AmishReader.com » Mary

Can anybody handle a procedure instead of a recipe?

Mary — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 17:45:07 +0000

Kentucky Cornbread by Nannie Bray

This comes from my best friend, who was taught by her mother, Nannie Bray,
a lifelong Kentucky resident. It is a procedure, not a recipe. As unbelievable as it may seem, her mom never owned a cookbook, or an official measuring cup or spoon. Nevertheless, everyone loved her cornbread.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use a tablespoon and put two scoops of lard in a 10 inch iron skillet and place in over while it is preheating. (Mom always used lard, but I have found that shortening works fine and is easier on my heart and mind.) Meanwhile, she used her cupped right hand as a measuring cup. In a mixing pot or bowl, put 2 heaping cups of corn meal mix, 1 heaping cup of self-rising flour, one generous pinch of salt, and mix with the right hand. (She never used a spoon to mix.) Get the buttermilk ready on the counter. Remove the iron skillet from the over. Make sure that all the lard is melted. Roll the lard all around the skillet and up half way on the sides. Pour the extra in the cornmeal and flour mixture. Make sure that 1/4 inch of oil remains in the skillet. Put the skillet back in the oven to get really, really hot. Mix the cornbread mixture up by adding some buttermilk. Stir with the right hand and add buttermilk until it is a thick mixture, but can still be poured with a little help from the hand.

Take the skillet out, the lard might be ‘smoking’ a little, but you can see the swirls from the heat. Pour the cornbread mixture (should sizzle when it hits the oil), scrap the bowl with the hand and put in hot oven. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the bread is firm to the touch in the middle. This makes for a crunchy crust on sides and bottom. If there is any left overs, it will not be the crust, and will not be thrown out. Leftovers will be used for the infamous Kentucky cereal, AKA Cornbread and Milk!

The post Can anybody handle a procedure instead of a recipe? appeared first on AmishReader.com.

Kentucky Chess Pie

Mary — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 11:36:47 +0000

While writing A Little Bit of Charm, I asked Kentucky resident, Linda Hitchcock, to supply me with a traditional pie recipe. This is Chess Pie by her aunt, Peg Hersman Triplett. Linda told me this pie is a Kentucky favorite! Many versions of Chess Pie exist, some with cream or milk, some with flour in place of cornmeal. Still others add lemon in place of vanilla and eliminate the vinegar. Some even add chocolate, although Linda feels her Aunt Peg’s is the best! This recipe came from her mother, (Linda’s grandmother) who died in 1933.The origins are murky but it has been suggested the recipes originated in England, were brought to the Virginia Colony and then to Kentucky where they became popular. The pies are usually served at room temperature and don’t need embellishment, although whipped cream is nice. They are stored at room temperature~ and were probably held in pie safes in previous eras. Chess pie is made with ingredients readily available on a farm, quickly assembled and easily doubled or tripled for a large family. Enjoy!

1 (9”) unbaked pastry shell, homemade or favorite store bought

1 stick, 1/2 cup butter, melted

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons cornmeal

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter, stir in sugar, add cornmeal, beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well, and add vinegar and vanilla. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes until set and lightly brown on top.

The post Kentucky Chess Pie appeared first on AmishReader.com.

More tidbits about the Amish

Mary — Tue, 10 Sep 2013 19:07:39 +0000

I learned some interesting facts about the Amish of Kentucky while researching A Little Bit of Charm. Many of the Amish and Old Order Mennonite farmers have started growing strawberries commercially, while others have built hothouses to extend their season. Frequently raised vegetables are rhubarb, squash, tomatoes, potatoes, and pepper varieties, both sweet and hot. Here’s a photo of me standing in a field of soybeans.

Also I learned about another way the Amish make a living–bookmaking. A cobbler near Sheridan makes gorgeous, fit-like-a-glove leather boots. The boot-maker traces the customer’s feet for the pattern and sets to work. Then you go back a second time to pick them up. They won’t be cheap, but they also won’t hurt your feet.

I hope you’re all enjoying these warm days. It’s finally summer in Ohio! But before you know it, the rain and snow will be back. Enjoy!

The post More tidbits about the Amish appeared first on AmishReader.com.

