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Grape Juice
• 1 cup grapes, washed and stemmed
• ¾ cup sugar
Put the grapes into a sterile 1-quart sealer. Add the sugar and slowly fill with boiling water (jars crack easily if water is poured too fast). Seal and store. In a month, you can pour off a lovely juice to serve as it is or mix it with lemon and ginger ale to taste.
Juice
Always use real juice for these recipes, not juice substitutes. You’ll enjoy the flavor that much more.
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Photo courtesy of The Gray Boxwood, www.thegrayboxwood.com
Illustration Our duty is not to see through one another but to see one another through. Illustration
Amish and Mennonite Bookshelf
Those familiar with Amish and Mennonite culture can often tell a lot about a person or church by their choice in Bible versions or hymnbooks. Amish use the Martin Luther German translation of the Bible, or if English, the Kings James Bible. They use a unique German hymnal—the Ausbund—with hymns that, to non-Amish, sound very slow and often mournful.
Due to the wide range of Mennonites, the range of Bible and hymnbook choices is too long to include here, although the most conservative Mennonites still read the King James Bible exclusively.
Raspberry Juice
• 4 quarts raspberries
• Vinegar
• Sugar
Put the raspberries in a crock and cover with vinegar. Let stand in a cool place for 24 hours. Heat to boiling point and strain. Add 1 cup sugar to each cup of juice. Boil 15 minutes and seal in sterile jars.
Living the Simple Life
Because the Amish have no electric dryers, they hang their laundry outside to dry. When you have the time and the weather is nice, try hanging your laundry outside to dry. You’ll not only be saving energy, but the fresh, clean smell will relax your senses.
Rhubarb Juice
• 10 cups chopped rhubarb
• 10 cups water
• 2 cups sugar
Boil rhubarb in the water until very soft. Strain. Stir sugar into strained juice and bring to a boil. Pour into hot sterilized jars and seal, or cool and freeze. Make punch, if desired, by adding 2 large bottles lemon-lime soda or ginger ale and 1 large can (12 ounces) frozen orange juice, thawed.
Tip: To prevent cut fruits from discoloring before preserving, place them in a gallon of water mixed with 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Drain well before canning.
Tomato Juice
• 11 quarts tomatoes
• 1 stalk celery
• 3 onions
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
Cut tomatoes coarsely. Boil with celery and onions for 30 minutes and strain. Bring juice to a boil and add sugar, salt, and vinegar. Boil 5 minutes and seal.
Friendship Tea
• 3 packages Tang
• ⅓ cup instant tea
• 1 package lemonade mix
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (ground)
Mix. To use, put 2–3 teaspoons in a cup and fill with boiling water.
Tip: Freeze leftover tea in ice cube trays, and add the cubes to your next glass of iced tea.
Mint Tea
• 1 tea bag (or more for stronger flavor)
• 6 stems mint, slightly crushed
• Dash cayenne pepper
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup lemon juice
Steep the tea bag and mint in boiling water with cayenne pepper. Strain. Add the sugar and lemon juice. Refrigerate. Dilute with water when ready to serve.
Tip: To keep iced tea from clouding over, keep the tea at room temperature. When it’s time to serve, just pour it over ice cubes.
Swiss Tea
• ½ cup green tea (preferably Tender Leaf tea)
• 2 sticks cinnamon, broken into pieces
• ½ teaspoon (or big pinch) saffron
• 1 ½ cups sugar (more or less to taste)
• 1 quart boiling water
Add tea, cinnamon, and saffron to 1 quart boiling water. Simmer 15–20 minutes. Strain. Add enough hot water to make 1 gallon tea. Stir in the sugar until dissolved.
Tip: You’ll get a tastier cup of tea if you brew it in a clean china or earthenware pot, using fresh, cold water that’s been brought quickly to a boil.
Hot Spiced Apple Cider
• 4 teaspoons whole cloves
• 4 teaspoons whole allspice
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 2 gallons apple cider
• ½–1 cup brown sugar (more or less to taste)
Tie spices together in cheesecloth. Add spice bag to cider and heat to desired temperature (do not boil). Serve hot. Add ½–1 cup brown sugar if cider is too tart.
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Photo courtesy of The Gray Boxwood, www.thegrayboxwood.com
Quick Root Beer
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 gallon lukewarm water
• 4 teaspoons root beer extract
• 1 teaspoon dry yeast
Use some hot water to dissolve sugar. Mix all ingredients together. Put in jars. Cover and set in sun for 4 hours. Chill before serving. Ready to serve the next day. No need to bottle.
From Amish Cooking, published by Pathway Publishers Corporation.
