Okay, I know this is a busy, busy week for everyone which almost makes me think I should have saved this stuff for another week, but all this is too good not to share right away.  I think EVERYTHING below is worth reading but if you're just so busy this week that you can only read a couple, I have denoted below which ones are my absolute favorites!
First out of the shoot:
EDITOR'S PICK - AN AMISH INTERVIEW: Â I don't watch a ton of videos online, I just prefer to read. Â But, wow, this video made me stop and listen to all 10 minutes of it. British documentarian Philip Bloom created an awesome and rare film. Â In it, he interviews Amish business owner, Dennis Hoschtetler, owner of Rentown Cabinets near Nappanee, Indiana. Â The interview itself is so authentic, so tastefully done. Â I think Dennis hews respectfully to his faith while he explains it. Â This is the type of programming and content that I strive to create here at Amish365.com. I have reached out to Philip Bloom to see how this came about so I'll report back when I hear. Â In the meantime, play this while you are wrapping gifts or baking, this is absolutely worth watching. Â Dennis Hoschtetler is just so genuine and articulate that the interview is an absolute delight.
AMISH BREAD PUDDING: Â This is a recipe for an old Amish favorite which was featured on a website this past week, a perfect holiday dish! Click here for Amish bread pudding.
OLD CLASSIC: AMISH SUGAR COOKIES - Â The Food Brings Families Together blog featured a good recipe for old-fashioned soft Amish sugar cookies. Â I've seen - and posted - similar recipes in the past, but one can never get too many sugar cookies!:) Click here for the recipe.
SOLOMON WICKEY -  This Amish man was rather controversial in his church.  Many people dismissed him as a quack, others - non-Amish  and Amish alike - swore by him.  He died in 2013 and with him many of his "medical secrets."  Put me in the skeptical camp, I'm not saying he was a quack...I'm open-minded....but I lean skeptical.  This blogger is an ardent enthusiast of Solomon Wickey's practices and he writes about them here.
EDITOR'S PICK - MIXED MENNONITE MARRIAGE: Â This is a fascinating post and so well-written. Â I'll reach out to the author because I'd love to know a lot more, namely where they are from. Â But here you have the blogger's grandparents, one of them an elderly Old Order (horse and buggy) Mennonite and the other (the blogger's grandpa) a member of the far more progressive Mennonite Church USA. Â Just goes to show love can bridge a lot of gaps and this one is just a heart-warming neat story. I'll post more when I find out more! Â Meanwhile, read this fascinating post!
BONUS - Â 30 MINUTE CARAMEL STICKY BUNS.....really, need I say more? Â Click here for the recipe!
Kay Comer
Thank you so much for sharing one of my stories on Solomon Wickey today! Unfortunately, Solomon died in August of 2013 as a result of damage to his respiratory system which he or no one else was able to repair. He had been burning brush and there was poison ivy and sumac in the brush and he just breathed in too much of the smoke and did too much damaged internally.
I TOO am very skeptical of people who call themselves healers ... but Solomon was different. I sent several of my own readers to him that had come to me for advice and I wasn't able to help them but knew Solomon could if any one could.
The stories they called back to me were beyond amazing ... one woman (a reader that had become a friend over time) had taken her grandmother to him because she was terminal with cancer and given only 2 weeks to live ... not only did he give her another 6 months of very healthy and active living ... he could have given her more if she had not thought she no longer needed to follow his program. But THAT healing didn't surprise me ... what surprised me was when he called to my friend as they were leaving ... who had NOT told him she had been ill herself ... but he called to her and said "My dear, I can see in your eyes that you also have a physical problem ... would you mind if I take a look?" He looked more closely in her eyes (iridilogy) and told her what the problem was and gave her some herbs and she was well herself in no time....
Solomon was amazing. I've studied natural healing/living since 1977 myself and I've always been fascinated with the lifestyle of the Amish. My own daddy was a Baptist preacher, but when I was a little girl I used to say "When I grow up I want to be Amish" lol
Thanks for sharing the story ... LOVE your website and reading about the Amish ... and I'll be back when I have more time! Peace and Love, Kay Comer
"Living a simple life, raised down to earth, keeper of lost arts, seeker of old things, walker of dusty lanes and lover of every single day!"