The Mennobrarian

Blog Housekeeping *edit

12:18, Saturday, November 15, 2008 .. 1 comments .. Link

While I fully intend to visit here regularly and keep up with my HB friends and pm's, for now on I will be posting at my new blog:

www.themennobrarian.com

See you there!

(*edited to add that I have fixed it so that anyone can comment on my new blog, you do not need a google account.)

The Tea Party

04:04, Wednesday, November 12, 2008 .. Posted in Books .. 5 comments .. Link

Yesterday some friends and I got together for a tea and gabfest with an eye on sharing about what we have been reading lately. While Ruth plied us with brownies, sausage slices, and tiny pecan tarts, I shared about the Brother Lawrence book The Practice of the Presence of God, and also talked about how I am always behind and off-course in my reading due to my infatuation with cookbooks. Melody shared about William Barton's Parables of a Country Parson, which is this collection of terribly charming and witty contemporary parables. I promptly asked to borrow it and have found it to be insightful and entertaining. Ruth highly recommended some Christian psychology books by Dan B. Allender, PhD. such as The Cry of the Soul: How Our Emotions Reveal Our Deepest Questions About God and The Healing Path. My friend Ruth is one sharp cookie. Have you ever met anyone who is interested in exploring God's emotions and how our own feelings may give just the tiniest clue, the barest glimmer, of what God might feel? We all agreed that it was easy to somewhat envision the Lord's righteous anger, but what else might God experience? Fascinating.

And then before we left, my dear friend Melody gifted me with a cookbook, the title of which escapes me right now, but it was farmhouse type cookbook that had recipes for absolutely everything (including a section of church fellowship type recipes that can feed two hundred people). So of course I went right home and started browsing that.

On the Table: Stuffed peppers, canned garlic mushrooms, and creamy ginger snap pumpkin pie.

In the Kitchen: Catching an elusive mouse! It ate my Italian bread crumbs, plastic lid and all.

Around the Home: My husband is pouring the foundation for a new front step and getting ready to put in the chimney for the new stove. Last night we looked at tile for the floor under the stove. I am almost finished the cover I made for my mixer and will post a picture soon.

In Other News: I have been seriously considering moving my blog to a different platform. Although I like HSB and many of the people here, there have been some problems with using photobucket to post pictures. Mainly, photobucket claims to have little control over the scareware ads that randomly pop up on my screen while loading photos on to their site, and some of those ads are an abomination and encourage malware. Also, I would just like more control over the content of my blog, and I do not have a lot of time to fool around with it. Trust me, when your job is dealing with computers all day, you don't feel like going home and playing with HTML. And if I have just lost you in discussing the technicalities of blog problems, I am sorry, but I am very well studied on computer science and am just pointing out some problems with HSB. Anyway, stay tuned.

Quick run to Ohio

05:46, Friday, November 7, 2008 .. Posted in Travel .. 4 comments .. Link

So after a last minute brake job on our truck, we were able to get out to Ohio and back in two days to pick up our wood stove, a few items for the house, and make plans to definitely go back to the Tuscarawas Valley when we have more time to visit. We were really blessed by outstanding weather. While it was rainy and cold back home, we enjoyed sun and seventy degree days while we were there. All told, the ride took about seven hours. After checking into our modest hotel room, we perused some options for supper and I was delighted to see that we were just a few miles from the Amish Door restaurant. I think the last time I was there it was about fifteen years ago, and it was a restaurant, bakery, and maybe a gift shop, so I was surprised to see how vast their empire had grown. It now had all those things, plus a bulk food store, hotel, banquet hall, dinner theatre, bed & breakfast, airport, and screen door factory. Okay, I'm exaggerating about the last two things, but the rest are all true-- it's a huge commercial complex. But the food was still good enough to be drawing in plenty of Anabaptist customers, although as my husband and I discussed later, it wasn't quite as good as our favorite Lancaster eateries.

Anyway, after a fitful night's sleep on the hardest mattress mankind ever created, we drove west to Wayne Co. past the wood furniture stores and cheese shops. My husband dropped me off here to have a look around while he drove elsewhere to pick up the stove:

Now, I've seen their catalog of course, but nothing could have prepared me for the sheer vastness of the actual Lehman's hardware store. It was an endless maze of of anything you could possibly imagine, and some things I would have never imagined such as a corner filled with Swiss cow bells, an enormous wall filled with every imaginable shape of cookie cutters, and a room filled with every type of laundry equipment imaginable. By the time my husband came back to Lehman's and found me, I was hauling a cart filled with kitchen items, books, and a pressure cannner that was on sale. Their book selection was phenomenal- I really had to exercise some restraint there.

There were many items that I would not have bought there only because I have seen them for far cheaper at Target and other places, but there were also a few items that I thought were very good deals.

We had to leave by noon in order to get on the road, but we took a quick peak across the road at the Kidron auction/flea market before leaving.

Even though I knew this would be a quick trip, I was still a bit melancholy that we couldn't stay longer and visit some more places, make some acquaintances, and attend church, but perhaps next time.

In And Around the Home This Week

03:55, Monday, November 3, 2008 .. Posted in Homemaking .. 4 comments .. Link

Most people probably think that I learned most of my homemaking skills from my mother. And although my mother is great at things domestic, and is my number one go-to person for advice on household matters, she did not teach me a single thing in the kitchen. She was (is!) a staunch perfectionist, who didn’t like a lot of distractions in the kitchen (distractions = children) and did not have the patience to teach anyone, anything, ever. Now, don’t think for a minute here that I am denigrating my mother in any way. She was (is!) a phenomenal mother, homemaker, and cook. She just didn’t have whatever that is that makes someone good at teaching someone else a skill, and frankly, that may be an inherited trait that she passed down. So how did I learn to make a pie, clean the house, and sew a dress? Diligence and hard work. I figured it out myself, read everything I could on whatever I wanted to learn, and asked questions of those who knew. (And fortunately, there are quite a few women in my family who not only want to teach you something, but insist that their way is the best and only way!)

