Rhonda's Doings !

New Compilation of the Recipes that Bring the Amish Together   Brand new, from  New York Times  bestselling author of Amish fiction, Wanda E. Brunstetter, is a collection of over 200 recipes that are great for taking along and sharing where people meet to worship, work, and play. Included are tips for traveling with and serving food as well as personal stories of how gatherings are at the heart of the Amish community. The well-organized book boasts contributions from Amish and Mennonites from across the United States. Categories include Beverages, Snacks, Breads and Rolls, Salads, Side Dishes, Main Dishes, Desserts, and Feeding a Crowd. Encased in a lay-flat binding and presented in full color, home cooks from all backgrounds will want to add this cookbook to their collection.  Wanda E. Brunstetter’s Amish Friends Gatherings Cookbook  is sure to become a treasured resource. MY BOOK REVIEW: 5 Stars:  5/5 star rating Anyone who has ever tasted Am...

Twice Blessed (Two Amish Christmas Novellas) by Barbara Cameron BOOK DESCRIPTION:  Two Amish fiction novellas:   Her Sister’s Shadow Katie and Rosie Stoltzfus work part-time in an Amish store and part-time in Two Peas in a Pod, their own business raising vegetables and fruits and canning them for sale. Although they are identical twins, their personalities are very different: while Katie has always been more outgoing and attractive to boys, Rosie has always felt in her sister’s shadow. It will take an unexpected business opportunity and one very special man to help Rosie see that she’s a unique woman of her own.  His Brother’s Keeper Ever since they were boys, Ben Fisher has trailed after his brother, Mark. Ben has always envied Mark because he’s always been more adventurous, but he's even more jealous now that Mark is engaged to Rachel, a woman they both love. When a terrible accident on Christmas Eve results in their mistaken identity, Ben suddenly has ...

Review of Wanda E. Brunstetter's Amish Friends Harvest Cookbook Over 240 Recipes for Using and Preserving the Bounty of the Land Overloaded with garden produce, CSA shares, or farmers’ market finds? Now you’ll know what the Amish do with these seasonal fruits and vegetables and how they preserve some of them for future use. Bring the wisdom of Amish gardeners and cooks into your own home with dozens of recipes and tips from the heart of Amish country in  Wanda E. Brunstetter’s Amish Friends Harvest Cookbook . This well-organized book is sure to become a treasured resource. MY REVIEW:   Never again will you find more delicious ways to cook, prepare, and preserve the vegetables, meats, fruits, herbs, pasta, and even weeds than in this cookbook.  Scripture verses are interspersed throughout the recipe book.   There is a section on how to use weeds, yes, weeds...for cooking, medicinal purposes, and more!   There is a section on planting according to the s...

Review of 99 Favorite Amish Recipes by Georgia Varozza The Amish are admired for their simple lives, their intricate quilts, their bold faith, and especially their homemade meals. Straight from the heart of Amish country, this new collection of hearty, wholesome recipes will remind you of the pleasures of the family table. Learn to prepare easy and delicious dishes for your family, including caramel apple pie, farmer’s stew, shoofly pie, haystack supper, and homemade noodles Bring the simple life home! MY REVIEW:  With each section of this wonderful recipe book, there is a scripture passage and prayer.   I appreciate the fact that the author includes some of her own tips for recipes, such as variations or substitutions one might use.    There is a section for "Best-Ever Breakfasts", "Midday Meals & Snacks", and "Quick & Easy Dinners".  The recipes featured are unique to the Amish homes.  I personally tried the Baked Oatmeal (this is...

Review of Made With Love by Tricia Goyer and Sherry Gore How many Amish women does it take to open a bakery in Pinecraft, Florida? Four...plus a construction crew made up of troublesome rumspringa teenagers and a handsome Amish bachelor. Serving up traditional Amish food to Florida-sun-kissed tourists provides plenty of surprising situations for the three sisters and their mother--not to mention love and good cooking--in this series from popular Amish writers Tricia Goyer and Sherry Gore. In the first installment of the The Pinecraft Pie Shop series, Lovina Miller has two things on her mind: to open her own pie shop...and mem to find husbands for her daughters! As the head of the construction crew steps forward to help fulfill her dream, mem wonders if he might also be the one who ruins it. Readers who enjoy Amish novels will love this authentic series by bestselling novelist Tricia Goyer and Amish-Mennonite author Sherry Gore. MY Review:  yummy! delicious!  pies, p...

Review of Amish Treasures of the Heart (Amish Dynasty Book #2) by Sophia Grace BONUS MATERIAL: Recipes!!!   From the Cherry Orchard (in the back of the book)  Being brought up as an Englisher, Jake Fisher knows nothing about Amish farming. So when he goes to work for Ellie on her farm, he makes one mistake after another. It doesn't help that Jackson, one of the farmhands, bullies him and teaches him all the wrong things just to cause trouble between him and Ellie.  Will Jackson take his antics too far, or will Ellie find out the truth before it's too late? MY REVIEW:   4-Stars for this Amish novella, book two in the Amish Dynasty series by Sophia Grace.....Can you imagine working on an Amish farm when you were raised as an Englisher in the city?   Could you milk a cow?   Muck a stall?   Weed the garden?  I don't know how I would fare at the task!   Jake will do anything to help Ellie though because she has a smile that makes ...

