The Amish Canning Cookbook

The Amish Canning Cookbook: Plain and Simple Living at its Homemade Best
by Georgia Varozza

Synopsis:

From the author of The Homestyle Amish Kitchen Cookbook comes a great new collection of recipes, hints, and Plain wisdom for everyone who loves the idea of preserving fresh, wholesome foods. Whether instructing a beginning canner or helping a seasoned cook hone her skills, certified Master Food Preserver Georgia Varozza shows people how to get the very best out of their food. Here, readers will find…

• a short history of canning
• lists of all the tools and supplies needed to get started
• basic instructions for safe canning
• recipes for canning fruit, vegetables, meat, soups, sauces, and more
• guidelines for adapting recipes to fit personal tastes

With its expert advice and warm tones, The Amish Canning Cookbook will become a beloved companion to those who love the tradition, frugality, and home style flavor of Amish cooking!

About the Author:
Georgia Varozza, author of the popular Homestyle Amish Kitchen Cookbook (more than 70,000 copies sold), enjoys teaching people how to prepare and preserve healthy foods, live simply, and get the most from what they have. She works in publishing and lives in a small Oregon community.

Reviews:

Why I Left the Amish: A Memoir

Why I Left the Amish: A Memoir
by Saloma Miller Furlong (2011)

Synopsis:
There are two ways to leave the Amish—one is through life and the other through death. When Saloma Miller Furlong’s father dies during her first semester at Smith College, she returns to the Amish community she had left twenty four years earlier to attend his funeral. Her journey home prompts a flood of memories. Now a mother with grown children of her own, Furlong recalls her painful childhood in a family defined by her father’s mental illness, her brother’s brutality, her mother’s frustration, and the austere traditions of the Amish—traditions Furlong struggled to accept for years before making the difficult decision to leave the community. In this personal and moving memoir, Furlong traces the genesis of her desire for freedom and education and chronicles her conflicted quest for independence. Eloquently told, Why I Left the Amish is a revealing portrait of life within—and without—this frequently misunderstood community.

About the Author: 
Saloma Miller Furlong was featured in documentary "The Amish" that premiered on "American Experience" (PBS-02/28/2012) and "The Amish Shunned" (PBS-02/04/2014).

Saloma Miller Furlong was born and raised in an Amish community in Ohio. Driven by her desire for freedom and more formal education, she broke away from her community -- not once, but twice. She graduated from Smith College in May 2007 with a major in German Studies and a minor in Philosophy. Her education included research on the Amish with Dr. Donald Kraybill and a semester abroad in Germany. During her thirty-year inner struggle of coming to terms with her Amish past, she has gleaned a better understanding of herself and of her heritage. It is this perspective that she brings to her memoir "Why I Left the Amish" and its new sequel "Bonnet Strings: An Amish Woman's Ties to Two Worlds" to be released on February 3, 2014.

Reviews:

Runaway Amish Girl: The Great Escape by Emma Gingerich (2014)

Here is another awesome Amish book suggestion with a strong female perspective.
Runaway Ammish Girl:  The Great Escape
by Emma Gingerich (2014)

Synopsis:
Growing up Amish and leaving the fold, Emma Gingerich left her Amish community in Eagleville, Missouri, at the age of eighteen. Her memoir Runaway Amish Girl: The Great Escape captivates even the timid reader. Disagreeing with the beliefs of Amish traditions and upbringing, the pressure became too much for her to bear. Forced to make a personal decision, Emma found the courage to leave the only life she had ever known. She had no idea the emotional turmoil she'd inflict on her family and friends. The emotional reaction of her parents, brothers and sisters, are gut wrenching. Considered no longer a daughter and a sister, temporarily exiled, Emma finds a way to be free. Education becomes her priority as she finds her place in this "English" world. This true story is a rare glimpse into the life of a brave young woman - Runaway Amish Girl: The Great Escape.