Anyway, I actually think my mother did me a favor, of sorts. I am never intimidated to try something new, learn a new skill, or develop something unconventional. When you aren’t told the “right” way to do something, then you are free of rigid expectations and can figure out what works best for you.

Take for instance, sewing. Whoa to the person who thought they were going to show me how to sew clothing. With my dyscalculic eye and inability to accurately measure with a ruler, it would have taken a team of Scientists years to develop a way for me to comprehend the fundamentals of a solid seam. But when it came time to sew my own dresses, I only needed to examine one, study how it was put together, eye the measurements in my head, and then it was as easy as making the aforementioned pie. (Okay not quite that easy. Sewing was actually pretty hard, but you see my point.) The message I want to convey is, don’t be afraid to try, don’t be afraid to educate yourself, and pray move fearlessly into the path God has set before you and His will for your life. This is meant as a reminder to myself as well as an encouragement to others.

In the Kitchen: Making jelly or jam was never something that I did much of, and did not really need to make. There are quite a few people out there who are talented at this very thing, and so why not trade from them? But in the interest of trying something new, I made a beautiful batch of pear jelly this weekend. I don't yet know how it tastes, but with much relief have noted that it is setting properly.

On the Table: Wild mushrooms over noodles, crocks of french onion soup (made with real onion stock- not like they serve in restaurants which is really a canned beef stock), baked butternut squash, chocolate cake.

Around the Home: A few hours was all it took to finish cleaning out the garden this weekend (front flower bed, too.) Now out tomato cages are lined up like a marching parade in the back of the yard, and some random string still dangles from stakes. Now I'm thinking of all of the winter sewing projects I want to accomplish, a skirt to make, a new dress to cut out, and I finally figured out the perfect project for some of that old seed sack material that I purchased early in the summer: A cover for my mixer! Right now, I keep it covered with a couple old towel, and amazingly enough, dirt from the construction STILL gets in there. I am hoping a nice quilted cover will be more effective and look better, too. Now, if only I can remember where I put that material!

A Few Favorite Fall Recipes

12:34, Thursday, October 30, 2008 .. Posted in Recipes .. 1 comments .. Link

My mother is always e-mailing me recipes, especially pumpkin ones at this time of year. What is funny is that most aren't recipes that she has actually made, or is even requesting that I make them, but are just ones she thinks "look good" and so she passes them on to me. Last week it was a pumpkin bread pudding recipe, that turned out to be a saving grace in the face of some almost stale, crusty bread I wanted to use.

PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING
1 cup heavy cream (3/4 cup milk plus 1/3 cup butter as substitute)
3/4 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs plus 1 yolk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
Pinch of ground cloves
5 cups cubed (1-inch) day-old baguette or crusty bread
3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Whisk together cream, pumpkin, milk, sugar, eggs, yolk, salt, and spices in a bowl.

Toss bread cubes with butter in another bowl, then add pumpkin mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to an ungreased 8-inch square baking dish and bake until custard is set, 25 to 30 minutes.

To be fair, the same night I also made some pumpkin bars that did not turn out at all. Bar cookies are always a challenge to me, so it's hard to tell if the recipe was just bad or whether it was something I did. Anyway, the "bars" ended up as a big pumpkin pudding. Of course, it tastes good anyway.

My favorite side dish during this time of year is Roasted Grapes with thyme and honey. This is so delicious served with meat, and so fast and easy to make. Not to mention, it makes good use of all the seasonal seedless red grapes that are on sale right now:

1 pound red seedless grapes, rinsed and stems removed
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, stems removed (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 Tablespoon honey

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, gently mix the grapes with the olive oil, fresh thyme leaves, salt and pepper. Arrange the grape mixture on a large baking sheet in a single layer. Don't overcrowd the grapes on the sheet.

Bake the grapes at 400 degrees F, shaking the baking sheet occasionally until the skins begin to split, about 15 to 18 minutes. Remove the grapes from the oven and drizzle them with the honey. Serve the grapes immediately or let them stand at room temperature until you're ready to serve them.

A Few of My Favorite Cookbooks

08:30, Tuesday, October 28, 2008 .. Posted in Books .. 2 comments .. Link

There are a few people who work here at the library who confess that they just do not read books. In fact, they don't read anything. End of story. But there is one woman who does admit that she simply has unconventional reading habits...she reads cookbooks! Who could blame her? The wonderful motivation that a good cookbook can incite with all of those delicious looking pictures and inspirational ideas cannot be denied. I admit that there are many nights that I curled up in bed with a colorful book of recipes full of ideas and history, reading between the lines for the real story behind a carefully crafted dish. Each cookbook has a unique story of its own, an individual feel. There are too many admirable cookbooks to discuss in just one post, but I wanted to share a few of my favorite books here, so that you might be inspired or take a new look at some of your own old favorites.

The Wooden Spoon Cookbook, by Miriam Miller
I always joke that you can tell an authentic Amish cookbook by the unsafe canning recipes. That, and the casserole recipes that contain anything and everything, designed to really stretch the budget. This book is no exception, but it is also full of many classics. In some cases there are two or three recipes for the same item, and all of them remind me of family suppers and work frolics. A nice, simple collection punctuated by Miriam's childhood memories.

Laura Ingalls Wilder Country Cookbook
My copy of this beautifully photographed book was purchased at the Wilder museum in Mansfield, MO. And although I've yet to make a single thing from it (sadly!) I still take it off the shelf from time to time to reread it because it so so well done. The recipes were all Laura's, though they were reconfigured in a test kitchen for today's ovens. There is also some Ingalls-Wilder family lore and artifacts throughout the book, making it extra special. Reading this book is really like having supper with the Wilder family.

