Elaine’S Kitchen: Made from Amish Stock

By Elaine Beachy

Elaines Kitchen is comprised of tried and true recipes in Amish-Mennonite culture from Elaines mother, grandmothers, aunts, cousins, and other family members. Elaine believes you can also learn these skills and make delicious meals with confidence. You will appreciate her stories, bits of information, humor, wisdom, menu ideas, and tips for the unseasoned cook.

Using simple ingredients and easy-to-make recipes, you will find this cookbook a go-to treasure when cooking for your family and guests. What better gift to give a new bride than a copy of Elaines Kitchen? It makes great Christmas or birthday gifts, too!

• Language: English
• Publisher: LifeRich Publishing
• Release date: Nov 23, 2016
• ISBN: 9781489709714

Elaine Beachy

Elaine is a country girl who grew up on a dairy farm in western Pennsylvania with four brothers. She enjoys reading, writing, cooking, and baking, entertaining, and praying for others. Her favorite TV show is Home Town on HGTV. She is the author of six other books, of which the first three are a trilogy for children ages seven to eleven: Biff and Becka’s Springtime Escapades, Biff and Becka’s Stupendous Vacation, Biff and Becka’s Splendiferous Christmas. She also authored a cookbook, Elaine’s Kitchen: Made from Amish Stock, and a devotional titled Journal Gems: Nuggets from My Heart to Yours. A book of Elaine’s poetry and short stories is titled Rhyme and Reason. All her books are available on Amazon.com. Elaine has been married to her husband, Dave, for fifty-four years and lives in Manassas, Virginia. They have three children and four grandchildren and are active members of Living Faith Church.

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Copyright © 2016 Elaine Beachy.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

LifeRich Publishing is a registered trademark of The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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ISBN: 978-1-4897-0972-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4897-0971-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016915992

LifeRich Publishing rev. date: 11/23/2016

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Also by Elaine Beachy

Biff and Becka’s Springtime Escapades

Biff and Becka’s Stupendous Vacation

Biff and Becka’s Splendiferous Christmas

Dedication

To You, Lord God, for giving me life, health, a godly heritage, and the joy of teaching others what I learned about cooking. Thank You for Your words of wisdom and encouragement.

To my dear children: Douglas Edward, Debra Elaine, and Darren Beachy; you are the reason this cookbook was compiled. May it be a blessing to you always.

To you, Mom, for all you taught me, and for passing your recipes on to me. You’re the sister I never had, and the friend I’ve always treasured;

To the loving memory of my grandmothers, Olive Yoder and Lydia Beachy, as well as my dad’s sisters, Esther and Elsie;

To my family and friends who urged me to produce a collection of my recipes: I thank each of you for your compliments of my cooking;

To novice and experienced cooks everywhere; may you find inspiration, laughter, friendship, and good eating in these pages.

Gutes essen und trinken halt leib und seele zusammen.

Good eating and drinking keep body and soul together.

Our Lord, we thank Thee for the food we have before us. Bless and sanctify it to our use. We thank Thee for the many blessings Thou has given us. Pardon us where we have failed, forgive us our sins, and save us all for Christ’s sake. Amen.

~The prayer my maternal Grandfather Sam prayed before meals. I can still hear the reverent rise and fall of his voice.

Contents

Table Talk

Appetizers and Beverages

Breads, Rolls, and Muffins

Breakfast and Brunch

Cakes, Cookies, and Pies

Desserts and Sweet Treats

Meats and Main Dishes

Salads, Sides, and Soups

This and That

Tips for the Unseasoned Cook

Menu Suggestions

Personal Note from the Author

Table Talk

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Hello, Friend! Welcome to my modest kitchen. I’m glad you stopped by; how about some blueberry muffins and a cup of coffee or tea while we chat? I’m happy I published my own cookbook. Why? I don’t need to wrestle with my crammed recipe boxes anymore, and I’m pleased to give you the benefit of my cooking experience. I think you’ll be happy you bought my cookbook!

