookie: Mix cookie ingredients together. Batter should be a little thick so it can be dropped from a teaspoon. Drop onto cookie sheets into small rounds, trying to keep them roughly the same size. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 8-10 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet. Filling: With a mixer, beat the peanut butter, cream cheese, and butter until fluffy. Add in the marshmallow fluff. Gradually add in the confectioners’ sugar and salt. Mix until combined. After the cookies are baked, choose two about the same size, spread some filling on one and place the other one on top. Repeat until all the whoopie pies are done.

If you want to read about an amazing Amish woman who bakes over 700 whoopie pies a week to sell at a farmers’ market in Lewisburg, PA, scroll down to Post Number 14 (October 23rd) and meet Katie Yoder.

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May 21, 2013

MENNONITE COOKING IS TOPS! (Part One)

BLOG POST NUMBER FORTY-FOUR

For awhile, we are going to make your mouth water with some recipes for different foods that Mennonites are known to cook and bake to perfection. Some of the recipes I will share come directly from websites. Other recipes will be from some of my Mennonite friends. Let’s start with that old staple, chicken noodle soup, which everyone says is essential to make you feel better when you’re hatching a cold. (Compliments of Spark Recipes): http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=257230

Mennonite Chicken Noodle Soup

Preparation Time: Minutes to Prepare: 10 Minutes to Cook: 90 Number of Servings: 10 Ingredients: 10 cups water ¼ cup salt 5 whole bay leaf 5 star anise 1 medium onion, chopped 2 bone-in, skin on, chicken breasts Package of egg noodles Directions Bring water, salt, bay leaf, star anise, onion, and chicken to a boil. Turn down to a simmer. Simmer for about 1 ½ hours. When ready to make, boil noodles according to package directions. Put some noodles into a small bowl, add some broth, and enjoy with biscuits or crackers. My Suggestions: 1. If you’d like to make noodles from scratch, thick enough to call your soup “pot pie,” then follow these directions (Compliments of Brenda Weaver, a Mennonite friend. Scroll down to blog post number FOUR – August 7, 2012 – to read the entire entry about her home-made chicken pot pie.) Make pot pie noodles by adding one egg to 1 ½ c. flour and ½ tspn. salt and mix. Add approximately ¼ c. water and mix; then form dough into ball. Roll out with rolling pin, let dough dry for an hour or so. Slice rolled-out dough into one-inch squares. Add individual pieces of dough to boiling broth and keep stirring between the adding of the noodles. Simmer for about 30 minutes then add meat back into broth and noodles. Stir every few minutes to prevent noodles from sticking together. 2. If you like your soup thicker and not watery, add instant potato flakes after the soup is done cooking. Add about ¼ to ½ cup to the soup and stir, depending on how thick you like broth. I’ve found that potato flakes work much better than flour or corn starch, and the flakes add a delicious flavor to the soup. If you enjoy reading Mennonite fiction, please check this out:

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May 14, 2013

DO MENNONITES CARE AT ALL ABOUT EDUCATION?

(PART 3) BLOG POST NUMBER FORTY-THREE On May 10th and 11th, I was at the annual C.H.A.P. (Christian Homeschoolers Association of PA) homeschoolers convention in Harrisburg (http://www.chaponline.com/2013convention/) where thousands of homeschoolers come for two days to buy curriculum, educational materials and supplies, and pleasure books for their children. A large percentage of those attendees are Mennonite families, who invest hundreds of dollars in the best education they can provide for their children. I meet many homeschool families at the convention every year, most of whom have three or more children. The Mennonite families, and a few Amish as well, often have four, five, six, or more. However, the loving discipline dictated by Bible principles I see within these families amazes me. The children are generally well behaved, polite, and happy.

My Work with Mennonite Homeschoolers I also see the same trend when I evaluate many Mennonite families every spring in my home office. The mothers come with their children, whom I interview, review a sample of their completed work in a portfolio, and check their daily record of attendance, which must reflect a fulfillment of 180 days. The children in PA must complete a core curriculum of math, English, social studies, science, handwriting, spelling, P.E., art, music, and health in elementary school. The guidelines for older students follow the state guidelines for most public junior and high school requirements, including music, art, P.E. and electives. Mostly all of my Mennonite familes desire their children to graduate with a high school diploma. I am certified with three PA homeschool associations and have the authority to grant credit and keep transcripts. Another option for homeschoolers is to register with either a publishing company or a college that publishes high school curriculum, defines a four-year course of study, and grants a bona fide high school diploma.

Do Mennonites Go to College? Although most Mennonite teens do not go on to earn a college degree, almost all of them do attend a post-high-school Bible school sponsored by their church. (See post numbers 27 to 34). Most of the young men follow in their father’s footsteps by farming, driving truck, welding, or doing some kind of manual labor. The girls for the most part keep house, work as teachers or aides in Mennonite schools, or become nurses’ aides at hospitals and nursing homes. However, the focus of some families is to have their children work on the mission field, with the girls marrying a missionary-minded man first, of course. I must mention a Mennonite family whom I’ve known for over 15 years, that has seven children, I believe. All are graduated except one, who will be a junior next year. This family loves the Lord, and the mother was so proud to tell me during her evaluation this year that one married daughter is serving in Costa Rica, one of the boys is in Thailand, and one girl is preparing to go to Indonesia. The other boys help their father in the family welding business and farming. I know of no other family who has three children serving on the mission field. I can’t imagine the joy these parents have, knowing that, although they don’t see some of their children often, the children are serving the Lord full time and helping others come to know the Lord in different parts of the world.

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May 7, 2013

DO MENNONITES CARE AT ALL ABOUT EDUCATION? (PART 2)

BLOG POST NUMBER FORTY-TWO

My friends, the Friesens, were featured in the newspaper several years ago

Last week we discussed the Mennonites community’s philosophy of education, their views on homeschooling, and some of the state requirements to earn a high school homeschooling diploma in Pennsylvania. (Scroll down to April 30th.) Today let’s look a little more closely at how Mennonite families homeschool, in particular, how they “teach” P.E., art, music, and some of their elective courses that have no textbooks.

Mennonite Homeschoolers and P.E.: If you are familiar at all with any Mennonites, you know they are generally very athletic and are particularly good at volleyball. The reason is quite obvious. Mennonites don’t have TVs or radios, and they make it a priority to fellowship with each other often at picnics and home visits. They play softball, quoits, other yard games and, yes, volleyball. In the winter, many young people join volleyball leagues at local community centers, and the Mennonite teams usually place in the top three. Thus, Mennonite homeschooling teens have lots of activities to record for their P.E. requirements. For the younger children, parents record yard games, playtime with siblings and other children, bowling, roller skating, ice skating, and field days with other homeschoolers with competition in races.

Mennonite Homeschoolers and Art: Ah, this subject is near and dear to most homeschooling families. Because homeschoolers can budget their study time efficiently, they have time to develop talents in any hobbies or interests they choose. Many of the boys do wood projects, i.e. building bird houses, rabbit hutches, shelves, etc. or they might actually work with metal. Many often paint or sketch…and they do it quite well. Sometimes they help remodel rooms in their homes, which includes painting, wallpapering, and bordering. All these “creative” ways of expression are acceptable art projects. The Mennonite girls fulfill their art requirement, which usually is at minimum an hour or two a week, by painting, sketching, crocheting, quilting, cross-stitching, sewing clothing from scratch, and by baking, which includes cake decorating. Honestly, I’ve seen some of the most beautiful sewing and baking projects done by girls not only in their teen years but youngsters nine and ten years old. No matter what Mennonites do, it seems they put their heart and soul into it.

Mennonite Homeschoolers and Music: Despite the fact that Mennonites do not allow musical instruments in their church services, they hold music in high regard. ALL children learn to sing in four-part harmony, not only for church but for family devotions. While interviewing several Mennonite families for their homeschool evaluations, I’ve been privileged to hear the entire family sing a hymn for me in gorgeous right-on-key four-part harmony. I’ve attended Mennonite church services where the congregation practically lifts the rafters with beautiful song. I’ve also attended several Mennonite children’s spring programs in one of the local churches, when all school-age children sing in four-part harmony in a choir of about thirty and recite scripture. Singing is definitely an important part of a Mennonite’s life from the time they can speak until they go to the grave. Now, about musical instruments. Although they don’t have instruments of any kind in their churches, some Mennonite families do have them in their homes. Again, with quality time to practice, the children become very proficient in whatever music they pursue. I’ve heard excellent “performances” on guitars, mandolins, flutes, and harmonicas by children when they’ve come for their evaluations. Of course, the music played is always a hymn to glorify the Lord for giving the talent, and the children enjoy using the talent tremendously. As you can see, Mennonites don’t take a backseat when educating their children in P.E., art, and music. They not only fulfill the state homeschooling law’s requirements but they go far and beyond the call of duty to have their children grow into well-rounded adults.

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April 30, 2013

DO MENNONITES CARE AT ALL ABOUT EDUCATION?

BLOG POST NUMBER FORTY-ONE

Friesens.Homeschooling.1998

This picture of some of the Friesen family was in our local newspaper years ago with an article about homeschooling.

Let’s take a look at the Mennonite community and its philosophy of education. I’m sure you won’t be surprised when I tell you that Mennonites don’t send their children to public school. But do you know that instead of sending them to a private church school, most Mennonites homeschool their children? WHY TO THEY HOMESCHOOL? The reasons Mennonites homeschool are very basic:

They want their children to be taught in the ways of the Bible and their own family tradition.
Many Mennonites don’t live close enough to Mennonite church schools to send their children there.

WHAT DO THE CHILDREN LEARN AT HOME? With a master’s degree in education and over 40 years experience with children of all ages, I’ve been a homeschool evaluator and consultant in Pennsylvania for the last 20 years. I’ve evaluated hundreds of homeschooling families, over half of them Mennonite. Contrary to the public’s stereotype of homeschooling mothers being barefoot, pregnant, and ignorant, the homeschooling families with whom I’ve dealt have been well educated, even though the mothers only have a high school diploma. The children are taught a core curriculum mandated by the state of Pennsylvania Homeschooling Law of 1989: math, English, social studies, science, health, P.E., art, and music. Every year, the families purchase quality educational curriculum and materials from publishing companies that specialize in homeschool products. The curriculum providers also offer videos, online courses, CDs, and satellite instruction to high school students taking tough subjects like Algebra and Physics, often providing 800 phone numbers to call a teacher for personal instruction. Homeschooling high school students can also choose from a vast selection of electives to round out their academic program, earn credit, and graduate with a high school diploma. In PA, all homeschool students must take standardized achievement tests in third, fifth, and eighth grades. About 90% of all the students I test score above grade level in achievement. Thus, it is quite easy to conclude that the Mennonite community takes education very seriously.

DO ALL OF THEM EARN A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA? Again, most of the Mennonite families with whom I work want their children to graduate and earn a diploma. Only a handful I’ve known over the last 20 years have had their children drop out when they were sixteen like almost all Amish teens do. A high percentage of Mennonites have all completed the state mandated requirements and have received a high school diploma from either a college, a specialized academic program for homeschoolers, or a publishing company that publishes homeschool curriculum. The diploma is accepted by colleges across the USA and in the armed services, although Mennonites do not avail themselves of either of these “institutes of higher learning.”

EVALUATIONS ARE REQUIRED IN PA In this state, all homeschool families must go to a certified evaluator at the finish of every school year and be “evaluated.” The evaluation consists of a family interview (about a half hour to forty-five minutes per child) at which time the evaluator (I have been one for the last 20 years) questions the parent(s) and child(ren) about their homeschooling year, and the courses taken and the work completed is discussed. The family shows the evaluator a portfolio with a cross-section of completed work in every subject, and the evaluator reviews their daily record of attendance, which must reflect 180 days of attendance over the past year. In all the years I’ve been doing evaluations, I can recall only a handful of families whom I had to evaluate negatively, and they weren’t Mennonite. The Mennonites are usually on the ball, the children having all their work completed for the year, and the portfolio and record of attendance excellently done. Considering the 120 or so evaluations I do every year, I’ve been quite pleased and pleasantly surprised to work with so many diligent Mennonite families. They have nothing to hold their heads in shame about. They are doing a fine job. Next time we’ll look at how the Mennonite families “teach” P.E., art, music, and some of their elective courses that have no textbook

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April 23, 2013

THE MENNONITE WEDDING

BLOG POST NUMBER FORTY

The last few posts we’ve looked at Mennonite weddings and receptions, which are THE BIG EVENT in the Mennonite society. If you scroll down and visit my last few blogs, you’ll see that Mennonite couples spare no expense when preparing for their weddings and receptions, which often rent large church complexes, have at least 200 in attendance, and give special gifts to every helper and server at the reception. In this post, you’ll attend a Mennonite wedding via a scene from VALERIE’S LOST LOVE, volume three in my LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY SERIES. In fact, it’s the first scene in the novel. Since I’ve not been able to post any pictures of wedding couples and how the wedding party dresses, I believe this scene will share those missing details from my last few posts. So sit back, relax, and enjoy!

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Chapter One

“… for better or worse, for richer, for poorer ….” The warm April sun and crisp air graced the Maple Grove Mennonite Church on the outskirts of Mapletown, Pennsylvania, where over two hundred family members and friends had gathered to celebrate the blessed union of two of their own. The guests sat in silence, save for a boppli’s brief cry, glued to every word the couple pledged from their bonded hearts. In her mint green bibbed dress, maid of honor Valerie Friesen stood at the altar next to her best friend, Katrina Shoffler, who in seconds would be Mrs. John Friesen. The happy couple engaged for six months had planned a spring wedding on a Saturday, sandwiched somewhere between the onion snow and the first corn planting. Valerie’s thoughts, centered more on her own engagement, shifted her attention to the best man. She stared at Jeremy Zook, the one she had promised to wed: tall, thin, and devilishly cute with his blonde Dutch-boy haircut, but oh so—. For a fleeting moment their eyes locked, and she smiled. He responded only with a nod and a weak smile then shifted away. He certainly doesn’t seem to be enjoying this, Valerie pondered. I wonder if he’ll enjoy his own wedding in August more. Behind Valerie stood Melody, proud representative of the Friesen/Clouser clan from Seven Hills, Ohio. The fourteen-year-old, a second cousin to John, was thrilled beyond words to be in her “first wedding ever.” “… in sickness and in health….” Pastor Fowler in his black suit, with his grey hair parted down the middle, reading specs, full red cheeks, and bearded chin, led the couple through their vows. Valerie studied her brother’s wavy auburn hair and handsome face, so much like her own with deep green eyes and ruddy complexion, which beamed with devoted love for his blushing bride. Valerie focused again on her betrothed, whose stare into space portrayed his preoccupation with something other than the ceremony at hand. Valerie’s glance shifted to the third “man” in line, her adopted sixteen-year-old brother, Lester, better known as Skip. Down syndrome or not, he was enthralled with every minute of “attending” for his big brother. Skip’s full round face and brown eyes, unusually wide as silver dollars today, glowed with excitement, and, as usual, the cowlicks in his mousy brown hair stuck out all over no matter how hard he had tried to comb them down. His fidgety hands took every ounce of focus to be still while the vows were recited. And, as usual, when Skip concentrated so intently, his tongue had free will to shift back and forth over his lower lip, now in perfect timing with every word Preacher Fowler proclaimed. John and his two groomsmen decked out in their traditional Sunday-best collarless white shirts and grey suits stood like soldiers lined up to pay homage to their king. “…to love and cherish, till death us do part, according to Gott’s holy law, and this is my solemn vow….” Valerie shifted back to Katrina and how beautiful she looked in her traditional bibbed dress made of a pure white sateen cloth for this special day. Her shiny brown hair drawn back into a bun and covered with a satin kapp framed her plain face and granny glasses. But anyone who had ever met Katrina knew that her sweet kind spirit, tender as a soft breeze, reflected a deep love and devotion for not only John but for her Lord Gott. Valerie’s mind drifted as she again focused on her “boy friend” since first grade at Maple Grove Mennonite School, where she now taught the seventh and eighth grades. Jeremy Wilmer Zook. Hard worker. From a good Mennonite family. Runs his own tractor repair business. Wants to farm as well. Wants lots of children. Will be a good provider. But does he really love me? Do I really love him? “I now pronounce you man and wife.” Pastor Fowler’s words echoed through the sanctuary as John and Katrina, radiant with smiles, clutched hands and faced the congregation. “I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. John Friesen!”