More-With-Less Cookbook by Doris Janzen Logacre
A classic, full of wonderful recipes contributed by many different people with the idea to use thrifty ingredients to make delicious and wholesome dishes. It's one I come back to time and time again, though, ironically, I've found the serving sizes to be rather small, so I immediately double them when cooking. Does that mean I'm making more with more? There is a tremendous variety of recipes in this book, and you are sure to find at least one or two that will become regulars in your menu plan.

Mennonite Country-Style Recipes and Kitchen Secrets by Esther H. Shank
Despite the odd title (I don't think anything in here is a secret!) this is a very complete book, that covers every aspect of cooking one can imagine, along with canning, and a large section of household tips. Although a few of these recipes haven't worked for me, many have, and the book has a solid reputation in the Mennonite community. It's on the shelf in every kitchen I've ever been in. My canned apple pie filling recipe? It's in here.

Good Housekeeping Favorite Recipes: Vegetarian Meals
If you are looking to stretch your budget by adding in a vegetarian recipe here and there, I can hardly think of a better place to start than this book which is full of easy and really delightful meals. Who doesn't love a delicious onion soup or grilled vegetable quesadilla? There is a photo of each dish to get you motivated, and I've found many fast and easy options i here that have made their way into my permanent collection. It's vegetarian for beginners, but if you are looking for a more complete rsource, run to your library and borrow How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman.

Also, I enjoy anything by Martha Stewart. She always challenges me to think of things a little differently, and I appreciate that she can not only explain how to perfect a certain cooking technique, but why it's important to the recipe. She's a good teacher in her books, and I appreciate that.

Of course, my favorite cookbook is a simple binder full of tried and true favorites, recipes handed down from Mom, and new found traditions I've discovered on my own. I'll definitely share a couple of my new favorites this week.

Welcome to my Kitchen

01:53, Monday, October 27, 2008 .. Posted in Homemaking .. 2 comments .. Link

This week I wanted to post more about kitchens and cooking and such things. Today I'm going to start with a fun meme from Kitty...

1. Do you have magnets on your fridge? Yes, many! Although I usually don't like a lot of things on my refrigerator, when my husband and I started traveling, he would collect magnets from our various destinations. People really enjoy "reading" our refrigerator door!

2. Do you have a calendar in your kitchen, if so, what's the theme of it? We have a country-themed calender near the kitchen, but since we don't have proper walls in our kitchen yet, we don't have anything decorative hung up.

3. What is your favorite kitchen gadget or tool? My pastry cutter.

4. Are you lucky enough to have a pantry of some kind? If a small bookshelf counts, then yes.

5.What is your favorite appliance? My electric can opener.

6. Do you have an eat in kitchen (table in it)? No.

7.Do you have a bread box? No.

8. Do you have a picture of your kids on the fridge? We don't put family photos on the fridge.

9. Do you ever cook breakfast in your PJs? Yes.

10. Do you have a favorite cookbook that you use? It's a three-ring binder book that I have filled with recipes that I use most often. The recipes come from various places. I also have a recipe card box with some favorites.

11. Are you lucky enough to have recipes that were passed down from your mom or grandma? Yes.

12. What's your favorite food? Corn- pop corn, casserole, on the cob. All types.

13. What's your favorite thing to cook? When I'm hungry, the fastest and easiest thing!

14. Is your coffee pot electric or stove top? Electric.

15. Do you ever make your own bread? Sometimes, and always by hand.

16. Name one thing that you have hanging on your wall in your kitchen. A fly swatter.

17. Is there a clock in your kitchen? Three of our appliances have clocks, but because of ongoing electrical work and the electricity being shut off from time to time, they are always incorrect.

18. Do you have a bowl of fruit sitting on your table or counter? Sometimes, or ripening tomatoes or peppers.

19. What type of canisters do you have? Some ceramic, some stainless steel.

20. Does your kitchen have a theme? "Construction in Progress."

21. What's for supper tonight? Slow cooker roast and vegetables.

22. Do you have enough cabinet space? No one ever does.

23. Does your family use paper plates? No.

24. Do you have a good set of china picked up? We have some fine china pieces, but we use them for everyday use. I don't have a set that are only for company or special occasions.

25. Do you wear an apron to work in your kitchen? Mostly when I'm baking.

26. Name one thing, if anything, that you would like to change about your kitchen. I'd like it to be complete. Ceiling, floors, you know, things people take for granted.

Laughs from the Library

08:30, Saturday, October 25, 2008 .. Posted in Library Life .. 3 comments .. Link

A sense of humor is imperative when it comes to being a librarian.

Take, for instance, the man who calls on the phone and sees that there is a DVD the library owns that he would like to borrow, but he cannot because the item is already checked out. He wants to know if "we" can call the person who has borrowed the DVD and see if they can bring it back today so that he can have it by tonight. I tell him that no, we can't do that, the item isn't even overdue and the person has a right to borrow it until the due date, and I suggest he place a hold on the item so that when it comes in it will be held for him. He goes along with this, "if that's the BEST we can do." Um, yes, it is.

More understandably, that is a common demand we get from children: "WHAT?? It's checked out??? Well do you know who has it?? Can you call them??" I wonder where children get these ideas?

Or the parent who wants to help with their child's school assignment, to the point where the child is no longer involved and the parent has taken over every aspect of completing the project, from the research to writing the paper. Parents of college students seem to be the worst. I have actually had a mother boast to me that she received an "A" on a philosophy paper she wrote for her daughter in college. I was unimpressed. But even these people can make you laugh with all of the energy they put into sheltering their grown "children" from having to do their own assignments.

I also get a kick out of the early morning pre-opening people who wait outside the library doors, sometimes in the cold and rain, until the doors open at nine or ten, depending on the day. They will read the sign posted outside with our hours on it, over and over, sometimes aloud. It's always the same people. And then, mistaking me for one of them, try to stop me from entering the building. "They're not open yet, Miss!" Once, a lady threw a tantrum outside because the library didn't open on that day until ten. She screamed from her car, "This is ridiculous! I'm going to the Holly Shade library!" We all got a kick out of that since their library doesn't open until noon.

