This contest is now closed. Thanks to all who entered!

Congratulations to Nancy Cribbs on winning the cutesy, pink Baking Package, a mug from Yoder’s Restaurant and Amish Village, and the book Wild Horses, by Linda Byler. Please send e-mail me at Sherry@Pinecraftpublishers.com with a mailing address.

Hi, friends!

I’m thrilled to share with you that our new magazine, Cooking & Such: Adventures in Plain Living debuted with a BANG! With just the first mailing of our premier issue we have subscribers in over 40 states, Canada, and Scotland!

Included in our line-up of additional writers is Rhonda Schrock, a popular columnist for Goshen News. You can read her first column for Cooking & Such in our spring issue, releasing March 1, 2012.

Rhonda’s mission: “Encouraging the world, one laugh at a time. Starting with you.”

About Rhonda:

Rhonda Schrock lives in Northern Indiana with her husband and 4 sons, ages 22, 18, 13, and 5. By day, she is a telecommuting medical transcriptionist, chief cook, and bottle washer. In the early morning hours, she flees to a local coffee shop where she pens “Grounds for Insanity,” a weekly column that appears in The Goshen News, so named for her love of coffee and all those boys. She’s blogged professionally for her son’s school of choice, Bethel College; contributes to a parenting website, Moms Michiana, and a humor blog; and maintains her personal blog, “The Natives are Getting Restless.” She survives and thrives on prayer, mochas, and many books.

To celebrate the successful reception of Cooking and Such, I’m giving away a copy of Linda Byler’s book, Wild Horses, and this too-cute-for-words Cookie Baking Package (includes stainless steel mixing bowl set with tight-fitting lids, two Valentine Spatulas by Nordic Ware, a Valentine’s Day Cookie Cutter Set by Nordic Ware, a Pink Sparkly Cookie Tray and a package of pretty little Pink Plates. What’s the cherry on the cake? That would be the coveted mug from my favorite Eatin’ Haus, Yoder’s Restaurant and Amish Village. I use my mug for milk and cookies!

Leave a comment under this post to be entered. I’ll announce a winner on Friday!

Okay, so there’s a few flakes in Sarasota, but there’s plenty of wonderment here to make life ultra sweet. Being one of the lucky few to live in world-famous Pinecraft, I walk or hop on my bike each day for a short jaunt to Yoder’s Restaurant and Amish Village. No matter how many times I go, there’s always something new to discover. Just yesterday I picked up this recipe for Minty Mocha. Gotta have your chocolate? Love Andes Mints? This steaming-hot-chase-the-winter-blues-away drink was ultra-easy to make and cafe-style delicious!

Minty Mocha

1 cup water

1/3 cup sugar

6 Andes mints

1 1/2 cups milk

2 cups hot brewed coffee

whipped cream (optional for light-weights – a must for die-hard fans)

Directions: Combine water, sugar, and mints in saucepan. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved and mints are melted. Stir in milk and coffee. Continue stirring until heated. Pour in mugs and garnish with whipped topping. Enjoy.

Life for me the last while has been a whirlwind of activity. The month of October wrapped up with a visit to Pinecraft from the fabulous Suzanne Woods Fisher, bestselling author of A Lancaster County Christmas and many other popular titles. It was an honor to have been invited to appear at a book signing with her at Troyer’s Dutch Heritage Restaurant on October 20th. We both enjoyed meeting new reader friends, and some we’d come to know through facebook. Following the book signing we headed back to my home for snacks — a perfect opportunity to enjoy Joleen Schlabach’s pumpkin roll with Thomas Peachy’s Big Olaf vanilla ice-cream. Oh, and I can’t forget — earlier I picked up 2 bags of one of our favorite sweet and salty snacks, Randy’s Famous Kettle Corn — one to eat and one to send home with Suzanne to the west coast.

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November came and with it were opportunities I could never have imagined for myself. New York Times bestselling author Cindy Woodsmall graciously posted the first article (of many) I wrote for her website. The response was wonderful! You can view it by going to www.Cindywoodsmall.com and clicking on Plain Talk Blog.