***

Of course, I didn’t fill in the minute details of, perhaps, a trio, quartet, or other group who would sing during the service (standing at one of the last pews in the back when they sing). Nor did I insert the fact that a devotional would probably be given by the father of either the bride or groom, and the pastor would have a full-length sermon. Interspersed in the ceremony would be two or three congregational hymns and several prayers. The service could easily run an hour-and-a-half. Then the reception with a full-course meal, more singing by the congregation and special groups, and prayers would follow, which could run two hours or longer. As I said several times prior, weddings are THE BIG EVENT in the Mennonite community.

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April 16, 2013

THE MENNONITE WEDDING RECEPTION

BLOG POST NUMBER THIRTY-NINE

Last week, my Mennonite gal who helps me clean brought a CD with over 100 pictures of a Mennonite wedding and reception she attended. Of course, without permission of those involved in the wedding, I can’t post any pictures of the wedding party or the guests. But I do have several beautiful pictures of the elaborate wedding reception’s decorations and table settings. In my opinion, they need no further explanation except to say that because of the large wedding with over 200 guests in attendance, the wedding party rented a large Methodist Church facility to accomodate everyone. The last two pictures show hand-carved plaques made for every server and the wedding couple’s hands resting on their signed marriage certificate. Just sit back and enjoy this visit to a progressive Mennonite wedding reception.

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THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY SERIES

THE MENNONITE WEDDING RECEPTION

BLOG POST NUMBER THIRTY-EIGHT

Mennonite Weddings are BIG Events The last two blogs, we looked at the order of service of two progressive Mennonite weddings and found that dozens of friends and family members can be involved. We’ve learned that weddings are one of the big affairs in the Mennonite world, and the church folks go all out for such occasions. We’ve also learned that weddings are an all-day affair. (Scroll down and read blogs 37 and 36) In this blog post, we’re going to look at the Mennonite wedding receptions, which are very elaborate. At receptions, photos may be taken of anyone involved, especially the bride and groom, who usually pose with their wedding party and then their entire family. Pictures are also taken of the servers, the food tables, and guests. If you attend one of these wedding receptions, be prepared to keep a smile on your face. You will most likely be in many pictures. Let’s look at the details of an elaborate reception of one of our Mennonite friends’ wedding. All these “credits” were listed on the program given to the guests at the wedding. (No names are used here in my blog post to respect the participants’ privacy.)

The Reception

Moderator

1 Man

Reception Coordinators

1 Married Couple

Reception Ushers

4 Men

Photographers

3 Friends

Candle Lighters

2 Nieces of the Bride

Bridle Table Servers

5 Couples

Parents’ Servers

2 Couples

Family Servers

4 Couples

Guest Servers

9 Couples

Dessert Servers

4 Ladies

Cooks

6 Married Couples

Cooks’ Assistants

5 Ladies

Distributors of Favors

16 Nieces and Nephews of the Married Couple

Host and Hostess

1 Married Couple

Lodging Committee

1 Married Couple

(At the bottom of the last page of the program, the couple shared these thoughts):

We Honor

Our gracious Heavenly Father for loving us, leading us, and blessing us with each other Our parents, who have given us a sacred heritage by their love for God and their children Our families: Thank you for your help, love, and support Our guests: Each one of you have played an important part in our lives. Our prayer is that you’ll be blessed and enjoy the day with us. We also hope to enjoy more times with you in the future. Come visit us! May we all celebrate together again some day in Heaven! (From the Parents of the Groom)

Just a dessert table!

Is it any wonder there are tables and tables of food? Full course meals with everything from appetizers to chocolate fountains! If you ever attend one of these weddings, my suggestion is to go hungry. So, have you ever planned a wedding? Was it this elaborate? I think you’ll agree that our Mennonite friends have one on us when it comes to weddings and receptions. Next time, we’ll look at some pictures of a gorgeous reception with over 200 in attendance. Later on, we’ll look at a Mennonite wedding from one of my books in THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY SERIES, VALERIE’S LOST LOVE. Valerie Friesen weds Jeremy Zook, but she’s not sure she even loves him. And since handsome widower Lamar Hornberger came to town and swept her off her feet, she finds herself in quite the predicament. Check it out at: http://www.amazon.com/Loves-Snyder-County-Teachers-ebook/dp/B008XDGEEC/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1365521354&sr=1-1&keywords=Teacher%27s+Pet+by+Marsha+Hubler

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April 2, 2013

THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY SERIES

LET’S ATTEND ANOTHER MENNONITE WEDDING

BLOG POST NUMBER THIRTY-SEVEN

Two blog posts ago, I told you about Sheila, a Mennonite gal, who has cleaned house several years for me and had helped take care of my mother during Mom’s last days on earth. Sheila has shown me several of her beautiful scrapbooks of Mennonite weddings, most of whom she’s been involved to some extent. Still a single girl in her mid-twenties, Sheila has been either an attendant or a server at the reception for more weddings than she “cares to remember.” She’s a good worker, and I’m sure she’s done an outstanding job, especially when serving at the receptions. I thank her for sharing one of her beautiful scrapbooks with me. It has pages and pages of photographs of wedding parties and receptions, the ceremony’s order of service, and lists of folks involved in the preparation and execution of the event. I’ve noticed that Mennonite weddings can be held any month of the year. They don’t plan their weddings around “planting season” or “harvest time” like most Amish do.

The Actual Ceremony Last time, we looked at the order of service of one of the weddings, which I suspect was quite the lengthy service. In studying Sheila’s scrapbooks, I’ve discovered that weddings are one of the BIGGIES when it comes to going all out for an occasion. Weddings are an all-day affair! I thought it would be interesting to take a look at a second wedding’s order of service. If you wish, scroll down to March 19^th and compare the two. I think you’ll find the comparison to be quite interesting, especially the fact that the congregation is quite involved in most weddings. In this order of service, I’ve also listed the number of folks who helped with the wedding and reception. (I used no one’s names to respect their privacy.) Get ready to look at an amazing “list.” I think you’ll agree that weddings are “the event” in the Mennonite world.

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WELCOME TO THE MARRIAGE CEREMONY UNITING

Bride’s Name

And

Groom’s Name

Prelude

“Jehovah”

“We Are Not Alone”

Processional

Welcome and Prayer

Congregational Song

“Gentle Holy Spirit”

Devotional

By the brother-in-law of the bride

Interlude

“You Are Mine”

Message

By Father of the Groom

Exchange of Vows

Prayer of Blessing

By Parents of the Couple

Recessional

“A New Beginning”

“By His Hand”

Postlude

“Give Thanks”

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Those Involved in the Ceremony:

Vocalists

Different Duet Groups (4)

The Bridal Party

Maid of Honor

Bridesmaid (1)

Best Man

Groomsman (1)

Honorary Couples (2)

Brother-in-law and sister of the bride

Friend and sister of the groom

Personal Attendant (1)

Flowers and Décor Coordinator (1)

Friends of Honor

Gals (10)

Men (2)

Couples (8)

Ceremony Ushers (4)

Guest Book Attendants (4)

Program Attendants (4)

Nieces and nephews of the couple

Gift Receivers (7)

Nieces and nephews of the couple

Parking Attendants (5)

Wow! And this is just the list of those involved in the wedding ceremony. Wait until you see the list of those who helped with the reception! (Coming next time)

How Long Would This Ceremony Last? Several points that are interesting is that all singing is acapella, as in every Mennonite service, and if there is any “special” music (quartet, duet, etc.), the groups do NOT stand on the platform and sing. They sing while standing at one of the back pews in the church. Sheila also told me that in her Mennonite circles, the bride and groom do not exchange rings (Mennonites only wear watches but no other jewelry) and they don’t kiss at the altar at the end of the ceremony. I’ve attended “traditional Christian weddings” that sometimes were as short as twenty minutes. Rarely did they go longer than 45 minutes or an hour. But I believe, if this order of presentation for a Mennonite wedding is the norm, we’re looking at a ceremony that could easily be an hour-and-a-half long followed by a very elaborate reception. My next posts will take a look at some Mennonite receptions.

March 26, 2013

MENNONITE OUTLET STORES

BLOG POST NUMBER THIRTY-SIX

Last week we visited a Mennonite wedding and looked at the order of service, which varies quite a bit from what we consider a “traditional” Christian wedding. I said that we would look at Mennonite weddings for a few more weeks. However, just recently I had done a little comparison price shopping at three local Mennonite “outlet” stores—there are at least six in a radius of 30 miles around my home— and at Wal-Mart, and I thought I should post that information now because, with the rate of inflation, the prices will probably go up over the next month or so, and my prices then would be incorrect. We’ll get back to Mennonite weddings next time.

What Are Mennonite Outlet Stores? Way back in November, I compared the prices of thirteen foods for sale at different farmers’ markets in the Susquehanna Valley here in central Pennsylvania. (Scroll down to Blog Post Number 19, November 27, 2012.) But our farmers’ markets here, frequented by many Amish and Mennonites) are very different from Mennonite outlet stores. Outlet stores are “budget” stores, open every day except Sunday that sell mostly bulk foods, out-of-date products like canned and sealed bottled goods, or just groceries at a price lower than other stores in the area. Mennonites own the businesses, and all the employees are Mennonites, mostly young gals, who do stocking and check-out and are very pleasant and friendly.

The Owners Are “Private” I had hoped to interview or, at least, speak briefly to the owners or managers of the three outlet stores I visited. I had no success with any of the three. A worker at one store told me that the owner was hardly ever there, and I should call for an appointment. In another store, a worker told me the owner wasn’t there and I should call first to see if he was there before going back to the store again to speak to him. At the third store, I did talk to either the owner or manager (I’m not sure which), but he wasn’t very congenial. He declined to allow me to ask him a few simple questions like: “When did you open the store? Where do many of your products come from? How many employees do you have?” He was quite curt, and, trying to relax the situation a little, I said to him, “I write articles about Amish and Mennonite in this area, and you’ll get free advertising.” His reply was, “I don’t need no advertising.” Well, that was the end of my “interview.”

The Comparison If you have any food outlet stores in your area, you might want to check them out. Have a look at the chart below and see how varied the prices range for nine common items found in most grocery stores. You will see some gaps when the stores do not carry certain products, which is probably the biggest disadvantage for shoppers who go to outlet stores. You can go one week and find a certain product at a good price then go back a week later, and you’ll not find that product there again. Why? Because these stores deal in “deals” with warehouses that often retrieve unsold or outdated products from “regular” grocery stores and pass them on to outlets.

ITEM	WENGER’S	L & L	SURPLUS	WAL-MART
POTATO CHIPS (9.5 oz.)	2.29	2.25 (10 0z.)	2/4.00	2.50
UTZ CHEESE BALLS ( 23 oz)	3.39	N/A	N/A	6.38
COOKED HAM (1 lb. @ deli)	2.79	1.89	2.29	3.78
SPAGHETTI NOODLES	.79	N/A	.79	1.00
8-12pk. CHEESE CRACKERS	1.99 (12 pk) .17 each pk.	2.29 (8 pk.) .29 each pk.	2.59 (8 pk.) .32 each pk.	2.50 (12 pk.) .21 each pk.
MAYONNAISE (30 oz.)	2.99	2.00	1.89	3.98
EAGLE CONDENSED MILK	.99	N/A	.79	1.98
KRAFT DRESSING (16 0z.)	.99	.60	.20 (Out of date)	1.98
BAGGED SALAD MIX	.99 ( 6 oz)	N/A	N/A	1.48 (12 oz.bag) .74 -6 oz.)

Good Deals Are in the Making In the long run, outlet stores provide bargain prices on everything from dog food and sometimes even non-foods like toothpaste and deodorant to potato chips, canned apricots, and frozen steaks. I’ve never bought anything at these stores that was spoiled or bad. You just have to take your time, look at the expiration dates and compare prices, and you’ll make some pretty good savings on your trip to the store.

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March 19, 2013

THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY SERIES

BLOG POST NUMBER THIRTY-FIVE

LET’S ATTEND A MENNONITE WEDDING

(There are no photos of a wedding because Mennonites do not allow photos during any of their services, even weddings.)

Have you ever been to a Mennonite wedding? Did you compare its order of service with your own wedding or a friend’s? For the next few blogs, we’ll visit some Mennonite weddings and compare them with what we would call “traditional weddings.” Sheila, one of my Mennonite gals, who has cleaned house for several years for me and had helped take care of my mother during Mom’s last days on earth, has shown me several of her beautiful scrapbooks of Mennonite weddings. Still a single girl in her mid-twenties, Sheila has been either an attendant or a server at the reception for more weddings than she “cares to remember.” She’s a good worker, and I’m sure she’s done an outstanding job serving at the receptions. I thank her for sharing one of her beautiful scrapbooks with me. It has pages and pages of photographs of wedding parties and receptions, the ceremony’s order of service, and lists of folks involved in the preparation and execution of the event. The Actual Ceremony Let’s take a look at an order of service. I think you’ll find it to be quite interesting, especially the fact that the congregation is quite involved in this wedding:

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WELCOME TO THE WEDDING CELEBRATION UNITING

Bride’s Name

(I will not use any names to preserve their privacy)

And

Groom’s Name

Welcome and Prayer

Congregational Singing

“Eternal Father”

“Praise Thou the Lord”

Devotions

Often given by the father of the bride or groom or a close friend

Congregational Singing

“Come, Gracious Spirit”

“Great is Thy Faithfulness”

Message

By Father of the Groom

Congregational Singing

“O Power of Love”

Marriage Ceremony

Recessional

“Asante Sana Yesu”

Postlude

“Let My Life a Candle Be”

“We Thank Thee, Lord”

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How Long Would This Ceremony Last? I can’t help thinking a ceremony like this with devotions, three separate congregational singing periods, and a “message” besides the actual exchanging of vows would be quite long. Several points that are interesting is that all singing is acapella, as in every Mennonite service, and if there is any “special” music (quartet, duet, etc.), the groups do NOT stand on the platform and sing. They sing while standing at one of the back pews in the church. Sheila also told me that in her Mennonite circle, the bride and groom do not exchange rings (Mennonites only wear watches but no other jewelry) and they don’t kiss at the altar at the end of the ceremony. I’ve attended “traditional Christian weddings” that sometimes were as short as twenty minutes. Rarely did they go longer than 45 minutes or an hour. But I believe, if this order of presentation for a Mennonite wedding is the norm, we’re looking at a ceremony that could easily be an hour-and-a-half long. Then there’s the reception afterward! One thing I’ve noticed with the Mennonite services (not weddings) I’ve attended is that they all are quite long, but everyone sits attentively and quiet, even the children as young as toddlers, no matter how long the service takes. So it’s not difficult to concede that weddings would follow suit as well. Next time, we’ll look at the order of service for another wedding.

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March 12, 2013

THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY SERIES

FAREWELL TO THE ASHLAND MENNONITE BIBLE SCHOOL

BLOG POST NUMBER THIRTY-FOUR

(Part Eight)

Farewell to the Ashland Mennonite Bible School This is the eighth and final visit to the Ashland Mennonite Bible School (started in 2008) in the coal regions of Schuylkill County in my hometown of Ashland in east central Pennsylvania. We’ve looked at practically every aspect of this very strict campus lif, including classes offered, dating restrictions, and dress codes.

