A Very Plain AMISH Christmas Cookbook

 

A Very Plain AMISH Christmas Cookbook

The story behind “A Very Plain AMISH Christmas Cookbook” is quite a simple one, and yet so many stop me to ask, “Why a cookbook?” After all, the main focus of my writing has been about business, marketing, and psychology, so why deviate right now, at this time to cooking?

Some years ago I was actively involved in restoring rotted out horse drawn vehicles as a hobby. It began with a single horse sleigh I had picked up out of a farmer’s field in Medicine Hat, Alberta in Canada. Then some years later an old McLaughlin buggy, typical of the old doctor’s buggy that some would see in television westerns came into my possession.

My buggy had been in the family for a long time, and in fact, so long that most had forgotten about it. They had forgotten about it for so long that the barn it sat in had actually collapsed, but fortunately the hay loft was full of loose hay, and it acted as a pillow between the buggy and the barn beams. When the debris was cleared away, the buggy rolled out of the barn fully intact, but showing years of modest decay.

I was able to complete much of the wood replacement on my own, but when it came to the wheels, I lacked the jigs for cutting and shaping the spokes as well as the hubs. It was at this time that I had the unique pleasure of getting to know members of North America’s Amish community.

Members of the Amish community were gracious to assist me in the necessary restoration of my buggy wheels, and it was during this period that I had a chance to poke around taking a closer look at their lifestyle.

Known for living a very plain lifestyle, the Amish work hard every day void of many of the things in life which the non-Amish community now consider to be normal. The traditional old order Amish still function today without electricity, and gas powered vehicles.

As a single parent, meal preparation fell on my shoulders and I often sought out recipes to prepare meals for my children. When it came to recipes that had stood the test of time, there seemed no better place to turn than to my Amish friends.

Today’s Amish community, due to rising real estate values are being forced to move away from their tight knit communities and with that will come an end to a way of life.

This book contains some of the traditional Christmas Amish recipes which have been shared with me over the years. Some of these recipes date back as far as the late 1800’s and most are so well known that members of the various Amish communities can quote these recipes to a person from memory.

These recipes are huge in size as many are designed to feed large farm families and guests. For the most part these recipes can be cut in half or quartered to accommodate a smaller family meal.

It’s my hope that in making A Very Plain AMISH Christmas Cookbook available, you too will come to enjoy the incredible recipes found inside it’s pages.

A Very Plain AMISH Christmas Cookbook

 

 Here’s a listing of some of the recipes found in “A Very Plain AMISH Christmas Cookbook“:

APPETIZERS

Levi Bechler’s Bacon Chestnuts

Coblentz’s Famous Oven Baked Onion Rings

Rachel Klopfenstein’s Cheesy Pecan Roll

Nancy Strubhar’s Incredible Deep Fried Zucchini Sticks

Albrecht’s Cucumber Dip

Sweitzer’s Broiled Grapefruit & Oranges with Brown Sugar

Naomi’s Egg Cheese

Katura Lantz’s Ham Roll Ups

Aaron Yordi’s Favourite Garlic Nuts

Elizabeth Muller’s Apple Pizzas

Mary Stahler’s Best Onion Fritters

Eli’s Favourite Spicy Nut Mixture

Susan’s Stuffed Mushroom Caps

Mary’s Christmas Quiche

Barbara Schmucker’s Fried Cheese Sticks

Mary Plank’s Fried Dill Pickle Slices

Rebecca Otto’s Sweet Potato Bonbons

Elmo’s Favourite Piggies In Da Blanket

Samuel’s Cashew Crunch

Nancy Knepp’s Chicken-Corn Soup

Miriam Schrock’s Chili Soup

Emma Troyer’s Corn Fritters

Christner’s Amuzing Red Beet Eggs

Burkholder’s Vegetable Soup

Zook’s Tomato Fritters

 

MEAT DISHES

Traditional Amish Turkey

Pennsylvania Dutch Potato Stuffing

Elizabeth Slagel’s Shepherd’s Pie

Nancy Ropp’s Chicken Pot Pie

Bontrager’s Beef Stew

Gloria Ramseyer’s Pot Roast

Nafziger’s Schnitz Und Knepp

Amish Holiday Meat Pies

Levi’s Favourite Baked Chicken

Rebecca’s Crunchy Chicken Pieces

Daniel’s Sausage Loaf

Rachel Verkler’s Hamburger Puffs

Barbara’s Scalloped Ham

 

VEGETABLES AND CASSEROLES

Miriam’s Asparagus and Knepp

Rachel’s Saturday Night Baked Beans

Nancy Oyer’s Cabbage-Filled Peppers

Burki’s Creamed Spinach

Mary’s Simple Fried Eggplant

Rachel Wagler’s Squash

Gloria’s Baked Stuffed Tomatoes

Broccoli With Sauce

Susan’s Sour Cream Cabbage

Nancy Camp’s Fried Tomatoes

Samuel’s Christmas Baked Carrots

Katura’s Fried Parsnip Patties

Ruvenacht’s Crusty Baked Potatoes

Ringenberg’s Basque Potatoes

Amish Traditional Baked Stuffing or Dressing

Emma Bachman’s Chicken Loaf

Egli’s Baked Potatoes and Green Beans

Eli’s Wee Piglet Pie

BREADS

Emma Beachey’s Pluckets (Sweet Pull-Buns)

Eli’s Favourite Cornmeal Buns

Rebecca Lepp’s Honey Oatmeal Bread

Traditional Amish Aylmer Bread

Katura Chupp’s Sweat Buns

Aaron’s Favourite Butterhorn’s

Rachel Grunden’s Sweet Cinnamon Raison Rolls

Yordy’s Nut and Date (or Raisin) Bread

Bontraeger’s Nutty Orange Bread

Nancy Augsburger’s Traditional Christmas Pumpkin Bread

Lambright’s Southern Style Biscuits

 

DESSERTS

Amos Rocke’s Christmas Rum Fruitcake

Gloria Studer’s Applesauce Cake

Hostetler’s Banana Nut Cake

Miriam Imhoff’s Caramel Cake

Elizabeth Kemp’s Incredible Carrot Cake

Emma Jantzi’s Sweet Chocolate Cake

Eicher’s Spice Cake

Yutzi’s Shoo-Fly Pie

A Very Plain AMISH Christmas Cookbook — by James C. Tanner