Recipe for Amish Noodles

Ingredients:

2 cups egg yolks, beaten
1 1/2 cup boiling water
9 cups flour

Instructions: 

Beat egg yolks, add boiling water and beat quickly until foamy. Pour into flour. Stir until most of the flour is mixed in. Put a lid on the bowl and let stand 10–15 minutes. Put dough on floured table and roll out. Cut into squares and put through noodle maker or cut by hand.

Either cook noodles right away or dry for future use. To dry, lay out and turn daily for a week, then store in an airtight container. After drying, the noodles can be frozen.

Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle

Ingredients:

16 ounces cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup sour cream
1- 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, divided
3/4 teaspoon almond extract, divided
1 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1 angel food cake torn into bite-size pieces
2 quarts fresh strawberries thinly sliced
3 tablespoons sugar

Instructions:

In a large bowl, cream together cream cheese and powdered sugar. Add sour cream, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and1/4 teaspoon almond extract. Set aside.
In a small deep bowl, whip the cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and sugar. Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture. Add cake pieces; set aside. Combine strawberries, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Layer together in a large clear glass dish starting with strawberries and then adding cake mixture. Continue layering, finishing with strawberries. Cover with plastic wrap and chill. Serves 24.

The Amish... Then and Now

The Amish are known to actively shun modern conveniences. However, there are still some modern items that they do use.

Bikes, Scooters and Roller Blades

Farms are big places that are difficult to navigate without trucks and tractors. While walking is an option, things like bikes, scooters and rollerblades cut down on the time it takes to get from one side on the farm to the other.

Washing Machines

Without a washing machine, washing clothes is a labor intensive active that would take up the whole day. Since it's possible to power some of them with a diesel motor, the Amish opt to use them.

Refrigerators

In 1969, the milk companies started requiring the Amish to cool their milk in a refrigerated bulk tank. However, they're powered by gas or diesel engines. There are also some refrigerators that work in the same way, so bishops now allow people in their community to use them as well.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

While the Amish can't drive their own vehicle, they are free to ride in them when necessary for business (including “important social events such as weddings, funerals, barn-raisings, and auctions”). Nevertheless, frivolous use of such transportation is highly discouraged.

Telephones and Cell Phones

Over time, the Amish have come to realize that telephones are necessary. While they aren't allowed to own one, they do have small huts with a community landline for use in an emergency or to hire a taxi. Today cell phones are also growing prevalent, making it difficult for the leadership to speak out against them.

Genetically Modified Crops and Pesticides

There are 550 Amish farmers in Pennsylvania who grow and harvest genetically modified crops. Their argument is that they need them so that they can make the money that they need for their families.

Solar Power

Bishops within the Amish community allow their parishioners to use solar power because they're not on the power grid, so they are still separated from the world. They feel that they're “tapping into God's grid instead,” according to Donald Kraybill. They use these solar panels to power their refrigerators and charge batteries for their buggies' headlights.

Modern Medicine

Communities' stance about health care widely varies, but overall the Amish don't have any problems with using modern medicine. However, things like herbal teas and reflexology are primarily used due to the high costs of healthcare, but the Amish do permit life-saving operations, and oftentimes these are paid for by the community.

Magazines and Advertising

Although the thought of Amish enjoying a magazine seems out-of-place, they do so. This is because farming isn't as profitable as in the past. For this reason, the Amish make a living selling their handmade crafts and services and placing ads in these magazines helps them get the word out about these things.

(Maybe they're enjoying some of the FREE magazines I've found! Just kidding about them reading these, of course.)

Computers and the Internet

The thought of Amish using cell phones seems hypocritical, but this takes the cake. The Amish use both computers and the Internet, arguing that they need them to help sell their goods and services. However, since they still won't allow telecommunication cables in their community, they use middlemen to create, run and maintain their websites. Of course, some Amish have their own computers, but they opt for the classic computer without any games or gimmicks. After all, they just want a word processor. 

Amish Apple Dumpling Recipe Modernized

Ingredients

1 can Pillsbury biscuits (instead of making your own)
6 apples, peeled and cored
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups water
¼ cup butter
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

Place an apple in the center of each biscuit. Fold the dough around the apple and press it together to form a ball. Set these dumplings in a 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, water, butter and cinnamon. Heat it just until it barely starts boiling, stirring often. Pour this mixture over the dumplings and bake them at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the apples are soft and the dough is golden brown.

Baked Apple Pudding

Ingredients


2 eggs
4 cups apples, diced
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 /2 teaspoon cinnamon


SAUCE


1/2 cup oleo
1 cup milk
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon flour


Instructions


Break eggs over apples. Stir well. Add vegetable oil and vanilla and stir. Add dry ingredients and bake in 9 x 13 cake pan at 350 degrees for one hour. In saucepan, cook sauce ingredients. When cake and sauce are cold, put sauce on top of cake. Serve with a dab of whipped topping on each piece.

Amish Recipes vs. Modern Day Cooking

Many of the conveniences that we've come to depend on today aren't found in Amish homes. Instead, they still use items that were found in America’s 19th century or earlier homes. For instance, they use wood or coal fueled stoves for heat and kerosene or clear gas lamps for light. Their cooking stoves are also different. They're powered by propane, kerosene or wood.

Amish meals are beautifully served. 

The Special Ingredient in Amish Cooking

Amish cooking is also different, in a special kind of way. There's nothing really "puzzling" about it. Instead, it's simply "grandma-style" cooking with an extra ingredient: simplicity. That's what makes Amish food the greatest comfort food you can ever find. 