The Daily Schedule In this post, we’re going to look at the school’s daily schedule for three terms already offered since the start of 2013. In fact, the school’s third three-week session is in progress right now. Take a look at the schedule and check which courses you’d be taking if you were a student there from March 4^th until March 22^nd.

(Please ZOOM in your VIEW menu to see the schedule clearly)

More of the Daily Schedule Every student must take five or six courses, so as you can see, your day would be extremely busy from 8:45 until 4:15. But the schedule doesn’t slow down that much afterward either. The schedule after 4:15 looks like this: 4:15 – 5:00 Free time 5:00 – Supper 6:45 – 7:30 Chapel service 8:00 – 9:00 Study 9:30 – 9:50 Quiet time/devotions 9:50 Lights out

A Disciplined Lifestyle Have you noticed there’s very little free time offered to these students? I guess you can see the Mennonite lifestyle is based on hard work and a disciplined lifestyle. By the way, when I visited the school with a friend to see her daughter graduate, I saw no game room, computer room, or basketball courts. The students go there to study and learn. And that’s about it.

Dating? If you scroll down to February 19^th’s blog post, you’ll see that dating is really not encouraged. “Dating” is reserved for twenty-minute periods only twice a week. So I imagine if a couple starts a relationship, it certainly will be platonic on this campus. But I suspect that many “dates” continue to write and see each other after the classes end. And I wouldn’t be a bit surprised that the main reason many young people attend this school is to meet a date that could potentially become their mate! One thing is certain. Whether they had a date or not while at the school, these Mennonite young people are returning home with a solid belief system and a firm foundation in biblical principles. And whether they have found a possible future mate at the Ashland Mennonite Bible School, only the passing of time will tell. Coming Next For the next few posts, we’ll be looking at Mennonite weddings. They are quite different from what we’d consider a traditional Christian wedding. We’ll compare the two.

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March 5, 2013

THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY SERIES

THE ASHLAND MENNONITE BIBLE SCHOOL

BLOG POST NUMBER THIRTY-THREE

(Part Seven)

Which Courses Would You Take? For the last six posts, we’ve visited the Ashland Mennonite Bible School (started in 2008) in the coal regions of Schuylkill County in my hometown of Ashland, Pennsylvania. We’ve looked at the dress codes for the ladies and men, the dating and social life rules, and the overall atmosphere of this very strict campus life. Last week, we looked at some of the 45 courses offered in the three-week cycles at this unique school. Today we’re going to have a look at a few more courses. As you read these overviews, determine if you would be interested in taking any of these classes to “enrich” your spiritual life:

Some of the 45 Courses Offered: Bible Book Studies (12 courses available on different books of the Bible)

Proverbs – a study of wise sayings, written mostly by King Solomon, related to practical areas of life with special emphasis on righteousness and the fear of God.
Luke – a “physician” in Bible times presents Jesus to the Gentiles as the Son of Man. Luke records more details from the life of Jesus than any of the other three gospels.
Galatians – one of the first of the Pauline epistles, written to the churches in the province of Galatia; explains justification by faith alone, pleads for stability in Christ, and urges a conscientious walk in the Spirit

Bible Subject Studies (12 courses offered)

Doctrine of Man – a study of the three-fold nature of man: spirit, soul, and body; includes the fall of man and its effects and the need for redemption in order to experience fellowship with God.
Parables of the Bible – Jesus chose to tell scriptural truths in the form of parables, earthly stories that convey a heavenly message. This study opens up spiritual truths and applies them to practical daily living.
Types and Shadows – “What is in the Old concealed is in the New revealed.” This study reviews items and events in the Old Testament that are revealed in the New Testament with spiritual significance

Practical Studies (21 courses offered)

Child Study – a detailed look at a child’s life physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually from infancy through adolescence; valuable for anyone working with children in the home, school, or church.
The Christian and His Attitudes – “As he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” A person’s attitudes are part of his character; learn the biblical pattern, power, and results of a good attitude.
Christian Relationships – learn what God expects of you as you relate to others in the church and in society; discover how the qualities of Christianity provide a foundation for wholesome relationships.
Christian Writing – A study of the art of readable writing, planned especially for hopeful Christian writers; learn how to gear your writing to the interests, understanding, age, and spiritual status of the potential audience.
Victorious Christian Living – this course is designed to help the growing Christian experience the fullness of Christian living.

Wow! How many of these courses would you like to take? I’d love to sit in on almost all of them, especially the one entitled “Christian Writing.” I can imagine that when the Mennonite young people finish their courses at the Ashland Mennonite Bible School, they leave with a very solid foundation in Bible doctrine and Bible principles for practical daily life, essentials for a happy marriage and a productive member of their Mennonite community at home.

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THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY SERIES

THE ASHLAND MENNONITE BIBLE SCHOOL

BLOG POST NUMBER THIRTY-TWO

(Part Six)

For the last five posts, we’ve visited the Ashland Mennonite Bible School in the coal regions of Schuylkill County in my hometown of Ashland, Pennsylvania. This unique post-high-school Bible program, started in 2008 in a predominantly Irish and German Catholic ethnic region, trains Mennonite young people in their separated lifestyles, Bible doctrines, and practical Christian living. We’ve looked at the dress codes for both the ladies and men, the dating and social life rules, and the overall atmosphere of this very strict campus life. Today we’re going to look at some of the courses in the three-week programs that are offered five times a year from December 3^rd to March 22^nd. Students may choose to attend for three weeks or longer. The courses they choose are somewhat dictated concerning the number of courses allowed and from what division the student chooses:

Students attending for the first time are required to take the courses entitled:
1. Separation
2. Nonresistance
Students are required to take at least one course from:
1. The Bible Book Studies
2. The Bible Subject Studies
Students are allowed to enroll in:
1. No less than five courses
2. No more than six courses

Some of the 45 Courses Offered:

Bible Book Studies (12 courses available on different books of the Bible)
1. Joshua – following the death of Moses, Joshua records the account of the children of Israel crossing the Jordan and their encounters while possessing the Promised Land.
2. Matthew – a former official writes to his own people, the Jews, showing that Jesus is their King.
3. Hebrews – a presentation of Jesus in his superiority over angels, Abraham, Moses, and other Bible characters
Bible Subject Studies (12 courses offered)
1. Bible Customs – become acquainted with the lives, homes, dress, vocations, and habits of the people of the Bible; a practical help for better understanding the message of the Bible
2. Fulfilled Prophecy – a study that inspires faith in God and His Word, reviewing the many Bible prophecies and their detailed fulfillment, both in the Old and New Testaments and since.
3. Separation – learn about the most basic of all practical Bible doctrines, that of separation and nonconformity to the world, which includes all areas of the Christian life.
Practical Studies (21 courses offered)
1. Art for Christian Illustrating – gives practical advice to those interested in producing artwork for Christian literature
2. Building Christian Homes – study the fundamental principles of having a godly home: attitudes about parenthood, the family altar, budgeting, principles of child rearing, and pitfalls and safeguards for the home
3. Distinctive Beliefs of the Anabaptists – were they Catholic, Protestant or neither? Learn about the historical beliefs that appeared so radical to their contemporaries.
4. Song Leadership – helps song leaders choose and direct hymns appropriately; the song leader needs to know the difference between psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs and recognize which is a proper selection when the need arises.
5. Spanish – those interested in missions that would lead them to Spanish-speaking peoples, this course is a practical aid to more effective communication with those on the field.
6. Personal Evangelism – suggestions for helping the unsaved recognize that they are sinners in need of a Savior, and that Jesus Christ is the only Savior. The course also discusses the ministry of encouraging fellow Christians.

Reviewing the 45 courses offered at this unique school, I would have to say that any Mennonite young person attending the program would receive a solid foundation in his belief system and would graduate from the school with a new resolve to live for the Lord and to carry on the traditions of his Mennonite world. Young people who attend this Bible school leave with an in-depth understanding of who they are and where they are going, their beliefs based on Mennonite doctrine and God’s Holy Word.

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February 19, 2013

THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY SERIES

BLOG POST NUMBER THIRTY-ONE

THE ASHLAND MENNONITE BIBLE SCHOOL

(PART FIVE)

SOCIAL LIFE

In the last post, we looked at the dress code of the Mennonite young men who attend three-week sessions of Bible courses at the Ashland Mennonite Bible School, located on the outskirts of my hometown of Ashland in Schuylkill County, PA. In this fifth post, we’ll review what the Bible school refers to as “social life” rules. As in my previous post that listed dorm and campus “restrictions,” when I listed these guidelines, I couldn’t help but compare this school to our secular “English” college campuses and even many of our Christian campuses and the scanty rules (and sometimes complete absence of any rules) by which those institutions abide.

Social Life Rules at the Ashland Mennonite Bible School:

Courtship is permitted only for those who are eighteen or older.
Dates are allowed only by permission of the principal.
Dates are limited to one a week.
A dating couple leaving the campus must have a chaperone.
On campus, couples may visit together in the chapel on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:40 to 5 pm.
Couples are not permitted to visit any other times.

So, there you have it. Six rules, cut and dried. No exceptions. Did you notice there’s no mention of hand holding or touching in any other way? Why is that? You guessed it. Mennonite young people from little up are taught to never become physically involved with anyone until marriage. In fact, engaged couples rarely, if ever, even hold hands in public.

Mennonite Campuses vs. English Campuses Compare the Mennonite standards of “dating” on the Ashland campus to our “English” college campuses. I dare say, and sad to say, there are few if any dating rules on most campuses today. There are a few exceptions like ultra-conservative Christian schools, but overall in the college world, dorms are no longer segregated, (males in one dorm, females in another), and couples can “visit” each other in their rooms any hour of the day to do whatever they please. The two dating worlds are as opposite as day and night. And so are the results. You may draw your own conclusions concerning who’s dating “rules” are more beneficial to today’s young people. Next time, we’ll visit the Ashland Mennonite Bible School again and review some of the courses available at this specialized educational institution.

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THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY SERIES

BLOG POST NUMBER THIRTY

THE ASHLAND MENNONITE BIBLE SCHOOL

(Part Four)

Campus Restrictions

The last four posts have introduced you to the Ashland Mennonite Bible School, Ashland, PA (founded in 2008), its purpose, its “atmosphere,” and its dress code for the post high school students who attend classes there. In the last post, we looked at the dress code of the Mennonite young men. In this post, we’ll review what the Bible school refers to as “campus restrictions.” As I listed these guidelines, I couldn’t help but compare this school to our secular “English” college campuses and even many of our Christian campuses and the scanty rules (and sometimes complete absence of any rules) by which those institutions abide.

Campus “Restrictions” at the Ashland Mennonite Bible School:

Firearms, TV, radios, and musical instruments are not permitted at the Bible school.
Tobacco and alcohol are not permitted.
All books, magazines, and newspapers are subject to approval of the Board or principal.
Only tapes recorded at the Bible school are permitted.
No buying or selling among students is permitted.
If watches are worn, bands shall be black, without gold or silver edges or other ornamentation. Gold watches are not permitted.
No one is permitted outside after dark or during class without permission.
Picture taking shall be only by special permission of the principal. Digital cameras are not allowed.
No student is allowed to leave the campus without permission of the principal. When there is an acceptable necessity, permission will be granted.
1. Approved: student attendance at weddings of members of the same congregation or when the student has a personal invitation
2. Approved: student attendance at funerals with prior parental permission
Cars may be used only with permission from the principal.
1. Only cars which meet our church standards will be used for cottage meetings.
2. Students are not permitted in cars for visiting, listening to tapes, etc.

Today’s English College Campus “Restrictions”: So, do you believe any of our “English” college students for one second would adhere to such a stringent code? Believe it or not, when I attended a state college in the 60s, a few of these guidelines were actually in the campus “restriction” list:

Rule 1: Firearms and TVs were not allowed.
Rule 2: Smoking was restricted to a certain lounge area in the dorm; alcohol was forbidden on campus.
Rule 7: We had to have a good reason to cut class, and we couldn’t go out of the dorm after dark without signing out.
Rule 9: We needed permission from the dorm supervisor to leave campus, and we had to say who accompanied us and if we were going in a car.
Rule 10: We weren’t allowed to have a car on campus if we lived in the dorm.

Okay, okay, now you know how ancient I am. Baby, have things changed since the 60s. But I have to ask you, which society is benefitting more, the Mennonite one or our English one? Out-of-wedlock pregnancies, drug addiction, alcoholism, and divorce are almost unheard of in the Mennonite community. Now I’m not condoning or agreeing with every restriction the Mennonite school has placed on its students. If I did, I’d probably be Mennonite! But I am saying that there’s something to “clean” living, living by a set of standards, and following guidelines that, in the long run, protect a person from imminent harm or heartache in the long run. What I believe should be the ultimate goal of any Christian is to live a life that is pleasing to God. Maybe the Mennonite “restrictions” listed here help their young people do that while protecting them from a lifestyle that could be destructive and against all the biblical principles the Mennonite faith upholds. I believe God is very pleased.

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Next time, we’ll look at the AshlandMennoniteBibleSchool’s dating standards. Check out my latest short story in THE SNYDER COUNTY QUILTING BEE, VOLUME SIX: LOUELLEN RETURNS HOME Twenty-four years ago, Louellen and her husband were shunned by their Amish community. In all that time, she never had seen her parents or brothers and their families. But now, after all those years, Louellen’s mother writes her a letter and asks her to come home. Why?

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February 5, 2013

THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY SERIES

BLOG POST NUMBER TWENTY-NINE

THE ASHLAND MENNONITE BIBLE SCHOOL

How the Men Dress

Last time we looked at the dress code of those Mennonite young ladies who enroll at the Ashland Mennonite Bible School, Ashland, PA, for post–high school training in Bible doctrines, Christian living, and the Mennonite way of life. This time, we’ll see what the young men must abide by as they attend the rotating three-week sessions with, usually, over 100 other young men and women from the Mennonite persuasion from different states and even foreign countries. While we review the dress code for this unique training school, picture your hubby, brother, or son dressed in like manner. How long do you think any one of them would adhere to these policies?

Dress Code for the Brethren:

The “plain” coat is required for members of the Mennonite Church and shall be worn when leaving the campus. (No lapels, no collar; usually dark grey or black)
The wearing of a suit coat and trousers that don’t match is not permitted.
Light colored suits or trousers are not permitted.
Jackets shall not be worn as a substitute for plain coats.
Shirts shall be white or light blue, having no stripes, dots, or designs woven into the fabric.
Shirts shall be buttoned at the neck and sleeves.
Sleeveless sweaters and pullover sweaters shall not be worn.
Trousers shall not be flared nor tight.
Trousers with horizontal front pockets are not permitted.
Pleated trousers are not permitted.
Neckties, bow ties, objectionable haircuts, long hair, and low sideburns are not permitted.
Black shoes and black socks are required.
We also urge the wearing of the black “plain” hat. (Fedora style)

Have you constructed in your mind a model of your favorite male, dressed in this very modest attire? Is he handsome? I must say that I’ve never seen so many handsome young men in one place as I did the January 18^th evening I attended the graduation service at this school of the daughter of a Mennonite friend of mine.

What’s the reasoning for such a dress code? The modest dress of both the young men and ladies draws the eye’s attention to the face and no other part of the body. Maybe the Mennonites have it right when they adhere to God’s principles of modesty, focusing on the inner beauty of a person and not the outward appearance.