Tidbits about the Amish of Kentucky

Mary — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 21:51:43 +0000

Happy Wednesday, readers. Today I’d like to share with you some interesting tidbits I learned from Linda Hitchcock, lifelong Kentucky resident and friend to several Amish and Old Order Mennonite families. One of her good friends works as a “driver” for those who usually use horses and buggies to get around. Her peak driving months are post harvest, from mid-October until around mid-March, when most crops have been planted. The Amish will still drive for doctor and dentist appointments and major grocery shopping trips. But the long-distance travel for weddings and visiting relatives isn’t done, except in rare emergencies like funerals. This driver mentioned that the ultra-conservative, Schwartzentruber Amish, are much quieter during these trips. They don’t make jokes or laugh much, and do not sing along the way. The less conservative Amish sing on long trips and aren’t inclined to be so serious. In Kentucky, most Amish weddings take place during the late fall and winter. January, particularly around New Year’s, is a very popular time for weddings! Drivers of the Amish get their business by word-of-mouth, and often take their clients great distance to North and South Dakotas and beyond, staying with the relatives as their hosts. Amish as now living in thirty states, along with Canada.

Next week I’ll share some other interesting things I learned about their gardens and home-run businesses.

The post Tidbits about the Amish of Kentucky appeared first on AmishReader.com.

Horseracing and the Christian life

Mary — Wed, 14 Aug 2013 16:47:39 +0000

Happy Wednesday, lovers of Amish fiction.

A Little Bit of Charm is on its way to stores, and I’m excited about the conclusion to this series. In this book, I explore the role of money and/or gambling in a Christian’s life. I’ve always loved watching horses race, pure and simple. I attended the Preakness once, years ago, and the Kentucky Derby four times.

These days, fighting traffic and mega-crowds is no longer appealing. Alas, I’ve become a couch-potato Thoroughbred racing fan.

Over the years, I’ve encountered other Christians who take exception to horseracing in general, and betting on races in particular. In book three of my New Beginnings series, I explore a young man’s dream of raising a Thoroughbred colt to contender status as a three-year-old. His devout Christian father grapples with the son’s obsession with racing, both the cost of training and the lure of potential riches. His young Amish girlfriend grapples with Jake’s obsession with money, period.

I had fun writing this story, and learned something about myself along the way.

What do you think? Is it sinful for a Christian to place a bet or gamble in general?

– Mary

A Little Bit of Charm

By Mary Ellis

Available September 2013

A Little Bit of Charm, the third book in bestselling author Mary Ellis’s New Beginnings series, is about fresh starts…and how faith in God and His perfect plans provide the peace and joy all long for.

Learn more: http://harvesthousepublishers.com/book/a-little-bit-of-charm-2013/

The post Horseracing and the Christian life appeared first on AmishReader.com.

A return visit to the Amish of KY

Mary — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 17:13:05 +0000

I just heard from my friend and research contact to the Amish of Kentucky, Linda Hitchcock. She just came home from a trip to Simpson and Allen Counties. Not only did she discover a wide variety of produce, but some downright great bargains such as hand-woven straw hats for 6.00, and pickles, jams, jellies and relishes at $2.75 each. And the vendors were the friendliest she’d ever met. Besides watermelon rind pickles and chow-chow, they had “moonshine” jelly, brightly-colored pepper jellies, and jams with eye-catching names like TOE Jam, TRAFFIC Jam and FROG Jam. TOE has tangerine, orange and elderberry; traffic a mixed variety and FROG includes figs, raspberries, orange and ginger. While shopping, Linda was told that “Amish vendors must do something different to stand out these days.” The jam Linda purchased came from Spring Valley Farms, owned by the Habegger Family. Their label says: “Old Fashioned, All-Natural Home-Style Canning”. There’s a little circle which says “Preserving the Past” and a picture of two draft horse heads on the labels. The Habegger started making sorghum molasses in the mid-1960’s and has farms in both Holland, KY and Caneyville, KY. Linda also learned that you can no longer purchase eggs from produce stands in KY unless they have refrigeration. I enjoyed meeting Linda while researching the Old Order Mennonites and Amish of KY in preparation to write A Little Bit of Charm. Thanks, Linda, for a look back at a beautiful part of the US of A.

