Amish in the News: Digital Detox, Apple Crumb Pie for the Fourth of July, Hex Signs, and Much More!

By Kevin Williams

We have a mix of stories today, so let's get right to it!

AMISH GUESTHOUSES:  I am so glad this is being done.  First, I often get asked by people about the possibilities and logistics at staying at an Amish-owned bed and breakfast or Amish-owned inn.   Amish-owned are fairly hard to find (but they do exist), but Mennonites are a bit more receptive to the practice and you'll still get an amazing Plain experience.

Since I became a Dad I just don't get out as much to visit Amish communities like I used to.  Once the kids get a little bit older, I expect I will more again.  But reading this article about the guesthouses helped reconnect me to the reasons why I still do this.  Let me put it to you this way, there's just something so amazing about "stepping off the grid" and spending time with genuine people who are steeped in rich faith and family traditions and you're out in nature on a warm summer day.  It's just an incredible experience and I'm blessed to have had it many, many, many times.  A couple of websites in Lancaster County are helping connect people with Amish and Mennonite-owned guest cottages.  These places offer "digital detox", you'll have to untether yourself from your smartphone and Ipad and just soak in your surroundings.  Sounds amazing. Click here to read more.

MILLIE'S TOFFEE PEACH PIE:   Hmmmm, I'm not sure about this.  I love peach pie.  I like toffee.  But I'm not sure about combining the two. What do you think? Millie Otto is an Amish writer in Illinois, you can check out her latest column and the peach-toffee pie recipe here.  

NEW MUSICAL AT THE BLUE GATE:  Not really my thing, although I'm sure I'd enjoy it.  I guess if I am going to go to Shipshewana, I mainly just want to eat, explore, and soak in Amish culture.  But I am not disparaging these plays, they often do a great job of connecting people to Amish values. Click here to read more.

HEX SIGN TOUR:  Hex signs are an old form of folk art that really aren't an Amish phenomena as much as they are a Pennsylvania Dutch one, but the two cultures are closely connected.  Click here to read about the hex sign tour.

KUTZTOWN FOLK FESTIVAL:  Put this on my "bucket list"....I'd love to visit this long-running showcase of Pennsylvania Dutch culture which is occurring right now!  Old traditions like Traditional music and dancing, traditional arts and crafts like quilting and hex sign painting, Pennsylvania Dutch lore and jokes, pot pie and apple dumplings are staples of the festival.  It goes through July 8,  tempting to hop in my car and go, but I doubt that'll happen this year.  Click here to read more about the festival.

AMISH APPLE CRUMB PIE WITH PAT A PAN CRUST:  These two recipes appeared in a recipe column this past week in the West Plains Daily Quill.  This is a small newspaper in West Plains, Missouri.  The columnist said she got the recipes from an Amish cookbook, but she never said which one.  Still, I'm almost certain they came from our Amish baking book published 5 years ago or so.  Click here for these two recipes, the Amish apple crumb pie is a perfect one for your Fourth of July picnic, really what is more quintessential for the Fourth than apple pie!?