Many Bible verses support their dress One of the Bible verses they use to support their rigid dress code is found in 1 Peter 3: 3-4: “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting of hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel, but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.” We might feel that the Mennonites have taken their dress code to extremes, but one thing is certain. They’ll never be accused of gaudy, outlandish, immodest dress that will lure the eye away from their inner beauty. ************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** January 29, 2013

THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY SERIES

THE ASHLAND MENNONITE BIBLE SCHOOL

PART 2

BLOG POST NUMBER TWENTY-EIGHT

Last week I introduced you to an oxymoron: the Ashland Mennonite Bible School, located on the outskirts of my hometown, Ashland, in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. The words “Ashland” and “Mennonite” go together like water and oil. They just don’t seem to mix; yet, for the last four years, a large consensus of Mennonite churches have sponsored a Mennonite post-high-school academic program that teaches Bible doctrine, Christian living, and Mennonite principles in the heart of a depressed coal region heavily populated by Irish, German, and Polish Catholics. In the previous blog post, I expounded on the details of this school that offers 45 courses in three-week cycles for Mennonites seventeen years and older. While attending a graduation service on January 18^th for a friend’s eighteen-year-old girl, I picked up the handbook for the school, which includes some very interesting information. I’d like to share some of the school’s guidelines, starting with the Mennonites’ dress. Of course, a Mennonite school would have a dress code for both the men and ladies alike. If you decided to attend this school and take some of its classes, would you be willing to adhere to this dress code?

This Dress Code Isn’t for Sissies! For the “sisters”:

A plain dress with a cape, ¾ length sleeves or longer, and at least a mid-calf length skirt.
Dress skirts shall not be straight-cut or so long to have a gown effect.
Material shall be of subdued colors or consistently small prints.
If elastic is used in the sleeves, it shall not be more than ¼ inch from the end of the sleeves.
No ornamental extras, large prints, or outstanding colors will be acceptable.
Dresses will not be form-fitting or tight.
Necklines shall be round and not loose or low cut.
The kapp or veiling shall be a two-piece type to adequately cover the hair, with a front piece at least 1 ½ inches wide.
The veiling should come forward at least to the crown of the head and close to the ears and neck.
The hair shall be neatly arranged under the veiling, and when headgear is necessary, a bonnet shall be worn when leaving the campus.
Footwear shall be black and hosiery shall be at least the equivalent of 30 denier weight.
Shoes shall not have heels higher than 1 ¾ inches at the back of the heel nor less than 1 ¼ inches in diameter at the base of the heel.
High ankle straps on the shoes are not allowed and athletic shoes with deeply textures soles, puffy tongues, or other accentuated parts are not allowed.
Other outdoor footwear shall be black.
Coats shall be of subdued colors and without hoods.
Jackets and sleeveless jacket-type sweaters shall not be worn.
Cut hair, sheer material, jewelry, and ornaments are not permitted.
There is to be no hair curling, rolling, or other forms of hair teasing.

Well, are you ready to change your wardrobe and enroll? (Me neither.) Next time, we’ll see how the young men must dress to be acceptable in their Mennonite community.

THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY SERIES

BLOG POST NUMBER TWENTY-SEVEN

THE ASHLAND MENNONITE BIBLE SCHOOL

I grew up in a small coal town in Schuylkill County, east central PA. When I left in 1968 to attend college and then marry and relocate to the Susquehanna Valley, Ashland was a thriving town with clean streets, many local businesses, and a population of about 5000. Today Ashland is a depressed borough with about 3500 people, many folks of Irish and German descent and of the Catholic or Orthodox faith. The town, as all small American municipalities, struggles now to maintain a few independent stores in its “downtown” section, most of which are bars, restaurants and cafes. However, the main street is dotted with empty store fronts, a reminder of better days gone by. The main attraction is the Pioneer Tunnel, http://www.pioneertunnel.com/trainride.html, a tourist attraction that features a tour of an anthracite coal mine and a ride on a replica of a “mine train,” the Lokie, a small locomotive and roofed cars that take passengers on a three-quarter mile trip around the side of MahanoyMountain hugging Ashland on its southern side. To my utter surprise, four years ago an assembly of Mennonite churches in several northeastern states bought a run-down public school building on the outskirts of Ashland that has probably not been used in over thirty years for any educational services. The Mennonites remodeled the building, converting it into the Ashland Mennonite Bible School, complete with dorm “barracks” for both men and women, classrooms, a chapel that seats about 500, offices, a laundry, and a large cafeteria that seats about 200 at a time. The school offers cycles of three-week classes (45 different courses) on mostly Bible doctrines, Christian witness, and the practical side of the Mennonite faith and lifestyle. Students from the age of 17 and older are welcome to attend, paying only $210 for the courses, room, and board. Young people come from different states and even from foreign countries to learn more about God and their Mennonite beliefs. The average class size is about 130, which, of course, recycles every three weeks. On Friday, January 18^th, I was privileged to attend the graduation ceremony of the latest class, being invited by one of my Mennonite friends, Rachel. Her daughter Roseanna had attended the

Rachel (in dark blue) and her cleaning companion, Carolyn

most recent session and was finished as of that Friday. As the program began, the chapel, almost at full capacity, resounded with hymns sung in perfect four-part harmony with no musical accompaniment. Four male students then gave summaries of their favorite courses, the entire graduating class of 130 sang six hymns, a pastor preached a half-hour message, and the congregation sang four other hymns, interspersed throughout the service. There was no recognition of any achievements by any students, no diplomas or certificates awarded, no graduation “march” across the platform. The ceremony resembled any “regular” Mennonite church service. The entire program centered around glorifying the Lord. There is so much to tell about this school and its “odd” location, I’ll discuss it more in-depth in another blog. So I’ll end this post by saying that although I enjoyed the experience greatly, I felt like a pea in a can of corn. Why? I was the only woman in attendance with her hair “uncovered.” Also, even though I wore a collared long-sleeved light green sweater, a black skirt to my knees, stockings, and black loafers, I was the most immodestly dressed female there. Wow! Did I get the looks! (But they weren’t condescending looks at all. I was welcomed warmly.) Of course, every woman there had a white kapp over her bun and a high-collared bibbed dress down to her shins. After the program, I met several of Rachel’s friends, Rachel gave me a tour of the dorm barracks and several other rooms, and we headed home, taking Rosanna with us after she said goodbye to friends she made while attending the Ashland Mennonite Bible School. I enjoyed the evening greatly, especially singing with the Mennonites in four-part harmony for the glory of the Lord. (To be cont’d) *********************************************************************************** January 15, 2013

THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY SERIES

BLOG POST NUMBER TWENTY-SIX

Mennonite Business Suffers from Obamacare

In our beautiful Susquehanna Valley quite a few Mennonites own businesses. Besides enjoying their “business” of selling produce and baked goods at the two farmers’ markets every week, we have at least five Amish or Mennonite wholesale grocery stores, Verna’s Fabrics, Pop’s Oak Furniture, and the largest business, Lancaster-based Conestoga Wood Specialties (started in 1964), one of its five factories in Beavertown. The Conestoga factories, which produce doors and wood components for the kitchen cabinet industry, employ 950 workers. As of January 12th, the Christian-owned company must include abortion services (the “morning after pill”) in its health-care plan dictated by the new national health care system or pay a daily fine of $95,000. Yes, $95,000 EVERY DAY ($100 for each employee). The owners, Norman, Norman L., and Anthony Hahn, plan to appeal the decision and are hoping it will reach the Supreme Court, believing that this health care mandate is a direct violation of their religious freedoms. They believe, according to the Bible, that life begins at conception and that the inclusion of abortifacient drugs in the health program forces them to provide funds to murder innocent children. As a Bible-believing Christian, I am appalled that our federal government has become so invasive that it can now dictate to individuals and to businesses what they MUST do concerning this monstrosity of a health care system. As an American citizen, I have exercised my right to vote in every election, praying that God would give us righteous leaders, who would turn our country back to God. But God has chosen to allow otherwise, and Christians above all other “minorities” are suffering the most for their religious convictions. It’s general knowledge that the Plain Folk for the most part do not vote in any elections. I sometimes wonder if our Amish and Mennonite friends would vote, what the outcomes would be. I believe with their ultra-conservative vote, we’d have more God-honoring leadership in America, and our nation wouldn’t be continuing its dangerous downward moral spiral. However, our Plain Folk friends do not vote, believing that the “material” kingdom is worldly, thus limiting their interaction with it. They also believe in non-resistance and are conscientious objectors, refusing to enlist in any branches of the military. Thus, voting for a president who might go to war with other countries goes against their peaceful beliefs. I don’t know any of the Hahns personally, but I’m curious to know how they feel about the last presidential election now. Were they in the small percentage of Plain Folk who used their God-given right to cast their votes? If they didn’t vote, are they now wondering if they should have voted? Are they reconsidering whether they’ll vote in the 2016 election? It’s unfortunate that our Plain Folk don’t realize that voting is the most non-violent means of changing policies in our country, especially policies that infringe on the rights of Christians. I believe with the addition of millions of Amish and Mennonite votes, there would be no laws mandated that would be contrary to God’s Word, and there would be no birth control edicts in any national health care plan. Would there even be a national health care plan at all? For more information about the Plain Folks’ non-voting beliefs, go to http://amishamerica.com/do-amish-vote/ For more information about the Conestoga business and its health care dilemma, go to http://www.google.com/search?q=conestoga+wood+specialties&hl=en&tbo=u&biw=1619&bih=737&source=univ&tbm=nws&sa=X&ei=ZXT1UIOBGoy-2AWzuYCIDw&sqi=2&ved=0CFEQqAI *********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** January 8, 2013

THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY SERIES

BLOG POST NUMBER TWENTY-FIVE

Why Do the Plain Folk Dress the Way They Do?

Middleburg Farmers’ Market Every Tuesday

I have acquaintances with several different Mennonite gals. The one gal comes from a more strict background, and, although she drives a car (always black), she has no cell phone, and her clothes are usually dark colors like black, navy blue, or shades of grey. She also wears a black bonnet, a heavy black coat, and sometimes a black shawl when outside, similar to the Old Order Amish or Old Order Mennonites in our area. Her hair is always drawn back in a bun and covered by a white prayer cap. The other Mennonite gals I know wear no black bonnets, but they always have their white prayer caps on. They also wear cheery prints, flowered patterns, or pastel colors that are quite attractive. These ladies also drive dark-colored vehicles, but they also have cell phones, and the one gal has a computer at home, which she uses to write short stories and books. (And she has been published!) Although the colors of gals’ dresses vary greatly, the style does not. Every dress is made from the same basic pattern: a high neck, bibbed front (sometimes bibbed back as well,) and a full skirt that goes to the shins. And no Amish or Mennonite woman would be caught dead with any jewelry (including wedding rings) or stockings and high heels. They usually wear dark hose with black leather ties or sneakers with socks. What is the reason these Plain Folk dress like this? Everything these folks do is grounded in scripture. The women cover their heads because of the following Bible verses: (1 Corinthians 11:5, 9-10): “But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoreth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.” They dress as they do because of this Bible verse: (1 Tim. 2: 9-10): “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with braided hair, or gold or pearls, or costly array. But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.” My Mennonite friends in their traditional plain churches adhere to a community standard in dress that includes what head covering to wear, the style of dress, and the fabric colors. In central PA, our Amish and Mennonite friends are the best resource for Plain People dress available today. But their style of dress differs as much as their beliefs and other customs. The only way to find out to what group they belong is to ask, which they usually are quite proud to say. But you can rest assured, any Amish or Mennonite women you meet in our area will be dressed similarly in the same fashion-modestly.

A rare time to see an Amish woman w/o her kapp. She said her head was cold

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January 2 2013

2012 SNYDER COUNTY BLOG POSTS IN REVIEW

BLOG POST NUMBER TWENTY-FOUR

Enjoy this photo review of last year’s blog posts from July about Amish and Mennonite friends here in Snyder County, central PA. If you want to learn more about the Plain Folk or places mentioned in the photos, just scroll down.

Friends Brenda and Grace Making Pot Pie

Middleburg Farmers’ Market Every Tuesday

Mennonite Pretzel Stand at Lewisburg Farmers’ Market Every Wed.

Two Amish Men Who Work Here Refurbished My Mother’s Muskat Fur Coat

Verna Duke at her Fabulous Fabric Center in Union County

Friend Danita Who Sells Rabbits Online

Hoovers’ Produce Stand at the Middleburg Farmers’ Market

Amish Buggy at Middleburg Market

Katy Yoder Who Bakes 700 Whoopie Pies Every Week for the Lewisburg Market

Amish Schoolhouse in Lancaster, PA

Gift Store at Amish Farm Attraction, Lancaster, PA

Benches Ready for Sunday Service at Amish Home Attraction, Lancaster, PA

HAPPY NEW YEAR, DEAR READERS. LOOK FOR MORE POSTS ABOUT OUR AMISH/MENNONITE FRIENDS THIS COMING YEAR!

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December 24, 2012

THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY SERIES

BLOG POST NUMBER TWENTY-THREE

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

“FOR UNTO YOU IS BORN THIS DAY IN THE CITY OF DAVID A SAVIOUR, WHICH IS CHRIST THE LORD” (Luke 2:11)

WELCOME TO THE HUBLER HOUSE AT CHRISTMAS TIME!

********************************************************************************************************************************************************** December 18, 2012

THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY SERIES

BLOG POST NUMBER TWENTY-TWO

A Visit to a Marvelous “Christmas” Shoppe

COUNTRY FARM AND HOME

MIFFLINBURG, SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY, CENTRAL PA

Keith Phelps, Owner

Main Entrance

Horse & Santa Sled Greet You Inside

One of Many Gorgeous Trees on Display

“Icicle” Street

A Huge Display of Old World Ornaments

Victorian Miniatures

Display Case Full of Old World “Dessert” Ornaments

Keith and One of His “Elves”

Customer Eyes the Old World Ornaments

Come visit COUNTRY FARM AND HOME anytime. If you don’t need Christmas items, Keith has anything in the garden, pet, and home decor line! http://www.countryfarmandhome.net/ ************************************************************************************************** December 11, 2012

THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY SERIES

BLOG POST NUMBER TWENTY-ONE

Meet My Number One Housekeeper

Sheila Martin

Sheila’s Been with Me a Long Time “Conservative” Mennonite Sheila Martin started cleaning for me and helping with my ailing mother over six years ago. About two years ago, she took a hiatus for a year from all her cleaning jobs, serving in the Faith Mission Home, a special needs facility in Virginia. But when she came back to the area, she picked up where she left off, housecleaning and doing home care for folks in need. I can’t say enough about Sheila’s good work ethic. As her church teaches, she takes pride in a job well done. She does everything I ask and does it to my satisfaction, from scrubbing floors to washing windows. She comes once a month and works for $11.00 an hour. I often give her more than that because she works so hard. My dog Bailey just adores Sheila and goes crazy whenever she shows up. He knows she usually takes him for a walk and plays with him, so he begs her to do so. However, everyone in the house but him knows that Sheila has a lot of work to do, so playtime with the pup must be put on hold.

She’s a Kind Soul Today Sheila came into the house with a plateful of home-baked Christmas cookies for my husband and me. She has learned from her faith and family to be generous and share the love of Christ with others. She also never complains and does everything with a cheery attitude. How Does She Celebrate Christmas? I asked Sheila to tell me about her family’s Christmas tradition. She said her church does not hold services on Christmas. Christmas Day with the Martins is spent with the family around the noon meal of either turkey or ham. Prior to Christmas, they do decorate the house but not with a tree, and the family members exchange gifts, usually on Christmas day. “But,” she told me, “I remember one year when I was little, I had only one present left on Christmas Day because my brothers and sisters all wanted to open their gifts a few days before. That was an unusual Christmas, to say the least.” But one tradition the family holds dear is what they call “dropping in,” or visiting other family members for a short time later in the afternoon on Christmas. The family members whom they visit will have light refreshments similar to what we would call an “open house.” After Sheila’s family cleans up from the noon meal, they drop in for a few hours then return home for an evening with the family, either reading or playing games. Right now Sheila is washing my living room windows and helping me hang new valances, which replace faded and stained ones that have been there for 17 years. The next time she comes to clean, the new year of 2013 will be here, and I look forward to seeing her every month for as long as she wants to come. And Bailey will be thrilled to see her just as much!