Around the Home: Ah, blissfully we have heat! And, the bedroom is all ready for us to move into for the next 1-2 years (at which point we will have to move out of it temporarily in order to do something...I can't remember what.) We just need to set up the bed frame. But this is great news for now. My husband is busy weather-proofing the house today and closing up ceilings so our precious heat doesn't get wasted on the attic. Plans are all set for our trip out to Ohio in two weeks.

On the Table: Slow cooker chili and cornbread, leftover salad and broccoli rabe. It might be time for a pumpkin dessert this weekend...though my frozen pie crusts are longing to be filled with some rhubarb. We'll see...

Adventures in Home Improvement, or, These Things Happen Sometimes

11:45, Monday, October 20, 2008 .. Posted in Home Improvement .. 7 comments .. Link

Frost survivors.

What a weekend.

On Saturday I tore out 1/3 of the garden, and the compost pile is now taller than me. There was plenty to still be found- a box of tomatoes, a few decent green tomatoes, and the last of the peppers. I also scrubbed our empty bird feeders clean, repaired them, and refilled them with seeds from the sunflowers we had grown. After supper, I hemmed two skirts. But the really taxing part of the past couple days has been living without heat. Well, we do have a tiny space heater that gives off some warmth, but due to circumstances beyond our control, it's darn cold in our house. When my husband went to reconnect the fuel line from the oil tank the other day, he discovered that the tank is full of sediment and junk, possibly as a result of having been moved months ago. This was a terrible discovery, and I felt bad for him when he announced that there was a problem since I know he had worked hard on it, cleaning the fuel line and replacing the filter. It just wasn't his fault, when you are renovating your ancient house and things get moved, these things sometimes happen. Sigh.

Anyway, the fuel company will be out this week to help. Last night we got our first frost.

Meanwhile, there have been some benefits to our cold house if you look hard enough. For instance, the epidemic of flies that we suffer (mostly from the pig farm up the road)? Gone.

Also, baked goods that need to be put away cool off very quickly, and you can keep any item that requires refrigeration on the counter for hours and it stays fresh. It's the perfect circumstances for making a vanilla pie, which requires the filling be cooled before you pour it into the unbaked pie shell. And then when it came out of the oven it cooled off fast again. So that's what I did this morning.

It's also the perfect excuse to buy a set of flannel sheets, which I found on sale this weekend and I can't wait to put them on the bed. Flannel sheets were a way of life during my teen years, as we lived in a very cold house by a lake that only had propane and kerosene space heaters as the main source of heat in the house. It was common that I would get dressed in the morning under the covers in the bed! So I told my husband that my days of dealing with various space heaters are long over, and we need to get this tank hooked up fast so we will be warm until the wood stove arrives next month. Did I mention that we also have a huge credit on our oil bill? We need to be using that pre-paid fuel right now.

On the Table: I have gotten into the habit of serving grilled cheese with tomato sandwiches with every meal, since we have plenty of bread and cheese, and it's a good way to keep using up those tomatoes. I think it's cute that it's the first thing my husband eats when we sit down to supper.

Around the Home: Finding places for all of the canned goods that resulted from our harvest. Mainly, they have ended up in the room we use as an office, scattered on the floor or shoved into book cases or corners. Some are up high, some are down low. Oh to some day have a pantry! It reminds me of an article I recently read on the blessings of a small home. The 1,300 square foot house mentioned in the article sounded big to me until the writer mentioned her nine children! I would love to track that woman down and ply her with question on where to put things.

In and Around the Home This Week

12:00, Monday, October 13, 2008 .. Posted in Homemaking .. 3 comments .. Link

Although we are still enjoying mild temperatures here, thoughts of heating for the winter are on our minds. At this time last year, we could easily turn on the oil heat and enjoy the warmth radiating through the vents, but I have learned that when renovating a home, progress comes with a price, and things sometimes get very inconvenient right before something improves dramatically. For instance, we had no exterior lights outside our home for the longest time. When it was dark and we needed to go out, you could find me fumbling around outside with a flashlight. Now, we have floodlights so numerous and bright that I am certain it scares planes flying over our house when the exterior lights are turned on.

But for stories of unplanned inconvenience, nothing beats the tale of the oil tank. In order to build our new back step and back door (which I really really love) my husband had to move an oil tank away from the house and out into the yard. And if that wasn't hard enough, the tank had oil in it, which had to somehow be drained before the tank could be moved. My husband actually took it upon himself to drain the tank and store the oil so the tank could be easily moved and the back door could be built. Well, wouldn't you know, that during the summer, while the oil tank was sitting out in the yard unconnected to the house, the oil company came by and filled the tank?

Who would have thought?

It turned out that every year in the late summer months the oil company gets a jump on the heating season by running around and filling everyone's tank...even errant tanks in the middle of yards that are not connected to a house. So, my husband went out and purchased some sort of long pipe to reconnect the tank to the house from where it is, so we can use the oil in it all up and move the tank back to the correct location.

And now we have all this oil with a wood stove on the way, too. I couldn't have imagined that we would be so overly prepared to heat our home this winter. (Not that I'm complaining.) And if the results are anything like the floodlight project, this will be a very warm house.

In the Kitchen: I am using up some of those last garden gleanings to make quarts of chow chow relish. My recipe uses lots of green tomatoes, and it feels good to get some mileage out of those things that are out there on the vines. Supper happenings were tomato-cheddar bread, spaghetti squash, seafood chowder, chocolate layer cake. There is also an odd plant in my kitchen by the window: I read somewhere that if you plant a green onion in a pot and water it like any plant, and then only cut off the green parts, it will keep growing and you won't need to buy scallions anymore. Has anyone tried this?

