This contest is closed. Congratulations to our winner, Diane Braddock! A $25 Amazon.com gift card has been sent to Diane, electronically.

Today’s post is written by my friend, Rhonda Schrock. Our first connection was online, but we met in person this spring when I was in Indiana, Rhonda’s stomping grounds. Our first face-to-face meeting was at Das Dutchman Essenhaus. I was there to help host the Tenth Annual Cooking Show. She was sitting in the audience.

While onstage, I introduced her to the crowd as a new contributing writer for “Cooking & Such” magazine adding, “But you all know her as Rhonda Schrock, columnist and writer of ‘Grounds for Insanity’ for The Goshen News.” She humbly stood and waved. Applause boomed across the building. Later, she told me she was astonished at the reception. I wasn’t. I wouldn’t have expected anything less.

I read her column. As a matter of fact, I read everything I can get my hands on that she’s written. I had filled my quota of writers for “Cooking & Such,” but in getting to know Rhonda through her column, I knew she was a keeper, and I wasn’t about to let her get away.

She shines. She sparkles. And it’s not just women that adore her writing, either. This winter, her name came up in conversation when I was hosting 14 Amish friends in my home in Pinecraft. One man, a farmer, said, “If I could meet one person, it would be Rhonda Schrock. You know what makes her different? She writes without looking over her shoulder.” And just a few days ago, I listened to a message on my voicemail from an Old Order Amish fellow in Shipshewana, Indiana. He said, “If you haven’t already, make sure you read Rhonda Shrock’s column in The Goshen News this week. She’s a hoot!” I second that.

Now, for a Contest! For a chance to win an Amazon.com Gift card (think brand new books!) leave a comment after this post. I’ll draw one winner’s name and announce it here, on Saturday. You can receive the gift card as early as Sunday, via e-mail from Amazon.com!

This Mom Needs to be Needed
by Rhonda Schrock

With Mother’s Day coming up, I’m reminded again of this universal truth – moms need to be needed. From what I’ve experienced personally and observed in others, this is true for all mamas, whether the skin is white, black, brown, or red.

That’s why we cry at big events like graduations and weddings. Our babies are growing up and moving ever closer to that thing called independence, and we realize that they don’t need us like they once did.

In the past, I’ve opined to my stalwart husband that my apron strings seem to be made of cast iron, whereupon he whipped out his handy-dandy blow torch and proceeded to demonstrate its ability to cut steel. It was then that I realized what a big help he would be in this thing of letting go.

It just comes easier for men. Maybe that’s because they’re not the ones that bake the little muffins for nine months. (Well, most of you get nine. Over here, they’re all in a toot.)

They’re not the ones that have what feels like an entire lacrosse team stampeding atop their bladders. They aren’t the ones afflicted with heartburn and backaches. They aren’t the ones sporting stretch marks and getting kicked in the ribs, all of which create a lifelong bond before the little squeaker ever arrives. It’s mothers that have this privilege.

Having four sons, I’m reminded of exactly how much I’m needed. Every. Single. Day. And because they’re so spread out and are, like yours, of such varying temperaments, they need different things from me.

At the age of three, the toddler (a.k.a. The Family Pet) still needs a lot of hands-on parenting. He needs to have his teeth brushed and his shoes tied. He needs his hair combed and his blanket washed. He needs someone to read “Hop on Pop” for the umpteenth time and to prepare his lunch. Never mind his proficiency at plucking the PBJ ingredients from the pantry and scaling the shelves in the fridge; he still needs the sandwich assembled.

He’s also got potty training issues. While the first round was finally successful (yippee!), the second initiative has stalled like Sen. Lugar’s campaign. Bottom line? He still needs help with his, um, bottom line.

The third buckaroo is my quiet one. If he’s raising a ruckus, it’s only because someone older is pounding him or stealing something. What he needs is protection.

He also needs quality time. That’s his love language, and it makes a real difference at school if he’s getting it. This is why years ago, he and I started the habit of flopping across the bed in our jammies and listening to “Adventures in Odyssey.” Now, a little wiggler joins us and, on occasion, a bigger one, which is when it all degenerates to shouting, thrashing, and wadded-up bedding with someone landing on the floor.

Number two is clearly my not-at-all quiet one. When he’s around, the activity, chaos, and general energy level go through the roof. He needs a firm hand.

With his bright, creative mind going 100 directions at once, he also needs frequent redirection. “No, you can’t fly a kite right now. Get your tail back inside and finish those dishes.” Or, “Quit shooting off firecrackers and put your jeans on that mower.”