*************************************************************************************** December 4, 2012

THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY SERIES

BLOG POST NUMBER TWENTY

Do Mennonites Celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas?

We “English” center our holiday traditions around huge festive meals with family and friends. But what about our Plain Folk friends?

Do All Mennonites Celebrate Holidays the Same Way?

Although the Mennonite gals I know come from different sects, they all celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas the same—at home with family around a table filled with turkey, ham, or chicken and all the trimmings. They sing hymns of praise, usually in four-part harmony, then the patriarch of the family leads in a short devotional and prayer. What follows is a feast that the rest of us enjoy in our homes on those special Christian days. But what about other Christmas traditions which many of us enjoy? Do they decorate their homes at Christmas? Some do. Do they put up Christmas trees? None do. Do they give gifts on Christmas Day? Some do. Do they have a church service on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? Some do. Do they decorate their churches for Christmas? None do.

Inside of a
Mennonite church

As you can see, Mennonites differ in tradition as much as Baptists or Methodists or Catholics do. However, my Mennonite friends told me that other sects of their persuasion will have a Thanksgiving or Christmas meal in the church fellowship hall for the members to gather together in thanks to God for all his blessings. Based on my friends’ sharing of information with me, I wrote a scene in TO JOHN WITH LOVE that had the backdrop of a Thanksgiving gathering at the Mennonite church. Here is a segment of two scenes that describe that event:

Thanksgiving Scenes from TO JOHN WITH LOVE

At ten minutes to three the long drive brought Katrina and her mamm to Mapletown, and Barbara parked the car in the parking lot of the Mennonite church. But eating turkey and reuniting with old friends were not at the forefront of Katrina’s mind. “I must go and find John!” she said, hurrying out of the car. With letter in hand, she greeted and hugged several friends as they all headed toward the fellowship hall. She rushed inside and scanned the large room filled with the church congregation. Greeting more friends and adding her jacket to a long line of coats hung on wall hooks, she searched diligently for John amidst the hustle and bustle of families finding places to sit, pots and pans banging in the kitchen, friends chatting, and babies crying. Desperately she searched for the Friesen family whom she finally saw sitting in the one far corner. There at an already full table sat Mr. Friesen, Mrs. Friesen, Skip, Valerie, Jeremy, John and —Wanda Stahl!

***

John spotted Katrina and her mamm in the influx of folks filling the banquet hall. But I don’t see Noah! Ever since Katrina had written that she would be coming, John anxiously waited to see her. Yet, he knew that her recent “friendship” with Noah had changed the direction of the path which John had sought to take. Still, she had been one of his very dear friends ever since their youth. And distance never should separate friends. For a moment, his eyes met Katrina’s, and she smiled, subtly waving her hand with a paper clutched in it. He watched as she and her mamm greeted mutual friends and finally sat at a table on the opposite side of the room. If only things had worked out differently, John thought, as the servers started passing the food plates to the tables. The congregation of two hundred enjoyed a turkey and stuffing meal with mashed potatoes, corn, cole slaw, apple sauce, and a variety of freshly baked pies. After the meal, Pastor Fowler had a thirty-minute devotional entitled “Be Ye Thankful Always,” the youth group choir sang several choruses in four-part harmony, and the entire congregation sang “Gott Be With You Till We Meet Again” at the close. During the meal, John frequently eyed Katrina, hoping the opportunity to speak to her would arise. But with Wanda nearby, he wondered if Katrina would stay away. As Wanda, John, and his family left the table to chat with friends, Wanda’s mamm, carrying two meal-sized Styrofoam containers, came to her side. “Wanda, we must be going.” Wanda turned to John and said, “Thank you so much for asking me to sit with you. But I must leave now with my parents. My grossdaed is not feeling well, so he and grossmamm didn’t come today. We have a meal for both of them, so we are going to visit them for a few hours.” “That is quite all right,” John said. “Gott willing, I’ll see you in church the Lord’s Day next.” “Jah,” Wanda said, walking away with her mamm. Bye.” John stretched his neck and surveyed the room, looking for Katrina. Perhaps they’ve left already, he lamented. “John,” his mamm said, “as soon as most of the folks empty the room, Valerie and I are going to help clean up the beverage table. Your daed and Jeremy have offered to help fold chairs.” “I’m going there now,” Valerie said, walking away. ******************************************************************************

Christian Tradition is Quite Similar

So you can see from my description of the Thanksgiving meal in the Mennonite church that these Plain Folk have church socials very much like the “English” (that’s us) do. They enjoy a good meal and the fellowship of those who are like-minded all while they’re taking time to praise the Lord or honor his birth during the holiday season of the year. To read John and Katrina’s story in its entirety, order TO JOHN WITH LOVE today: ************************************************************************************ November 27, 2012

ARE FARMERS’ MARKET & GROCERY STORE PRICES COMPARABLE?

BLOG POST NUMBER NINETEEN

The Middleburg Farmers’ Market

How much would you pay for a pound of pickled tripe? Would you even find it in a “regular” grocery store? How about a pound of rabbit? How about a half pound of scrapple? These are all foods you would find at any farmers’ market in central Pennsylvania. Sometimes local “English” butchers have the items for sale; sometimes Amish or Mennonite sell them. But would you find them at a grocery store in such an Amish/Mennonite -influenced society?

The Lewisburg Farmers’Market

Prices May Vary A few weeks ago, I did some price-comparison shopping. I went to the Middleburg Farmers’ Market, the Lewisburg Farmers’ Market, and the Lewisburg Weis Markets, a chain of grocery stores here in Pennsylvania. As I suspected, I didn’t find any rabbit, tripe, or a few “odd” foods in the grocery chain. But for the foods I did find, there was quite a difference in some of the prices while others seemed steady. Let’s look at 13 different foods and see how much cash you’d need to buy one of each:

ITEM	MIDDLEBURG MARKET	LEWISBURG MARKET	WEIS GROCERY STORE
Delmonico Steak	10.99 per lb.	8.49 per lb.	11.49 per lb.
Beef Sticks	5.99 per lb.	7.85 per lb.	–
Rabbit	3.89 per lb.	3.89 per lb.	–
Pickled Tripe	3.99 per lb.	3.99 per lb.	–
Scrapple	2.29 per lb.	2.79 per lb.	–
Filled Pork Chops	3.69 per lb.	3.49 per lb.	4.99 per lb.
Pig’s Stomach	7.00 for one	6.00 for one	–
Corn Meal Mush	1.25 per lb.	1.25 per lb.	–
Green Peppers	2 for .90	3 for 1.00	10 for 10.00
Sweet Potatoes	.79 per lb.	.79 per lb.	.75 per lb.
Carrots	.59 per lb.	.69 per lb.	1.49 a bunch
Bananas	.59 per lb.	.39 per lb.	.62 per lb.
Whoopie Pies	1/.60 small	3/2.00 med.	2/3.99 large

Inflation Affects Us All With the poor economy and inflation out of control, I suspect that in a few months many of these prices might be higher. After Christmas, maybe closer to spring, I’ll do another price comparison and see if we’re paying more or less (I don’t think so) for all these items. I’d love to hear from you if you’d like to share some of the prices in the area in which you live. By the way have you ever eaten rabbit? (Not me. They’re too cute to even think of serving on my table.) How about tripe? Do you even know what tripe is? (It’s just another name for pig’s stomach.) How Brave Are You? If you don’t live in an area that has any PA Dutch or Plain Folk persuasion, then you might not have ever heard of some of these foods, let alone tasted them. So, if you’re ever passing through central PA, the Lancaster area, or any other “Dutchy” community, take a mouthful of courage pills and try some of these different delicacies. You might even like the taste once you get past the price and their “look.” A pound of mush looks like a brick of brown cement and a pig’s stomach (which you would stuff with meat, potatoes, and vegetables at home and bake) looks like a deflated grey balloon. What do you think? Are you brave enough? (I’m not!) ************************************************************************************** November 20, 2012

VERNA’S FABRIC CENTER (NUMBER TWO)

BLOG POST NUMBER EIGHTEEN

In last August’s blog, I introduced you to Mrs.Verna Duke, the owner of a quaint little store at the base of a hill a few miles outside of Mifflinburg, PA in Union (not Snyder) County. Even if you aren’t a seamstress, you might enjoy visiting this “sewing” store. “Verna’s Fabrics” is a store that has anything and everything that you need to sew, mend, embroider, or quilt. An excellent seamstress herself, Mennonite lady Verna knows what it takes to get the job done. If you need a button or two, she’s got them. How about lace? “Fat” quarters? Thread? Needles? Yep. Zippers? You bet cha. And how about material and patches for a baby quilt? Are you kidding? Verna has the largest assortment of fabrics you’ll find for probably fifty miles around. She has material for baby clothes all the way up to coats, trousers, and even some upholstering fabrics. For almost twenty years, Verna has owned and operated her store in the rural area of central PA. Her little operation sits a few dozen yards away from her house, which makes it convenient for her to keep on top of things. She employs four young ladies part-time to help, all of them of the Mennonite persuasion, who are all excellent seamstresses in their own right and would be able to tell you exactly what you need to complete your sewing project at home.

How Did She Get Started? In 1984, Verna started her little store in her living room at a former residence. Ten months later, she built a 40’ x 40’ addition. In September of 1996, she moved to her present location and built a 118’ x 40’ store, which also offers children’s toys, kapps, key chains, jewelry boxes, books, plastic model farm animals, and a few other oddities that you might not expect to find in a “sewing store.” But Verna’s number one focus is material.

Shelves and Shelves of Material With shelves and shelves of material from which to choose, it’s hard to believe that any customer would leave Verna’s empty-handed. Other items she carries include fleece, vinyl, other plastics, flannel backing, bindings for quilts, and thread galore. Name a color, a print, or pastel of material you need, and Verna probably has it. If she doesn’t have it, she most likely can order it. “I order material from distributors in New York, North Carolina, New Jersey, and Georgia, and they deliver here to this tiny place,” she says.

How Does She Get the Word Out? With a twinkle in her eye and a silly laugh that makes anyone giggle, Verna is proud to tell anyone that although she has a website, it’s not very good. “And I don’t even have a cash register in the store,” she says. “I’m too dumb to run it! The best way to advertise seems to be word of mouth.”

Who Comes to her Store? “They’re not all local people,” Verna says. “People come from as far away as Canada. I’ve had “English” folks here from Germany, England, and a few other countries. They come in buses sometimes. When I first started my business I was averaging 1700 visitors a month. And every year I give away 6000 calendars from July to February.”

Any Negatives to Verna’s Fabrics? If you want to call using an outhouse a negative, then so be it. With no apologies, Verna

Verna’s “Facility”

directs her customers to the outside corner of her fabric center to a very nicely painted wooden “facility.” Also, Verna does not accept credit cards. “Checks and cash only!” she says. “I’m not into credit cards yet.” Come Visit Verna would love to meet you, especially if you learned about her from her website or from my blog. So if you’re ever driving through Mifflinburg, PA, look up Verna’s FabricCenter. Ask for an item and see what Verna says. Most likely this will be her answer: “If we don’t have it, you probably don’t need it!”

Verna in the Center
w/ Customers

Verna’s Fabric Center

1430 Red Bank Rd.

Mifflinburg, PA 17844

Ph: 570.966.2350

Store Hours:

M, T, Th, F: 9 am to 9 pm

W, Sat.: 9 am to 5 pm

************************************************************************************* November 13, 2012

BLOG POST NUMBER SEVENTEEN

A Mennonite Funeral

The Sad News The last time my Mennonite friends were here helping me clean, Rachel told me about a fifty-three-year-old man in her community who just passed on from cancer. The saddest part of the entire story was that he had already lost four children to the same kind of cancer that he had gotten from his mother through gene transfer then passed down to the children, who were five,

My Friends Rachel
and Carolyn

nine (two children), and nineteen when they died. I don’t know this family, but my heart went out to the wife and mother of the family, who must be devastated.

A Huge Viewing and Funeral Rachel went on to tell me some of the details of the viewing that evening and the funeral the next afternoon. “The viewing is in the church from four to six and then seven to nine tonight,” she said. “But they’re expecting about a thousand to show up for that and the funeral. The man was well-known in the Amish and Mennonite community. We will probably be there long after nine o’clock.” “Will the Amish come in buggies?” I asked Rachel. “No,” she said. “They’ll be taxied in vehicles.” “Do folks sit in the church pews during the viewing, or does the line just keep moving?” “Those who are family or close friends will sit in the church after they go through the line,” Rachel said.

The Funeral Service Over a sandwich lunch, I asked Rachel about the funeral and how her church conducts the services. What she told me closely resembles our Baptist services and the order of service in the Mennonite church of one of my other Mennonite friends, Sheila.

Inside of a
Mennonite church

“The casket is in the front of the church for viewing right before the service,” Rachel said. “But when the service starts, the casket is closed.” “Do you have special groups singing?” I asked her. “No, but there’s a lot of congregational singing,” Rachel told me. “That’s where we differ,” I said. “In our funeral services, we usually have solos, duets, or trios in the order of service. They sing favorites of the person who’s passed on.” “The hymns we sing are all about heaven,” Rachel said. “Then one or two men in the deceased man’s family will have devotionals. After that, the pastor will read the obituary and have a message about the person and his faith in God. After more singing, there is a prayer and the service ends. The congregation and other attenders are dismissed while the family and close friends stay behind. The casket is opened again for one last viewing by the family then it is transported to the cemetery.”

The Interment Rachel went on to tell me the details of the interment, which is very similar to the scene I have described in my novel, VALERIE’S LOST LOVE, volume 3 of THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY. Following is that scene in chapter eleven from the perspective of Valerie, the widow of Jeremy Zook, who died in a tractor accident:

Chapter Eleven

Scene One

“Dust thou art to dust returneth. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Valerie stood in the cemetery on the gentle hill behind the church, in total disbelief that Jeremy was gone. With such severe head trauma and internal injuries, he only lived a few hours in the IC unit at the hospital after being rushed into surgery. Then the Lord saw fit to take him Home. Valerie endured the funeral and interment through a veil of tears, which continually spilled out of her eyes and coursed her face. Now with Mamm and Daed by her side, Valerie wept softly, surrounded by her family and Jeremy’s kin, all in tears. In a large tight-knit circle, dozens of Mennonite friends stood, some weeping, others with their heads bowed, as Pastor Fowler finished his last words. A men’s trio then sang “When We All Get to Heaven” as Jeremy’s casket was lowered into the ground. The crystal clear blue sky and fresh air on the first Wednesday in September did nothing to raise Valerie’s spirits. Here she was, a young widow, a very young widow, with a boppli on the way and a newly-purchased farm with a big mortgage, for which the kind donations of her church family would hardly touch. But if she managed to stay on the farm, who would till the land anyway? While the men sang, Valerie’s mind wandered into realms of the unknown. Despite the fact that both families and friends had promised to help in any way they could, her fears ran rampant and her tears flowed freely, facing the darkest of futures “alone.” Oh, Jeremy, why did you leave me? School starts in a week, but who will care for the farm if I teach? Who’ll feed the cows and chickens? What will I do with your repair equipment? How can I manage by myself? How can I raise this child without a daed? How can I go on—alone? Oh, dearest Jeremy, why did you leave me? “When we all see Jesus, we’ll sing and shout the victory!” The trio finished their hymn, and Pastor Fowler shared one last encouraging verse. “Brethren, ‘we are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.’ Our brother Jeremy is in the presence of Almighty Gott today. May that truth bring comfort to your sorrowing souls.” He then prayed and invited everyone for a luncheon. “Friends, the family extends an invitation for you to come to the fellowship hall for some refreshments before you go on your way. Gott bless you all.” Slowly the group dispersed and made its way from the graveside, meandering in a long line across the softball field and picnic grove into the church. Valerie remained at the grave with her family and the Zooks, all weeping, as two men shoveled dirt over Jeremy’s bier. Dear Gott in heaven, help me. Valerie wept, a wave of fear sweeping over her and threatening her resolve. I need your strength to carry on. How can I go on alone? Lord Jesus, please help me. (Scene end) ************************************************************************************* My heart is heavy for Rachel’s friends who have gone through so much sorrow already. I didn’t ask the family’s name, but it would be good for all of us to remember that dear wife and the children left behind in our prayers. The man who died was a farmer. Rachel told me the older married boys will continue farming and help their mother, and the Mennonite community will be there to help any way they can. One remarkable trait of the Plain Folk is the help they provide for others in need. No one is left behind or left alone.

