Amish in the News: Amish Community Cookbook, Hutterite Happenings, Mama Mary, and More!

By Kevin Williams

AMISH COMMUNITY COOKBOOK:  This is a super new cookbook showcasing Amish recipes. And the best thing is that a portion of proceeds from the sale go to the Mennonite Central Committee.  So you can get some great recipes while helping a great cause.  To order the easy-to-use lay-flat, spiral-bound book, click our Amazon affiliate link here.  To read more about the book and to get three sample recipes (including saucy barbecued meatballs and baked oatmeal!) click here.

MAMA MARY SCHMUCKER - RETURN TO AMISH  - I had a long phone conversation with Mary Schmucker from Return to Amish a couple of years ago.  She is a colorful character that is for sure. You can read her take on the latest installments of the show here.

AMISH TRAGEDY:  This is a heartbreaking tragedy that just underscores the dangers inherent in rural farm life.  Let's keep this family in our thoughts and prayers. Click here to read more.

BIZARRE:   An obviously mentally disturbed non-Amish man barged into the home of an elderly Amish couple and started spraying a fire extinguisher while claiming some sort of religious reason.  Probably was quite scary for them, although it sounds like they kept their cool.  Click here to read more.

HUTTERITES

For newbies here, the Amish are part of an umbrella group of Protestant Reformation religions that believe in adult baptism, the Amish and Mennonites are the best known, but another closely connected group are the Hutterites.  They dress plainly and speak German, but they embrace more technology and live communally, generally in the Dakotas and Montana in the USA and throughout the Canadian breadbasket.  Here are two Hutterite stories in the news:

HUTTERITE GIRL WINS ESSAY CONTEST:  Pretty cool, a Hutterite fifth grade girl won a state-wise Arbor Day essay contest. Click here to read more.

SERENADING: A group of Hutterite children serenaded some seniors in a Canadian retirement home.  I bet that was some amazing a cappella harmony, would have been interesting to hear a snippet it and compare it to some of the Amish singing we've heard. Click here to read more.