Weekly Blogroll: Joining the Amish, Tea Time, Amish Country Bread, Farmers Market Friend, and DELICIOUS Chicken and Dumplings from Lancaster County!

Have a really neat selection of stories on this week’s blog roll and commentary, maybe one of the most interesting mix of stories ever on blogroll!  So let’s get right into it.

WANTING TO JOIN THE AMISH?  I’ve been editor/creator of The Amish Cook column since 1991. Almost immediately after the column began publishing the letters started rolling in from people (known as “seekers”) wanting to join the Amish church.  In the mainstream media we  hear plenty about people who leave the Amish, but not as much about those wanting to join.  Ira Wagler has an interesting blog post about this topic.  Ira is  a rather controversial figure among Amish.   He left the Amish and isn’t shy about expressing his opinions of his former life.  My wife has read his book, Growing Up Amish, I have not.  The premise of a recent blog post of his is that outsiders should think twice, no maybe 50, times before joining the Amish church because most of the time your attempt to join will fail.   Now I must say that I have personally met successful converts to the church.  I generally, however, agree with the crux of Ira’s column.  One of the most fascinating figures to convert successfully is a man named David Luthy. I’ve personally met David.  He comes from a Catholic background and has integrated himself into the Amish church.  He works at Pathway Publishing and has established himself as a guardian of church history.  Click here to read Ira Wagler's take on joining the Amish.   Personally, if I were going to join the Amish I'd take a close, close look at the Old German Baptist Brethren. I think they offer a lot of the same appealing traits as the Amish but without some of the problems of integrating into the church (i.e. language barrier)

AMISH TEA TIME?  Some of the best “teas” I have ever tasted have been at Amish homes.  The Amish Cook herself makes DELICIOUS home-grown teas.  But let me pose a technicality: doesn’t “tea” technically have to have “tea” in it?  A lot of the teas I have had just have comfrey or mint in it, but not tea, so would these drinks still be considered tea?  And if not, what is it?  Or am I missing something.  Anyway superb-sounding recipe for Amish apple mint tea. 

 AMISH COUNTRY BREAD:  The Christian Homekeeper offers a delicious-sounded recipe for Amish Country Bread this week.  The blogger - who is not Amish - used to run a bakery in Amish country.  She no longer runs the bakery (hmmmm, if I were not Amish and were going to run a bakery I would NOT run it in Amish country, talk about going up against stiff competition!)  Anyway, Sylvia does a delightful post about her experience running a bakery in Amish country and shares an amazing sounding bread recipe but also really walks the novice through.  It's a very basic bread recipe, but with some variations that are new to me (and I've seen and shared about every "Amish" bread recipe there is!)  So our bread bakers out there, take a look at this recipe!

AMISH INTERACTION:  A rather fascinating post by a young woman living in Nepal about her meeting an Amish man at a farmers market in “western Illinois.”  I’m not casting doubt on the credibility of this blog, but, such a detailed, indepth and personal conversation about Amish life with a complete stranger (even covering contraception) is not typically typical (hmmm, I like that "typically typical")  It must have been a slow day at the farmer's market too because most Amish entrepreneurs are all business while "on the clock."  So here is the woman's blog post....what do you think of it?

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS:  Judy’s Foodies describes this recipe as quintessential Lancaster County chicken and dumplings: “lots of potatoes, huge chunks of chicken, carrots, celery and herbs and BIG FLUFFY DUMPLINGS swimming in thick gravy.”  Anyone hungry? I am!  This does sound like a classic “Pennsylvania Amish” recipe.  In settlements farther west you’d find a thinner gravy and fewer herbs.  Definitely worth a try!  For the recipe, photos, and a classic, classic recipe from Lancaster County, click here!