I was taught to cook by the women in my family, and I’m very grateful, because learning to cook is an important life skill that saves the family a lot of money. Some homemakers never learn to cook, and the strain on the family budget is enormous if the family buys fast food or eats out often. I hope you teach your children how to cook; it’s fun, helps create a bond of friendship, and will prove an invaluable asset as they grow up and go out on their own. Learning to plan and make your own meals gives one a sense of accomplishment. You control what goes into homemade food, and it tastes better, too!

What child (or husband, for that matter), isn’t cheered by the smell of freshly-baked bread or cookies as they walk in the door? A pot roast in the oven or a soup simmering on the stove? I believe you’ll find the simple, tried and true recipes in Elaine’s Kitchen a go-to for meal planning and offering hospitality to others.

Hospitality was a big deal in the Mennonite culture where I grew up. Nothing cultivates friendship or solidifies a family (or a church) like warm hugs, eating together, and good conversation. I’m sorry to say a lot of that hospitable spirit seems to have been lost in the American church nowadays. I wonder why.

Are we too busy, believe our homes aren’t nice enough, think it takes too much effort, or don’t have the finances to lay out an elaborate spread? Perhaps it’s because we don’t seem to make the effort to cultivate friendships anymore. Whatever the reason, just because others may not offer hospitality doesn’t mean we can’t start a new trend in our circle of influence. I hope we will all make more of an effort to fellowship regularly with others around our kitchen or dining room table.

Let me share a story with you.

Peggy’s Story

One day as I sat at her table, a friend of mine, whom I’ll call Peggy, confided in me that hospitality has left a bad taste in her mouth. She stood in the doorway of her dining room, hands on her hips, glanced at me and remarked, You know, hospitality just isn’t what it used to be.

Because she’s always been a cheerful person, I was surprised by the expression on her face and unexpected comment. I asked, What do you mean?

Peggy took a seat across from me at the table and said, I love to cook and entertain—it’s a gift God has given me. But I’ve been so discouraged lately.

She had my full attention. I leaned forward, rested my elbows on the table, laced my fingers, and rested my chin on them, and made direct eye contact with her as she told her story.

Some time ago, I gave a dinner party for a group of friends, and I made lasagna, salad and dessert. We all sat down, and one by one they began to make excuses for not eating my meal. One lady said, ‘I’m on a gluten-free diet, because I prefer it.’ Another lady said, ‘I’m on a low-carb diet.’ Still another person said, ‘I’m eating paleo right now.’ All they ate was salad.

Peggy heaved a sigh of sadness and tucked a strand of wayward hair behind her ear as she continued her saga. And forget the dessert I made! I was terribly embarrassed, and couldn’t wait for the evening to be over. I forced myself to be pleasant. Not one of them mentioned their dietary preferences or restrictions when I invited them; I was so mad at them!

I was indignant. How rude! Surely a person could forego one night of a special diet when offered hospitality! And if they truly had an allergy, they should have told you beforehand!

You’re right, Peggy agreed. I can truly understand if a person has a bonafide allergy to a food such as peanuts or gluten. My own son has to eat gluten-free. But to not inform me of their diets ahead of them, and then boycott my food, is not right!

Her passionate frustration was evident, but Peggy wasn’t finished.

"Some time ago, I hosted a ladies’ luncheon for a group of women in my home. One of my friends called ahead of time and suggested I have a gluten-free menu item, as well as several vegetarian dishes, and some paleo food too. I told her I would see to it.

However, when this friend came to the luncheon, she brought with her all the dietary dishes she had asked me to consider! I felt very disrespected and dishonored. There was almost no place to put all the food. So you see, hospitality has taken on a sour note for me. I see a trend that is not good. People are so consumed with eating just the right things, following this or that diet, that it’s taking all the joy out of offering hospitality."