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Next was a Thanksgiving holiday unlike any other I’ve experienced. Cooking a turkey dinner with all the traditional dishes including Date Pudding and Cranberry Jell-O salad is always a fun affair but with a crew from National Geographic Channel setting up camp in my kitchen gave it an added twist we’ll never forget!
Let me back up a bit.
A researcher working with National Geographic Channel on a 10-hour documentary project contacted me in regards to my book, Taste of Pinecraft: Glimpses of Sarasota, Florida’s Amish Culture and Kitchens. Wow! After the first interview she asked if I would be willing to participate on film in this documentary. There were many, many more phone interviews over the next couple months, before they actually made it down here for filming.

Not everything went as smooth as planned. No, that would be too easy. I was to have picked up one of the producers and a cast member at the airport; that’s when the filming would begin, with me pulling up in my vehicle to pick up the cast member. The producer texted me when it was time to pull up curbside from the parking garage. We texted each other countless times describing ourselves to each other and giving specifics on location. No matter how determined we were to meet up, it just wasn’t happening. They were no where in sight. And on their end, neither was I. After a full hour of “where are you?” I told her “I’m standing under the Delta sign.” to which she texted back, “You can’t be. I’m standing under the Delta sign. Just then my phone rang. It was her. I could visualize her head was tilted as she asked this question — “Are you in Sarasota?”
“Um. No.” I answered. ” I’m in Tampa.” I was at the wrong airport. *sigh*

So none of us got back to Pinecraft until close to 2:00 A.M. Was I humiliated? You bet I was. But as the producer said good-naturedly, “This is real life. It happens.”

Thursday came quick and we made Thanksgiving dinner on film. I’d love to share more, but a contract prevents me from divulging the storyline, etc. I can tell you having these folks in my home (let alone in Pinecraft) was as unforgettable as the crew themselves. In the meantime, I made some extraordinary life-long friends that have enhanced my life tremendously in such a short amount of time.

Last week National geographic flew my son and I out on location for more filming and a celebration to wrap up the documentary. Here’s some of the unforgettable folks we met, while in Columbia, MO.

The crew and I just after wrapping up final filming.

Sea-nub and I. He’s the sound man for the NatGeo documentary. Very funny guy!

Some of the crew filming at the lodge

Stay tuned…..more awesome news coming!

~ Sherry

Hi, friends! New York Times bestselling author Cindy Woodsmall has graciously invited me to write a monthly post for her website. I began writing this particular story when my daughter Jacinda was moved from Day Treatment to the E.R. and then to Critical Care where she remained for 13 days. I finished the story & sent it to Cindy this weekend, not knowing Jacinda would be home soon. It’s me sharing a bit of my heart, with you. ♥

PtL! The cover for Cooking & Such ~ adventures in Plain Living is here! Are you ready for a contest? Keep reading. There are two!

While spooning gravy over my plate of biscuits last winter in Troyer’s Dutch Heritage Restaurant, I leaned in as I listened to my Old Order Amish friends, Levi and Lydia Fisher, present an idea to me that was so incredible, I would barely sit down the remainder of the day. Lydia is the editor of the successful, relatively new publication, Ladies Journal magazine. Knowing my passion for writing and my love of great food, she and Levi thought starting a cooking magazine for Plain folks was an endeavor I would not only enjoy, but could become my life’s work. They prayed about it extensively, they said, before bringing the idea to the table. Literally! And then they told me if anyone was up for the challenge, it would be me.

They were right. After much prayer on my end and several meetings with folks more business-minded than myself, I got that confirmation from God to go forward with the project.

Little did I know then, there would be 15+ people involved making this publication the unique magazine it is. This has been a prime example of true team effort. That breath-taking photo of the Chocolate Strawberries-n-Cream Whoopie Pies was the creation of many hands. A batch of the cookies were baked by 15 year-old Kathleen Schlabach, and the pretty pink filling was a recipe I specially created and whipped up for our Valentine’s Day photo spread. Piping in the frosting just-so and wrapping them with a pretty bow was Lena Kropf. Finally, the sweet, little, frozen (you wouldn’t believe how fast they wanted to melt on us) cookie cakes were photographed by Chris Meyer. They tasted every bit as good as they looked!

Combine creative food stylist/photographers, writers from across the country (Jenni Yoder’s Christmas candy-making story made me laugh and cry), a copy editor, bakers and cooks, and the best graphic designer one could wish for, and viola – with God’s grace, Cooking & Such is now a reality.