Around the Home: Picking up on winter sewing and other forgotten projects. So many things get put on hold during the summer months and it's so nice to have more time to spend writing letters, visiting with family and friends, and tending to all those corners of clutter that accumulate in the busy garden months.

Recipe:

Orange Almond* Bread
*you can use any kind of nut, it's just that I had sliced almonds on hand!

3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp. grated orange peel
2 T melted butter
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Sift flour. Add baking powder, salt, and sugar. Sift again. In a separate bowl, combine egg, milk, and butter, then add to flour mixture. Fold in orange peel and nuts. Stir until mixed. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 375 for one hour. Enjoy this with your favorite spread.

Real Amish Reads

12:59, Friday, October 10, 2008 .. Posted in Books .. 3 comments .. Link

Thank you to everyone who took the time to express interest in a list of Amish books. I never get tired of recommending good books, and in this case, I love to recommend books that are authentic and are more reflective of Amish reading habits rather than the current crop of popular light romance books that take place in an Amish setting. While Amish women do read many of the same Christian fiction books that you do (they get borrowed from their local bookmobile or library), I wanted to show my readers what books you might actually find on bookshelves in Amish homes. This list is by no means complete, but is a good place to start if you are interested in real Amish literature.

So without further delay, here are some of my recommendations:

Tobias of the Amish and it s sequel Emma: A Widow Among the Amish by Ervin R. Stutzman (true stories)

Anything by author Jerry S. Eicher, such as Sarah, Rebecca's Promise, etc. (novels)

Finding the Way, by Barbara Yoder

Eyes at the Window, by Evie Yoder Miller (fiction based on a true event)

Growing Up in an Amish Jewish Cult series by Patricia Hochstetler (a much talked about book series in some Amish communities right now.)

Rosanna of the Amish, by Joseph W. Yoder (Who also wrote Fixing Tradition.)

Amish Soul on Ice by John M. Keim (autobiography)

Just Plain People: Tails and Truths of Amish Life, by Eli R. Beachy (If I recall, this author got in trouble for writing a little too much of the truth...)

House Calls and Hitching Posts by Dorcas Sharp Hoover. (true)

Levi's Will, by W. Dale Cramer (fiction with some events based on the author's family.)

The Unwanted Son and The Forsaken Child, both by Benuel M. Fisher

Margaret's Print Shop by Elwood E. Yoder (historical novel)

The Mist Will Lift by Ruth Sauder (Old Order Mennonite novel)

Nobody's Kate by Carol Duerkesen and Maynard Knepp (novel)

No Strange Fire by Ted Wojtasik (novel based on true event)

Trials and Triumphs by Barbara Chupp (true story of a woman left alone to raiser her family.)

Sunshine and Shadow: Our Seven Years in Honduras by Joseph Stoll (about an attempt to start an Amish community in Honduras).

Choice Stories for the Family (formerly titled Sabbath Readings for the Home Circle) (Stories and poems for families, lessons teaching obedience, kindness, and affection to brothers and sisters.)

Shelter Me Safe, by Sheryle Lehman (a young girl's journey of faith through difficult times...based on true events.)

Home Life on the Prairie, by Susan Hochstetler (An account of an Amish family's move from a community in Montana to Oklahoma in 1985)

The Cost of the Crown by Claudia Esh (novel taking place during the Reformation)

Increase my Faith by Maureen Huber (Faith building stories for all ages)

Ben's Wayne by Levi Miller

Dr. Frau: A Woman Doctor Among the Amish by Grace Kaiser

If you have a difficult time finding any of these books or would like more information on any of the titles, just contact me and I will try to help.

Plainly speaking, if you are used to reading the Beverly Lewis type-Amish fiction, many of these books may bore you, or you just might not find them as interesting. Books that are written by plain people for plain people usually contain extensive family connections and historical events that have meaning to few people outside Amish circles. If you read this list and still can't find anything that peaks your interest, I'd encourage you to check out anything by Carrie Bender, such as the Miriam's Journal series. If you like Carrie's books you might also like books by Mary Christner Borntrager such as Ellie or Rebecca or Rachel (and so many others.).

Also, as research for writing her book Plain Truth, Jodi Picoult lived with an Amish family and I think it shows in the details of her story. There is also a new author, Cindy Woodsmall, who wrote a trilogy called Sisters of the Quilt. As an outsider who writes about Amish and Mennonites, she also seems to do a better than average job.

Maybe in a future post I'll talk about some of my favorite cookbooks. There are so many good ones.

Give-Away winner & In and Around the Home This Week

12:43, Wednesday, October 8, 2008 .. 3 comments .. Link

Wow, there were 101 entries int he giveaway. Numbers were assigned as you entered the giveaway. A random number generator mysteriously drew a winner, and Congratulations to...

#98 is Deutschmum!

Please contact me ASAP so I can send you your goodies!

In the Kitchen: When canning season is done I love returning to baking, which always gets pushed aside during the summer when we tend to rely more on ice cream for treats and less on baked items. This week I made an orange and almond nut bread which tastes even better with some apple butter spread on a slice. It's a fast breakfast. There were also enough cherry tomatoes to eat over pasta with cubed mozzarella, and some seedless red grapes roasted and topped with a little honey for a tasty side dish.

In the Garden: I am still gleaning a few peppers and tomatoes from the vegetable patch, and there are still greens out there that are doing just fine. With the green tomatoes and recently pulled carrots and peppers, there is plenty to make some delicious end-of-the-garden relish and casseroles. A strong wind came through last week and shook our black walnut trees good, so there are also plenty of nuts on the ground. I haven't had much time to continue that project though, and with nuts curing in every dark corner of our house, I'm not sure how much more I will do.

Around the Home: It sure has gotten chilly around here. Do you ever have those mornings where you step outside and it is actually colder in your house than it is outdoors? That is what if has been feeling like here. Unfortunately, our trip out to Ohio, where we will pick up our wood stove, had to be pushed up a month due to our busy schedules. That's fine as we can use the time to continue preparing our home for the changes that will take place in the coming month. But for someone like me who despises the cold, that stove can't get here soon enough.