************************************************************************************************************************************************

November 6, 2012

BLOG POST NUMBER SIXTEEN

Who Came First, the Amish or the Mennonite?

Mennonite Church

The Beginning While reading Amish and Mennonite fiction, many modern “English” people might think that the Amish culture was the older of the two, dating back to the 1400s and 1500s in Europe. Well, that’s not the case. Surprisingly, the Mennonites were founded about 160 years before the Amish sect.

Menno Simons

The Mennonites first became known as a “people” when in 1536, a Dutch man, Menno Simons, founded and became the leader of this new group that emerged from the large Anabaptist movement in Europe. The Anabaptists were religious zealots who broke away from the Catholic Church because of doctrinal issues, including the “key” doctrine of infant baptism. The Anabaptists believed that the Bible taught that only adults should be baptized after their repentance and confession of faith, a belief that subjected them to severe persecution. When Menno started his new group, he reinforced the following doctrines in his belief system:

Rebaptism (for adults who had already been baptized but as adults made a profession of faith) (Picture buggy)
Pacifism
Religious toleration
Separation of church and state
Opposition to capital punishment
Opposition to holding government offices
Opposition to taking oaths

The Amish Came Next

Jakob Ammann

Over a century and a half later, the Mennonites suffered their own division when Jacob Amman from Erlenbach, Switzerland, and an elder in the Mennonite church, broke away from the Mennonite sect and started a new religious movement, the Amish. Although not much is known about Jacob Amman, his signature beliefs that differ from the Mennonite doctrine have been carried down through the ages:

Amman instituted communion twice a year instead of once a year as the Mennonites observed.
Amman introduced foot washing, a practice which some Mennonite groups observe today; some do not.
Concerning shunning, Amman believed that the Mennonites had become too lax. He treated shunning very seriously and added an extra rule to the practice: The spouse of the shunned person could neither sleep nor eat with the sinner until they repented.
Amman instructed his followers to reject all modernization of life, live close to the land, and not be contaminated with the “things of this world.”

Impossible Reconciliation Although many attempts were made to reconcile the two groups, Amman and his followers were excommunicated from the Mennonite movement in 1698, and the two went their separate ways. In the early 1700s, both the Amish and Mennonite made their way to America to flee religious persecution and establish their own way of life and belief system. The Amish Today

Sunday “Meeting Place”
in Amish Home

With Ohio and Pennsylvania being the most populated, there are an estimated 260,000 Amish in the USA today. I did not find a total for the number of Mennonites who live in our country. If you have a resource that provides that data, please let me know.

To read more about the Amish and Mennonite worlds, visit: http://pittsburgh.about.com/cs/pennsylvania/a/amish.htm http://mennonit.es/chmf/mennonites/

****************************************************************************************************************************************** OCT. 30, 2012

BLOG POST NUMBER FIFTEEN

Whose Buggy Is It, Amish or Mennonite?

Amish or Mennonite? Living in central PA in Amish and Mennonite country, I’d always taken for granted that most people, including myself, knew the difference between the Amish and Mennonite, particularly in the SusquehannaValley. The Amish wear black and ride in buggies; the Mennonites wear different colored clothes and drive cars, right? However, in getting to know some Amish and Mennonite folks over the years and talking to them about their beliefs and lifestyles, I’ve discovered that it’s very hard to tell the difference between the two sects, sometimes even by looking at their clothing, hair and beard styles, or their means of transportation. In fact, sometimes, the Amish and Mennonites themselves aren’t sure who’s who when they see other Plain Folk out and about. A few months ago I had lunch with a progressive Mennonite friend (who has electricity, a phone, and the Internet), and we discussed whether there were any Amish in our counties of Snyder and Union. “No,” she said, “there are no Amish in this area.” “But at our Tuesday farmers’ market they come in horse and buggy,” I said. “They sure look Amish.” “Ach, they’re horse-and-buggy Old Order Mennonites, not Amish,” she said. “Hmm, are you sure?” I asked. “I think so,” she answered.

My Mennonite Friend Was Surprised The next Tuesday, I went to our farmers’ market here in SnyderCounty and took a few pictures of some Plain Folk from a distance. Of course, any close-up “face” shots were impossible because many Plain Folk, at least at that market, declined any offer for me to take their pictures next to their produce sales. I sent a few of the pictures to my Mennonite friend via email, and she wrote back saying something like, “Well, my goodness. By looking at their dress, I’d say they are Amish!” If you read my last blog (Scroll below this blog to read it)about Katie Yoder, who sells baked goods at the Lewisburg farmers’ market every Wednesday, you’ll remember that she is also Amish, not Mennonite. However, she lives about forty minutes from Middleburg, which, in terms of horse-and-buggy travel, could mean different Ordnungs and sects of both Amish and Mennonite in a thirty-mile radius. Katie had no problem with my taking her picture and interviewing her about her bakery business. Also, taking a trip to Lancaster, a ninety-minute car drive from Middleburg, might also be an Amish “surprise” because many of the Plain Folk in that area who are involved in the commercialism of their lifestyle have no problem with picture taking either.

What Are the Major Differences? With all the diversities among the Amish and Mennonites, and among sects within each, I think it would be interesting to do a study of the differences between the Amish and Mennonites. Over the next few weeks, we’re going to look at the beliefs of each sect, although factions within each sect differ as much as the differences between various groups of Baptists, Methodists, Catholics, or any religious persuasion. But, perhaps, when we’re done, you’ll be able to tell whether that buggy you see is being driven by an Amish man or a Mennonite. P.S. *************************************************************************************** OCT. 23, 2012

THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY SERIES

BLOG POST NUMBER FOURTEEN

Katie Yoder, Amish Bakery Entrepreneur

Amish Baker Katie Yoder

Last Wednesday a friend and I went to the farmers’ market in Lewisburg, the Susquehanna Valley, PA. This market is probably four times larger than the Middleburg Farmers’ Market near my home. The Lewisburg market had vendor after vendor (both inside and outside a large block building) selling fruits, vegetables, fresh meats, antiques, T-shirts, hot pretzels, lawn trinkets, used tools and household items, and fast foods like hamburgers, French fries, and ice cream. Of the Amish who sold food, I had the pleasure of interviewing Katie Yoder, a mid-fifties woman who had her own bakery. Katie was unique in several ways, in my opinion, a kind of Plain Folk rebel, who lived a little outside the box of her strict Ordnung. First of all, Katie wore a bandana instead of her kapp. When I asked her where her covering was, she said she was cold so she had to put something on that was warmer. Next, Katie was thrilled when I told her I’d like to write an article (blog) about her. She answered all the questions I asked, and she said yes when I asked to take pictures of her and her younger helper.

Katie Talked “Baking!” Katie talked nonstop, telling me that she and a few helpers at her bakery in her home have LARGE orders sometimes. (Well, that was an understatement!) After I bought two pumpkin rolls at $4.00 each, I asked where her whoopie pies were. She told me she had brought 700 with her to market, but they were all gone. My friend and I were there at 1:30 (when the crowd was thinning out), so I figured that Katie was probably selling since 8:30 that morning. In those few hours she sold every one of her whoopie pies! Wow! I failed to ask her what she charges for them, but the going rate is $1.25 to $1.50. Do the math, and you’ll see that Katie didn’t need to sell anything else to have a very profitable day. However, on her table she still had about eight loaves of bread and a few pies left. Katie went on to tell me that she does baking for churches that have fund raisers and for church and holidays. She said, “Ach, it’s nothing for us to do 600 apple dumplings at a time.” She also said that for Thanksgiving, she’ll often make 300 pumpkin pies for church and family gatherings, and for Christmas, she could do the same plus 60 or so mince meat pies and 250 pans of sticky buns. “How long does it take you to do 300 pumpkin pies?” I asked her. “That must take all day.” “Nah,” she said with a twinkle in her eye, “if I had two or three girls helping, we’ll have them done in two or three hours.”

I Would Love to See Her Bakery I would love to visit Katie’s bakery and see this amazing Amish woman in action. The next time I’m at the Lewisburg market, I want to look up Katie and ask if she’d allow me to do so. That

Not Much Left at 1:30 P.M.

would be a very interesting “field trip” for any “English” woman to take. I can smell the apple dumplings and pumpkin pies already! Happy shopping! Marsha For a reading journey to visit Amish and Mennonite friends in Snyder County, order one of three books in THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY

************************************************************************************* October 16, 2012

THE AMISH “REMODELED” MOTHER’S FUR COAT

BLOG POST NUMBER THIRTEEN

On August 28, 2010, my mother, Grace Loeper, age 94, went home to be with her Lord. She left many fond memories behind as well as some belongings that were precious to her. One of her most cherished items, one she worked hard to save the money to buy in the 1960s, was her muskrat fur coat with mink cuffs. One of the last really nice pictures I have of Mother before the brain tumor took its toll is her wearing her fur coat, ready to go to church in February of the same year she passed away. One of the charges Mother left with me before she took her heavenly flight was to take good care of her fur coat. “Marsha,” she said more than I care to count, “don’t give that coat away, and don’t sell it. Nobody’ll take care of it like I did.”

I Kept the Coat Well, Mom’s gone over two years, and I’m now in my mid-sixties, but I’m still obeying that woman who gave me life. I still have the coat … and always will keep it. However, knowing I would never, ever wear the coat, I started looking for a furrier who could modify it into a throw blanket. I thought I would have to drive to Harrisburg or some other metropolitan area to find furriers with the skill to do such a job. I also figured I would have to pay hundreds of dollars for the changes that I desired. As the news spread about my quest, some Mennonite friends told me of “Harlan” and his dad, two Amish men who worked at a nearby buggy “factory” and also worked with furs on the side. So one day I grabbed Mom’s prize wrap, hopped in my car, and went to the Vicksburg Buggy Shop, about a twenty-minute drive from my home.

The Amish Were Amazed at Mother’s Coat When I walked in the buggy shop, met Harlan and his dad, and showed them Mother’s muskrat “collection,” they marveled at its beauty. They said they had never seen a coat like that, especially with so many quality pelts in it PLUS the mink cuffs on the sleeves. When I explained what I wanted them to do, they hemmed and hawed, saying they were afraid they’d ruin the coat. “But it’s useless to me the way it is,” I told them. “You won’t ruin it. I’m sure of that.” Finally, they agreed to take the coat and make it into a blanket, estimating that the labor would be about $100.

The Final Product Is Beautiful After about two weeks, I got the call from Harlan to come to the buggy shop and look at the coat. When I walked in, I could sense that Harlan and his dad were quite nervous about showing me the coat. But when I saw the finished product, I was extremely well pleased. The men had taken the sleeves out and sewed the mink from the cuffs along one side of the coat as a border. They then repaired the sleeve holes so delicately, you have to look extra hard to see where the sleeves originally were. I told the men how pleased I was with the coat, and when Harlan handed me the bill, he apologized for going over his estimate. The final cost for the labor was $116.

No Pictures I asked Harlan and his dad if I could take a picture of them with the coat, but, since most Amish believe pictures are graven images and condemned in the Bible, they declined. I then asked if I could take pictures of their buggy shop and write an article about their work, which they also declined. Thus, I have only the outside of their building to show you where two excellent furriers work their day job of building buggies at the Vicksburg Buggy Shop.

Mother’s Coat, a Constant Reminder The cold weather is moving into central Pennsylvania as winter fast approaches. The other day, I opened my cedar chest, unpacked the muskrat throw, and laid it on my lounge chair in the living room. Now, whenever I look at it or wrap myself up in it on a chilly night, I not only think of Mother, but I think of Harlan and his dad, as well, and the great job they did on a thread of memorabilia that I’ll have with me for a long, long time. P.S. I wanted to take this last picture with my dog Bailey sitting on the coat, but I was afraid Mother would actually yell at me from heaven’s portals (not really) if she knew a dog was on her precious furs! (If you look really hard, you can just about see where the sleeves were.) **************************************************************************************************************************************** October 9, 2012

MENNONITES ARE EXCELLENT HOUSE CLEANERS

BLOG POST NUMBER TWELVE

The Ripping Everything Apart Type of House Cleaning When I was a little girl living with my parents in the coal regions of east central Pennsylvania, it was a given that everyone housecleaned twice a year: in the spring and in the fall. The main reason for that was because, in the coal regions in the 50s and 60s when the mines were active, a fine black dust polluted the air and settled on everything both outside and inside everyone’s homes. Being the only child (and not spoiled, I might add), I was expected to help my mother, which I did, even though I wanted to be outside playing ball, playing kick the can with the neighborhood gang, and in my teen years, hanging out with friends.

Those Days Are Long Gone Now as a married woman for over 40 years, I’m thankful that my mother taught me how to clean a house properly. Twenty-five or thirty years ago, when we had foster children (mostly teen girls), we did yearly housecleaning, partly because kids make houses dirty and partly to teach the girls how to keep a nice house. However, since hubby and I are now alone, I don’t do the ripping-everything-apart cleaning even once a year; in fact, I struggle to get it done every two to four years anymore. There are several reasons for that: I’m not in coal dust country, and I’m just too busy with other things going on in life.

Mennonite Gals Have Been Helping Me for Years The last fifteen years of her life, my mother lived with me before she went home with the Lord, and even in her 80s and 90s, she housecleaned every year, either in the spring or fall. I finally convinced her that it wasn’t necessary to do it twice a year since we were now living in Snyder County, where there are no coal mines. Since I worked either full-time or part-time (during Mother’s last few years with me), we hired Mennonite gals to help clean. We quickly discovered that, even though they charge a very reasonable price, they are very thorough in their cleaning. We had four gals who came at various times of the year: Rachel and Carolyn, Heidi, and Sheila. Let me tell you, when they were done cleaning, the room in which they worked had a sparkle to it. To carry on Mother’s tradition, I’m once again housecleaning this fall. I have asked Rachel, who brings Carolyn, a special needs “helper” with her, to come every Tuesday for the next few

Carolyn hard at work

months until we have the house done. Rachel had helped my mother for at least the last ten years or so, and now she’s helping me.

Mennonites Love to Relieve You of “Stuff” One of the things I really like about the Mennonite gals who clean for me is that they will take almost anything that’s in half-decent shape that you’re willing to give away. The last two Tuesdays, Rachel and Carolyn cleaned the kitchen on my mother’s side of our home. That job probably had not been done for at least three years. We emptied all the cupboards then re-organized them, moved the stove and refrigerator out from the wall and cleaned behind, and polished the cabinets. When all was said and done, Rachel took home with her about four boxes of dishes, glasses, cups, baking paraphernalia and ingredients, and other cooking odds and ends including a set of checkerboard cake pans, which I knew I’d never use in my entire life. She was thrilled with all I had given her, telling me that if she doesn’t keep the stuff herself, she’ll sell it at the weekly farmers’ market where she regularly sells baked goods. I was also thrilled that I had a place to send all the stuff without throwing it away then feeling guilty (because some of the things were like brand new) or having to find someone else to take the treasures home with them. That can take a lot of time! Today, Rachel and Carolyn came for five hours and in that short time, we went through the storage cabinets in my dining room and packed five boxes of dishes, candles, canisters, and other items that I never use. But this time, Rachel took nothing with her. She said she was still working on the other boxes I had given her, so I’ll try to sell the china set and try to find a home for the other things. One other thing that caught my fancy was when we were all done and I thanked Rachel. “It was fun!” she said. (I’ve NEVER considered cleaning fun!) I am so grateful for the help these Mennonite ladies offer. In a month or two, we’ll have my house “sparkling” and a little more organized with some of the clutter gone. Ah-h, I feel better already, even though we’re only half finished. If you’re fortunate enough to live in an Amish/Mennonite area and you need help cleaning, look for some “plain folk” to help you out. I can almost guarantee that they won’t burn a hole in your wallet and you won’t be disappointed with the quality of work they do. ************************************************************************************* October 2, 2012 MEET DANITA STOLTZFUS: RABBIT BREEDER AND ENTREPRENEUR BLOG POST NUMBER ELEVEN

Danita Stoltzfus

On August 21^st, I posted a blog about two teen friends of mine, Mennonite homeschoolers Danita and Larelle Stoltzfus, who breed rabbits at their farm, show them, sometimes winning blue ribbons in competition, and sell their bunnies at our Middleburg Farmers’ Market every Tuesday.

