Christmas in July

Posted on 29 Jul 2011 by Sherry


Some wonderful things have been happening lately with writing projects I’m either working on or have already published. Last week I was kept busy giving thumbs up to the final proof of Taste of Pinecraft for its second printing. It went to press yesterday. There were a few changes made. If you already own a copy, you should know there is no such thing as “coft” in fruit pizza. We added a few new recipes, too. Also, several endorsements are now featured on the covers and inside the book by some spectacular people. Being an independent writer, I took a chance with each e-mail I wrote asking the person to lend a few words (and their name) in the form of an endorsement. It was exhilarating to click “send” on the e-mails. In my mind I estimated I had a 1-percent chance of getting a yes from any of them. But I had nothing to lose by asking and so much to gain by taking advantage of those moments that came over me. I felt brave. And I love that feeling. And every single person I asked said yes!
I already had fun, neat news to share with you before more came my way. I was anxious to share, but only yesterday did I write about Taste of Pinecraft placing second in the Holmes County, Ohio, contest for cookbook of the year. As if that wasn’t fantastic enough — I found out more great news last Friday. New York Times best-selling author Cindy Woodsmall has two books coming out soon. The Christmas Singing releases Oct. 4 from Waterbrook Multnomah publishers. But what does this have to do with me? Well, are you sitting down? I was, till the magnitude of what she shared with me sank in. Then I had to grab the sides of my chair to keep from falling off.
In The Christmas Singing, Cindy has included my first book, Taste of Pinecraft.
Here’s a look at what you’ll find inside The Christmas Singing:
After Gideon coldly broke her heart, can the warmth of the season revive Mattie’s hopes?
Christmas has always been special to cake decorator Mattie Eash, who was born on the wondrous holiday.
Yet the season has lost its appeal in the three years since then, after her childhood sweetheart abruptly ended their engagement on Christmas Eve. Mattie has moved on, left Apple Ridge, Pennsylvania, and pursued her dreams of a cake shop in Berlin, Ohio, and given her heart to someone new. Someone unlike Gideon Beiler. Someone safe.
Then an unforeseen setback forces her home and into painful proximity to Gideon. Will learning the truth behind his rejection restore her Christmas joy —or open the door to even deeper heartbreak?
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The main character, Mattie, in Cindy’s book uses my recipes for Three-layer Strawberries and Cream Cake and Coconut Orange Cake with Buttercream Frosting.
Not only is Mattie using my recipes, but Waterbrook Multnomah has given me space in the book following the story. This will include not only the recipe titles, but they are featuring the title of every one of my publications listed in my author bio — and my Web address. How great is that? So now you know why I’ve been doing the happy, skippy dance!
Let’s celebrate! You can win a copy of both the second edition of Taste of Pinecraft and a copy of Cindy Woodsmall’s book The Christmas Singing by leaving a comment here after this post. Both books will ship together in October, upon the release of Cindy’s book. In the meantime, check out her website at CindyWoodsmall.com and also WaterbrookMultnomah.com
Posted in Blog | 195 Comments

Out of Sight Out of Mind

Posted on 28 Jul 2011 by Sherry

So, it’s Friday evening on July 2 and I’m relaxing in a comfy chair at my friend Mabel’s house. To say I was tired falls short of how exhausted I truly was. My ride had come to take me to the airport for my flight to Ohio at 3:00 A.M. Thursday, after not crawling into bed till 1:00 A.M.

Upon arriving I spent the entire day visiting friends (see blog post from 07/06/11). Friday was shopping day, at Walnut Creek Cheese; a place I relish visiting. Mabel and I picked up the ingredients we needed to prepare samples from my cookbook, Taste of Pinecraft. We would be serving spiced pretzels (a favorite, hands-down, every time!) fruit pizza, and monster cookie bars, at the book signing Saturday.

After a long day in the kitchen, the last dish was put away at 9:00 P.M. I was ready to unwind.

