By Kevin Williams
Wow, we have a lot to get to this week, so I’m going to waste no time and just get into all of our favorites. Some good stuff this week!
Oh, wow, don’t these look amazing? I might have been tempted to add just a hint more frosting to them….but, wow….
FROSTED CREAMS: I think I could eat 20 of these. In one sitting. And I don’t even care for raisins that much. But, wow, these look amazing. This is from the “Meemaw Eats” blog, most of the year she is based in Kalona, Iowa (the state’s largest Amish community) except for now when she snowbirds in Florida. But she found this recipe card from her mother, worn and used, but written in her own mom’s hand and this recipe just sounds – and looks – awesome. Click here.
YEEHAW JUNCTION: Okay, nothing to do with recipes or anything Amish, but, really, how can you not want to read about a placed named “Yeehaw Junction?” Read about this little Florida crossroads that Meemaw stumbled into. Yeehaw! Click here.
BRUCE STAMBAUGH: We’ve been following blogger Bruce’s move from Holmes County, Ohio where he has been deeply intertwined with not just the Amish community, but the whole community, to his soon-to-be new home in Virginia. There’s something very…courageous…. in my view of making a move at a later stage in life. But I’ve seen it turn out very well. There’s a woman who goes to our church who is now 82 and a few years ago she made the move to Texas to be closer to her kids. And this woman was deeply involved in the church, community, gave voice lessons locally, just a wonderfully cheery spirit…but, well, she’s the same wonderful cheery spirit, just in Texas and sounds like she is having a great new adventure. Facebook keeps her connected to all of us back here in Ohio and, she just approached this new chapter with such inspiring zest, I am sure Bruce will do the same. But goodbyes are still sad. Click here to read more about Bruce’s impending move.
KATIE TROYER: Some more fun and thought-provoking images from Katie. The first one you’ll see are two Amish ladies sitting on a picnic table, barefoot, soaking in the sun…I mean, how much more carefree of a scene can you get than that? Life “up north” can be very rule-ridden and rife with church politics, etc for an Amish person, but when they come to Pinecraft, if only for a week or two, all of that gets pushed aside and they can just relax, make new friends, renew old ones, it’s just a very carefree place. The other photo (below the two women on the picnic table) is a bit more…thought-provoking. Pinecraft does have a homeless population of urban dwellers from Sarasota that occasionally wander into the village to sleep in the sheltered picnic areas, etc and this photo captures that jarring reality. Click here to see both.
SPINACH DIP – Yes, the dip is green (festive for Christmas, maybe?), but, oh wow, I bet this is good stuff. I love spinach and I love dip, so combine the two and you have a dip-tastic recipe, I bet. Gina over at the wonderfully written Home Joys blog shares this superb recipe!
GLUTEN-FREE SUGAR COOKIES: You know, it’s so odd, because I feel like I never heard the term “gluten free” until…maybe…10 years ago? I don’t know whether Celiac’s is just diagnosed more these days, whether more people have it, or whether even people who don’t have it are finding health benefits in a gluten-free life? I’d be interested to hear from people. SIGH, fortunately, or unfortunately, I seem to be able (and do) eat anything without any ill-effects. So I count myself lucky I guess that I can guzzle dairy, soda, eat as much gluten as I want, etc and feel fine. But if you want a gluten-free recipe Melodie at the Finding Harmony Blog shares a gluten-free sugar cookie recipe here. Gluten free has even become something the Amish are aware of, Gloria has written about the issue in her column a few times.
BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE: The Charm City ramblings website shares a delicious-sounding recipe from Ohio’s Amish country. Check it out here.