About the author:
Emma Gingerich left her Amish community in Eagleville, Missouri, at the age of eighteen. She went to south Texas, close to South Padre Island, where she lived for almost four years. She received her Associates Degree at a community college and transferred to Tarleton State University located in Stephenville, Texas, to complete her Bachelor’s Degree. She is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in business administration. Though Emma works full-time as a Billing Coordinator in the healthcare industry and is continuing her college education, she still managed to write her first memoir. She is looking forward to writing a sequel. Education is important to Emma, and she is happy to have the opportunity to attend college. She hopes to help and inspire other Ex-Amish people to receive an education as well. Her passions are: writing, hiking, traveling, running and helping others

Reviews:

Growing Up Amish: A Memoir by Ira Wagler

This blog continues to get regular hits every single day.  The original gishwhes assignment was to create an app that would be helpful to the Amish (which I found to be kind of rude because Amish people don't use apps and I felt like the assignment was designed to mock Amish culture--and gishwhes is an event built around random acts of kindness, art and making the world a better place--mocking other cultures shouldn't be part of that). 

I wanted to be as accurate and considerate of Amish people while also completing the assignment, so I researched as much as I could about Amish living and fashion so that I could convey a realistic (albeit fictional) voice when creating this Amish fashion blog. I feel that the kindest and most helpful thing that anyone can do for the Amish is educate others about their reality. 

If you are earnestly interested in Amish culture I will be updating this blog from time-to-time with resources available for you to learn more.  

New York Times eBook bestseller:  Growing Up Amish by Ira Wagler (2011)

One fateful starless night, 17-year-old Ira Wagler got up at 2 AM, left a scribbled note under his pillow, packed all of his earthly belongings into in a little black duffel bag, and walked away from his home in the Amish settlement of Bloomfield, Iowa. Now, in this heartwarming memoir, Ira paints a vivid portrait of Amish life―from his childhood days on the family farm, his Rumspringa rite of passage at age 16, to his ultimate decision to leave the Amish Church for good at age 26. Growing Up Amish is the true story of one man’s quest to discover who he is and where he belongs. Readers will laugh, cry, and be inspired by this charming yet poignant coming of age story set amidst the backdrop of one of the most enigmatic cultures in America today―the Old Order Amish.

gishwhes 2015

#70. IMAGE. Design a good app for the Amish. Submit an image that displays the link to the app.

This blog was developed as a sumission to gishwhes 2015. 

I couldn’t afford to host an app (I couldn’t find a free source). 

So, I decided that since blogs now come with mobile apps included… writing a fashion blog [The Amish Fashionists] for the Amish would be “good” as well as kind to Amish people. 

I think that a lot of people believe the Amish to be weird… so, instead of turning the Amish into a joke or a costume… I decided to write from the perspective of a modern young Amish woman who takes joy in her lifestyle and clothing choices while also standing up for herself and choices in a world that doesn’t understand/accept her. 

I researched Amish lifestyle and fashion, trying to be as educational and factual as possible (forgive me if I got anything wrong).

Truth is... I would read an Amish fashion blog! 
I would love to know more about Amish fashion and Amish lifestyle on a real level (not just a glorified Hollywood fake weird 'reality tv' level).  The little bit of factual information I gleaned from researching Amish lifestyle was interesting and inspiring. 

I spend so much of my life tethered to technology, modern fashion and the secular world (and I love my lifestyle).  I think it would be really wonderful to know more about a culture that is so misunderstood.

Vivi Ennui
www.StyleOrElse.com

FAQ: Where do you get your...?

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions I get:


Q:  If you're Amish, how are you using a computer?

A:  There is a computer at the library in town.  It isn't like we are allergic to technology!  We just don't live with technology.  I spent my Rumspringa going to college for veterinary medicine.  I decided to return to my family and bring my new skills to help my community.  We are modern people!  We just don't live the way that you do. 


Q:  Do you make your own underwear and socks?

A:  We actually shop for basics, the same way that you do!  We buy socks and underwear and stockings at stores.  We make our own dresses.  There are also Dutch crafters that make wonderful modest clothing. 

Q:  Do you have sex?

A:  This is a strange question.  Have you ever seen Amish children?  Where do you think they come from?  We aren't nuns.  We just don't flaunt our bodies for everyone to see.

Fall 2015: Blue and Teal!

Momma and I got about 30 yards of cotton when we were in town last week.  A whole range of beautiful shades of blue and teal. 

A lot of people in town ask us "Where do you shop for your clothing?"
We make our own.  It's the only way you know that you will get a proper fit that is modest and comfortable. 

I plan to share my fabric with my friends.  We're going to make Blues and Teals the "it" colors for this Fall.  Everyone will want to wear what we are wearing!