I’ve enjoyed unexpected response to my first cookbook, Taste of Pinecraft; Glimpses of Sarasota, Florida’s Amish Culture and Kitchens. Many people know I never anticipated anyone outside our village and readers of The Budget newspaper would ever see a copy. I just set out to write a cookbook for our community – one local folks could pass on as a gift to visiting family and friends. If you told me two years ago my book would be read by people in other countries (a BBC producer in Wales), endorsed by bestselling authors (wow!), and that its contents would prompt a call from The National Geographic Channel telling me, one, they read it and really liked it, and two, asked if they could send a film crew to my house, I’d have laughed out loud at your far-fetched good humor.

Cooking & Such is different. With this project, I purposely set out with a dream of making this magazine a delight to both Amish and non-Amish readers alike. Can we do it? Time will tell. Meanwhile, this has been one the most exhilarating times of my life. But one that did not come without challenges. Creating the winter issue while living in Florida in the midst of scorching August heat was more than a little difficult, to say the least (it was a first for us to do a Christmas cookie baking in the summertime). But we did it! And we hope you love it as much as we do.

The premier issue debuts December 1, 2011. Subscription information is available by clicking on the cover of Cooking & Such on the flash header at the top of the page or you can go to BOOKS, and click on the magazine cover, itself).

Contest #1
I’m giving away a package of delicious, homemade Pennsylvania Dutch Ginger Cookies made with 10 year-old Elizabeth Yoder’s recipe, featured in the first issue of Cooking & Such. To enter, leave a comment here, telling what you’d like to see featured in future issues of the magazine. And I’d love to hear how you heard about this website.

Contest #2
For subscribers only: You can win a FREE gift subscription for a friend! We’ll pick one randomly chosen winner of all those who subscribe to Cooking & Such ~ adventures in Plain Living through this website, only. The winner’s name will be announced in the first issue.

~ Blessings from Pinecraft, the most unique little village in the world.

Just a quick update while the oven preheats: The second edition of Taste of Pinecraft; Glimpses of Sarasota, Florida’s Amish Culture and Kitchens is off the press! We’ve got new covers reflecting the many spectacular endorsements that came in – one is from NY Times best-selling author, Wanda Brunstetter! There are a few special extra recipes, too! Copies are on the way here from Holmes County, Ohio, to Sarasota, via a Troyer’s Cheese and Amish Wedding Foods truck!

This week only, you can order a copy at a discounted price of $15.95, from the regular price here, of $21.95. Taste of Pinecraft retails at most stores for $24.95.

Have a delicious day. I know I will – I’m getting ready to whip up a batch of mini Chocolate Strawberries and Cream Whoopie Pies for photos (by Chris Meyer) that will be featured in the first issue of Cooking and Such; Adventures in Plain Living. This quarterly family magazine debuts December 1st, with pre-orders taken here, in September. Not only do we have featured recipes including comforting Chicken Pattycakes and Cream Gravy, delicious and dainty Christmas Linzer Cookies, and Lena Yoder’s Cream- Filled Coffee Cake, but this publication comes stuffed with stories of everyday life from Old Order Amish and Mennonite writers from Plain communities across the country. We think you’re going to like it as much as we do!

Okay, time to pop the whoopie pies in!

BIG news:
Leave a comment here, and I’ll draw the name of one winner this evening for a FREE signed copy of the second edition of Taste of Pinecraft.

Congratulations to the 5 winners of an autographed book by New York Times best selling author, Wanda Brunstetter: Nancy Six, Kristin Jager, Mandy Bentley, Vanessa Johnson, and Clara Miller. Please send a mailing address to PinecraftPublishers@gmail.com.

More often than not, it’s the story-behind-the-story that intrigues me most about life. As a writer, it must be in my nature. On Monday, I’m going to fess up to what really happened at the book signing I appeared at in Holmes County, Ohio – newspaper article and photo included!

Till then, here’s a quick, cool, refreshing recipe from Taste of Pinecraft we like to make in the hot summer months.

Berry Lemonade Slushy

1/2 c. lemonade drink mix
1/2 c. water
3 c. ice cubes
1 c. fresh or frozen strawberries
Put in blender (till slushy). Very refreshing!

~ Regina Yoder, wife of Sam, sort an an outlandish fellow, Summertown, TN.