On the table next to me was a copy of The Bargain Hunter; a widely-read paper in Holmes County. Flipping through it, I skimmed down to the middle of a half-page ad for The 2nd Annual Cookbook Extravaganza ( this is where I am to appear for a book signing). There I read the puzzling words, 20 contestants. What ever did they mean by contestants? Reading on, I realize the book signing was a contest for Cookbook of the Year,  between the top 20 selling cookbooks in Holmes County. Oh, no. I told Mabel had I known this fact ahead of time, I wouldn’t have come. The reputation these Amish women have for being the best is virtually unmatched. They are sharp. And now some have put their talents on paper with their cookbooks.

You may remember what peer pressure felt like. I was in the middle of a classic case of it. There was no way I had a chance. The judging would be based on the presentation, tastiness of food, the author, and the book. Even if I had been able to bring all my book signing pretties and sampling dishes (I didn’t – I just brought a carry-on) I still wouldn’t come up against them in a contest. Too late. I was already there, in Ohio. There was nothing more to do than go to bed.

Thankfully, I woke up early the next morning feeling more excited than apprehensive. I simply gave up all thoughts of competing and focused instead on having fun and the prospect of meeting friends that day. And of course selling books!

When Mabel and I arrived at the store I quickly noticed it was mostly Old Order Amish authors/cooks. After introducing ourselves I quickly learned some ladies were not aware they too, were contestants. We agreed we would not think about it and just have fun. And that’s exactly what we did!

Last week I received an e-mail from Aaron at Carlisle Printers (they do all the design/layout/printing, etc. for my books) telling me they enjoyed seeing my photo and reading the newspaper article that featured me in the local paper.  You can read the article by clicking here.

Aaron then congratulated me on winning 2nd place in the Cookbook of The Year contest!

Here’s the recipe for monster cookie bars featured in Taste of Pinecraft:

Monster Cookie Bars

1/2 c. butter or margarine, melted
1 1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1 c. sugar
1 1/4 c. brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. Karo
4 c. oatmeal
2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. M&M’s
3/4 c. chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients in order given. Spread into a jelly roll pan and bake at 350* for 15-20 minutes. Do not over bake.
~Mrs. John (Maggie) Gingerich

Next up – find out what Taste of Pinecraft has to do with a wedding cake, an Amish baker, and a soon-to-be-released Amish fiction book written by a N.Y. Times best selling author. I’m still recuperating from falling off my chair, at hearing the news.

Warmly,
Sherry

Posted in Blog | 12 Comments

Summer Treats

Posted on 22 Jul 2011 by Sherry

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.

Posted in Blog | 4 Comments

A Recipe for Disaster

Posted on 19 Jul 2011 by Sherry

This contest is closed.

Yay, for July! Its a month of giveaways here on my brand new, shiny website designed by Scuttlebird.com.

I was thrilled (and yes, a little nervous, too!) to be asked to guest-host Toginet Radio’s Amish Wisdom for best selling author, Suzanne Woods Fisher, twice this fall. You can listen on September 22, as I interview two fantastic personalities, New York Times best selling author, Wanda Brunstetter, and Georgia Verozza, the author and general editor of The Homestyle Amish Kitchen Cookbook. We’ll be chatting across Suzanne’s virtual kitchen table about our cookbooks, what motivates us to write about Amish cooking, and naturally, what’s a little dishing between cooks without talk of pie?

Following today’s post, leave a comment about the story for a chance to win one of five FREE books Wanda graciously autographed for you readers: A Sister’s Secret, Kelly’s Chance, Going Home, The Store Keeper’s Daughter, and a hardback edition of A Celebration of the Simple Life.

Here’s a story from the 2012 Summer issue of Cooking and Such. We really are thinking ahead! This quarterly magazine includes old-fashioned recipes and stories from (mostly) Old Order Amish writers from various communities across the country. Photographer Chris Meyer has taken her camera from the horse pasture to the kitchen for fabulous photos you’re sure to enjoy.

Recently, while flipping through some of my favorite food magazines peppered with summer recipes, I’ve run across several articles featuring delicate watercress sandwiches and salads. I have to chuckle at the thought of the ease the cooks likely had obtaining the petite, radish-flavored leaves for these tasty, yet easy-to-prepare dishes.

