An Amish barn raising

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9- x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a large skillet over medium high heat, cook sausage and onion until browned.
3. Unroll dough and lay flat across bottom of baking dish. Evenly spoon sausage mixture on dough. Top with browned potatoes, 1 cup cheese, and red pepper.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt and black pepper; pour over red pepper. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
5. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until browned and eggs are set. Let cool 5 minutes then serve.

YUMM!

PORCUPINE MEATBALLS

1 ½ pounds ground beef
½ cup uncooked rice
1 tsp water
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 can tomato soup

Combine meat, rice, salt, pepper, and onion. Shape into small balls. Blend soup and water. Put in casserole and pour soup and water over the meatballs. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.

I have a full series in 2012 “The Fields of Home”. Two of which have already been released. Also the standalone “My Dearest Emma”. A unique and endearing work done with letters written between two Amish lovers. And “Susanna’s Christmas Wish”. A precious love story of a woman who chooses to love…

Email me at eicherjs@kinex.net. I can also be reached through the website contact page, if you prefer. www.eicherjerry.com

“New York Times best-selling author Ira Wagler will return home to receive an Honorary Doctorate of Letters during Vincennes  University’s 206th Commencement on April 28. Both Wagler and VU President Dick Helton will address the Class of 2012.

 The author of the book “Growing Up Amish: A Memoir” (Tyndale House Publishers, 2011), Wagler is a 1991 VU alumnus who holds a bachelor’s  degree in English from Bob Jones University (1993) and a law degree from Dickinson School of Law (1997).

Wagler practiced law with the firm of Clymer & Musser, Lancaster, PA from 1997 to 2001 before beginning a career as general manager of Graber  Supply, LLC, Pole Building Supplier and Builder, Atglen, PA. Speaking of his co-career as a writer, Wagler says on his website, “This I will do or die trying. Actually, it’s just now all coming down, unfolding as you read this. It’s been a wild, wild ride, far beyond anything I could have imagined.“

Wagler describes his memoir as a “journey at its core no different than many coming of age journeys.” Inspired by his favorite writer, Thomas Wolfe, Wagler’s book is a true story of self-discovery and seeking where  he belongs. The epilogue to his book concludes, “I have no regrets for the road I chose. And I rarely wonder how life would have been on the road not taken.”

 Born in 1961 in the small Old Order Amish community of Aylmer, Ontario,Wagler’s book creates a vivid portrait of Amish life from childhood to his decision to leave the Amish community for good at age 26. In between, beginning at age 17, Ira left and then returned to the community numerous times over five years, torn between his heritage and the freedom and possibilities of the outside world. The book describes a difficult path with “years of turmoil, rage, and anguish.”

 The 9th child out of 11 children, Wagler dedicated his book to his mother, Ida Mae, who “never wavered in her deep love for all her children, even—and maybe especially—for her wayward sons.”

 Prior to enrolling at VU, Wagler received his GED from Washington High School in 1989, having only completed the 8th grade in an Amish one-room school in Aylmer, Ontario.

An avid hiker along the Tacquon Trail, completing as much as 12 miles in a day, Wagler is also a big fan of football, especially the New York Jets since 1981, as well as Nascar and baseball. Wagler also enjoys reading, writing and describes himself as a “charcoal grill purist.“ Wagler continues to work in “tidbits on the Great American Novel.“

 VU’s Commencement will be televised live on WVUT-TV beginning at 2 p.m.  EDT on April 28.

 VINCENNES UNIVERSITY – Indiana’s First College
 VU is state-supported with campuses in Vincennes and Jasper and additional sites such as Indianapolis and the Gibson County Center for Advanced  Manufacturing and Logistics. VU also offers instruction at military sites throughout the nation.

 In addition to offering 200 associate degree and certificate programs, VU also offers bachelor’s degree programs in technology, homeland security, nursing, secondary education programs in mathematics and, science, and special education/elementary education.

 VU enrolls students from throughout Indiana, 28 other states, and 30 countries. Tuition and fees are the lowest among Indiana campuses with residence halls. VU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

 Founded in 1801, VU is Indiana’s first college and is the only college in the nation founded by an individual who would later become President of the United States. William Henry Harrison, the ninth U.S. President, founded VU while serving as governor of the Indiana Territory. More information  is available at www.vinu.edu.”

The other day I was making up the guest room in preparation for a friend’s visit. As I spread a quilt over the mattress and smoothed out a wrinkle, my fingers lingered over a seam. This quilt is one of several I received when my husband’s father passed away. He and his wife lived in northern Ohio, an area that has deep Anabaptist roots. They were devout members of the Church of the Brethren, which shares a history with the Amish and Mennonite traditions.

