Add a simple side to your St. Patrick’s Day dinner (or any meal!) with this recipe for Rustic Baking Soda Bread from Georgia Varozza’s new cookbook, 99 Favorite Amish Breads, Rolls, & Muffins. St. Patrick’s Day is this Friday, March 17th. We hope your day will be filled with delicious food and special moments with friends and family!

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Georgia Varozza enjoys teaching people how to prepare and preserve healthy foods, live simply, and get the most from what they have. Visit her blog to learn more.

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In this excerpt from Always Close to Home (The St. Lawrence County Amish series by Jerry Eicher), Lydia Mast is daydreaming in the quiet predawn hours as she awaits business at her uncle’s roadside stand…

Enjoy the preview!

***

Hopefully Uncle Henry hadn’t seen Milton smile at her after the service. Uncle Henry already knew too much of what there was to know about Milton and her. Milton was friendly, but things hadn’t moved any further. They talked to each other around the farm, but that also seemed more like business than romance. If truth be told, she still felt shy about Milton and her feelings for him.

Laura, on the other hand, hadn’t cared if the whole world knew about her relationship with John. Hadn’t Laura kissed John in public on the day of the barn-raising—well, almost in public? Lydia could never do that. Love was a private matter kept in one’s heart. She’d probably swoon with Milton’s first kiss—if there ever was one.

Soft footsteps came up behind Lydia and she whirled around.

“Thought I was sneaking up on you?” Milton teased.

“Yah, because you were,” Lydia shot back.

Milton wasn’t fazed. “Penny for your thoughts on this fine morning?”

Heat flamed into her face, and Lydia looked away. Thankfully the darkness was still a cloak.

“Cat got your tongue?”

“I can speak perfectly well,” she said. “Just don’t go sneaking up on a girl when she’s alone.”

Milton gave her a wicked grin. “I was walking along the road like a normal human being, and there you were, all dreamy-eyed. No doubt thinking sweet thoughts of someone special. Who would the lucky man be?”

Lydia took a deep breath. “That’s none of your business.”

Her face was fiery red again, she was sure. She had to work around Milton until Christmas, so she had to get used to him. Somehow!

He was sober-faced now. “I’d be greatly honored,” he said, “if it was me you were thinking of.”

She said nothing in reply. She certainly wouldn’t admit her feelings. It was bad enough her face was red.

“It is a nice moon,” he said with a nod toward the horizon. “I guess you don’t have to tell me who the man is, but…”

“I do agree, the moon is nice.” Lydia grasped for the escape route, but Milton wasn’t thrown off his trail.

“I know one thing, Lydia. The moon and you make me dream things.” He looked toward the horizon again as a shadow crossed his face. “But life doesn’t always let our dreams come true, does it?”

***

Excerpted from Always Close to Home by Jerry Eicher

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We have a little something sweet for you from Georgia Varozza’s new cookbook! Earlier this week we asked our Facebook fans to vote for a recipe they’d like to try from this list:

1. Lemon Tea Bread
2. German Sweet Rolls
3. Jam Muffins

And the winner is…German Sweet Rolls!

You’ll find the recipe below. And if your mouth is watering for something tart and lemony or something sweet and moist, you can find the other two recipes (and more!) in 99 Favorite Amish Breads, Rolls, and Muffins.

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Georgia Varozza enjoys teaching people how to prepare and preserve healthy foods, live simply, and get the most from what they have. Visit her blog to learn more.

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This week, in celebration of the release of Sarah’s Orphans by Vannetta Chapman, we’re talking about the blessing of caring for orphans. Today Tricia Goyer (author of Sewn with Joy) shares about her experiences with adoption…

Read Part I of this series (article by Vannetta Chapman) HERE!

* * *

My heart for adoption started with a magazine article about orphans in China over fifteen years ago. As I looked at the photograph of the sweet babies in an overcrowded orphanage, a Scripture came to my mind: “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you” (James 1:27 ɴʟᴛ).

The verse stayed with me over the years, and we never did adopt a baby from China, but God opened doors in other ways. A friend of mine connected us with a birth mom who was looking for a family for her baby, and we adopted Alyssa in 2010.