At the age of 20, number one is now a young adult. While he still needs parental love and encouragement, he also needs a mother who knows when to offer advice and when to bite her tongue and pray like she’s Billy Graham. Some days, that mother is AWOL.

Every once in awhile, something happens that makes the “letting go” thing seem more attractive. Take what happened the other week. I was working at my desk when College Kid came striding from his room, a piece of paper clutched in his hand.

“I am going to pound him when he gets home,” he thundered.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Read it,” he said tersely, thrusting it at me.

“I have hidden yor i-pod until you promise to stop beating me up. HA HA. Signed, The Fifth Grader,” it read (this, in what appeared to be a fifth grader’s handwriting).

In light of the fact that this is the good-natured kid who takes the brunt of the (nearly always) good-natured pounding around here, and knowing how much College Kid loves his iPod, it was, I thought, a particularly effective way to get back at the pounder. Risky, but effective.

Thus, when the supposed perpetrator got off the bus, I handed him the paper and said, “What in the world…?”

He read it, alarm spreading over his features. “That wasn’t me!” And that’s when it all clicked. Of course it wasn’t him. Of course it was his older brother, the instigator of the pranks around here. And of course the missing iPod was found where it had been planted the night before – in the patsy’s sock drawer. So it was that when the real perpetrator got off the bus, he was met by the angry owner who proceeded to dispense his own kind of justice.

You know, a few more years of this stuff, and “letting go” might start looking real good. Mr. Schrock may not need that blow torch after all.

Happy Mother’s Day to you and yours.

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. 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. She is an occasional guest columnist in The Hutch News. She’s also blogged professionally for her son’s school of choice, Bethel College, in addition to humor and parenting blogs, and maintains her personal blog, “The Natives are Getting Restless.” She is a writer and an editor for the magazine, “Cooking & Such: Adventures in Plain Living.” She survives and thrives on prayer, mochas, and books.

A note from Sherry: Here are three lovely recipes from the Spring issue of “Cooking & Such” magazine. Perfect to serve for Mother’s Day Brunch – super scrumptious, and easy enough for the youngsters to prepare.

Fresh Fruity Yogurt Parfaits

4 cups vanilla yogurt
3 cups fresh fruit of choice
1 ½ cups granola (homemade is best!)

Using six tall glasses, layer 1/3 cup yogurt, then ¼ cup fruit. Top with 2 Tbsp. granola. Repeat layers. Top with a few berries.
Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

Homemade Granola

Mix together:
8 cups oats (old-fashioned).
2 cups flaked coconut
1 cup wheat germ
1 1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup nuts

Over dry ingredients, pour:
½ cup butter, melted
½ cup margarine, melted

Stir well and place in large baking pan.

Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes, stirring halfway through baking time. Yield approx 12 cups

Bacon Swiss Quiche

Pastry

1 cup flour
¼ tsp. salt
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. shortening
2 to 3 Tbsp. cold water

Filling

8 slices cooked bacon crumbles (1/2 cup)
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese (4oz)
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
4 eggs
2 cups whipping cream or half and half
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

In medium, bowl mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender or a single beater in a hand held mixer, until particles are the size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl. (1 to 2 tablespoons more water can be added if necessary).

Gather pastry into a ball. Shape into flattened round on lightly floured surface. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry flakier. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling. (if time is an issue, it can be made without refrigerating)

Heat oven to 425. With floured rolling pin, roll pastry into round 2 inches larger than upside-down 9 inch quiche dish or glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie pan. Unfold and gently set into pan, pressing firmly against bottom and side. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of pie plate.

Carefully line pastry with a double thickness of foil, gently pressing foil to bottom and sides of pastry. Let foil extend over the edge to prevent excessive browning. Bake 10 minutes. Carefully remove foil and bake 2 to 4 minutes longer or until pastry just begins to brown and has become set.

Reduce oven temperature to 325. Sprinkle with bacon, cheese and onion in pie crust. In medium bowl, beat eggs slightly; beat in remaining filling ingredients. Pour into prepared crust.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings

Kathy Byler’s
Blueberry Streusel Muffins

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg, beaten,
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Streusel
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 350*. Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs and mix well. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternating with milk. Stir in vanilla. Gently fold in blueberries. Fill 12 paper-lined cups. Streusel: In small bowl, combine sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over muffins. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

My stomach flip-flopped when I saw my son’s “catch of the day.” Hanging from his closed fist were the legs of the enormous bullfrog he’d speared in the pond behind our house. How he knew this culinary fact was beyond me. I swallowed before forcing myself to smile.

