AmishReader.com » Mary Ellis

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/

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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.

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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.

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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.

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My New Year’s Resolutions

Mary — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 16:14:12 +0000

Each year we Englischers love to make resolutions, no? And so I’ve come up with three that I’ve learned from the Amish. After interviewing, researching, and then writing about the Amish in my novels I’ve found my life has changed under their influence. Although I must add, I must reconfirm these three every January.

First of all: Slow down. Whether driving, talking or eating dinner, a person enjoys the event much more if they take it easy. I once thought if I didn’t rush, I would never finish everything I needed to in a given day. That’s not true. Whoever said “haste makes waste” knew what she was talking about. Secondly, make do with less. An Amish woman’s entire wardrobe hangs on hooks in her bedroom or can be folded neatly into one or two dresser drawers. Do I really need another pair of black heels or another summer dress? Women often buy because it’s “too good a bargain to pass up.” What a waste. I now shop with a list such as “new jeans” and won’t buy anything else, no matter how great the sale price. Thirdly, don’t compare yourself to others. There is little competition in the Amish world. We will always find someone smarter/prettier/richer/more talented than us.

And here’s a bonus resolution: Don’t over-plan life. The best opportunities come up spur-of-the-moment. If we map out our entire future (or at least try to) we’ll miss the valuable chances God drops in our path. Trust Him in all matters. As a Christian, I have witnessed His awesome power to change lives. I hope your 2013 is filled with love and blessings from above.

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Every good rule is eventually broken

Mary — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:23:28 +0000

Readers and writers of Amish fiction have discovered certain “rules” about the Amish–lifestyle choices that almost never vary from one Old Order district to the next, from one state to another. But the more I research this fascinating culture, the more I arrive at the conclusion every good rule is eventually…broken. During last summer’s trip to central Maine in preparation to write Living in Harmony, I found Unity, Maine challenged 3 of my long-held beliefs…two regarding the Amish, one involving my brief, past history as a 6th grade science teacher. First of all, unlike most Old Order districts, Unity Amish had built a meeting house to use for worship and social events, instead of holding services in each other’s homes. Secondly, unlike most Amish who avoid government paperwork, these farmers are gaining organic certification for their produce. And my science lesson? I’d learned every lake has a fresh-water intake flowing into it. Here’s a couple photos of Lake Unity, which has no freshwater source, other than rainwater. Glacially-formed, it only has an outtake for periods of heavy rain to prevent flooding of nearby homes. I hope you’ll look for Living in Harmony about the Amish of central Maine.

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Something lemony to welcome Spring

Mary — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:04:48 +0000

Spring is here, readers of Amish fiction, although I don’t believe any of us had much of a winter. When the weather turns warmer, my tastes run to lemons–lemonade, lemon poppyseed muffins, and lemon cake. Here’s a recipe invented by my Old Order Amish friend, Rosanna Coblentz. Hope you enjoy!
Fresh Lemon Sheet Cake

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

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Where Amish women go to give birth

Mary — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:38:13 +0000

Misinformation abounds regarding where Old Order Amish women can give birth. In Holmes and Wayne Counties in Ohio, where most of my stories are set, Amish women decide for themselves where to deliver their babies. Some choose the local hospital and will be attended by physicians and nurses. (Always recommended wherever a difficult delivery is anticipated) Some women choose to have their children at home, attended by an Amish midwife. Many women select one of the modern birthing centers springing up in areas of high Amish population. At these birthing centers, expectant moms are attended by licensed midwives/registered nurses (usually either English or Mennonite) and Amish midwives working together. These are family-friendly establishments in terms of husbands and older children. Women paid a flat fee, usually stay three days, and can opt for the underwater birthing tub. I will post some photos of the Birthing Center near Baltic, Ohio—an impressive, state-of-the-art facility. In An Amish Family Reunion, my fictional mom-to-be, Leah, chooses this center where she can relax and enjoy the best of both worlds.

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When does a daughter become an adult?

Mary — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:55:30 +0000

I love to delve into the many themes that arise from a complex mother/daughter relationship. In An Amish Family Reunion I deal with the evolving power struggle beteen Julia (the mom) and her adult daughter, Emma. We met Emma in Never Far from Home as a rebellious teenager. Now she’s grown up with a happy marriage and two sons. But both her mother and her mother-in-law insist on making choices for her, much to her dismay. I think back to the relationship I had with my own mom. Here I was…married, teaching school, and handling the resposbilities of my first home, yet my mom would still call to ask: did you lock your doors, remember to take your vitamins, set the alarm clock for work?? Much of that is simple protective love, but she also tried hard to talk us out of vacationing abroad (could catch a dreaded disease) buying a house in the country (too far from the nearest hospital) and adopting a dog from the pound (could have fleas). I never became an adult in my mom’s eyes. Readers–drop me a line! Have any of you reached “adult status” with your mothers?

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A Mother’s Love

Mary — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:22:11 +0000

One of the themes I enjoyed delving into was the mother/daughter relationship. What constitutes a mother? In this day and age, we have stretched the definition to include step-mothers, grandmothers serving as parents, foster-moms, adoptive mothers, and any other woman who places her child’s needs above her own. In An Amish Family Reunion we meet Phoebe Miller who has grown to love Hannah after suffering a tragic loss of her birth mother as a young child. Hannah’s love for Phoebe is unconditional, equal in every way to what she feels for her natural-born son. As an adopted daughter, I speak from experience. I couldn’t imagine loving my mother any more than I had. The extent of a mother’s love defies conventional rules, defining who we are and the women we will become.

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