By Kevin Willliams
AMISH GIRL AND A CALF: Rhode Island-based artist Cheryl McNulty has started another Amish-themed watercolor and I can't wait to see how this one turns out! Her work is always a gorgeous representation of Amish scenes and themes. Check out her work in progress here.
YOUNG HAYMAKERS: I love this Bruce Stambaugh photo of some Amish children baling hay in Ohio. To really appreciate the photo, click on it to enlarge. That single photo really captures what is captivating about the Amish to so many people: the work ethic, the working together, the ties to the earth, I could go on and on....click here to see this gorgeous photo.
"TREEHOUSE" IN AMISH COUNTRY AND DANDELION GRAVY: This is a "one tank trips"segment on a Cleveland TV station that features the host checking out "treehouse accommodations" in Amish country. The host also pays a visit to Gloria Yoder (no, not OUR Gloria Yoder) who owns Mrs. Yoder's Kitchen in Mt. Hope, Ohio (she may not be OUR Gloria Yoder, but Mrs. Yoder's Kitchen is tops among my favorite Amish eateries). The reason I like Mrs. Yoder's Kitchen so much is that she showcases authentic Amish cuisine, not faux Amish. For instance, what can you find on their buffet this time of year? Dandelion gravy! You won't find that anywhere else! Click here to watch the segment.
8 RHUBARB RECIPES: Gina at the Home Joys website shares 8 favorite rhubarb recipes, so you'll want to check her post out. Gina is a conservative Mennonite in Pennsylvania and her blog is just super. Click here for these 8 great rhubarb recipes!
This is some homemade butter I enjoyed at an Amish home in Fredonia, PA. This week's post from Lehman's tells you how to make your own!
2 Ways to Make Farm Fresh Homemade Butter: I doubt there are many more experts at making homemade butter than the folks at Lehman's, the sprawling,amazing hardware store in Kidron, Ohio. If you haven't visited Lehman's, then you need to put that on your itinerary right up there with Mrs. Yoder's! Click here to learn about making butter.
I remember making butter in a canning jar as a child.My siblings and myself would roll it back and forth to each other eventually turning it into butter. Or we would take turns shaking it. At the end the results were the same. Daddy worked in the local dairy so we always had all the cream we could use he brought the cream home in a old fashion milk can.Definitely giving away my age huh? Those were great times.
Carolyn, that is exactly the way my Amish friends describe the butter-making process...a lot of shaking jars!