The post A return visit to the Amish of KY appeared first on AmishReader.com.

Anybody ready for something sweet?

Mary — Wed, 01 May 2013 16:01:09 +0000

Happy sunny day, Amish readers! At least the sun is shining in Ohio, that is. After another cold snap last week green grass, leaves on trees, and flowers blooming in my garden sure are a welcome site. I thought I’d share a recipe from Love Comes to Paradise in case you’re ready for something sweet. This came from my Amish friends in Winesburg, Ohio.

Fruit Tarts

Pastry:

2 cups Robin Hood Flour

½ cup white Crisco Shortening

½ cup yellow (butter-flavored) Crisco Shortening

8 oz. Cream Cheese

Pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients well with a pastry blender or fork. Form dough into balls and then place in a muffin or tart pan. Press dough into muffin or tart form and fill with your favorite fruit fillings approximately ½ to 2/3 full. (Lemon curd, raspberry, cherry, plum, or peach preserves.) Bake for approximately ½ hour at 350 degrees. Let cool and then add your favorite topping. We like whipped cream, but ice cream is really good, too.

The post Anybody ready for something sweet? appeared first on AmishReader.com.

A town is not always a town in stories

Mary — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 23:07:30 +0000

I faced an interesting dilemma while researching Love Comes to Paradise in Missouri. I marked Clark, MO, on my map and headed there with eager anticipation. However, when I arrived this “town” had all but packed up and left, or blown away in the last storm. Yes, there were plenty of Amish families living in the general area of Randolph, Audrain and Boone Counties. But the town of Clark, although it survives on maps, had little to say for itself. Remember, I live within an hour of Sugarcreek, Berlin, Walnut Creek, Charm, and Mount Hope–charming, lively, and thriving Amish villages. I wasn’t used to a non-thriving town. So I visited the entire area, including Sturgeon and Higbee and then created the fictional town of Paradise. It reflects the people, weather, and history of the area, but if you head to MO looking for Paradise…you’ll need a map better than I own. Hope you enjoy my photos of MO.

The post A town is not always a town in stories appeared first on AmishReader.com.

A recipe from Love Comes to Paradise

Mary — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 17:49:28 +0000

Here’s a recipe from one of my Amish friends, Rosanna Coblentz. I hope you enjoy baking as much as I enjoy eating!

Molasses Crisp Cookies

3 cups butter

2 ½ cups white sugar

2 ½ brown sugar

Mix well, then add:

4 beaten eggs and mix again

Add: 6 teaspoons baking soda dissolved in 1 cup buttermilk

Next add: 1 cup cane molasses (lighter molasses OR 1 cup dark molasses) whichever your preference.

2 teaspoons baking powder and then gradually add 10 cups flour

Chill dough for at least 2 hours and then roll into balls about the size of walnuts. Then roll the balls in a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon to taste.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes depending on your oven.

The post A recipe from Love Comes to Paradise appeared first on AmishReader.com.

Extinct Amish communties

Mary — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 17:01:34 +0000

Readers and writers of Amish fiction usually think about new settlements forming and growing larger each year. During my research of Love Comes to Paradise, I discovered that’s not always the case. In Missouri, the oldest settlement was founded in 1953, but several communties were founded before the Civil War and went extinct. During the Civil War, the Amish were often at the mercy of both Union and Confederate troops since both sides stole their crops, cattle and pigs. The Hickory County settlement disbanded in 1882 due to crop failures, financial losses during the Civil War, and lack of congregational growth. A settlement near Centralia in Audrain County, (location of my fictional story) failed to thrive due to erratic weather, periods of drought alternating with heavy, persistent flooding. The last two Amish families moved away in 1917. Other extinct settlements existed in the Missouri “bootheel” during the 1920’s and 1930’s. They last around a decade before members moved away. I wish to thank Amish historian, David Luthy, for his wonderful accounts, Settlements that Failed, and Amish Settlements Across America: 2008. History certainly provides a plethora of plot twists for an author of Amish fiction!

The post Extinct Amish communties appeared first on AmishReader.com.