Living in Burkesville, Kentucky, some years ago, horse-driven buggies and open wagons were the necessary vehicles that transported us around the hilly, pastured hollows dotted with daffodils, rustic red barns, and holstein cows. My friends, Noah and Fannie, lived on a sprawling, yet inviting farm nestled amidst a thickly wooded landscape on a quiet road. Their spread was bedecked with a good many grazing sheep, two milk cows named Fawna and Prilly, several horses, a few hogs in the pen, and enough chickens to keep the frying pan full and the egg basket overflowing to feed the seven children still living at home, yet. The family’s primary driving horse was Blaze, a yellow-maned Halflinger mare with a reddish-coat to match her wild streak – one that screamed, “You’re not the boss of me.” Blaze was a fireball.

Like most other things in life, when it came to horses, Fannie was fearless. Perilous situations that would frighten most mothers ceased to move her gentle, wise, steady nature. She knew Blaze’s temperament and trusted her in the harness.

The first time I climbed aboard their family wagon with Blaze hitched between the shafts is forever etched in my mind. Fannie wanted to add a little something to the dinner she had planned for our families that afternoon.

Hiking up my skirts, the wagon lurched forward before both my shoes were off the ground. Some Amish buggies have a little bar to hold on to for when the ride gets bumpy, but this open wagon had only the bare essentials: the metal frame, four wheels, a sturdy, wooden flatbed wagon box coated in chipped gray paint and the potential for danger. Not finding that familiar handle, I reached for the front panel of the wagon with both hands and held on tight as Blaze exploded out the winding lane on their property. The horse crossed over the sideless bridge that stretched above the rushing creek running between their house and the road. I was holding on for my very life.

The sparsely populated village of Marrowbone didn’t see too many cars in the hollows, but Highway 90 running through the middle of town was heavily traveled at all hours. There were only two stop signs I knew of off the main highway: one in the hollow where Noah’s lived, and another a mile and a half away, closer to our neck of the woods. Like a fiery streak of lightning, Blaze tore down Spoon Branch Road, as if the devil himself was at her heels.

Though I was jostled around quite a bit, I started thinking, this might be fun after all. Then I spied the STOP sign way ahead, standing alone in all its red boldness against a backdrop of sycamore trees. That’s where the concrete ended with a ‘T’ at Casey Fork Rd. There was more rushing creek water on the other side.

With each passing second, we were nearing the stop sign with no hint of slowing down. By now, I was starting to worry. “Is she going to stop in time, Fannie? What if a car comes?” I wanted to know. “Probably not” she nearly shouted over the fast-paced beat of horseshoes clinking on the concrete road. Probably not going to be a car? or probably not going to stop? I didn’t want to know which she meant.

My stomach lurched along with the speed of the wagon. “Blaze doesn’t care to stop for anything until she’s through running. This only motivates me to pray harder” she said matter-of-fact as she leaned back in her metal chair and braced her heels against the front panel of the wagon.

When I spotted a white car coming up Casey Fork Rd. to the left, I screwed my eyes shut and tightened my grip. I wasn’t having fun anymore. In no time I felt my insides sway with the motion of the wagon as it made its turn without slowing its wheels. Only a few moments later I realized the ‘T’ in the road was behind us. I quickly opened my eyes and saw the white car pulled over to the side of the road. It was the mailman, Dan, making a delivery. He waved. I weakly waved back. Fannie smiled. I could breath, again.

About 15 minutes later we were trotting at a slow enough pace to smell the honeysuckle growing alongside the fence as we neared the bottom of the hill on Chism Road. Blaze slowed down even more and Fannie pulled off to the side. With Blaze standing in obedience to no one but herself, Fannie let loose of the reins as she hopped off the wagon making her way down the bank flourishing with watercress. Pulling a pair of scissors from the pocket easily hidden by her apron, she began trimming the green plants until she had a significant amount of stems in her hand. “This should be enough to eat with our dinner today,”

Blaze trotted at a much slower pace as we rode back in peace to the farm. Sure enough, the salad Fannie prepared was enough to serve her family and mine, as we gathered around the long wooden table for a word of silent prayer, before eating. I remember feeling thankful for more than just the good food.