On the Nightstand: A Mending at the Edge by Jane Kirkpatrick (Novel based on the life of a woman sent to Oregon Territory in the 1850's to help start a communal society. Only on page 20...so far, so good.)

Christmas Give-away

07:53, Wednesday, October 1, 2008 .. Posted in Books .. 34 comments .. Link

Thank you to everyone who gave me such encouragement for my writing project. I have taken it in prayer to the Lord and am seeking His guidance on whether this is the right time to start writing a book. Meanwhile, please know that I am working on compiling a list of non-generic Amish books that will be posted soon. It is such a blessing to recommend good Christian books to others!

Now, as promised, I have a special giveaway to help start your holiday season. Now, what would somebody like me give away? Well, books, to start with! The lucky winner will receive :

Two books: The warm and inviting novel "A Redbird Christmas" by Fannie Flagg, which is a charming story of faith at Christmas time. The other book is Debbie Mumm's "Joyful Traditions for the Holidays" which is a beautifully photographed collection of simple homemade Christmas ideas for decorating, treats, and gifts. The Mumm book also includes patterns for some projects. It's a fun book to look through and have around throughout the season. Neither book is heavy reading, they are both light and joyful and meant to enhance the time of year that we rejoice in our Savior. Both books are hardback. While cozy in your favorite reading chair, you might enjoy a cup of hot tea, which is why I am also throwing in a box of cinnamon honey sticks (100% natural, made with clover honey). Empty one into your tea or give them to your children as delicious snacks. Finally, I'll add a packet of Christmas Aroma to simmer on the stove and make your house smell wonderful with hardly any effort. I also reserve the right to throw in any extra goodies at the last minute.

If by chance you have already read one of the books mentioned, you can still enter. Just let me know and I'll be happy to send a different title.

How to enter: So simple, just leave a comment here and that gives you one entry. Mention my giveaway on your blog, and you'll receive and additional 5 entries. On October 8th I'll draw a winner.

Reading the Amish

11:12, Friday, September 26, 2008 .. Posted in Library Life .. 9 comments .. Link

Another librarian at work told me that I needed to order more Amish fiction, that our patrons are asking for it. Truthfully, I was aware of this, but only recently was I able to do something more about it other than donate my own used Christian books to the library collection. And there is another part of me that, truthfully, despises Amish fiction because there is so little of it that has been written by people who are, or were, actually Amish. The books that are written by real Amish people for Amish people are usually self-published, receive little promotion, and are in fact somewhat off the radar of the mainstream publishing world. Those are the Amish books I love. Books written by Lewis, Brunstetter, and company, tend to be the least believable and overly romanticized as examples of Amish fiction. But in defense of those authors, they are writing for their readers who want to read about light romance and idyllic escapes, and not messy truths.

A woman is coming to our library in a few weeks to give a presentation on "Amish traditions." Not only is this woman charging us a few hundred dollars to deliver her perception of Amish ways, but her experience is nothing more than having lived in the same geographical area as some Amish and having some business dealings with them. It's a claim many could make.

I have thought about writing a book about my own family, the years I lived with my Amish aunt, so many memories. Like the time I ran out into the field to run along side my Uncle's wagon as he mowed hay, waving my college acceptance letter, and seeing his face fall in sadness. My heart dropped and then sang as his expression quickly rebounded into happiness for his agasinish (stubborn) Mennonite niece. Like so many things, the prospect of writing even a semi-autobiographical account brings up conflicted feelings. There is a part of me that wants to write about now, today, and anticipation for the future, and not rehash what once was. And as someone so distant and removed from that life today, how would I feel to make money off of the Amish name? Deeply embarrassed. Yet, I have to acknowledge that people who have lived the Old Order experience are exactly the people who should be writing those books. Not people who have lived in "Amish communities" or have "Amish friends", but people who have walked with and among the horse and buggy people in an intertwined heritage.

The drive to write has haunted me since I was old enough to hold a pencil. It was easily channeled during my years of higher education, and resulted in some published academic work in grad school. Yet, the full story of what God is doing in my life today is almost impossible to tell without the backdrop of an ever-present past.

Getting back to "Amish fiction", which is a relatively new label. It's encouraging that so many people are interested in wholesome Christian fiction. But while fiction is by its very design mere fantasy, I'm still saddened that so many readers can be drawn into those popular Amish paperbacks and take them as gospel. Do they also hunger for the Lord's word, and if not, will these books point the way?

By the way, I do think there is some good Amish fiction out there, and if anyone is interested, perhaps I'll post a list sometime.

Frugal: The Good, The Bad, and the Thrifty

04:43, Tuesday, September 23, 2008 .. Posted in Homemaking .. 2 comments .. Link

Like most of you, I enjoy collecting tips that help save us money or make life easier. Many of these ideas are very interesting to me, not only because they may actually work, but because occassionally, they are just out-right out-there. By varying degrees, they range from those that might save a few pennies (at the expense of an enormous hassle and time investment) to the outright just not doable. One extreme example of this phenomena was the suggestion in a book I read that instead of buying a salad spinner, one could use an old pillow case. How? By putting your damp veggies in a pillow case, stepping out on to your back porch, and twirling the sack over your head until your salad is "spun."

Can you really see yourself doing that? Even better, what if you were doing it and someone you knew drove by and saw you?

Another popular one making the rounds has to do with those fabric softener sheets you put in the dryer. Some shoppers buy a box of them and cut the sheets in half to automatically double the box, since half a sheet works just as well as one. Here's a secret: Skip buying the sheets altogether, and spray a rag with some diluted fabric softener (you can make your own with white vinegar and a little essence oil for scent) and throw that in the dryer. You can use it again and again. Or just hang your clothes outside to dry.

