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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For moms, the work of February is much like the month before. Yes, laundry can be hung outside if it is 32 degrees or even a bit below on a sunny day. Otherwise it’s hung in the basement, or on the porch that has been temporarily enclosed. Many moms also plan their spring garden – much of the family’s vegetables will come from there rather than the store. February is a good month for quilting and also I’ve heard that quite a few babies are born in February!

For students, February brings something special – Valentine’s day. Teachers have several different plans for this holiday–allowing students to decorate the room with strings of paper hearts. These young scholars also make valentines which they put into boxes they have decorated. The last period on Valentine’s (or Friday if it lands on a weekend) is spent passing out those valentines to one another. Some moms also send treats–puffed rice candy, popcorn balls, and cookies.

In A Promise for Miriam, I describe a fun Valentine’s tradition. Each student brings a lunch, placed in a paper sack or box or pail. The container is decorated, and then they are all placed on the front table or the teacher’s desk. At lunchtime, students draw names and exchange lunches.

To me, a lot of this sounds like Valentine’s day when I was in school, and as a teacher I realize that a lot has changed. However, what hasn’t changed is the way students care about one another and how Valentine’s offers a bright, fun holiday as we wait for the first signs of spring.

I’m praying this February finds you well and looking forward to the changes in the months to come.

Blessings,

Vannetta

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 If you’ve ever done laundry with a wringer wash machine, you know it’s not easy, compared to using a modern day wash machine with a spin cycle. I know because as a youngster it was my job to do laundry for our family of seven. We had a wringer wash machine and no dryer. So a typical laundry day involved gathering the laundry on the covered back porch, sorting it, running a hose to the wash machine to fill it, and then filling two large sinks with cold water. I ran the clothes, piece by piece, through the wringer into the rinse water in the first sink, ran them through the wringer again into the second tub for another rinse, and then wrung them out a third time into a basket. From there it was on to the backyard to hang them on the clothesline.

 As you can imagine, this was a long, tedious, job. I never thought much about it, though. We’d always done it that way. The time a huge, black, hairy spider leaped from the clothes basket into the sudsy water, riding the waves into I wacked him out with a newspaper—that stands out in my mind. The clean smell of the soap and bleach still lingers in my memory and the pleasant, steady, swish, swish of the water being agitated in the machine—those memories still surface when I smell clothes soap even now. As I write my Amish romances, I imagine the young Plain women doing the same thing. Inhaling the scent of clean and knowing they’re taking good care of their families.

 The decision to use a wringer wash machine by some Amish communities would not be a decision made lightly. They don’t shy away from hard work and they’re thoughtful about embracing modern day conveniences that might lead them astray from their commitment to keep themselves apart from the world. They don’t have to do it the easy way. They see a value in being tired at the end of the day because they’ve worked hard. Their way of life certainly helps me keep in perspective the concept of hard work. It’s good for the soul and the body.

A long row of wringer wash machines at the Jamesport Amish school fund-raiser.

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“I’d give both of mine to charity, and expect my reward in heaven,” the Quaker said.

“I’d give my two cows to the colony, and they’d keep my family in milk,” the Hutterite said.

“I think I’d keep one of my cows, and trade the other for a bull,” the Amish man said.

–Today’s laugh is from The Amish Family Cookbook by Jerry and Tina Eicher

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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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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!

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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.

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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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