Fannie’s Watercress Salad and Homemade Dressing

1 large bunch watercress leaves, freshly picked from the creek bank, washed and dried.

1 cup Miracle Whip salad dressing
2 Tbsp. sugar
¼ tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1/2 c. fresh milk from the cow, preferably a guernsey/jersey cross

Mix dressing ingredients together until thoroughly blended. Pour over watercress leaves and serve. Watercress leaves are tasty too, in place of ice-burg or other lettuce leaves in a sandwich.

~ Fannie Yoder

Though they no longer live in Burkesville, Kentucky, Noah still tends to his sheep and Fannie spends her days running the family store, Yoder’s Homestead Market, in Summertown, Tennesee. Stop by sometime if you’re in the area, and tell them Sherry sent you.

Posted in Blog | 89 Comments

Congratulations!

Posted on 15 Jul 2011 by Sherry

The winner of a beautiful autographed hardback edition of Kevin Williams and Lavina Eicher’s The Amish Cook’s Anniversary Book is…drum roll, please…… Courtney!

Check back, everyone, on Monday, for a Five Book-Giveaway – all separate titles and autographed by the author herself, New York Times best seller, Wanda Brunstetter – a gift from us to you!

Posted in Blog | 12 Comments

The Amish Cook

Posted on 11 Jul 2011 by Sherry

(This contest is closed)

Long before I was able to catch up on lost sleep from the recent whirl-wind of activity, Tuesday morning was upon me. I had just returned from my book promotion trip to Ohio. I was dragging, but I wasn’t about to miss a book signing. Not my own, but one for an Amish author from Michigan.

My friend Linda Yoder and I hopped over to neighboring Bradenton to Miller’s Dutch Kitchen Restaurant to see Kevin Williams, editor and creator of the syndicated column, The Amish Cook, and the famous cook herself, Lavina Eicher. (Kevin recently endorsed my first cookbook, Taste of Pinecraft, for its second printing). They were on hand for a brief presentation before signing their latest book, The Amish Cook’s Anniversary Book. Never mind that the Bradenton Herald is the only paper around that carries the column, it was an impressive-sized crowd that turned out for the meet and greet.

Linda and I walked into the room in the restaurant packed with waiting cookbook author admirers hoping only for two empty seats. Instead, we were met with the thunderous sound of applause – a case of mistaken identity. We quickly told them “No, no. We’re not them! It sure made for some good laughs!

It’s likely the audience came out to have a look-see at Old Order Amish Lavina, but it was Kevin who wowed and delighted them with stories and tales of 20 years of working with the family. Everyone laughed when hearing tales of Kevin as a young editor. Once he was deciphering the Amish Cook’s (usually good) penmanship for a cake recipe. It called for salt, but how much? He mistook the words ‘some salt’ for ‘epsom salt.’  Some papers printed it. And a few readers actually baked a cake that no doubt caused some unexpected trips to the necessary room, but luckily no one sued!

After the signing wrapped up, Kevin climbed into the driver’s seat of the 15-passenger van he steered to Florida from Michigan with 12 passengers – eight of them children. He went to Sarasota to pick up the rest of the Eicher brood.

We met in Pinecraft for a late lunch at the place nationally known and famous for its unbeatable homemade pies, Yoder’s Restaurant. Our four tables were full of wide-eyed children who weren’t quite sure what to think the ginormous pieces of tender, juicy, fried chicken. The pieces they serve are so big there’s barely room for sides on the plate. Nevertheless, every bit was polished off leaving no left-overs. I enjoyed my usual favorite – a perfectly cooked medium rare burger slathered with Swiss cheese, and a side of french fries with ranch dressing for a dipping sauce. Kevin had what looked like a yellow plate special – sweet, tasty corn fritters and Amish potato cakes with maple syrup. I believe he relished every bite, for his plate too, was empty when the check came. Following the unforgettable meal, our party of 14 met around the corner at the Pinecraft Amish Church.