My in laws were plain people – not Plain, but like their Amish neighbors they lived hard-working, no-frills lives as farmers. My mother-in-law made these quilts decades ago with her church quilting circle. They’re beautifully bright and colorful, and the stitches are small and even. But not perfect. Every now and then one stitch will be longer than the others, or will point slightly toward one edge instead of lining up in a machine-like line. Those tiny imperfections somehow add to the beauty of the design, and remind me of the human hands that created them. They make me appreciate the quilters’ efforts even more. Just looking at them makes me smile, and I find myself hoping the quilt will bring happiness and comfort to my friend when she snuggles beneath it while visiting my house.

Now, personally, I don’t quilt. I have a feeling I would be lousy at it. My creative gifts tend to find expression in words, not crafts. But when I look at these quilts, admire their beauty, and run my fingers over the stitches, I confess that I have a desire to give it a try. None of us are perfect, are we? And yet, we’re all beautiful creations that God has pieced together. Like my quilts, perhaps even our imperfections can be testimonies of our efforts to become something bright and beautiful that God will use to bring happiness to others.

Old Fashioned Spelt-Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Cream Together:
3 Cups Brown Sugar
1 ½ Cups butter
Beat in 4 eggs until creamy.
Blend in: 1 cup raisins
In a measuring cup: mix ½ cup boiling water and 3 tsp. Baking soda
Mix dry ingredients together:
1 ¾ cup All-purpose flour
2 cups whole Speltz flour
4 cups oatmeal (quick oats)
2 tsp. Cinnamon
2 tsp. Baking powder

Mix well together the dry ingredients to the creamed ingredients.
Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls on a cookie sheet about 2-3” apart and bake at 325 degrees for approximately 10 to 12 minutes.

Rosie’s hint….these make great Amish Whoopie Pies. Just make a frosting of:
2 Beaten egg whites
2 Cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Beat these ingredients together, then add 11/2 cups of Crisco shortening.
Spread on the bottom of one cookie then put another cookie on top. Kids love them!!

I am constantly amazed at the prevalence of canned soup in Amish recipes. Not sure why – I use it regularly in my own culinary creations. It just seems the Amish would have a natural alternative, or something. But when I give it a second thought, the Amish lifestyle is all about simplicity. What could be simpler than making use of a can of soup?

WIGGLES

1 ½ pounds hamburger
5 slices bacon
2 small onions
1 ½ cups diced potatoes
1 ½ cups diced carrots
1 ½ cups diced celery
1 can mushroom soup
1 cup peas
1 quart tomato soup
2 pounds Velveeta cheese
1 pound spaghetti (or noodle of your choice)

Cook vegetables separately. Fry bacon, take out of skillet. Fry hamburger and onions in grease. Put in a roaster, add potatoes, celery, carrots, and peas. Add mushroom soup and cooked spaghetti. Arrange bacon slices on top. Add grated cheese. Pour tomato soup over top. Bake 1 to 1 ½ hours at 350 degrees.

World weary and down to a threadbare faith, police officer Ashley Walters seeks refuge in Montezuma, Georgia, a quiet town with a thriving Mennonite community. Yet even in the peaceful surroundings, she can’t escape the haunting memories of crime-ridden Atlanta.

Then marriage-and-family counselor Patrick James partners with a teenaged Mennonite runaway to offer Ashley a second chance at redemption…and romance. But when violence erupts over revitalization plans that pit the Montezuma and Mennonite communities against each other, Ashley is forced to stop the person responsible—even if he is someone she’s come to love.

As God unlocks the secrets darkening Ashley’s heart, she must answer two crucial questions: Who is in control? And can she trust Him?

(Place of Refuge Series, Book 1)

Watch the book trailer HERE

Cream together:
1 ½ Cups white sugar
½ cup butter (1 stick )

Mix Dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
2 Cups Cake Flour
4 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt

Add dry ingredients to creamed ingredients alternate with 1 cup milk. Next add in the juice of ½ lemon and about 2 tsp lemon zest. (Optional: a few drops of lemon food coloring) Fold in 2 well beaten eggs last.

Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees – your oven temp may vary)
For approximately 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Rosie’s Hint: This cake is great with lemon sherbet for a cool summertime treat or you can frost with a Lemon Butter Icing…Recipe below:

LEMON BUTTER FROSTING:
Cream 3 tbsp room temperature butter
Blend in 2 egg yolks
Stir in 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 tsp grated lemon rind (zest)
2 tbsp lemon juice

1 unbaked pie shell
2 cups of sugar
1/4 cup of flour
1 stick of butter or margarine melted
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla

Mix sugar and flour together.  Add melted butter, blending well.  Add the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla. Mix well.  Pour into pie shell and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until knife comes out clean.