A few year later John and I heard about the needs of families to adopt children from the foster care system, and we adopted Casey and Bella in 2013. For a few years I thought we were through (with our biological children we now had six kids), but a few years later we felt God’s stirring in our hearts again. We learned there was a huge need for families to adopt sibling groups, mostly made up of older kids. After talking to an adoption specialist, John and I were matched with a sibling group of four girls, ages 11-15. We welcomed them into our house in 2015, and the adoption of Maria, Lauren, Jordan and Florentina was finalized this year.

I won’t say that adoption has been easy. Adopting kids from foster care was especially hard. These kids have faced neglect and abuse. The stories they tell me are heart-breaking. We’ve received a lot of help from professionals and counselors. And over time the love and care we’ve given our kids has broken down walls, which I’m thankful for!

Another hard aspect is the addition of so many people to our home! After two of our older kids left home, we only had a teenage son and a little (adopted) baby in the home. Within a few years our walls were bursting. We now have 11 people in our home, including my 87-year-old grandma who has lived with us for the last 15 years.

Of course I have to laugh because I’ve been writing Amish novels for many years, and I’m just now starting to understand what living in a big family is all about. I have doubled all my recipes to feed this crew and the chores are twice the work, too. Thankfully, I have a washer and dryer, and I’m able to travel by van, instead of horse and buggy, to all our appointments. I can’t imagine having this many kids without those luxuries!

One thing that I know I have in common with Amish mamas is the discovery that my love is able to grow with each child added to the family. It’s not like I only had so much love to give around and with new kids the “old” ones got less love. Not at all. Instead, my heart has expanded and the love has multiplied. Not only that, the kids’ love for each other has grown. There has been some conflict, but there’s been even more joy. When one of the kids is away at a friend’s house or an event, their absence is noticed, and everyone is happy when we’re all around the table again.

Adoption wasn’t something that I even considered when I was growing up, but I’m thankful that God had different plans. That one magazine article opened the doors to a life and a family that I love. It’s amazing what can happen when you allow God’s dreams to be planted in your heart and grow!

Want to learn more?
Find further resources in Tricia’s Adoption Directory post.

* * *

About Sewn with Joy…

Sometimes Dreams Come Together
One Piece at a Time

Joy Miller wanted nothing more than to be a wife and mother—especially now that her relationship with Matthew Slagel, the bishop’s son, was deepening. But when a television crew rolls into Pinecraft, Florida, to film a new show about the Amish, tension threatens to rip apart their relationship…and the entire Amish community.

Joy is initially hired to sew costumes for the show, but she soon finds herself becoming increasingly involved in the production—a fact that upsets Matthew and his father. Yet the more Joy befriends the Englischer production crew, the more she senses God working in their lives through her. Can she turn her back on this opportunity to share God’s love? Will she and Matthew somehow be able to stitch together their dreams for the future?

Experience love, heartbreak, and hope in this sweet story of two worlds uniting in unexpected ways.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook

* * *

Tricia Goyer is a homeschooling mom of ten, grandmother of two, and wife to John. A USA Today bestselling author, Tricia has published over 55 books and is well-known for her Big Sky and Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors Amish series.

Visit her at www.TriciaGoyer.com.

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This week, in celebration of the release of Sarah’s Orphans, we’re talking about the heart of the story and the blessing of caring for orphans. Today’s post by Vannetta Chapman offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the book…

(P.S. Don’t miss the giveaway for a chance to win 1 of 5 copies of Sarah’s Orphans! To get your name in the drawing, fill out the form HERE or at the end of the post.*)

Read Part II of this series (by author Tricia Goyer) HERE!

* * *

Sarah’s Orphans is the third book in my Plain & Simple miracles series. Anna’s Healing deals with the miracle of healing. Joshua’s Mission is a story about how as a community we help one another during tragic circumstances. And Sarah’s Orphans centers on reaching out to the children in our communities.

I had read a few news articles about Amish adopting outside of their faith and that intrigued me because we tend to think of them as NOT being involved with the larger community. The opposite is so often true. When there’s a need—whether it be a natural disaster, people suffering from personal crisis, or orphans—the Amish are often the first to respond. I wanted to tell that story and show a different side of the Plain people.

