One of the first things you’ll see when entering the town of Chouteau is the Amish Cheese House. They have wonderful sandwiches made on fresh bread with Amish cheese, and of course the workers are Amish and Englisch. Everyone was very friendly!

This is a common thing to see in Chouteau. The Amish use tractors in this community (due to the difficulty in farming the clay dirt). They also drive the tractors to town! Notice the canopy to shield them from the sun and the truck bed pulled behind! this is for storing your groceries or other purchases. It also provides a place to sit if your friends want to go to town with you!

This is a fairly typical Amish home in the area. Notice the absence of electrical lines, the gas tank in the front, and the tractor. I discuss the differences in this Amish community in my series!

Items found at a local store. You definitely know you’re in Amish country!

Anna’s Healing will release one year from now, and I’ll let you know as soon as the pre-order button is available. In the meantime, if this series sounds interesting, you might check out my Pebble Creek series here.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer!

Vannetta

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They are one of Maine’s best known and most loved comfort foods. Mainers will even claim that they were weaned on whoopie pies. In Maine, these treats are more like a cake than a pie or a cookie, as they are very generously sized (about hamburger size). they’re so hug that you’ll want to share one with a friend. A big glass of milk is almost mandatory when eating a whoopie pie.

Photos from Labadies Bakery

A whoopie pie is like a sandwich, but made with two soft cookies with a fluffy white filling. Traditional whoopies pies are made with vegetable shortening, not butter. The original and most commonly made whoopie pie is chocolate. but cooks like to experiment, and today pumpkin whoopie pies are a favorite seasonal variation.

The recipe for whoopie pies has its origins with the Amish, and in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, it is not uncommon to find roadside farm stands offering these desserts. Amish cooking is about old recipes that have fed families for generations, with no trendy or cross-cultural fusions or mixtures. These cake-like whoopie pies were considered a special treat because they were originally made from leftover batter. According to Amish legend, when children would find these treats in their lunch bags, they would shout “Whoopie!”

Gob History:

It seems that only in western Pennsylvania, mainly the Johnstown area, they are know as “gobs.” The bakers at the now closed Harris & Boyar Bakery in Morrellville, PA, claimed to have invented the treat sometime in the 1920s. Probably they adapted what was already a regional favorite inspired by the cream-filled whoopie pies of Pennsylvania Dutch country, in the eastern part of the state.

According to an article in the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat newspaper, Johnstown’s Gob – A mealtime tradition, March 12, 2009:

Susan Kalcik, a folklorist and archivist with the Southwestern Pennsylvania Heritage Preservation Commission in Johnstown, said her research shows that the Gob’s origin can be traced back to medieval Germany. “They were making a cake-like pastry with a filling. It probably was brought to America by various German groups like the Amish or German Brethren.”

But Kalcik said the Gob is not a Johnstown invention. The Amish in Lancaster make them and she’s seen them as far south as Virginia. “They don’t call them Gobs, they’re called Whoopee Pies, ” she said. “I’ve also found Whoopee Pies in New England and as far away as Hawaii.”

Kalcik believes that the Gob became popular because it was easy to carry in a lunch bucket. “Men went into the coal mines or steel mills and the little cake with the icing on the inside instead of on the outside served their purpose,” she said. “I’m convinced that the name Gob is related to the coal mines. Lumps of coal refuse were called gob piles. These working people adapted the name to the dessert.”

But technically, not just anyone can use the name “Gob” for the familiar icing filled treats. The name-along with all the rights to market “Gobs”- belongs to Tim Cost, owner of Dutch Maid Bakery. Cost, who bought the rights from Harris & Boyar Bakery in Morrellville, said he’s always had a passion for the cake.

At the Hershey Farm and Inn in Strasburg, PA, an annual Whoopie Festival is held featuring a whoopie pie eating contest and the coronation of the Whoopie Pie Queen.

In 2011, The Maine State Legislature considered making the Whoopie Pie the official state’s dessert.

Amish Whoopie Pie Recipe

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup milk
Whoopie Pie Filling (see recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease baking sheets.

In a large bowl, cream together shortening, sugar, and egg. In another bowl, combine cocoa, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a small bowl, stir the vanilla extract into the milk. Add the dry ingredients to the shortening mixture, alternating with the milk mixture; beating until smooth.