Here’s an excerpt from a piece Lavina wrote on a hand-out for the book signing:

“I have always been interested in seeing the Amish Church in Pinecraft. Some Amish from around here go to Sarasota for the winter, so I have heard about Pinecraft for years. It will be different because no one has horse and buggy there, I’ll be interested to see how it is. The children were asking where the Pinecraft people put their horse and buggies. They can’t picture it, because when they think of Amish they think of farms. The children were asking me “where would they put their horses if there was a hurricane?”
The children are also excited about seeing dolphins and alligators. They have heard a lot about the ocean. Mother saw the ocean once in Mississippi while visiting some of Dad’s family. She said when you look at the ocean it seems like your worries are all gone. There must be something amazing about seeing God’s creation of the ocean. This trip will be exciting, but packing for a family of 10 is not easy. Gathering up enough clothes is the biggest challenge. I made each of the children pack 4 sets of clothes, so hopefully that will be enough.”

Once at the church I used the code to gain access to the locked door. You wouldn’t think they’d need to lock the door but there have been multiple thefts in the past. The money left in the jar in exchange for farm fresh eggs has disappeared and last year $7,000 worth of bike parts were stolen from the minister’s shop on the corner.

Inside, Lavina and her family immediately took in the differences between their Old Order Amish Church up north and the Pinecraft church. Carpet, padded benches, and air-conditioning must have seemed luxurious. Many folks from elsewhere don’t realize all of the homes in Pinecraft have electricity. One blistering summer without air-conditioning here, could do a person in if they were not raised in a tropical climate.

Shortly after we arrived, Mary Miller from Estrada Street came by to greet Kevin and the Eichers. If you own a copy of Taste of Pinecraft you’ve seen the drawing of a little sign in Pinecraft that reads ‘Monster Cheese For Sale.’ That use to be staked in Mary’s yard. Of course she and her sister meant to write ‘Muenster Cheese.’ Mary, a personable character herself, made for a good interview with Kevin for one of his current projects; a travel book filled with recipes from Amish communities across the country. It was interesting to listen as Mary and Kevin quickly fell right into a conversation of dishes she has prepared and recipes Kevin would like from her. I can’t wait till the book comes out.

Congratulations to the winner of the one-year subscription to The Budget newspaper – Karen Gervais! Please e-mail a shipping address to be forwarded to The Budget.

Congratulations to Linda Fuegmann for winning a copy of Verna Mullet’s cookbook, Canning with Our Family and the apron from Gospel Book Store’s 2nd annual Cookbook Extravaganza! 

For this blog post I’m giving away a beautiful hardback edition of The Amish Cook’s Anniversary Cookbook,  autographed by Kevin Williams, Lavina Eicher, and her hardworking husband, Joe. Just leave a comment below to be entered!

Here’s an easy recipe from Taste of Pinecraft; Glimpses of sarasota, Florida’s Amish Culture and Kitchens for Amish Peanut Butter Spread – a staple on the table of many Plain folks. You can slather it on homemade bread or dinner rolls for a rich, sweet treat you’ll never forget.

Amish Church Spread

2 c. light corn syrup

1 c. creamy peanut butter

1/2 c.  marshmallow creme

Mix together in bowl until thoroughly blended.

Keeps well in refrigerator for 2 weeks, but it never lasted that long at our house.     Shannon Gore – Pinecraft, FL

 

 

 

Posted in Blog | 69 Comments

Charmed in Ohio

Posted on 6 Jul 2011 by Sherry

Greetings from Florida!

(This contest is closed)

My latest adventure (well, until yesterday’s flurry of fun) started Thursday when I flew to Ohio for a book signing event in Holmes County. My friend and host couldn’t be there to fetch me from the airport so a driver was sent. I burst out laughing when I spotted a woman holding up a sign that read Author Sherry Gore. The woman turned out to be Ada, a cousin to several of my friends.