My main character, Sarah Yoder, has a turbulent home life. Her father has died recently. Her mother is struggling mightily with depression and eventually leaves the family. It falls on Sarah to care for her brothers, and then she stumbles across two homeless children. Sarah already has her hands full, which I think many of us can relate to. Most of us have plenty to deal with—emotionally, financially, even physically. Yet Sarah sees these children in need and she understands what it feels like to be abandoned, what it feels like to be motherless. Her heart leads her into the journey that is Sarah’s Orphans.

Part of the reason I wrote this story is to show there are children in need all around us. Not everyone can adopt a child, but we can all offer a kind word, or a ride to church, or financial help for school supplies or summer camp. As a group of believers, we can do a lot to alleviate the suffering in our communities. Mateo and Mia bring joy into Sarah’s household. They are the reason that Sarah opens her heart to love and to a joyful future.

This book was inspired by the words found in James: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (1:27 ɴɪᴠ). The result is, I hope, inspiring fiction based on real life events. May you be blessed and more aware of the orphans around you.

* * *

About Sarah’s Orphans…

Orphaned…But Never Abandoned by God

Sarah Yoder belongs to a Plain community in Oklahoma, but her days are far from simple. Life suddenly gets complicated when a series of tragic events unfold, leaving her in charge of the household.

Alone with her younger siblings, Sarah is exhausted but finally at peace. Then she nearly runs over a small Hispanic boy with her buggy…and somehow finds herself sheltering two more orphans.

Paul Byler moved to Cody’s Creek to help his brother in a time of need. But now that Joseph has recovered from his heart attack, Paul’s ready for a quiet place of his own. The only problem? His new property lands him next door to the orphaned Yoder family—and a calling from God he can’t seem to ignore.

A story of extraordinary grace and love in the face of desperate need, Sarah’s Orphans is the third standalone novel in the Plain and Simple Miracles collection by Vannetta Chapman.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook

* * *

Vannetta Chapman is the author of several novels, including the Pebble Creek Amish series and Anna’s Healing. She discovered her love for the Amish while researching her grandfather’s birthplace in Albion, Pennsylvania. Vannetta is a Carol Award winner and a multi-award-winning member of Romance Writers of America. She was a teacher for 15 years and currently resides in the Texas Hill Country.

Visit her at www.VannettaChapman.com.

*The giveaway is open to US residents only. The form will close at midnight PT on November 22, 2016. Good luck!

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The holidays are the perfect time of year for trying out a new dessert recipe! This one comes from Sarah’s Orphans by Vannetta Chapman (the book includes a selection of recipes at the end!).

Earlier this week we asked our Facebook fans to vote for a recipe they’d like to try from the book:

1. Maple Cream Pie
2. Amish Oatmeal Cookies
3. Twelve-Egg Pound Cake

And the winner is…Amish Oatmeal Cookies!

You’ll find the recipe below. And if you’re longing to try one of the other recipes (and enjoy a moving story), don’t miss Sarah’s Orphans!

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In this excerpt from Sarah’s Orphans (the third book in the Plain & Simple Miracles collection by Vannetta Chapman), Sarah Yoder and her neighbor, Paul Byler, enjoy a sweet and simple moment in the barn with a little girl Sarah is caring for…

Enjoy the preview!

***

They had reached the back wall, and Paul stopped in front of the last stall. Inside was one of Joshua’s buggy mares, and across from them was the other. The mare nudged Paul’s hand, looking for a treat, and he produced a cube of sugar.

“Do you always carry sweets in your pockets?” Sarah asked.

“Comes in handy more often than you’d think.”

He handed another cube to Mia, and they walked to the other mare so she could feed it to the horse. Mia started to put it into her mouth.

“No, honey. Give it to the horse.”

“Why?” Mia puckered her lips and tried to feed the sugar cube to Paul.

In spite of herself, Sarah burst out laughing. It was such a funny sight—the small Hispanic girl, large Amish man, and a horse poking her head in the middle of the two. Eventually, Mia relented and fed the mare. Then she insisted on being let down and made a game of running from one side of the aisle to the other, touching the wall each time and saying “horse” when she did.