He looked up at me with a hopeful glimmer in his eyes. “You’ll cook ’em for me, won’t you, Mom?”

At seven, he thought I could move heaven and earth. And at times he made me feel as though I could, even though I was a single mother.

In that moment, I had a choice to make: let my squeamish feelings prevail or put on a brave face and light the cookstove. I didn’t want to even touch those frog legs. You may as well have asked me to stick my head in a bucket of crabs, with my eyes open. But seeing the smile on my son’s face evaporate in disappointment would be even worse than that.

“Okay,” I told him matter-of-factly. “Let’s wash them first. Then you can wrap them and freeze them for a few minutes. I’ll get the stove going.”

*

Six little hands waved frantically in the air when I asked my Sunday school class, “Where would you all like to go for a field trip?”

“Let’s have a tea party at your house,” one of the girls suggested.

Four little heads bobbed up and down in fervent agreement.

I had been thinking more along the lines of something adventurous, like fishing or exploring some new place. A tea party never crossed my mind. I’m not a “sugar and spice and everything nice” kind of girl. Oh, I love pretty things. I adore pink things. But I’d much rather discover the character of a roadside barbecue shack than that of a tea house.

I looked to the boys for backup. Both of them mentioned fishing. Ultimately I agreed to both. First a tea party for whoever wished to come and then a fishing excursion to the beach.

I made tea party invitations and borrowed all the dainties necessary to pull this off, hoping not to give away that it was my first time hosting such a gathering.

When party day arrived, four guests came with plates and dishes of sweets they’d created in the kitchen with their mothers. Each wore a flower-adorned hat and fancy little sandals; something they’d collaborated on ahead of time.

I arranged the treats on the lacy cloth-covered table set with flowered teacups and saucers. A bowl of sugar cubes and miniature silver tongs sat beside the teapot.

I took pictures of the girls between their giggles. Then, I daintily sipped my raspberry tea. I ate sugar cookies that looked like they’d been sprinkled with pink fairy dust. Then, one by one, we went around the table and made up stories that brought more giggles. It was a lovely event. Not one I would rush into again too soon, but a time I would come to treasure, later.

Our afternoon of fishing began in the parking lot of our church house. After filling the car with sandwiches, cold bottles of water, and fishing poles, I drove the two boys and all the girls to the Key, stopping for live bait on the way. Everyone chatted about who would catch the first fish, and who’d get the biggest one. One of the boys had never been fishing; the other’s experience was strictly pond fishing.

Once at the lake, the girls knotted the skirts of their dresses up and headed for the water. The boys eagerly prepared their lines. When I tried to hand one a shrimp to bait his hook, he put his hands behind his back and refused to take it. “Shrimp are for eating, Miss Sherry, not fishing. That’s gross.”

Hiding my humor, I told him, “If you want to catch a fish here, you’ve got to use shrimp.”

He reluctantly put out his hand, took the shrimp, and wrangled it onto the hook. His expression changed from disdain and skepticism to accomplishment when he landed a whiting.

*

Thousands of years ago, Moses had to step out of his comfort zone. When God asked him to speak to the Israelites, he likely cringed before answering, “But my Lord, never in my life have I been a man of eloquence, either before or since you have spoken to your servant. I am a slow speaker and not able to speak well” (Exodus 4:10). According to the Bible, Moses had a speech impediment. But he made the right choice. And God blessed him for it.

The greatest example of someone placing himself outside his comfort zone was Christ. Matthew 20:8 tells us the Son of Man had no place to lay His head. He did without material goods while doing His Father’s work. Because of His unfettering love for us, Christ allowed Himself to go even further than being uncomfortable. In His innocence, He was subjected to verbal abuse, whippings, scourging, and a slow, agonizing death on the cross to take our sins upon Himself. All in the name of love. If Christ hadn’t been willing to step into the most uncomfortable circumstances of all time, where would that have left us? Without a Savior. And without a hope for eternal life in heaven.

Each of us faces choices that could potentially bring great joy into another person’s life, but only if we go outside our comfort zone. By saying no, we may be passing up a blessing God intended for us. Moses didn’t have to speak. But he showed his trust in God by agreeing. More than two thousand years later, Jesus’ willingness to step out for us made assurance of salvation through Him possible if we are willing to step out of our comfort zones and accept His gift.

Compared to Christ’s loving sacrifice for us, what are a couple of frog legs in a frying pan? Just remember to freeze them first.

