The Amish Cook Column
THE AMISH COOK COLUMN, OVER 20 YEARS COMPRESSED INTO A TWO MINUTE NUTSHELL!
1991 – IT BEGINS
The Amish Cook column began in 1991 as a unique collaborative between a 59-year-old Old Order Amish grandmother and an 18-year-old non-Amish kid (me). Print newspapers were still in their glory days. The internet – which would be print’s undoing a decade later – was still relegated to geeky, shadowy corners of college campuses.
ELIZABETH COBLENTZ
Elizabeth began writing a weekly column, mailing it to Kevin Williams (me) and I started marketing “The Amish Cook” to newspapers. Newspaper editors thought it was a unique offering and, at the time, it was. Today there are several Amish and Mennonite newspaper columnists, but the first was Elizabeth. And at it’s peak The Amish Cook was in over a hundred newspapers from coast to coast. The column never was able to poke its way into major newspapers like St. Louis or Philadelphia or Denver, most newspapers that carried the column were your Muncie, Indianas; Hutchinson, Kansas types, small Rust Belt newspapers. Elizabeth would share little snippets of her life and a recipe each week and readers were smitten and endeared. The column continued and grew to include a collection of cookbooks.
THE DAUGHTER
Elizabeth tragically and suddenly passed away in 2002 and then her daughter, Lovina, took over, providing the same folksy glimpses into Amish life.
MEET GLORIA YODER
In 2014, Lovina and I mutually parted ways and the column was taken over by Gloria Yoder, a young Amish mom living in Flat Rock, Illinois. Gloria and her growing family are New Order Amish and live very traditionally. Like most Amish, they worship in their home, send their children to a one-room school, and travel by horse and buggy. Here, in Gloria’s words, are the rhythms of their life:
Other things I do enjoy about our way of life, is having a “quieter” life without radios, television, or other social media. Recently I became appreciative of this aspect in a new way. After we had supper together, Daniel sat on the rocking chair with baby Jesse, singing song after song for Jesse as his big blue eyes gazed trustingly into Daniel’s. It was one of those moments you just wanted to freeze forever. The other children and I joined them in the living room where we sat in front of the crackling fire in the fireplace. Everything just felt so quiet and peaceful, I savored every moment.
And, that, in a nutshell is the history of The Amish Cook. You can read past columns below!
-
The Amish Cook's Pumpkin Cheesecake Dessert
-
The Amish Cook: Summer Grilled and Barbecued Pizza
-
The Amish Cook: How to Make Flavorful Ham and Pickle Roll-Ups
-
From Apple to Zucchini: The Amish Cook's Ultimate Guide to Making Your Own Fruit Bars
-
The Amish Cook: Mother's Cream Cheese Lasagna
-
The Amish Cook's Celebration Punch
-
The Amish Cook: World's Best Chalupas
-
The Amish Cook: Amazing Eclair Cake
-
The Amish Cook: Refreshing Ginger-Mint Summer Spritzer
-
The Amish Cook - Delicious Seasoned Pretzels
-
The Amish Cook's No-Fuss Lasagna
-
The Amish Cook: Gloria's Amish Pizza Spaghetti
-
The Amish Cook's Bacon-Stuffed Mushrooms
-
The Amish Cook: Yoder's Chicken Marinade
-
The Amish Cook's Hearty Tortilla Bowls With Homemade Taco Sauce
-
The Amish Cook: Festive Raspberry-White Chocolate Cupcakes
-
The Amish Cook's Spiced Apple Cider
-
The Amish Cook: Delicious Italian Grilled Chicken
-
The Amish Cook: Southwest Chicken Casserole
-
The Amish Cook: Comforting Amish Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
-
The Amish Cook's Crispy Pizza Quesadillas
-
The Amish Cook's Mashed Potato Casserole
-
Something Fishy In New York?
-
The Amish Cook's Ultimate Guide to Making the Perfect Tossed Salad
-
Taco Potato Casserole - The Amish Cook
-
The Amish Cook: Herbed Potato Wedges
-
The Amish Cook: Delicious Barbecued Meatballs
-
The Amish Cook: Amish Baked Oatmeal (Fruit-Filled!)
-
The Amish Cook: Blonde Brownies
-
The Amish Cook: Poor Man's Steak
-
The Amish Cook: Russian Creme Dessert
-
Easy Amish Cornbread Salad
-
Amish Spellbinder Cookies
-
The Amish Cook: Gloria's Amish Sweet Potato Casserole
-
The Amish Cook: Barbecued Venison Meatballs
-
The Amish Cook: Delicious Ham Sandwiches
-
The Amish Cook: Gloria's Emergency Biscuits
-
The Amish Cook: Strawberry Pizza Deluxe
-
The Amish Cook's Back-To-School Pizza Pockets
-
The Amish Cook: Taco Pizza Casserole