Amish cooking consists of fresh ingredients.

What Goes Into an Amish Meal 

Many Amish meals consist simply of locally raised meats and vegetables. Of course, they also love desserts like snitz pie (made with dried apples), apple pie, funnel cake, apple dumplings, and faschnachts (similar to donuts). Pies are also really popular, especially pumpkin pie, whoopie pie, and shoefly pie, which is made with crumb and molasses. All of which are recipes that I list here or that you can find in "TheAmish Cook's Family Favorite Recipes" by Lovina Eicher.

  

Amish cooking tastes delicious!

Why Amish Cooking Is so Delicious

Not all old-fashioned desserts are superior to the ones we have today nor are all modern desserts better than their predecessors. This is simply because dessert recipes vary so widely. However, in "Cooking from Quilt Country: Hearty Recipes from Amish and Mennonite Kitchens" by Marcia Adams you learn that it's possible to combine the best of both worlds. For instance, take a look at this recipe for sugar cookies, and you'll see what I mean.

Amish Fried-Chicken

Ingredients 

1/3c oil
1/3c butter
1c Bisquick
2tsp flour
2tsp paprika
1tsp garlic

Directions

Mix dry ingredients together while allowing oil and butter to melt together in 375ºF oven.
Coat chicken with we mixture then coat with dry mixture.
Place chicken in pan with remaining oil/butter mixture and bake for 45 minutes.

Amish Fried Chicken

Ingredients: 

1 c. crushed saltine crackers or bread crumbs

1/4 c. flour

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. Frontier Veggie pepper*

1/2 tsp. garlic granules or

garlic powder

2 chickens, cut in pieces

2 eggs, mixed with 1/4 c. water

1 c. water

Directions

Combine crackers or bread crumbs, flour, and seasonings.

Dip each piece of chicken in egg and water mixture; coat with crumb mixture.

Fry quickly in butter until brown.

Place chicken pieces in a single layer in roasting pan or 4-qt. casserole dish.

Add 1 c. water; cover with foil.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 90 minutes.

*If Frontier Veggie pepper is unavailable, use mixture of 1 /4 t. ground black pepper, 1/4 t. onion salt, 1/4 t. red pepper, and 1/8 t. celery seed.

Amish Sugar Cookies

 

Ingredients

1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, cream together the sugars, butter, oil, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Provide your helper with three wooden spoons to assist with this task, because though we only have two hands, three spoons are a must.

Form the dough into balls on ungreased baking sheets and press flat to about a ½ inch thickness with a glass dipped in granulated sugar…nevermind, squash the dough balls with your hands because ain’t nobody got time for that.

Bake until the edges are golden, about 20 minutes. Frost the tops of the cookies after they cool if you like. Add liberal amounts of sprinkles. Watch in consternation as your helper eats liberal amounts of sprinkles.

Amish Whoopie Pies

Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 15 mins | Total time: 45 mins | Serves: 2 dozen

Ingredients

¾ cup butter, softened
2 cups packed soft light brown sugar
2 large eggs
½ tsp salt
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups quick cooking oats
2 tsp baking soda
3 Tbs boiling water
Filling:
1 large egg white
1 Tbs vanilla extract
2 Tbs milk
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
¼ cup vegetable shortening, softened
Try an Easy Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 425F.
Lightly grease a couple of baking sheets and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.
Beat in the eggs.
In another bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking powder.
Beat this into the creamed mixture.
Stir in the oats and cinnamon.
Mix all together well.
Stir together the baking soda and the boiled water.
Stir this mixture into the rest of the batter, mixing it in well.
Drop by the tablespoon onto the baking sheets, placing them at least 2 inches apart.
Bake until the cookies are firm and just starting to turn golden around the edges, some 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove from the baking sheets to wire racks to cool completely when done.
Combine the egg white, vanilla, milk and 1 cup of the icing sugar.
Cream well together.
Add the remaining icing sugar and the shortening, beating all together until smooth.
Spread 1 Tablespoon of the filling on the bottom of one cookie and top with a second cookie.

Amish Stovetop Potatoes Au Gratin

4 Tbsp. butter
3 large potatoes, sliced thin
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
2 tsp. salt
Pepper to taste
1/2 cup milk or cream

Melt butter in a 9-inch skillet. Layer potatoes, onions, salt and pepper. Pour milk over it and sprinkle with cheese. Begin cooking on medium heat until cover is very hot. Reduce to low and cook 25 minutes. For the last five minutes, set lid ajar to allow some steam to evaporate.

Katie's Heart Song... (Updated 4/27/2015)

Katie had just finished eighth grade at the local school last year, so this year she'd be at home working beside her Mamm. She loved laerning though and knew she would miss it very much. Nonetheless, she knew her place in this society and fell into it.

Fortunately for Katie, there is one thing that she also loved and he also loved her. His name was Ben, a mild mannered Amish man, only a year older than her. She had her eyes, and her heart, set upon courting him. He also longed for those summer evenings, away from the farm, where he'd be able to spend time with her. What a long, beautiful Fall lay ahead of them.

Rhubarb Coffee Cake

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups rhubarb, diced

Topping:
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pecans
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon

In a large bowl, cream sugar and shortening. Add egg. Add dry ingredients alternately with sour cream. Fold in rhubarb. Spread in greased 9x13-inch pan.
Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over batter. Bake at 350° for 45–50 minutes.

Welcome to Amish Blessings!

Here I'll share recipes, information and a foray into fiction...