Once on the road, like an experienced professional tour guide, Ada pointed out interesting landmarks on the way to our destination. Ada told me she was born in Sugarcreek, Ohio, and has never lived more than one mile away from the home she lives in today. About 45 minutes later we pulled in to the Walnut Creek Nursing Home. The last time I was there was in August 2010, when I visited my friend Clara. Just one month shy of her 99th birthday she passed away this January. I planned this visit in advance so I could see my friend, Mary Hershberger. She too, is in her 90’s. Her identical twin (Ada’a aunt) just passed away.

Later, Ada took me to meet her mother Susan and sister Esther who are both residents at the home. Susan is aged, but Esther chose to live there to be by her mother. Ada explained how 47 years ago when Esther was born, she ended up suffering from cerebral palsy due to neglect in the delivery room. I spent most of my time visiting with Esther. I know that those living with cerebral palsy have sharp minds but are trapped in a body that does not cooperate. It made me think of my own 21 year-old daughter whose body is wracked with physical ailments, but is otherwise a normal young woman in every aspect. During my visit I learned that Esther’s best friend from childhood, Elsie, had slipped into a coma the day before. Esther and I developed a fast friendship so it was a hard parting when it came time for me to leave. I must have returned and hugged her four times before our final tearful words of goodbye.

 

Rather than going to a hotel, I was invited to stay at friends David and Mabel’s lovely homestead in Winesburg. David is a driver for the Amish bus and has taken a family on a tour out west for several weeks. Mabel made me feel like a pampered guest at a Bed & Breakfast. Though we each share a love for spending time in the kitchen, we both agreed somebody elses cooking is always best!

The many spacious, yet oh-so-comfy rooms in their home were decorated with handmade quilts from generations past and in the daudi haus was a rug loom; something Mabel’s aging father still works at, creating colorful rugs made with thick ropes of material wound on shuttles.

Our breakfast each day included a delicious concoction of grape and apple juice. Mabel and her husband have their own grape vines growing in their yard. Mabel puts the ripened fruit in a grape steamer before canning it. The apples are handpicked each year from trees growing on their property, then they are processed through an apple cider press making 40 gallons of cider each season. This too, is canned and shared with family members and those fortunate enough to visit, like me.

Early Saturday morning Mabel and I scurried to get our food stuffs finished up for the book signing at Gospel Book Store in Berlin. We made Monster Cookie Bars, Spiced Pretzels, and Fruit Pizza the day before. I usually make fruit pizza with strawberries and kiwi when at home but we topped these two panfuls with fresh, sliced peaches we picked up while shopping at Walnut Creek Cheese. I serve the spiced pretzels at every book signing I appear at as they’re not only super easy to make, but are also a reader favorite (so is the Grilled Lime Fish Fillet, but I don’t travel with a grill).

It didn’t take long to drive to the Gospel Book Store in Berlin. I saw right away most of the authors in attendance were Old Order Amish. Store owner Eli Hochstetler had customized aprons made for each of the authors that read Cookbook Extravaganza 2011. Reporters from the local edition of The Budget and The Daily Record were on hand for interviews.

The authors sitting closest to me were a delightful pair. I have to say, I was getting a little miffed from hearing customers ask them time and time again “There isn’t any alcohol in here, is there?”

What? 

So finally I turned and asked the young Mrs. Troyer why they would ask such a thing. Grinning, she showed me the display card with a title of their food sample on it. ‘Mennonite Wine.’ Oh, well, no wonder they kept asking. Mary and her sister Naomi did have quite a cute display. The samples of grape juice as it was, were served in little cups kept on ice in an antique graniteware bowl. Mary blushed and said they were a bit embarrassed to have the bowl on hand at the event but weren’t able to think of something else to use to keep the juice chilled. They didn’t know it was charming and quaint in other people’s eyes. Her homemade, frosted, plump Cinnamon Rolls were a crowd pleaser too. Before we left for the day I bought a copy of her cookbook Simply Delightful. She already owns a copy of my book and asked me to autograph her apron.