Paul spied a wooden crate and turned it over so Sarah could sit on it.

“Take a load off. You barely sat at all this morning. You ate in record time, and then you popped up to help with the dishes.”

Had Paul Byler been watching her? The thought embarrassed Sarah, so she changed the subject, but she did sit on the crate. Her feet were actually tired from the long morning of church and serving.

“All right, but we need to keep an eye on little Mia. She’s turned disappearing into an art form.”

Paul sat beside her on the ground. “Still hiding?”

“Every chance she gets.”

Paul started laughing. Mia turned to look at him, and the smile that spread across her face once again melted Sarah’s heart.

“You’re beautiful, you know.” Paul’s voice had turned husky. “When you smile like that, when you stop worrying about things…you’re beautiful inside and out, Sarah Yoder.”

She didn’t know what to say. She stammered, she blushed, and she forced herself to look away from Paul’s warm brown eyes and playful smile.

***

Excerpted from Sarah’s Orphans by Vannetta Chapman

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We’re celebrating the release of Sarah’s Orphans (#PlainMiracles) here at AmishReader.com this month! Today, enjoy a deeper look at the story in this interview with Vannetta Chapman.

(And don’t miss the giveaway for a chance to win 1 of 5 copies of Sarah’s Orphans! To get your name in the drawing, fill out the form HERE or at the end of the post.*)

* * *

Q&A with Vannetta Chapman

AmishReader: Tell us about the message of Sarah’s Orphans and how it ties in with the theme of the Plain & Simple Miracles series as a whole.

Vannetta: Sarah’s Orphans is the story of a young Amish woman who finds herself raising her younger brothers when she literally stumbles across two orphans. Though she is struggling with her own family, Sarah opens up her heart and her home to Mateo and Mia. That sort of compassion and kindness is a miracle and one of the foundations of our faith. James wrote that “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (1:27). I loved the idea of ending this series with such a powerful call to ministering to those around us.

AmishReader: Sarah Yoder was first introduced to us in Joshua’s Mission. What made you decide to feature her as the main character of Sarah’s Orphans?

Vannetta: When we meet Sarah in Joshua’s Mission she is a young woman with problems that have at times overwhelmed her—she suffers from an eating disorder, her family life is less than ideal, and she’s questioning her place in their community. Working on the mission project in Texas clarifies many things in Sarah’s mind, and it ultimately gives her the confidence and compassion that allows her to care for others. I grew to really love this character and enjoyed continuing her story.

AmishReader: What about the hero of Sarah’s Orphans, Paul Byler? What was your inspiration for his character, and what makes him so relatable?

Vannetta: Paul is that guy we all know who seems perfectly happy being a bachelor. He likes that his life is uncomplicated. He was never that comfortable around women, and now that he’s thirty years old, women seem to kind of look through him. Which is fine. It saves him the embarrassment of not knowing what to say. But then he moves to Oklahoma to help his brother, and he buys a farm, which just happens to be next door to Sarah Yoder. The course of his life changes in that moment, because God had a plan all along for Paul and it included Sarah. I think this character is relatable because he’s a “good guy” but he is clueless as far as women are concerned.

AmishReader: Who is your favorite character in this book—and what’s your favorite line from the story?

Vannetta: I love the children, ALL of the children, and I also adore Sarah’s grandmother who comes to live with them and help with the children. She offers far more than help with dishes and laundry. She offers a lifetime of experience, Godly wisdom, and a true love for the family. Mammi tells Paul, “We all need something to do, someone to love, and something to hope for.” I think that’s a good word that we all could stand to hear. We need each other in our lives. God designed us to be in community with one another.

AmishReader: Since Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away, could you share something that made you extra thankful while working on this book?

Vannetta: Writing this story made me very thankful for the upbringing I had, for two parents who worked hard and were able to show how much they cared for us. They weren’t perfect parents, but they were very good parents. I realize more and more that not all children have that. And it helps me to understand that I need to be that for our own children and also for children that I come across in our community. We can all offer a kind word, thumbs up, pat on the back, and prayer can make a big difference in a child’s life.

AmishReader: Just for Fun: What’s one of your favorite Thanksgiving memories?

