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.
Wanda Brunstetter is an award-winning romance novelist who has led millions of readers to lose their heart in the Amish life. She is the author of nearly 70 books with more than 9 million copies sold. Many of her books have landed on the top bestseller lists, including the New York Times, Publisher’s Weekly, USA Today, CBA, ECPA, and CBD. Wanda is considered one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre, and her work has been covered by national publications, including Time Magazine, USA Today, Newsweek, Good Housekeeping, and Country Woman. Wanda’s books have been translated into four foreign languages.
Wanda’s fascination with the Amish culture developed when she met her husband, Richard, who grew up in a Mennonite church, and whose family has a Pennsylvania Dutch heritage. Meeting her new Mennonite sisters-in-law caused Wanda to yearn for the simpler life. In their travels, she and her husband have become close friends with many Amish people across America. Wanda’s desire to explore their culture increased when she discovered that her great-great grandparents were part of the Anabaptist faith.
All of Wanda’s novels are based on personal research intended to accurately portray the Amish way of life. Many of her books are well-read and trusted by the Amish, who credit her for giving readers a deeper understanding of the people and their customs.
Wanda’s primary attraction to the Amish is their desire to live a devout Christian life that strives to honor God, work hard, and maintain close family ties. Whenever she visits her Amish friends, Wanda finds herself drawn to their peaceful lifestyle, sincerity, and close family ties, which is in stark contrast to the chaos and busyness that plagues so many modern “English’s”. Time and time again, Wanda loses her heart in the Amish life, and she hopes her readers will, too.
Rebecca Germany is the senior editor of fiction Barbour Publishing who has been with the company for 15 years. In 2004, she was honored as the Golden Scroll fiction editor of the year by ASWA. Over 100 novels and story collections go through her department yearly, but she has found time to have five of her own novellas, numerous small gift books, and a cookbook series published in the Barbour Books line.
My Impressions:
I love reviewing cookbooks! And my family reaps the benefits with tasty dishes that grace our table. Wanda E. Brunstetter’s Amish Friends Harvest Cookbook is a pure delight. Beautiful photographs of food, produce and scenic countryside accompany mouth-watering recipes that are not only easy to follow, but use everyday ingredients — ingredients that can come from your own garden or farmer’s market. Designed to help use and preserve the bounty of a harvest, this cookbook is perfect for anyone who 
loves good food. It also contains advice from Amish gardeners who are experts on getting the most out of their gardens. I loved the recipes for planting, fertilizing and dealing with pests. These tips will come in handy next year when we plant our garden. There are also great recipes for preserving when you have an overabundance of fruit and veggies. Recipes were compiled from real-life cooks in the Amish and Mennonite communities, too. This year we had a bumper crop of blueberries, so I made Blueberry Cream Pie from the Dessert section. Quick and easy, this pie was a big hit with my husband and daughter — 2 slices a piece! (Excuse the crust; it is hot and humid here in Georgia and it didn’t want to cooperate. My problem, not the cookbook’s!) With its crumb topping and delicious filling, it reminded us of lemon squares, but with bursting-blueberry flavor instead.
For those who love to garden or would like to, or for those who can’t stay away from the farmer’s market, Amish Friends Harvest Cookbook is a winner!
Recommended.
To purchase this book, click HERE.
(Thanks to Barbour Publishing for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
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