Drop batter by the 1/4 cup (to make 18 cakes) onto prepared baking sheets. With the back of a spoon spread batter into 4-inch circles, leaving approximately 2 inches between each cake.

Bake 15 minutes or until they are firm to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Make Whoopie Pie Filling. When the cakes are completely cool, spread the flat side (bottom) of one chocolate cake with a generous amount of filling. Top with another cake, pressing down gently to distribute the filling evenly. Repeat with all cookies to make 9 pies. Let finished whoopie pies completely cool before wrapping.

Wrap whoopie pies individually in plastic wrap, or place them in a single layer on a platter (do not stack them, as they tend to stick).

To freeze, wrap each whoopie pie in plastic wrap. Loosely pack them in a plastic freezer container and cover. To serve, defrost the wrapped whoopie pies in the refrigerator.

Makes 9 large whoopie pies.

Whoopie Pie Filling:
For this recipe, you are basically making a homemade Marshmallow Fluff/Creme.

2 Tbs. milk
2 cups light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sifted powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

In large bowl of an electric mixer, add milk, corn syrup, and salt. Using your electric mixer on high speed, mix for approximately 5 minutes.

On low speed, add powdered sugar and mix until well blended. Add vanilla extract just until well blended.

Your homemade marshmallow fluff/cream is now ready to use on your Whoopie Pies or other recipes. Use immediately, or refrigerate in a covered container for up to 2 weeks.

Makes a large quantity.

 (Excerpts taken from http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/WhoopiePieHistory.htm)

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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

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Ingredients:
2 cups warm water (110 degrees)
2/3 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 cups bread flour
Directions:
1 In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water; add yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.

2 Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Work in 5 to 6 cups flour. Knead dough on a lightly floured level surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat the entire surface. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

3 Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.

4 Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Immediately brush tops with melted butter or olive oil (and spices) if desired.

Makes 2 loaves

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Passed along through an oral tradition, the Ordnung by necessity changes and evolves with every new issue that arises and every new technology that presents itself for consideration.  When deciding whether something should be allowed, church leaders focus on key questions like these:

• Will this force us to be more connected to the outside world?
• Will this create division in our families?
• Will this take us too far from home?

For example, members of some Old Order communities do not have bicycles.  After all, if one has a bicycle, he or she may take too much time away from home and family or venture into the outside world too fully.  Thus, with an eye toward the what-ifs of the situation, a decision is made for the district and becomes a part of its Ordnung.

(Taken from “A Pocket Guide to Amish Life” by Mindy Starns Clark)

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Passed along through an oral tradition, the Ordnung by necessity changes and evolves with every new issue that arises and every new technology that presents itself for consideration. When deciding whether something should be allowed, church leaders focus on key questions like these:

Will this force us to be more connected to the outside world?

Will this create division in our families?

Will this take us too far from home?

For example, members of some Old Order communities do not have bicycles. After all, if one has a bicycle, he or she may take too much time away from home and family or venture into the outside world too fully. Thus, with an eye toward the “what-ifs” of the situation, a decision is made for the district and becomes a part of the Ordnung.

Thanks to Mindy Starns Clark and A Pocket Guide to Amish Life for this insight into Amish living.

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As believers gather today to worship together, I thought I’d share these thoughts on faith from A Pocket Guide to Amish Life by Mindy Starns Clark…

To best understand Amish life, it helps to grasp the basic values that guide almost every facet of their faith. The Amish…

—surrender the self-will to God

—submit to authority, to the faith community, and to its rules

—separate from the world and become a “peculiar people” by turning to family and the faith community, by honoring history and tradition, and by turning the other cheek

—simplify through the practice of humility, modesty, thrift, and peacefulness

Jesus lived surrender, submission, separation, and simplicity throughout his life and thus provided the perfect example of these values in action. Even the night before he was crucified, he knelt in the garden of Gethsemane and prayed, “Remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42 KJV). The Amish frequently cite this passage as the basis for trying to be as obedient in every area of their life as Jesus was in that moment. Their many unique lifestyle regulations are based on this overriding goal of Christlikeness.

We should strive for Christlikeness in all that we do, even if in practice that may look different for us than it does for the Amish.

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