Time for our weekly sojourn through the blogosphere to explore anything and everything Plain. There are some neat items in this week's blogroll.
SHARING THE ROAD IN WISCONSIN: The Badger State's Amish population has been steadily increasing over the past few years. A blog posted a few really neat, picturesque pictures (is that redundant?) from Central Wisconsin. Click here to enjoy.
THE AMISH IN THE WORLD WAR II: As pacifists, the Amish didn't actively fight during World War II, Korea, Vietnam or other items when the draft was active. The Amish served the country in domestic work capacity, but not a lot has been written about it. So this is an interesting post (by a fiction author, but this is non-fiction) giving a fascinating glimpse into Amish life during World War II that was an alternative to fighting.
EASY AMISH APPLE BUTTER: Homemade apple butter is a staple in Amish kitchens. Nothing better than some flavorful apple butter to smear onto a slice of homemade bread. Click here to get a couple of good, easy recipes
DUTCH APPLE PANCAKE: I love studying food history and this is a neat recipe that seems to have a mix of Appalachian and Virginia Mennonite roots. Click here to read more and get a recipe.
Gert
Here is a much simpler and (I think better) recipe using a slow cooker for Apple Butter:
5 lbs. Granny Smith apples (Occasionally I use a mixture of pears & apples)
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon coriander
Peel, core and dice (coarsely) apples, place them in slow cooker and add sugar, spices. Cover and cook on low heat 10 hours (stir occasionally). Remove cover and cook for another 2 hours to desired consistancy. I usually do the last 2 hours in a 300 degree oven. But it works fine if you finish it in the cooker. Allow to cool before placing in airtight containers. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to use. Keeps for 1 week (covered tightly) in fridge. Keeps for 4 months (maybe longer?) in freezer. Thaw before using.