For me, frugal means making the most out of what I already have, getting the most for what I paid for, and at the end of the day, spending less than what we make. Nothing more than that. And if it takes a lot of time and complicates things needlessly, then it isn't very frugal.

In the Garden: We are getting a second crop of cherry tomatoes which are even bigger and more flavorful than the first! The slightly cooler temperatures seem to be the cause. Larger varieties are ripening on the vine, but I am more than ready for things to slow down. The ground is so parched and hard from the dry summer we had, it is hard to do the few things that still need to be done.

On the Table: Big roasted vegetable sandwiches with mozzarella cheese on crusty bread, stewed tomatoes, leftover gumbo, and homemade brownies made by my Mom.

Around the Home: Putting away any canning jars that didn't get used this time, continuing the black walnut project, and passing the latest round of building inspection. I'll also be looking to schedule some days set aside for winter sewing in the coming weeks. Oh, and planning my Christmas giveaway here on October 1.

On the Nightstand: "Twist of Faith" by Anne Beiler. A story that shows that our God is a God of second chances.

Autumn musings

02:30, Friday, September 19, 2008 .. Posted in Recipes .. 1 comments .. Link

"Your toes are going to freeze today," said my friend as she glanced down at my summer-worn sandals.

"It's still summer!" I reminded her, and lifted a box of Jonagold apples into the trunk of my car, an action and item which of course practically invalidated my point.

We agreed that, it is still officially summer, and we are both stubborn enough to hang on to every last ounce of our favorite season. But as I let go of carefree sunny days, garden hoses, flip-flops, and a million other warm weather things worth loving, I make a good-faith effort to retune my senses. I will try to be grateful that, at least, cooler weather gives us a time to slow down and spend more time getting things done indoors. And lets face it, it's only another three months before seed catalogs start filling the mail box again.

Here are some minor (yet important) things I'd like to accomplish this Fall. Maybe some of you can find common ground with this list:

Make a cup of hot tea, sit down, and drink it while reading something.
Reorganize the pantry (really just some shelves in the kitchen) and the kitchen cabinets.
Sew at least one new dress for winter.
Make jelly for Christmas gifts.
Return the phone calls of out of state family members who called me back in August to wish me a happy birthday and never got a return call. (partially because we were so busy, and partially because I dislike talking on the phone. It is much more likely I will send you a note rather than call you.)
Go back to practicing my Bible memory verses more consistently.
Enjoy our new wood stove, which is all ready for pick up, and we hope to get out there in the next few weeks to get it and bring it home.
Spread some wildflower seeds and plant some daffodil bulbs.
Give that stove one last thorough scrub down when the bulk canning is done.

Last night, after accidentally greasing the wrong sized pan, I decided to use the pan for making Apple Goodie. There is nothing better this time of year than a warm apple dessert. My recipe is a slightly modified version that comes from the good old Mennonite Community cookbook. This is a close copy:

Ingredients:

1/2 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 qt. sliced apples

Mix together sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon and apples. Press into a cake pan.

Topping:

1 c. oatmeal
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. flour
1/4 tsp. soda
1/3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. butter

Mix dry ingredients and cut in butter. Put on top. Bake at 350° until nice and brown. Serve warm with ice cream.

In and Around the Very Busy Home This Week

10:10, Tuesday, September 16, 2008 .. Posted in Homemaking .. 3 comments .. Link

This was the busiest past couple of weeks I can recall since planting time. There was church business to tend to right in the middle of canning. Also, my poor husband stuck his foot through a ceiling panel while installing an attic window, creating a huge hole and creating a mess. Even worse, it was the ceiling panel right over our bed! On Saturday evening I used muscles I never knew I had to hold a drywall panel in place while my husband nailed away. It was appallingly hot here this past weekend- a page out of midsummer. Our clothing was soaked through with sweat, and we must have looked awfully humorous (and extremely dirty) standing on dual ladders as we nailed this heavy panel in place.

With our first frost date less than a month away, I am trying to hurry and harvest whatever is out there in the overgrown, declining garden. And of course Spring bulbs are on my mind, and winter sewing sneaks in there somewhere, and then Christmas is coming....(which reminds me, I'll be doing a Christmas giveaway on October 1st, so watch this space.)

But you get the point, it is just hectic.

We also have to plan a trip out to Ohio next month to pick up our wood stove. This will help out greatly this winter as we have an endless supply of wood. Work is still progressing in the room that will be our bedroom.

In the Kitchen: In the midst of pickling peppers, canning that corn relish from our corn, and preserving left and right, I attempted to make stewed tomatoes for my husband. Now, you might find this strange, but I've never made them, never ate them, and none of my cookbooks have a recipe for stewed tomatoes. Even my vintage homemaking books from the 1950's lacked instructions for stewed tomatoes. (And you would think that a book containing a recipe for stewed prunes would follow through with a tomato variation, but no.) So, if you have a treasured stewed tomato recipe, please pass it on. Thank you.

On the Table: Something called "Cheeseburger Meatloaf" which contained relish, mustard, ketchup, and cheese, homemade buttered noodles, corn and cabbage salad, peach crumb pie.

In the Garden: We're still getting quite a few large tomatoes and peppers, but things are definitely slowing down. My zinnias are still blooming bright and pretty in the front flower garden, but the wilted sunflowers tell the real story.

Something Helpful: When I was trying to downsize a recipe from an enormous quantity to a more manageable one, I found this online recipe adjuster to be extremely helpful!

Black Walnuts: In the beginning...

03:10, Monday, September 15, 2008 .. Posted in Harvest .. 4 comments .. Link

A few posts back I mentioned that we are starting to harvest the fruits of the black walnut tree. We are only in the first phase of harvest, but things are going well.

Here is a perfect black walnut, fallen from the tree, wrapped in its thick green husk.

