By Kevin Williams
It is fun to browse through the aisles of Etsy to see what Amish-themed goodies can be found. And I have some good ones to showcase today:
AMISH LEATHER FLYSWATTER: Flyswatters, in general, I think, are kind of gross. I haven’t used one in years. But they used to be a staple in our house, and at my grandmothers, and, I suppose, sometimes you just need to have one around. Well, if I were going to have one around, it’d probably be this one. A pure black leather Amish-made flyswatter. Rather sleek. Click here to see.
Holy moly, look at all those apples!
AMISH DOOR BROWN BAG APPLE PIE: The Amish Door is a tourist staple in Wilmot, Ohio, at the northern gateway to Ohio’s Amish Country in Holmes County. If you can’t make it to the Amish Door, it can make it to you in the form of some baked goodies. Man, this apple pie looks amazing. Click here to read more and order.
AMISH PEACH BUTTER: Man, I bet this is awesome. Try this.
AMISH-MADE WOODEN WAGON: This would be tempting to order. My girls would probably love it. This Amish wagon was made in Mercer County, PA, home to a large Amish settlement near New Wilmington, which mainly in neighboring Lawrence County, but spills over into Mercer. Take a look at this beautiful craftsmanship.
Kalona Heritage Cookbook
KALONA HERITAGE COOKBOOK: Now, this would be a great cookbook to own. It was published in the early 1980s, so I imagine you are still getting a lot of great recipes from old-timers in that book, old-time cooks born around the turn of the 20th century. This era, in my opinion, is where you get those rich, great authentic recipes passed down from old-time cooks. Here is more information about this cookbook and cultural compendium.
From the Kalona Heritage Cookbook, KATIE MILLER’S GROUND BEEF CASSEROLE:
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 1 /2 pounds ground beef
- 4 medium raw potatoes, sliced
- 16 ounces kidney beans
- ¼ cup cooked rice
- 1 can condensed tomato soup
- 1 soup can water
- Brown onion and ground beef.
- Pour into a casserole dish and then add potatoes, beans, rice, and seasonings to taste.
- Top with soup mixed with water for 30 minutes.
- VARIATION: cook and mash the potatoes Mix with 4 ounces of cream cheese and a cup of sour cream. Put on top of casserole before baking.