Living the Simple Life
Thriftiness is part of Amish culture. With large families, the Amish have learned to be frugal and to make the most out of the household items they have. Whether it’s food, clothing, furniture, or bedding, Amish culture teaches a person not to be wasteful.
Fruit Punch
Serves 35
• 1 ½ quarts pineapple juice
• 1 6-ounce can frozen lemonade
• 1 12-ounce can frozen orange juice
• 1 quart cranberry juice
• 1 ½ quarts cold water
• 1 cup sugar
• Half of a 3-ounce package cherry gelatin dissolved in 1 cup boiling water
• 1 quart ginger ale or lemon-lime soda
• Orange or lemon sherbet (optional)
Mix all together. At serving time, add 1 quart ginger ale or lemon-lime soda. Add orange or lemon sherbet if desired.
Tip: To keep the flavor fresh, store tea bags and loose tea in an airtight tin can.
Orange Julius
• 1 6-ounce can frozen orange juice
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 10–12 ice cubes
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve at once.
Tip: When squeezing your own orange juice, press the orange and roll it gently on the table or countertop. You’ll get more juice.
Pink Lassies
• 2 cups cranberry juice
• ½ cup orange juice
• 2 cups vanilla ice cream, softened
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve in a tall glass with a straw.
Living the Simple Life
The Amish take part in many volunteer activities. In Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, many Amish men belong to the volunteer fire department. Many Amish women make quilts and other items to sell at benefit auctions, which help people in other parts of the world.
Apple Dip
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
Mix all ingredients well to blend. Serve with raw apple slices.
Living the Simple Life
Frugal by nature, the Amish prepare home-cooked meals with fresh or canned food grown in their own gardens.
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Fancy Sliced Tomatoes
• 3 fresh tomatoes (unpeeled), sliced
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• Fresh basil leaves, minced
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon vinegar of choice
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste
Combine sugar, vinegar, and olive oil and set aside. In a nice serving bowl, put a layer of tomatoes and onions, season with salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of basil. Pour several spoonfuls of oil and vinegar mixture over tomatoes and onions. Repeat layers and seasonings. Cucumbers may be added to the layers if desired.
Illustration Whatever you fill your mind with fills your heart, and whatever fills your heart comes out of your mouth. Illustration
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Illustration Enjoy today, it won’t come back. Illustration
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Amish-Style Deviled Eggs
• 12 eggs
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 heaping tablespoon yellow mustard
• 4 ounces chopped olives
• Dash salt and pepper
Bring a large pan of water to a boil, then turn off heat. Prick the end of the shell of each egg and drop gently into the hot water. Cover and let sit for 20 minutes. Pour out water. Rinse eggs in cold water. Peel. Halve eggs and remove yolks. Place in medium bowl and mash. Mix in mayonnaise, mustard, olives, salt, and pepper. Stuff eggs with mixture.
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Red Beet Eggs
• 1 15-ounce can beets
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 12 hard-boiled eggs, shelled and left whole
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ cup vinegar
Drain liquid from the beets into saucepan. Place beets, onion, and eggs in a large glass bowl.
Pour sugar and vinegar into the saucepan with the beet liquid and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes.
Pour the beet juice mixture over the beets, eggs, and onion. Seal the bowl and refrigerate. Refrigerate for at least 48 hours; the longer they are allowed to sit the better they will taste.
Tip: Wash a foam egg carton and use it as a carrying case for deviled eggs.
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Cheese Ball
• 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
• ¼ cup green pepper, chopped
• ¼ cup onion, chopped
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• Pinch of salt
• ¼ teaspoon chives and/or parsley ((optional))
• Pecans, chopped
Mix all ingredients except pecans together with mixer. Roll into a ball. Roll ball into chopped pecans until covered. Alternatively, roll ball in additional chopped chives or parsley. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Snack Crackers or Croutons
• 1 16-ounce bag oyster crackers
• 1 package ranch dressing mix
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dill weed
• 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
• ½ cup oil
Combine all ingredients except crackers. Mix well. Pour over crackers to coat. Place on baking pans and bake for 15–20 minutes at 250°F. Cool. Store in an airtight container. Use as a snack or as croutons on a salad.
Ham Balls
• 1–1 ½ pounds ground ham
• 1–1 ½ pounds ground beef
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups bread crumbs
• 1 cup milk
• Salt and pepper to taste
Sauce:
• 1 ½ cups brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• ½ cup vinegar
• ½ cup water
Mix together ingredients for ham balls. Form into about 25 small balls. Place in a roaster. Mix together sauce ingredients. Pour over ham balls. Cover and bake at 350°F for 2 hours.