You need to get the husk off, and the fastest and easiest way to do that is to run over them with your car. I know that sounds funny, but it seems to be the universally accepted way to do this. It helps if you have a gravel driveway, like we do, or else the walnuts can shoot out from under your tires and take out a window or an onlooker's eye or something.

Next, put on the gloves and peel off that husk. There is a juicy brown liquid inside of the husk which will stain your hands and clothing, so you have to wear something you absolutely don't care about. Then you discard the husks in the trash as they can't be composted.

Then, you set them in the sun to dry. This is a very important step, as failure to dry the nuts will result in a moldy mess.

When they're dry, you can bring them inside, place them in a net, and let them cure for a few weeks in a cool, dark place. Once the nuts are cured, you can crack them and extract the meat. If you sell the meat directly, like at a farmer's market, you can make a nice profit on the side. But our black walnut meat is just for our baking pleasure.

A Public Service Announcement to Parents Everywhere

03:44, Thursday, September 11, 2008 .. 4 comments .. Link

Parents, Home Educators, and Teachers,

Does your child have trouble with math? I mean, very basic math?

And, you know there is nothing wrong because your child has trouble mainly with just this one subject? Your child might be five, fifteen, or twenty-five, and just doesn't get basic math concepts. They have difficulty telling time, counting money, figuring out multiplication tables, and you can just forget algebra. They can't understand written directions, read maps, and often can't recall the steps of how to do something just minutes after you have show them.

In fact, their short term memory in general is pretty bad.

You can't figure it out. Your child is not "dumb". In fact, they are ahead of everyone else in language arts. They actually achieve high scores in most things...just not math. Maybe they need to apply themselves more? Maybe they're just not paying attention?

Maybe this doesn't describe your child, but it describes YOU.

I need to tell you that your child may have an insidious learning disability that is actually more common than Dyslexia. It is insidious because it affects their ability to visually process numbers only, so your child excels in most other subjects, causing frustration and wonder. Your child's IQ is actually normal or higher. They are likely creative, poetic, and good with second languages.

They may have Dyscalculia, a learning disability that affects the visual processing of numbers and is recognized in the DSM-IV manual as the numerical cousin of Dyslexia, but Dyscalculia has not received nearly the same amount of attention and publicity.

4-6% of the world's population has Dyscalulia. Scientists are only now learning to effectively identify this learning disability.

They know it is likely caused by a malformation in the parietal lobes of the cerebral cortex. In other words, unless you have suffered head trauma, you are simply born this way.

As a Dyscalculic, I am deeply anguished when I meet teachers who are completely unaware that this learning disability exists. No one should have to spend years and years as I did, feeling stupid, until one day, well into college, a math professor expressed that a numerical learning disability might be a factor. If you think that anything I said here applies to one of your children or to yourself, then please take a moment to explore some of these links and educate yourself about Dyscalculia. The more you know, the better you can find learning startegies that will help your child.

http://www.ldanatl.org/aboutld/parents/ld_basics/dyscalculia.asp

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/dyscalculia.html

http://www.learninginfo.org/dyscalculia.htm

One minute video about Dyscalculia:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBajVoq2gu0&feature=related

How a Dyscalculic sees numbers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xg7Pj-Rsc_c&NR=1

I believe homeschooling in particular offers a unique advantage in identifying and working with learning disabilities. All that is needed is an awareness.

In and Around the Home and Recipe

08:28, Monday, September 8, 2008 .. Posted in Homemaking .. 1 comments .. Link

This morning my husband asked me to help him pull some electrical wire in our future bedroom. It turned out to be more than I bargained for, a full scale project involving strength, tools, and sweat. There was so much else to do before heading off to the library, I couldn't believe that standing on a step-stool and debating the number of electrical outlets my husband is installing (are we plugging in Las Vegas?) was how I would spend the morning. Next, I went out to check the garden to pull tomatoes and our late corn which was very ripe. We pulled out the corn stalks after we picked everything. It did amazingly well considering I never bothered to spray it. Finally, a gusty wind over the weekend had dropped quite a few black walnuts, so I needed to work on husking a pile before leaving. You can't let them sit or else the husk turns black and hardens into the shell.

Speaking of tomatoes, V. from Idaho has posted a delicious tomato soup recipe in the comments section of my previous post which I am going to repost here for all to see. This looks so good, I can't wait to make a double batch next weekend to freeze some:

All Over the Wall Tomato Soup

4 c fresh chopped tomatoes
1 small onion (saute in a little butter for 3 min)
1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 c chicken broth
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp salt, or to taste
2 tsp white sugar, or to taste
1/2 c half & half (or more for a creamier taste)

Directions:
In a stockpot, over med. heat, combine the toms, onion, garlic, cloves, and broth. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for about 20 min. Remove from heat and add to blender and puree making sure the lid is on very tight and that you are holding it down!

In the empty stock pot, melt the butter over med. heat. Stir in the flour to make a roux, cooking and stirring until the roux is a medium brown. Gradually, whisk in a bit of the tomato mixture, so that no lumps form, then stir in the rest. Season with sugar and salt, adjusting to taste. Just before serving stir in the half & half.

By the way, I've added an e-mail link under my picture for those who would like to get in touch or send recipes off-blog. Thank you so much for all of you who stop by and visit. I really appreciate your comments and kind words.

In the Kitchen: That corn we pulled will make some tasty corn relish. This weekend past I started canning applesauce, apple pie filling, and peach pie filling. It was hot and hectic in our little rectangular box of a kitchen, even with the ceiling fan running full blast.

On the Table: Our carrots in a ginger raisin sauce, spinach and artichoke pasta, homemade guacamole with corn chips, oreo ice cream dessert.

In the Garden: Spinach and lettuces doing well. I'm already thinking about Spring bulbs and where I might be able to squeeze in daffodils. After last year's disaster with moles eating so many of my bulbs, they're the only thing I feel safe planting for over the winter.

Just Wondering: Do any of you have a favorite variety of apple that you use for making apple jelly?