Another favorite that day was Mrs. Allen (Verna) Mullet. She had a delicious sampling of foods made with recipes in her little cookbook, Canning With Our Family. She was a jolly and likable person I won’t soon forget. After talking with her and her husband I realized it is Allen’s father Andy Mullet I wrote about in an article in The Pinecraft Pauper, last season. I promised to send them a copy.

It was a treat to meet several reader friends from facebook. Some are new readers and others are treasured friends I met last year at a previous book signing in Walnut Creek.

That afternoon at the signing yet, Mabel took the call that Elsie, her cousin Esther’s best friend, passed away. The funeral was planned for the next day at the home of one of the members of her Old Order Amish Church.

After wrapping things up at Gospel Book Store I climbed into the backseat of Bob and Chris Meyer’s SUV and took in the sights of Holmes County. It’s Chris’s fabulous photos you see here on the Homepage of my website and lots on the inside pages, as well. Though we go back and forth often online, I hadn’t seen Chris since March when we met up in Middlebury, Indiana where I helped host the Das Dutchman Essenhaus 9th annual Cooking Show. So we had plenty to chat about. After touring the countryside from Millersburg to Sugarcreek and everywhere in between, the three of us decided to head back to Berlin for supper at Cindy’s Diner. Big, juicy, medium-rare burgers slathered with cheese and stuffed with crispy, fried jalapeno straws were delivered to our table. What could be better than that? Cindy’s sandwiched those tantalizing burgers not with your average anyone-can-make-that hamburger buns, but with big, soft handmade pretzels. Our mouths were watering and we couldn’t wait to dig in.
Later, when our burger baskets were empty (yes, empty!) the waitress asked if we wanted dessert. “No, thank you” we told her. “We ate our dessert first – we had homemade ice-cream at Walnut Creek Cheese.” This didn’t stop us from sharing a hefty chunk of candy later made with milk chocolate, carmel, and sea salt – a confection from Coblentz Chocolates sold at Java Jo’s.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Waking up to the sound of clip-clopping Sunday morning, Mabel and I enjoyed the peace and quiet while driving through the town of Charm to attend church. On the way we saw dozens of Old Order Amish dressed in all black leaving the funeral service for Elsie.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunday was Bethel Fellowship’s annual outdoor water-side service at Doughty Creek held under a canopy of sycamore trees in Troyer Hollow. During the devotional one relatively young fellow wondered aloud how old the trees surrounding the clearing might be. An Amish man with a twinkle in his eye that could be seen across the sea of worshipers gave testimony after the message. He remembers riding through the hollow in the buggy with his parents 80 years ago. He figures the trees to be roughly 120 years old, give or take some. It was a privilege to sit and talk with him and his wife after the service. It turns out this fellow is 93 year-old Eli M. Yoder. His wife of 13 years, Anna, is the grandmother of my dear friend Monica, who lives here in Florida.

Here’s the recipe for the delicious Spiced Pretzels:

1 lb. pretzels
½ c. vegetable oil
1 pkg. original Hidden Valley ranch dressing mix
½ tsp. lemon pepper
½ tsp. dill weed
¼ tsp. garlic salt

Mix dressing and pour over pretzels. Bake at 250* for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Miss Kathleen Schlabach ~ Sarasota, Florida

Have a sunny day!

Sherry

Leave a comment under this post for a chance to win an autographed copy of Mrs. Allen (Verna) Mullet’s cookbook, Canning With Our Family, and the new apron I was given by Gospel Book Store that reads Cookbook Extravaganza 2011.

(All prizes awarded in the month of July will be shipped by July 29)

Posted in Blog | 59 Comments

Welcome To My New Website!

Posted on 1 Jul 2011 by Sherry

(This contest is closed)

Hi, friends! Such an exciting day this is. The folks at ScuttleBird did an outstanding job of creating this website. Here, I’ll be able to connect with you and share some of the tantalizing sights, sounds, tastes and smells of our unique community in Sarasota, Florida through blog posts and photos.