The Middleburg Farmers’ Market Our market sells mostly food (fresh produce, baking and cooking supplies, fresh meats, hamburgers and fries, etc), but it also sells different animals. Besides calves and lambs auctioned off to the highest bidder, chickens, guinea pigs, and rabbits are also for sale. Danita has been selling her rabbits there for several years, and she’s only about twenty years old. But besides selling at our local market, Danita also sells her rabbits online.

A Mennonite Gal Runs a Business Online Without a Computer This past week, Danita called me and asked if she could come to my house and use my computer and Internet service to e-mail pictures of one of her rabbits she planned to sell through her website, www.springwoodrabbitry.webs.com Of course, she is welcome to come to my home anytime to contact prospective buyers for her rabbits. “Why doesn’t she use her own computer?” you ask. So far, Danita has managed to run her business using our local library’s computer and Internet service, occasionally using my PC system or other friends’ computers. This time, since she was unfamiliar with how to send an attachment, she asked if I could help her out. For a young lady of 19 or 20, Danita is quite the entrepreneur. She is a member of the America Rabbit Breeders Association, www.americanrabbitbreedersassociation.com, and takes great pride in raising and showing some of the most beautiful rabbits I’ve ever seen. Danita Knows Her Stuff Without batting an eye, she told me that she keeps from 10 to 20 rabbits at one time, but when the females (does) have their babies (kits), Danita can have up to 50 or 60 rabbits to care for. Danita is quick to display her knowledge of rabbits to anyone who cares to ask. She’ll tell you there are 47 different breeds, among them New Zealands, Jersey Woolies, Angoras, and English Lops. She’ll also tell you that, contrary to popular opinion, rabbits don’t eat a lot of vegetables, and some veggies like lettuce can make the rabbits sick. “Something that the rabbits really love is yogurt,” she says. “They absolutely love yogurt.” I was very glad to assist Danita in her sales pitch to a prospective buyer. Hopefully, she’ll be shipping one of her prize bunnies to a new owner, who will not be disappointed in the product he has bought. [Please visit Danita’s lovely website that has pictures of her rabbits. Go to www.springwoodsrabbitry.com. I think you’ll be amazed at how beautiful the animals are and how this young Mennonite lady is making a little business work for herself.] *************************************************************************************** Sept. 25, 2012

HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT MENNONITE WEDDINGS?

BLOG POST NUMBER TEN

Have you ever attended a Mennonite wedding? How does a Mennonite wedding differ from what we’d call a “traditional” church wedding?

While some of us “English” take a wedding ceremony with its vows flippantly, Mennonites take their wedding vows very seriously. The ceremony is a solemn, yet joyous, occasion when the bride and groom make sacred promises before God and man. There are very few, if any, divorces in the Mennonite community. Their wedding vows are considered a pledge to God that should never be broken. If you’ve ever been privileged to be invited to a Mennonite wedding, then you already might know the answers to the questions included in today’s blog. Let’s take a ten-question T/F quiz and see how well you do. Now, remember, Mennonite traditions in various churches and sects differ as much as other Christian churches, so today we’re visiting a Mennonite wedding in central Pennsylvania: True/False Quiz

As in all services, the women sit on one side of the church and the men sit on the other side during the wedding ceremony.
Musical instruments, like a guitar or flute, are allowed for this special occasion.
The bride wears a white gown, head piece, and train similar to traditional English gowns.
The groom wears a tuxedo.
The bride and groom write their own vows and recite them at the altar.
The couple exchanges wedding rings during the ceremony and kiss at the finale.
There is no wedding party, just the bride and groom.
The singers of special music sit on the platform or near the front and sing from behind the pulpit.
Cameras and picture taking are permitted throughout the ceremony.
As at English weddings, photographs are taken after the ceremony in front of the church with the entire family.

Answers:

F For weddings, the families are permitted to sit together
F All singing is done without instruments.
F The bride wears a bibbed white dress that she usually makes herself. It can be sateen or a “fancier” material than cotton, but it looks the same as the traditional Mennonite dress the ladies always wear. The bride also wears her traditional kapp, but, again, it can be a special material for this occasion.
F The groom wears his Sunday-best suit or has a new one made in traditional Mennonite style, collarless or high-collared with a white shirt and no tie.
T/F Some couples do write their own; many couples use the traditional vows common in English churches.
F Mennonites do not wear jewelry of any kind, even wedding rings. They do not kiss at the end of the ceremony.
F There are attendants and bridesmaids. The men wear their Sunday best suits, and the gals can wear different shades of their traditional bibbed dresses.
F Singers of special music sit in the back pew of the church and sing from there, most times at the end of the ceremony.
F No photographs are taken at any time in the church before, during, or after the service.
F Photographs are taken at the reception in the church fellowship hall or at another social room, but no pictures are taken in the church.

Well, how did you do? Jah, all the questions were false except number five, which could be answered either way. Some couples decide to write their own vows, but many use the traditional vows. Are you a little more familiar with Mennonite wedding ceremonies now? If you have attended a Mennonite wedding, please email me and let me know how different that wedding was from the one I’ve described above. You might have noticed that, although I usually include pictures with my blogs, I have no pictures of a Mennonite wedding. Now you know the reason why. Visit me at: (Email) marshahubler@wildblue.net http://www.facebook.com/marsha.hubler.3 http://pinterest.com/marshahubler/ www.marshahubler.com www.horsefactsbymarshahubler.wordpress.com

Some freebies: a plastic horse model
or a hand-crafted horse and buggy

************************************************************************************* Sept. 18, 2012

NATIVE AMERICAN “MARKETS”:WHAT WOULD THE AMISH THINK?

BLOG POST NUMBER NINE [First I must apologize for not posting the last two Tuesdays. I had all intentions of doing so, but I was on a ten-day trip out West with one of my best friends to see a string of God’s canyons from Arizona up into Wyoming and ending in South Dakota where we saw Mt. Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Monument. Most of the time, even at some of the inns, there was no Internet or cell phone service, so I was unable to post my weekly blog.] Something that really attracted my attention was the difference in the kinds of “vendors” I saw out West compared to what I see every Tuesday at my Middleburg Farmers’ Market here in Snyder County. Twice on my ten-day excursion, I came across Native Americans selling items at vending tables. Each time I saw them, I wondered what my Amish friends would think of selling in such a manner right next to the road or in a side room to a fantastic museum displaying the past culture of our Native Americans. The first time was on day two’s travels in Arizona outside of LakeP owell on the Navajo reservation near Glen Canyon. Coming down the very steep side of the canyon, I was quite surprised to see Native Americans selling their wares along one of the outlook points that was VERY HIGH and right on the edge of the road that dropped off hundreds of feet. Although there was a small guiderail behind each of the vendors, one step backwards from there, and the cliff dropped right off. I was amazed that these vendors had no qualms about “hanging on the edge” of such a steep cliff. “Was there food for sale there?” you ask. The answer is no. The Native Americans were all selling basically the same thing: gorgeous jewelry, small polished stones (about the size of a quarter) in the shape of different animals, pottery, or other interesting trinkets. Although every vendor pledged that his/her wares were made by local Native Americans, there was no way to tell. The prices weren’t that bad, and my friend bought a few keepsakes. I just observed the transactions while the folks on our bus “shopped,” and I took a few pictures. The second set of vendors I saw was near the end of our excursion at the Crazy Horse Monument in South Dakota. Again, Native Americans were selling anything from jewelry to stunning hand-painted pictures, mostly of animals like horses or bison. One room at this museum had been designated for vendors, who worked their talents as we watched and then sold their finished products. For one brief moment I thought about buying one of the beautiful necklaces until I saw the price: $250. And I also had no room left in even a square inch of my suitcase to bring the prize home. So, one fact became apparent to me as I traveled to the West then returned to quiet little Snyder County. Our beautiful America has peoples as diversified as the Amish and Native Americans. Yet, all of us seem to have one goal in mind: to make a fast buck.

Beautiful Beads
in Jars on Display

Visit me at: http://www.facebook.com/marsha.hubler.3 http://pinterest.com/marshahubler/ www.marshahubler.com www.horsefactsbymarshahubler.wordpress.com ************************************************************************************* August 28, 2012 Blog Post Number Seven VERNA’S FABRICS A STORE FOR THE SEAMSTRESS Those Amish, Mennonite, and English alike

Keychains, buttons,
and other “extras”

A few miles in the back hills of Mifflinburg, PA, is a quaint little store that, even if you aren’t a seamstress, you might enjoy visiting. “Verna’s Fabrics” is a store that has anything and everything that you need to sew, mend, embroider, or quilt. An excellent seamstress herself, Mennonite lady Verna knows what it takes to get the job done. If you need a button or two, she’s got them. How about lace? Thread? Needles? Yep. Zippers? You bet cha. And how about material and patches for a baby quilt? Are you kidding? Verna has the largest collection and assortment of material you’ll find for probably fifty miles around. She has material for delicate baby clothes and bolts for heavy garments like coats, trousers, and even some upholstering fabrics. For almost twenty years, Verna has owned and operated her store in the rural area of Union County, central PA. Her little operation

Zippers galore!

sits a few dozen yards away from her house, which makes it convenient for her to keep on top of things. She employs several young ladies part-time, all of them of the Mennonite persuasion, who are all excellent seamstresses in their own right and would be able to tell you exactly what you need to complete your sewing project at home.

Suspenders for
any occasion

Besides a huge variety of sewing materials and supplies, Verna also sells children’s toys, kapps, key chains, jewelry boxes, books, plastic model farm animals, suspenders, and a few other oddities that you might not expect to find in a “sewing store.” But Verna’s number one focus is material. With shelves and shelves of material from which to choose, it’s hard to believe that any customer would leave Verna’s empty-handed. And like Verna says, “If we don’t have it, you probably won’t find it anywhere.” Verna’s Fabrics plus.google.com You +1’d this publicly. Undo Google+ page

1430 Red Bank Road Mifflinburg, PA 17844(570) 966-2350

**************************************************************************************************************************************** August 21, 2012 MORE ABOUT THE SNYDER COUNTY FARMERS’ MARKET A Local Hangout for the Amish and Mennonites

BLOG POST NUMBER SIX

Two weeks ago, I was in Charleston, SC, to visit a foster daughter and her husband, who live in North Charleston. I visited the city market, which has five large one-story old brick buildings packed with vendors, just a block from the ocean front. My, oh, my, is that “market” different from our small Snyder County Farmers Market here in Middleburg! Other than the horses and carriages that take visitors in Charleston on an hour tour through the downtown area, there’s not much else that the two markets have in common. Our little farmers’ market down the road every Tuesday sells mostly food (fresh produce, fresh meats, hamburgers and fries, etc), but it also sells animals. Besides calves and lambs auctioned off, chickens, guinea pigs, and rabbits are also for sale. Some of the nicest rabbits there are bred and raised by two Mennonite gals I know. The Stolzfus girls always have a variety of different breeds of rabbits. One rabbit is prettier than the next. Some are long-eared, while others have short pointy ears. Some are black and white, while others are a golden tan or a buckskin brown. I’ve often stood at the cages and pondered whether I should buy a bunny, but then I think about my two dogs, Skippy and Bailey, who would probably enjoy having Peter Cottontail for lunch, so I dismiss the thought of buying a rabbit and come home empty-handed. When I was writing one of my market scenes VALERIE’S LOST LOVE, the 3rd book in THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY, I asked the Stolzfus girls for some “bunny” tips. They graciously and excitedly filled me in on the different kinds of rabbits and some interesting tidbits about them. The girls even lent me a book about different breeds with descriptions and pictures of the rabbits, a most helpful resource, indeed. With all that extra tips from some gals who know their bunnies, I was able to write what I believe is an accurate depiction of a rabbit sale at a farmers’ market. Following is that scene from chapter three: ************************************************************************************ On a crisp, clear Tuesday afternoon after school dismissal, Eli and Skip stood in front of a wall of cages filled with rabbits, chickens, and guinea pigs in a pavilion at Bowser’s Auction and Flea Market. Of course, Skip knew right where to go as soon as his daed parked the car, so he made a beeline to the rabbits. A thin pretty Mennonite girl, probably in her late teens, with blonde hair and rosy cheeks stood nearby to answer questions and complete the transaction of any animal sales. Behind her at the corner of the one enclosed wall of the pavilion rested a card table with a calculator and a small cash box. “May I help you?” the girl asked. “Oh, my, you have such a variety of rabbits here,” Eli said. “I suppose they are different breeds?” “Jah,” the girl said. “There are forty-seven different breeds, but we only have a few kinds here every week. We have some New Zealands, Jersey Woolies, Angoras, and English Lops.” She pointed to the cages respectively. “They are all special breeds with special characteristics. But they’re all wunderbaar, in my opinion. Do you want any kind in particular?” “Forty-seven different breeds—of rabbits? That is so interesting.” Eli lifted his straw hat, scratched his head, and squared his hat on his head again. “Oh, my son has his heart set on these with the long floppy ears.” He pointed at the black and white rabbits. Skip’s face radiated joy as he pointed the same direction. “They look a lot like Wonnie’s wabbit. That’s why I want them.” The girl opened a cage, carefully pulled out a black and white rabbit, and placed it in Skip’s arms. “These are called English Lops. Of course, you can see the one outstanding characteristic they have is their long floppy ears. Aren’t they handsome?” “Ooh, I love this one, Daed,” Skip said, stroking the rabbit. “Kin we buy this one?” “Now,” the girl started her sales pitch, “this here rabbit is a six-month-old broken black buck and would qualify for the junior class, if you plan to show him. He has excellent confirmation at about seven-and-a-half pounds. His fur is fine and silky, and his ears hang low and loose, close to the body. That’s very desirable.” “Oh, no, miss,” Eli said. “We won’t show him. Skip just wants a pet rabbit.” “Well,” she said, “you’d be buying a mighty fine bunny. This one is litter-trained already and is an easy keeper. As long as you have a nice hutch set up for him, he’ll make a fine pet.” “I’d like a lot of pet wabbits!” Skip inserted. “One at a time,” Eli added. “Wonnie has a brown one too, but that one has ears that stand up. I want one like that too.” The girl walked to several other cages and pointed. “Well, that rabbit could be an Angora, an American Sable, or a Mini Rex. They’ve all got shorter ears that stand up.” Skip was so preoccupied with “his” rabbit, he completely tuned out the girl’s last words. “So,” Eli said, “we do have a nice-sized cage at home with plenty of straw for a nest. I assume if we feed him pellets and veggies, he’ll be a happy pet?” “Well, you must be careful with some vegetables,” she said. “Lettuce will make him sick. But rabbits love hay—grass hay not alfalfa. He won’t need much more care than that. Of course, the hutch needs to be cleaned every day, and—” “I understand,” Eli said. “We live on a farm and have cows, horses, and chickens. Our livestock eats alfalfa hay, so we’ll have to be careful to feed the rabbit just grass hay.” “We have a dog too,” Skip said. “His name is Spunky.” “And Skip’s done a good job to help me care for the animals. He promised that he’d take care of his rabbits as well.” “I will; I will,” Skip promised. “My rabbits eat a certain food you’d never guess they’d like,” the girl said. “What’s that?” Eli asked. “They absolutely love plain vanilla yogurt, and it’s good for them too.” Eli let out a hearty laugh. “Skip, did you hear that? Your rabbit will eat yogurt.” “Ooh, I love yogurt. We can eat it together!” Skip’s tongue went into high gear as though he tasted the yogurt right then. “I guess we’ll take this rabbit he already seems to have claimed.” Eli pulled his wallet out of his jeans pocket. “How much?” “Fifteen dollars,” the girl said. Eli handed her a twenty-dollar dollar bill and waited for the change. Skip spotted someone he knew just getting out of a car and, with the rabbit in his arms, hurried toward them. “Over here!” Skip’s voice raised to a high-pitched series of squeals. “Look what I have! Daed bought me a wabbit!” ************************************************************************