Sherry

Mary Fisher and I were waiting in line for lunch and overheard two fellows say they drove down from Tallahassee especially to eat at Yoder’s Restaurant, having seen it featured on the cable TV program, “Man vs. Food.” Not surprising, Yoder’s was also featured on Travel Channel’s America’s Top 101 Tastiest Places to Chow Down.

Mary started off with a chilled pea salad. She was kind enough to offer a taste to me. With the first bite, I left Yoder’s. I’m sure of it. You see, with each taste I felt as though I were sitting on a white, wrap-around porch in Georgia on a hot summer day, relishing the coolness of the petite early peas. Mary said I never left — that I was sitting there the whole time. But I beg to differ.
“I’ll have the Reuben sandwich,” she told Cory, our server. The sandwich came stuffed with “so much corned beef, it’s coming out the side,” she proclaimed. Mary’s entree came with a little cup of thousand island dressing for a dipping sauce.

“My sandwich was so wide it wouldn’t fit in my mouth.”

When I asked her what kind of cheese her Reuben was made with, she smiled. “Delicious cheese.”

The rye bread was grilled perfectly and slathered with Swiss.
She saved half to take home to her husband, John. Lucky John.

We couldn’t help but notice two folks sitting at the table next to us. They had platters of turkey breast on their table. You’d have thought it was Thanksgiving Day. But it wasn’t. It was Wednesday.

I ordered the crab cake sandwich with a side of french fries. My meal came with a salad-size serving of lettuce and tomato. Yoder’s doesn’t skimp on condiments. Cory delivered tarter sauce, cocktail sauce and ketchup to my side of the table. The sandwich, which came on a soft Kaiser roll, was too big to hold all at once, so I cut it in half. I discreetly pushed the roll down a bit, for like Mary’s sandwich, mine too was too wide for my mouth. The crab cake was deep-fried golden brown crisp and tasted like something you’d expect to get at a beachfront eatery. It was scrumptious — something I will definitely order again.

Mary and I are proficient talkers, but there was an occasional lull in our conversation for sounds of Mmm, mmm.

We delighted in our time together and couldn’t help but notice there was a constant stream of pie going by. Almost a pie parade, if you will. Even with more than 25 varieties to choose, I don’t think there’s a pie I haven’t tried. We settled on a strawberry pie taster to split. We were full, but a visit to Yoder’s isn’t complete without dessert.

The overflowing cup of pie came on a doily-lined plate. Sweet. As I ate my half of the pie, Mary looked at me incredulously and said, “Sherry Gore, your eyes are twinkling.”
And so they were.

Here’s two of my favorite recipes. They’re so easy, you make this in your own kitchen. Many of the ingredients can be picked up at Yoder’s Fresh Market. Crabs can be found at Siesta Key Beach, or at your local grocery market.

“Just like Yoder’s”
Crab Cake Sandwich

3 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. flour
¾ c. milk
2 eggs
1 c. or more cooked crabmeat (imitation crab may be used)
¼ tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients together and using hands, shape into patties. Completely coat with bread crumbs. Fry in vegetable oil and drain paper towel. These are delicious by themselves, but make a mouth-watering, mmm, I-want-another-one, sandwich when piled high on a Kaiser roll with fresh, crisp lettuce, a hearty slice of juicy red tomato and a thin slice of sweet Florida onion. Don’t forget your favorite sauce!

Crab Cake Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup cottage cheese
1/3 cup Walnut Creek Hot Salsa
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup plain or Greek yogurt

Directions
Combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, cottage cheese, salsa, cayenne pepper, lemon juice and yogurt in a blender and puree until smooth. Chill before serving.

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!

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.

The recipes are not only shown in outstanding photography, but they are easy to make and taste as good as they look. Trust me, I have already made several, and I am not a talented chef, by any means. Sherry has come up with prize winning treats to satisfy every palate. There are scrumptious desserts, main courses, treats and the old favorites- tomato soup and grilled cheese- with a special twist. Fantastic recipes that appeal to those of all ages!

There are articles among the recipes that are written by the Plain People (Amish) that add a special little touch to an already outstanding magazine. They add that personal note that just adds to the attraction.

I can hardly wait for the next magazine to come out. To be honest, this will become one of my most used “cookbooks” that I own. Yahoo, Sherry! You have another winning publication!

I highly recommend that you subscribe to this magazine! All I can say is WOW!
Karla Hanns ~ Quiet Quilter Reviewer, Ontario, Canada

To celebrate the new year and the success of Cooking & Such: Adventures in Plain Living, I’m giving away one issue to two winners. Leave a comment following this blog post and I’ll draw the names of two readers Friday, January 6. Happy 2012!

*************************

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.

******************************************
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

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.

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.