I was delighted to find that by clicking on the many photos on different pages there’s often something exciting on the other side. Go ahead and take the grand tour. There’s something for just about everyone, with more info and photos coming on my new blog, too.

I just happen to be out of town this 4th of July weekend. I arrived here in Holmes County, Ohio, yesterday to join several other authors appearing in Berlin at the Gospel Bookstore’s Cookbook Extravaganza. This special event is being held from 10:00am – 2:00pm Saturday, July 2. I’m looking forward to connecting with reader friends I met on a book signing trip last summer while appearing at Walnut Creek Cheese and Mt. Hope Fabrics.

I’m writing this post from a nook in Kern’s Corner Market in beautiful Winesburg, Ohio. My attention is constantly distracted by the aroma of the deli next to me serving up all the fixin’s you need for a mile-high stack of roast beef and swiss cheese, sandwiched between two slices of fresh-baked homemade bread. Displayed on the shelves behind me are also all the delectable fixin’s you’d need to take home to make fry pies, a kettle of homemade noodles and even a batch of hot-from-the-oven biscuits with honey from local apiaries. In other words – they’ve thought of just about everything!

To celebrate the launch of my new website, I’ll be giving away prizes every week for a month. This week’s prize is a one-year subscription to The Budget newspaper. It’s a favorite of mine and I’ve been blessed to be a scribe for the National Edition since 2006 under the heading Sunnyside Amish Mennonite, Sarasota, FL.

Leave a comment following this post to be entered to win your own subscription to The Budget! The winner will be announced July 11.

Here’s to a future here filled with friends, fry pies, recipes, and a sprinkling of photos and tid-bits from Pinecraft!

~ Sherry

 

 

Posted in Blog | 127 Comments

Interview with Erik Wesner on Amish America

Posted on 1 Nov 2010 by Sherry

Here’s a link to an interview I did recently with Erik Wesner, author of the best-selling book Success Made Simple: An Inside Look at Why Amish Businesses Thrive. Erik has been fetaured in TIME magazine, CNN MONEY the New York Post and other major media forums.

Author Erik Wesner has met over 5,000 Amish families in 20 communities. Erik drew on his business background and Amish connections to interview 60 Amish entrepreneurs and distill the best of their wisdom.

He also writes a popular blog called Amish America. This week you can read the interview and leave a comment on Erik’s Blog for a chance to win one of Five FREE copies of Taste of Pinecraft. The winner’s names will be drawn on Monday.

www.amishamerica.com

Posted in Blog | 3 Comments

Let’s Celebrate!

Posted on 29 Oct 2010 by Sherry

Hi, friends!

Yesterday, I had the privilege to sit in as guest host on Togi Net Radio’s Amish Wisdom, interviewing best-selling author of fiction and non-fiction books about the Old Order Amish, Suzanne Woods Fisher.

On Monday, November 1, you can read a written interview I did recently with Erik Wesner. This best-selling author of Success Made Simple has been featured in TIME magazine, CNN, and many other popular media forums. Erik is also known world-wide for his blog, Amish America.  Monday you’ll not only find our recent interview, but also have a chance at winning one of five copies of Taste of Pinecraft; Glimpses of Sarasota, Florida’s Amish Culture and Kitchens.

To celebrate, today, I’ll be giving away one FREE subscription to our bi-weekly village paper, The Pinecraft Pauper. Leave a comment below describing something you like, or would like to know more about the Amish / Mennonite village of Pinecraft, the #1 vacation location for Plain People across the world. Maybe your question will be answered this winter in The Pinecraft Pauper, Florida’s Amish newspaper. The first issue hits the stands December 15, 2010. Subscriptions are just $11 for 8 issues.

Pinecraft Village Publishers PO BOX 50231 Sarasota, FL 34232.

You can e-mail us at Pinecraftpauper@gmail.com and follow us on our Facebook Fan page.

Here’s a look at what others are saying about the Pinecraft Pauper:

http://amishamerica.com/richard-stevick-on-the-pinecraft-pauper-florida-amish-newspaper/

Posted in Blog | 36 Comments