Review of The Promise by Amanda Tru The secrets to changing Hannah's past, lie in her future.  The terror of being captured by her enemy throws Hannah into the distant future. But it is a future that holds secrets.  As the closely guarded secrets unravel, so does the mystery of Hannah's life. Now her entire existence hinges on her actions.  With time on her own life running out, Hannah is driven by an obsession to travel back in time to save her husband and family, righting the wrongs fro her mistakes. But in order to so do, she must control her time traveling and then somehow save a dead man.  Hannah must face life-altering secrets, heart-breaking betrayal, shocking surprises, and a final encounter with a villain intent on destroying her. Can she save herself before time traveling takes its final toll? Though Hannah believes God has a plan for her life, can she trust that the author of time can also use her sin for her ultimate good? And in the en...

Review of Wanda E. Brunstetter's The Simple Life Devotional Devotional Thoughts from Amish Country Millions visit "Amish country" each year to enjoy the relaxed family atmosphere of this unique culture. What can we as "English" (non-Amish) people learn from this lifestyle? Wanda Brunstetter,  New York Times  bestselling author of Amish-themed novels, offers sixty intriguing and encouraging lessons in her devotional  The Simple Life . Each reading features a brief story of the Amish, providing a "behind the scenes" insight into their culture; a spiritual lesson, accompanied by scripture, drawn from the story; and a "bonus" of an Amish witticism or recipe. Now readers can enjoy the peace and quiet of Amish country anytime, anywhere. MY REVIEW:   Wanda E. Brunstetter has compiled a beautiful collection of stories of life with the Amish as a devotional.   I love the sweet stories based on the simple life of the Amish that is featured...

Review of An Amish Second Christmas by Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller, Ruth Reid, & Tricia Goyer When Christmas Comes Again by Beth Wiseman Katherine Zook and her four children are facing their first Christmas without a loved one, and the future seems dim.But when a mysterious "Englisch" man begins to show up in the most unlikely of places, Katherine can t help but be suspicious . . . and a bit curious. MY Review of When Christmas Comes Again:   This book speaks of second chances, forgiveness, and love.  I was truly touched by Katherine Zook and her children and when the identity of the mysterious Englischer is revealed, hearts will be moved.  I know a great deal about learning to forgive myself and others.  It is not always easy to do, but it opens our hearts to freedom.   This novella had me in tears, happy tears, but tears none-the-less.  It is a special 5 star Christmas novella and one that I believe readers will find special.   Her ...

Review of   Wanda E. Brunstetter's Amish Friends Christmas Cookbook by Wanda E. Brunstetter The must-have cookbook of the season is  Wanda E. Brunstetter’s Amish Friends Christmas Cookbook —a brand new collection of holiday recipes and insights into Christmas celebrations direct from Amish homes. You’ll also enjoy the addition of scriptures and common Amish sayings. Surrounded by a beautiful lay-flat binding, this cookbook is the perfect holiday gift for yourself and friends. MY REVIEW:  What a delightful Christmas cookbook.  Wanda Brunstetter has collected many wonderful tried-and-true Christmas recipes from her many Amish friends.  She also explains the many Christmas traditions and ways of celebrating the Amish enjoy, including Old Christmas.  I think we all should celebrate Old Christmas as well.    Some of the favorite recipes shared include:   Gelatin Roll-ups (I did not even know that gelatin could be rolled up....I h...

Review of The Amish Baking Cookbook Plainly Delicious Recipes from Oven to Table by Georgia Varozza and Kathleen Kerr Building on the success of The Homestyle Amish Kitchen (more than 58,000 copies sold), Georgia Varozza partners with experienced baker Kathleen Kerr to give you a cookbook filled with the foods most associated with the Plain and simple life: baked goods. This delicious collection of more than three hundred classic baking recipes for cookies, cakes, pies, bars, and breads inspires you who love Amish fiction and are drawn to the Plain lifestyle to roll up your sleeves and start baking! Whether you consider yourself a novice or a veteran in the kitchen, Georgia and Kathleen make it easy to make delicious baking recipes such as Amish Nut Balls and Brown Sugar Pie. Find the perfect recipe to prepare for that large weekend potluck, tonight's intimate family dinner, or a fun activity with the kids. MY REVIEW:   5 Stars!  *****  I love to ba...

Review of Seasons of Tomorrow  Amish Vines and Orchards, Book 4  by Cindy Woodsmall As love restores Rhoda, a sudden tragedy is the test of faith she never saw coming...  More settled in her heart than ever before, Rhoda Byler feels a newfound confidence living in the Old Order Amish settlement she helped establish in Orchard Bend, Maine. Though it has been almost a year since one brother left, Rhoda is happy to be working alongside the other brother as they tend and nurture the settlement's orchard. Time has helped to heal Rhoda's wounds, and she finds that even her unusual gift of profound intuition is less of a burden as she continues to seek God's wisdom and purpose for her life.  But when an Englischer friend's grandchild is taken deeper into hiding from her grandmother, can Rhoda's gift make a difference or will it simply be a catalyst to another season of doubt and misunderstanding? As she resolves to stay on course, suddenly a shocking tragedy cha...

Review of An Amish Garden Four Amish Novellas by Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller, Tricia Goyer, and Vannetta Chapman “Planting a Future” Beth Wiseman Rosemary is doing her best to run her family’s household. She excels at all her tasks except one: gardening. Saul has been interested in her for years, but Rosemary has turned him down repeatedly. Saul begins helping with her family’s garden, but someone is sabotaging his efforts—and keeping a secret that could change their lives. MY REVIEW of Planting a Future by Beth Wiseman-- "He's doing it again," Rosemary whispered to Esther.   "Smiling and staring at me."         Rosemary and Saul are being offered a second chance at love and so is Rosemary's father, Wayne.   When an accidental run-in between Saul and Wayne results in both men being injured, Wayne is unable to complete his farm work and Saul offers to do it for him as well as planting a vegetable garden for Rosemary.  Rosemary hasn't h...