Vannetta: The way my dad carved the turkey! You would think he’d been trained by a master chef in the one precise way to carve a turkey. Every year he would insist I watch and “help him,” which basically consisted of scooping up what he’d carved and placing it on a plate. He also had a special way with mashed potatoes. I’m telling you, it was a work of art. Those are special memories, and I’m grateful to have had that time with him.

AmishReader: Thanks so much for sharing with us today, Vannetta!

* * *

About Sarah’s Orphans…

Orphaned…But Never Abandoned by God

Sarah Yoder belongs to a Plain community in Oklahoma, but her days are far from simple. Life suddenly gets complicated when a series of tragic events unfold, leaving her in charge of the household.

Alone with her younger siblings, Sarah is exhausted but finally at peace. Then she nearly runs over a small Hispanic boy with her buggy…and somehow finds herself sheltering two more orphans.

Paul Byler moved to Cody’s Creek to help his brother in a time of need. But now that Joseph has recovered from his heart attack, Paul’s ready for a quiet place of his own. The only problem? His new property lands him next door to the orphaned Yoder family—and a calling from God he can’t seem to ignore.

A story of extraordinary grace and love in the face of desperate need, Sarah’s Orphans is the third standalone novel in the Plain and Simple Miracles collection by Vannetta Chapman.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook

* * *

Vannetta Chapman is the author of several novels, including the Pebble Creek Amish series and Anna’s Healing. She discovered her love for the Amish while researching her grandfather’s birthplace in Albion, Pennsylvania. Vannetta is a Carol Award winner and a multi-award-winning member of Romance Writers of America. She was a teacher for 15 years and currently resides in the Texas Hill Country.

Visit her at www.VannettaChapman.com.

*The giveaway is open to US residents only. The form will close at midnight PT on November 22, 2016. Good luck!

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In this excerpt from Until I Love Again (the second book in the St. Lawrence County Amish series by Jerry Eicher), Susanna Miller is on an outing with Englisha Joey Macalister, against the wishes (and knowledge) of her parents…

Enjoy the preview!

(P.S. Want a glimpse at the first book in the series, A Heart Once Broken? You can read an excerpt HERE!)

***

Joey smiled and took her hand. “Come,” he said. “Let’s walk by the river and find a nice spot to sit and eat away from the others.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Susanna said with a quick glance over her shoulder. Henry had backed off and joined the others. It was right that she should spend what could be the last evening of her rumspringa with Joey, Susanna told herself. She already knew the others disapproved, so what greater damage could she do?

The tinkle of the flowing water filled Susanna’s ears as they walked along the bank. Her hand grew warm in Joey’s tender grasp. She smiled up into his face and leaned against his shoulder. Was he more than a friend? Maybe he could be someday, if only their relationship would be allowed to continue and grow. But that could never be.

“How about here?” Joey asked. He didn’t wait for an answer before he lowered himself onto the grass.

Susanna smoothed her dress before she followed Joey’s example. A desire to pull off her shoes and run her feet through the spring grass came over her. But did she dare? Yah, she would. With a quick motion, Susanna set her sandwich on the bank and slipped off her shoes. The socks came next. Susanna didn’t look up at Joey as she moved her feet through the grass. When she dared glance at his face, his smile was all the answer she needed.

“We used to do that in the summertime when we were kids,” Joey said. “But we got away from the practice. Looks like you hung on.”

“It’s not something to let go of,” Susanna said. “That’s what our people believe.”

“For once I like an Amish custom.” Joey grinned. “Nice feet.”

Susanna reddened and tucked both of them under her dress. “You shouldn’t say things like that.”

“What? Complimenting your feet? Come on, Susanna. Is that so wrong?”

“I guess not,” Susanna managed. “Thanks for caring enough to find me tonight. I was hoping you would.”

“Well, we missed you at the house last weekend, so we were beginning to wonder. Is something going on I should know about?”

“I…” Susanna began but then stopped. “Let’s not talk about it, please. Let’s enjoy the evening and this moment.”

“Then there is something going on.” Joey studied her face. “Please tell me, Susanna. I would hate to think you won’t come by the house as often…or any more at all. Is it something we’ve said or done? Do your parents object? Would it help if I spoke to them?”

