When I was in my teens, my family went on an extended East Coast tour/vacation that included a few visits to some Amish communities. I LOVED seeing and learning a little about their way of life. And ever since then, I've enjoyed reading the occasional Amish themed book, and cooked any of the included recipes. I had a lot of fun cooking White Christmas Pie, included in one of Wanda E. Brunstetter's fiction books for a Christmas themed book club a few years ago.
When I got a chance to read through The Best of Amish Friends Cookbook Collection by Wanda E. Brunstetter, I found some new favorite go-to recipes. I call them go-to because they utilize a lot of the ingredients I already have on hand.
Throughout the book are little bits on Amish life that I found fascinating. Wanda talks about the Amish Faith, Amish Across America, Lancaster County Pennsylvania, Amish Church, Mifflin County Pennsylvania, Amish Schools, Holmes County Ohio, Amish Weddings, Elkhart and LaGrange Counties Indiana, Amish and Mennonite Quilts, Webster County Missouri, Amish Homes, Christian County Kentucky, Amish and Mennonite Transportation, Lincoln County Montana, Amish Communication, Sarasota County Florida, Amish Occupations, Lawrence County Tennessee, and Amish and Mennonite Clothes.
This recipe collection is broken down into: Breakfast Foods, Snacks, Breads and Rolls, Jams and Jellies, Pickles and Relish, Sides and Salads, Main Dishes, Desserts, Beverages, and Miscellaneous.
Who knew you could make Grape Nuts from scratch, and that it was easy? There is a great recipe in here for them (ever tried adding them to yogurt - its GREAT). Anyone want to try making your own Soda Crackers? Sure sounds easy and fun. Some other great recipes include homemade Pretzels, Maple Twist Rolls, Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread, Baked Apple Butter, Yogurt Ranch Dressing, Hearty Chicken 'n Rice Soup, Split Pea Soup (This is now my favorite recipe - it is similar to the one I've always used, but I liked it slightly better), Chicken Pie, Chicken Patties (think crab patties, only made with chicken and matching flavors), Moist and Tender Chocolate Cake, Coconut Pecan Frosting, Maple Nut Angel Food Cake, Peppermint Patties, Quick Root Beer, Red Ribbon Punch, Laundry Soap (for the house LOL), Stainless Steel Cleaner, Homemade Play Dough, and SO MUCH MORE! In all around 209 recipes.
A fun note: all the recipes have the Amish contributor's name and where they are from. I do wish there was a blurb on who they are and what they do, but that may not be allowed within their community/faith. There are a lot of full-color photos throughout the book, but not every recipe has a picture of its own.
by Wanda E. Brunstetter
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc (July 1, 2013) ~ 224 pages
Edition Reviewed: eBook - Review copy received courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley, many thanks to both the author and the publisher for sending me an eBook copy to review!
About the Book: from the publisher
From Barbour’s bestselling author of fiction, Wanda E. Brunstetter, comes The Best of Amish Friends Cookbook Collection. This brand-new title is a treasure trove of recipes and interesting facts from the heart of Amish country and includes recipes divided into sections such as breads and rolls, desserts, main dishes, sides, jams and jellies—and more! You’ll find only the best of home cooking between the pages of this delightful book, and as an added bonus, you’ll find featured facts about Amish life. Topped off by one beautifully designed package, cooks of all ages will have a hard time passing this one up!About the Author: (from the publisher's site)
New York Times bestselling author, Wanda E. Brunstetter became fascinated with the Amish way of life when she first visited her husband's Mennonite relatives living in Pennsylvania. Wanda and her husband, Richard, live in Washington State but take every opportunity to visit Amish settlements throughout the States, where they have many Amish friends.
*Disclosure: I am an Amazon Associate. I get a very small amount for any purchases made when you click through a link from Wendi's Book Corner, which I then save up to buy more books. :)
0 Comments:
Post a Comment