~ ~ ~

I don’t know what experiences you’ve had with hospitality, my friend, but I hope my cookbook, filled with tried and true recipes, will give you inspiration and confidence to help you make a good meal. You don’t have to be extravagant. You don’t have to be a Bobby Flay, an Ina Garten, or a Robert Irvine to make delicious, nourishing food. Making people feel loved and cared about is what they’ll remember—even if you should happen to burn the food! Remember: there’s a big difference between hospitality and entertaining. (I write a blog for home and family at www.elaine-beachy.blogspot.com, where you’ll find practical help with hospitality on dates October 19, 20, 21, and 24, 2011.) I also have a Facebook page devoted to anything to do with food, titled Elaine’s Kitchen. I invite you to like my page and join the fun at http://www.facebook.com/elaine2cooks.

If you’re anything like me, you have a collection of cookbooks, and rarely ever use but one or two recipes from any of them. I find that recipes often call for expensive or unusual ingredients not found on my pantry shelves or in the fridge, or the recipe is too involved or complicated to make. I invariably found myself rummaging through my recipe files to hunt a familiar recipe for dinner, rather than consulting one of my many cookbooks. I recently gave most of them away to charity.

I believe you will find that not to be the case with my cookbook. I’m a down-home cook of Mennonite heritage, and the recipes in Elaine’s Kitchen Cookbook are time-tested ones I turn to when planning meals for family, entertaining guests, or for taking a dish to pot-luck socials. These recipes are easy to make, taste delicious, turn out well, and are family and budget friendly.

Planning meals can be daunting, so I’ve given some suggestions at the end of the book, and include our traditional holiday menu as well.

A Bit of History

My Mennonite mother, Elva, my Mennonite grandmother, Lydia, my Amish Grandmother Olive (we called her Ollie), and her daughters, Esther and Elsie, all influenced my cooking as we swapped recipes at family dinners, picnics, and reunions.

My mom taught me so much about cooking as I worked alongside her in our farm kitchen. She worked very hard, and taught me a good work ethic: All that you do, do with your might; things done by half are never done right! She helped milk the cows each morning, then prepared breakfast and got us off to school with a good packed lunch. With a family of five children to care for, she had precious little time for herself. She planted and tended a large garden, strawberry patch, and a corn truck patch. I remember the cold slap-slap of a wet skirt on my bare legs from early morning dew as we took off ears of corn for customers who bought it by the bushel. We picked and sold strawberries as well.

Mom was patient, too. One time I was asked to make maple frosting for a cake we’d baked, and I added about a half cup of brown sugar to the powdered sugar to flavor it instead of using maple flavoring. I was devastated when I discovered my mistake. My mom didn’t scold me, but said, Well, maybe we discovered a new recipe! Notice the word we. Those kind of comments stay with a girl. God bless her for her kindness!

Grandma Ollie, my dad’s mother, was a woman of prayer who loved Jesus and worked hard. I can still see her with her white hair parted in the middle and worn in a bun in back, topped with a white Amish covering with strings that tied neatly near her chest. She wore a cape and apron every day, and 2" black-heeled tie shoes—the traditional Amish garb of women in that culture. (They never wore tennis shoes—not even the men. I shudder to think of the aching feet. . .) She wore a black bonnet with strings for church.

A plump, gentle lady given to hospitality, her table was always a bountiful one. When she smiled (which was often), her eyes crinkled to slits. I never saw her angry, and she refused to take part in bad talk about people. She sent cards and letters to prisoners, widows, and the sick; she also wrote poetry and taught a women’s class at their Amish church.

The young folks at church loved her. On more than one occasion, some sneaked into Claude and Ollie’s house at night (back then, nobody locked their doors) and raided her refrigerator. Grandma loved it! She fed homeless wanderers (called tramps in those days), hired hands, and a full threshing crew at harvest time.

Grandpa Claude and Grandma Ollie lived in a dawdi haus (grandfather house) up the lane from our farm house, and we grandchildren often walked up that lane for some of her homemade white bread, Amish butter, and homemade jelly. She always gave us grandchildren a