Susanna shook her head. That was the exact wrong approach. But how could she explain? Susanna began again. “I…really can’t tell you. Not now. Not at this moment.”

“Well then, will you promise me you won’t disappear without a trace?”

“You know where I live.” Susanna forced a laugh. “You can always stop by.” There, she had said the words despite her misgivings, but she simply couldn’t help herself. She didn’t want this to end. Not tonight. Not ever.

***

Excerpted from Until I Love Again by Jerry Eicher

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In this excerpt from My Sister’s Prayer (the second book in the Cousins of the Dove series by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould), Celeste Talbot, from a family of Huguenots, finds herself in a desperate situation on a voyage to America…

Enjoy the preview! And if you’d like to learn more about the similarities and differences between the Amish and the Huguenots, be sure to check out Leslie’s article.

***

Deep in steerage on the Royal Mary, Celeste Talbot pressed her palm against the ruby ring tucked inside her skirt, launching a new wave of guilt. For the hundredth time she wondered how Maman and Papa had reacted to her note about leaving for the New World. She wondered if they realized when they read it that their other daughter, Berta, was gone too. And the ring. How long before they discovered that it was also missing?

The bunk she shared with her sister creaked with the rocking of the ship, which was now more like the gentle rocking of a cradle than the fury they had endured for the last week. Berta groaned, and Celeste put her hand to the girl’s forehead.

The fever had returned. Celeste dropped to the filthy floor, knowing her sister desperately needed to see the doctor.

But how would they ever pay for it? Besides Berta and the ring, all Celeste had left was a simple porcelain brooch from Jonathan that wasn’t worth anything, a pittance of money, and one wool blanket. Everything else had been stolen several days into the voyage by some fellow passenger. Celeste had been trying to be a Good Samaritan, tending to those who were sick as best she could, when she realized one of the sickest—a young woman tucked away in a bunk on the far side of steerage—was her own sister. In her shock and the rearranging that followed, Celeste had neglected her belongings and someone had snatched them.

Now it was time to sell the ruby. There were plenty of first-class passengers who might be interested in such a purchase, and she could use some of the money to obtain food and another consultation with the surgeon.

Berta shifted in the bunk, and Celeste raised her eyes to meet Spenser Rawling’s. He was a kind young man who had stayed near their sides since Celeste first discovered her sister. He’d jumped in to help right away, carrying the ailing Berta over to Celeste’s bunk, and then soon after when Celeste realized that in all the confusion she’d been robbed.

Since then, Spenser’s cheekbones had grown as hollow as hers and Berta’s, but his square jaw helped give the impression that he wasn’t as famished. And his confidence that they would all survive had given her an inkling of hope even as her internal storms, as powerful as the gales that had threatened to tear the Royal Mary apart, battered her soul.

When Celeste had decided to sneak away from home and sail to America on the Royal Mary, she’d had no idea nearly two hundred humans would be packed in worse than cattle, with little sanitation, water, or food, and rarely any fresh air. Though her family could have well afforded a first-class ticket, she hadn’t much money of her own and had been forced to sign an indentured servant contract in exchange for a place in steerage. At least she’d had Spenser’s help, thanks be to God. He wasn’t the sort of person she would have given a second thought to back home, but she was grateful for him now.

Spenser stood, pulling his brown hair back in a leather tie. “I’ll go get water.” He’d had to steal it from the first deck the last few times. Perhaps the storm had filled the barrels—though whether he would be allowed access to them or not was another matter.

“Thank you,” Celeste said. “When you get back, I’ll buy food.” There were rumors of passengers on the upper decks who would sell some of their leftovers to the starving wretches below.

Spenser raised his brows, and his hazel eyes questioned her. He knew she was nearly out of money. She’d been holding on to the little she had left for when they docked, to provide for her and Berta until they reached Jonathan. But if she could find a first-class passenger to give her at least a portion of what the ruby ring was worth, she’d have more than enough for food and medical care.

As Spenser headed toward the ladder, carrying the water bucket they shared between the three of them, Celeste leaned closer to her sister and whispered, “Berta, I’ll get you the help you need. I promise.”

***

Excerpted from My Sister’s Prayer by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould

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