Well, there you have it, a visit to the “Rabbit Department” of the SnyderCounty farmers’ market. I hope you enjoyed your visit and now understand a little more about the different kinds of rabbits that are available for purchase and make very nice pets. Marsha __________________________________________________________________________ August 14, 2012

THE CHARLESTON CITY MARKET IS NO SNYDER COUNTY MARKET

BLOG POST NUMBER FIVE I just returned from a trip to Charleston, SC, to visit a foster daughter and her husband, who live in North Charleston. One of the places I always enjoy visiting is the city market just a block from the ocean front. In past years, this market place has incorrectly been labeled the “slave market,” where slaves were bought and sold over a hundred and fifty years ago. The true slave market is several blocks away, where a museum has been maintained to preserve some of that original market place. As I walked through the Charleston City Market last Wednesday, I took a lot of pictures and couldn’t help comparing that massive five-building market to our little Middleburg auction and farmers’ market that we have in Snyder County every Tuesday. For one thing, the Charleston market is every day, which draws thousands of visitors to the city. It also sells just about anything BUT food, whereas, the main product sold at our local Tuesday market IS food. I saw a lemonade stand but that’s all in the food line. As far as our Amish friends and whether they’d like to visit the city, I think not. Amish usually don’t go on vacations, especially to such “worldly” places. But I’m sure they’d admire the horses and carriages that take tourists on an hour-long tour of parts of the city. This time I was surprised to even see mule-driven carriages. The horses and mules are so accustomed to noise and traffic, they practically nap while they’re walking the same route that they’ve probably walked for years. Four years ago when I last visited the Charleston market, the old single-story brick buildings were rustic with brick floors that spoke of a long time past. But this time I was surprised to see that the city had replaced all the old brick floors with slate tiles and had renovated one of the five buildings and made it “brand new,” just like a modern mall with air conditioning and vendors who sold anything from shoes and clothing to toys and games. I was somewhat impressed with the renovation; yet, the thought ran through my mind concerning the historic preservationists in the city. I’m sure they are not pleased that this “old” section of their city is now being “upgraded.” My friends and I spent several hours strolling through the market and mostly just window shopping. My friends did buy some beautiful T-shirts but I went home empty-handed. I know it’s hard to believe that I didn’t find anything that would suit my fancy, but I just enjoyed walking, taking pictures, and soaking in the local color. If you ever take a trip to Charleston, SC, make sure you have the city market on your itinerary. It’s worth the visit, and you’ll be glad you did.

All Kinds of Jewelry

__________________________________________________________________________ August 7, 2012 HOME-MADE POT PIE FROM OUR MENNONITE FRIENDS

BLOG POST NUMBER FOUR As the author of the Amish/Mennonite fiction series THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY, I’m fascinated by the lifestyles of the Amish and Mennonites in central Pennsylvania. I have several friends who are Mennonites, some who claim to be “Mid-Atlantic” and others who say they are “Anabaptists.” All these friends are what we English would call progressive or modern Mennonites because they drive cars (all dark colors-mostly black), they have electricity in their homes, and most have cell phones. But all have similar lifestyles and orders of worship. Their dress is traditional with the “kapp” on the women’s drawn-back hair in buns (some kapps are black, others white) and the capes on their dresses, but the dresses can be multi-colored pastels including flowered prints. Of course, we’re not talking about Old Order Amish or Old Order Mennonite here at all. Old Order folks are the horse and buggy folks, the Plain Folk who have no electricity, cars, or phones. These Ordnungs usually dress in dark clothes, and the men and women often have long sleeves even in the heat of the summer. The men wear straw hats or black hats with large brims while the women often wear dark colored bonnets over their white kapps when they are outside. The Amish sects like this and the new order Mennonites parted company a long, long time ago and probably will never meet on common ground again. But back to my Mennonite friends. Recently I visited Brenda and Grace, Mid-Atlantic Mennonite ladies who invited another English gal and me to lunch. My friend and I thought we’d be having a sandwich or a small salad topped off with cottage cheese, but the Mennonite gals surprised us with home-made pot pie with tender shredded pork, corn on the cob, apple sauce, three kinds of canned pickles, and spiced zucchini slices that tasted that spiced apple rings. For dessert, Brenda opened a jar of canned peaches, topped off with that cottage cheese we were expecting on a salad. The meal and fellowship were heavenly, to put it mildly. Mennonites are known for their hospitality and home cooking. Believe me, my friend and I were given the red carpet treatment by two of these gentle, soft-spoken folks. The pot pie was some of the most delicious I’ve ever had, and it’s a luncheon engagement that I’ll remember for a long time. Mennonite Pot Pie Recipe Boil chicken, beef, or pork until soft. Make pot pie noodles by adding one egg to 1 ½ c. flour and ½ tspn. salt and mix. Add approximately ¼ c. water and mix; then form dough into ball. Roll out with rolling pin, let dough dry for an hour or so. Slice rolled-out dough into one-inch squares. Remove boiled meat from large pot full of meat broth. Cube three raw potatoes. Add individual pieces of dough to boiling broth with cubed potatoes and keep stirring between the adding of the noodles. Simmer for about 30 minutes then add meat back into broth and noodles. Stir every few minutes to prevent noodles from sticking together. Serve piping hot and enjoy. *********************************************************************************** JULY 31, 2012 THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY SERIES BLOG POST NUMBER THREE What Will You Find at the Farmers’ Market in Snyder County?

Old Fashioned French Fries

Our farmers’ market here in Snyder County reminds me of a gigantic yard sale that includes tools, clothing, calendars, garden flowers, rifles, clocks, welcome flags, antique bottles, saddles, baseball cards, and just about anything else you can imagine and at a fair price. Besides all kinds of new and used “junk,” the food vendors are a big drawing card for Amish/Mennonite customers and the “English,” as well. If you went to the Middleburg Farmers’ Market with me every Tuesday, you’d be able to buy fresh meats of any kind from a local butcher shop, wheat flour, rice, barley, licorice sticks, block cheese, jewelry, brown sugar, fresh fruits and veggies and so on from Amish/Mennonite vendors and English too. You could get a breakfast biscuit at one stand and walk to the other end of one of the buildings and buy absolutely delicious “home-made” French fries. You could walk outside into the pavilion and buy sticky buns, snitz pies, or wheat bread from an Amish woman. And you could do all this before lunch, when you could go in the big red barn to another snack counter and get your hamburger and Coke. So what could you do after lunch? You could hang around for the auction where anything from chickens and rabbits to piglets and calves are sold. Maybe you need some hay? How about straw for bedding in your barn? Stick around. That will be auctioned off too. Hours later in the afternoon, you might just be tired enough to leave, drive home, prop up your feet on a wooden stool that you purchased, and enjoy a hoagie that you grabbed at one of the Amish food counters before you decided to leave. I believe you’d agree with me that a farmers’ market, especially this one in Snyder County, has just about anything you would want or need … except maybe a new car. For that, you do have to drive down the highway to the auto sales lot. But for practically everything else you’d need, you could take the day, stroll through our farmers’ market, and get some really good deals: “A Few Good Deals at Market Today” (as of July 31, 2012) Peck of peaches – $9.00 Peck/string beans – $6.00 Small box/ plums – $1.50 New Touch Me lamp – $17.00 3 lbs. jelly beans – $5.00 12 oz. honey – $3.50 6 Sticky buns – $2.75 2. lb. oatmeal – $1.50 5 lb. salt – $1.15 Sweet potatoes $. 75/lb “Quality” sunglasses – $3.00 each Antique ironing board – $10.00 Antique Mont.Ward sewing machine – $5.00 Used microwave – $5.00 Used “SORRY” game – $ 2.00 3 ft. Collectible Memories Porcelain Doll – $10.00 So, Amish/Mennonite fiction lovers, let me know if you’ve seen prices like this at any of your “flea” markets or shopping centers. I think you’d have to admit that these prices are not bad. Not bad at all. Happy shopping! Marsha

*********************************************************************************

JULY 24, 2012 THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY SERIES BLOG POST NUMBER TWO The Hoovers at Market

Mennonite Family “Store”
at Tuesday’s Market

Last week I took you to the Tuesday auction and farmers’ market that is five minutes down the road from my house. Today we’ll continue with our visit there and introduce you to some of my Mennonite friends, who sell produce at several local farmers’ markets, including our Middleburg Market that has been in operation for over 40 years. I usually buy my bananas and vegetables like corn, potatoes, carrots, lettuce, spinach, and sweet potatoes from Hoovers’ Produce stand inside a relatively large building that houses various vendors. The Mennonites’ prices are almost but not quite as high as the mainline grocery chain down the street. That’s one reason I like to shop at Hoovers’. The other reason is that the produce is usually fresh. The Hoovers who have been coming with their produce to our Middleburg market for many years are part of a local Mennonite group that has a special ministry to older folks. When my 90 plus-year-old mother developed ailments that prohibited her from attending church on Sunday evenings, the Hoovers and about fifteen or twenty other members of their church, including some deacons and quite a few young folks and children, would come to our home occasionally to have a “church service.” The group would sing hymns in beautiful four-part harmony. Then one of the laymen would present a short devotional. The hour they shared several times a year was a blessing to my mother and me, and it’s one of the fond memories I have of Mom’s last days here on earth. This picture is of “Mamm” Hoover, who is always at market on Tuesdays. She’s a sweet lady who is also a business woman and counts your total bill to the penny. “Daed” Hoover, here with his cantaloupes, has a very Dutchy accent. These folks are fluent in Pennsylvania Dutch, but, of course, they only converse with us Englischers in our native tongue. Every Tuesday I give the Hoovers our week’s worth of newspapers, which they shred and use for cow bedding in their barn. However, I have a sneaky suspicion that they read all the papers before donating them to their cows. WELCOME, AMISH/MENNONITE FICTION LOVERS!

Mennonite Gals “Selling”

I want to welcome all my Amish/Mennonite fiction fans to the first post of THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY blog. My plan is to post something “Amish” or “Mennonite” here every Tuesday, so you can enter the world of the kapped folk and see what it’s like to live as if in “days of yesteryear.” We’ll visit with Old Order Amish all the way to progressive Mennonites and, hopefully, share photos of these folks in their every day lives. I’m fortunate to live in Snyder County, central PA, where many Amish and Mennonites live. Every Tuesday just five minutes from my house, quite a few of those folks gather at Keister’s Farm Market and Auction both to buy and to sell. I’ll share photos of some of those people, the Amish from a distance, who will not pose for a camera, and the Mennonites who have no problem being photographed. If you’ve read TO JOHN WITH LOVE, then you’ve already vicariously visited a farmers’ market, which I describe in detail in the book. Well, guess where I got all that information. Of course! From the real-live market that I frequent every week. Here’s the actual scene from chapter fifteen in the book:

*****************************************************

“Every Tuesday, Bowser’s Auction and Market on route 35 outside of Mapletown was the place to be! On the large open field next to the massive red barn complex, rows of vendors, Amish, Mennonite, and English, had set up their stands and were selling their wares by eight a.m. Mounds of fresh, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, carrots, and cabbage, and baskets of fresh fruit, some shipped in from the south, some local, covered tabletops. Dozens of other tables, under canopies, displayed baseball cards, stuffed animals, old sleds, dolls, antique lamps, used clothing, carpenters’ tools, welcome flags, and a menagerie of “treasures” that wooed bargain hunters from near and far. Behind the stands were rows of trucks, vans, and Amish buggies, resting from their earlier arrival and hasty unloading. As Katrina neatly arranged her baked goods on a wooden table, she took in a deep breath, her senses filling with a hint of grilling hot dogs and bubbling French fries. A gentle breeze sifted through the grounds, and a strong waft of horse manure invaded Katrina’s nose, the fumes trying their best to overpower the pleasant aromas of frying foods and her own baked goods. I truly do love to come here. Katrina surveyed the passing crowd, snaking in and out among the tables. There are so many wunderbaar things to see and so many friends to meet. I’ll sorely miss this place. She stationed herself at the stand, waiting for the passersby to check out her wares. Sitting on a stool, she studied the scene before her, one that always made her heart pump a little fast. Eager vendors were already making their pitch to a steady flow of shoppers. Other marketers lounged in the shade of their beach umbrellas, preparing for another hot August day. Hands folded on their round bellies, they scrutinized every person who came near their stand. Katrina examined a steady stream of English folks who milled about the tables, including her own, like ants after sugar cubes. Some toted large empty bags, their eager faces betraying their desire to buy something, anything. Sunburned farmers in baseball caps mingled with plump women in tank tops and shorts. Wide-eyed kinner stared and, when mamms turned their backs, touched every toy they could reach. As usual, the market had drawn a large gathering of local Amish. Bearded men in straw hats, white or blue shirts, and black trousers with suspenders exchanged the latest news in their Pennsylvania Dutch dialect. The women, in white kapps, granny glasses, royal blue dresses with black aprons and work boots, also chatted in their own little circles. The kinner, carbon copies of their parents, stood close to the adults and eyed the tables with wonder.”

Note the Little Girl in Bare Feet

**************************************************************

So there you have a taste of what a farmers’ market in “kapped country” is like. If you are living in a part of the world that has no Amish or Mennonite folk, I trust that you’ve enjoyed your little trip “to market” here in Snyder County. In a few weeks, I’ll be visiting one of the Amish/Mennonite capitals of the world: Lancaster, PA. I’ll have dozens more photos and stories to tell. So, sign up so you receive my new blog every Tuesday and enjoy everything “Amish” and “Mennonite.”

Marsha Author of LOUELLEN FINDS TRUE LOVE, volume one of THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY

***

6 Comments »

6 Responses

on October 9, 2012 at 12:00 p10 | Reply kathy

I really enjoyed reading this whole article you have here..alot of good information…Thank You…Great Job!
on November 13, 2012 at 12:00 p11 | Reply Cindy O. Herman

Interesting post on Mennonite funerals, Marsha. And how sad for that Mennonite man and his family! Prayers are with them.
on December 4, 2012 at 12:00 p12 | Reply Cindy O. Herman

Great description of Mennonite Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations. It’s interesting to see that they can vary within the church. There’s something to be said for simplicity, but I’d miss the tree and decorations!
on February 6, 2013 at 12:00 p02 | Reply The Ashland Mennonite Bible School – How the Men Dress « Marsha Hubler: Author of THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY SERIES and THE KEYSTONE STABLES BOOKS

[…] THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY […]
on July 9, 2013 at 12:00 p07 | Reply recherche poste maroc

Great weblog here! Additionally your site loads up very fast!
What host are you the usage of? Can I am getting your affiliate link in your host?
I wish my website loaded up as quickly as yours lol
on December 17, 2013 at 12:00 p12 | Reply Feature Author: Marsha Hubler | janice l. dick

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More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

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More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

More Snyder County Mennonite Recipes!

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