Amish in the News: Wrestling Amish, Spiced Cashews, PA Dutch Apple Pie, Pinecraft Parade, and More!

By Kevin Williams

Time for our weekly peek at anything and everything Amish in the News, let's start out in warmer climes:

Amish mill round the tropical climate of Pinecraft...

PINECRAFT PARADE:  The Amish enclave in Sarasota, Florida (known as Pinecraft) is a quirky mix of Plain people, former Plain people, and local townsfolk.   Many Amish come to Pinecraft just to spend a couple of weeks each winter to escape the harsh climate up north.   Pinecraft sports a laid-back atmosphere for Amish accustomed to rigid rules in their home communities.  They can literally let their hair down, kick off their shoes, and watch a parade. Take a look at scenes from Pinecraft's Christmas parade right here. There's one photo of a young woman dressed in a red dress with white polka-dots, would love to have had more information about her, because that looks more like Hutterite dress than Amish or Mennonite.

FROM AMISH TO WRESTLER:   This article really lacked some "meat"....I would have liked to have known a bit more about the young man's background, I think it would have rounded out the piece better. It also drove me bonkers the way the writer kept saying the young man was from an "Amish colony."   I guess I'm hung up on semantics, but "colony" implies some sort of communal living arrangement and that is more the province of the Hutterites.   Despite the article's flaws, it still is an interesting read. Click here.

AMISH ARRIVAL:  Towns in southwest Michigan are welcoming an influx of Amish. Click here.

SKIING AMISH:   Videos like this occasionally pop up during winter and they do show the carefree, fun spirit that some Amish embrace.  Looks like this guy is having a blast, you can't do anything about all the snow and cold so you might as well enjoy it! Click here

MILLIE OTTO'S SPICY CASHEWS:  Check in with Illinois Amish scribe Millie Otto and her recipe for homemade spicy cashews! Click here.

CLASSIC - PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH APPLE PIE:  Apple pie is one of those year-round classics and NPR's The Splendid Table recently posted a recipe for this timeless favorite. Can't go wrong with anything from the Splendid Table, so click here for the recipe.