DUTCH GLOW AMISH WOOD GLOW MILK: This is a product we've discussed before on this site. But recently the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ran some reader reviews of it and it seemed to get neutral to good reviews. Certainly doesn't seem like it could do any harm but, sheesh, talk about trading off the Amish name. The connection to the Amish seems sketchy, although this is supposed to be some Amish man's old secret family formula. I don't know...I'm still not sold, but maybe I'll try it sometime. Any of our readers tried it? Click here to read what the Pittsburgh Tribune Review said.
AMISH SPECIAL NEEDS KIDS: An article has been running on the wires the past few days about how a public school system in Missouri is working with the local Amish parochial school to help students with special needs and seeing some great results. Click here to read more.
BEAUTIFUL GRABILL: This is a photo essay from the News-Sentinel in Fort Wayne, Indiana from the settlement of Grabill. Grabill is a heavily Swiss influenced Amish settlement just outside of Fort Wayne and a photographer visited there Thursday morning - a perfect spring dawn - and captured some wonderfully serene images. Click here to enjoy!
BOLIVIAN MENNONITES: This is actually a very good story about an insular Mennonite settlement in Bolivia and well worth the read. I 'm left scratching my head a bit because it's a great story, but only one photo and the story seems so short that I'm wondering why the paper bothered to even go there at all. I feel like I'm missing something. Still, the story is good , the one photo is interesting and this is worth a read....click here to enjoy!
AMISH HAYSTACKS: Boy, whoever lives in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota - or anywhere near there - you are lucky, lucky! There simply aren't that many opportunities like this among the Amish but in your county you have one every month! The second Friday of every month the Amish host a supper open to the public in exchange for a donation. The funds go to help operate the local school. This month the meal was a haystack. Click here to see a delicious picture and to read more.
Haystacks are quite popular among the Amish and each recipe is a little different,but it's basically a "pile meal" where you just pile a bunch of different things in layers on your plate. The prep time for a haystack is long because you have to get all the ingredients ready and in bowls ahead of time, the cook time below is for hamburger, your whole haystack does not need cooking!:) Here is a sample recipe:
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 package (¼ ounce) taco seasoning mix
- 1 jar (14-ounce) tomato sauce
- 2 cups crushed soda crackers or saltines
- 1 bag (9-ounces) tortilla chips, crushed
- 2 cups hot cooked rice, prepared as label directs
- 1 head iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced
- 2 cups diced tomatoes
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup sliced, pitted ripe olives
- 1 cup diced green pepper
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup crumbled cooked bacon
- 1 cup sunflower seeds
- 1 jar (11 ounces) salsa
- In 12-inch skillet, brown ground beef with taco seasoning over medium-high heat.
- Add tomato sauce; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered, until most of liquid evaporates.
- Mix crushed crackers and tortilla chips in a bowl.
- Place ground-beef mixture, rice, and remaining ingredients in individual bowls.
- Allow guests to serve themselves, layering as follows: lettuce, crushed crackers/chips, meat mixture, rice, tomatoes, carrots, onions, olives, pepper, celery, cheese, bacon, sunflower seeds and salsa.
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