Amish Desserts

I just had a chance to preview Wanda E. Brunstetter's Amish Friends Cookbook: Desserts. a collection of dessert recipes compiled from some of her other cookbooks.

My thoughts about the book?  One word pretty well sums it up:  YUMMY!  There is a good variety of recipes -- a few that I was already familiar with and lots of new ones.  As I turned through the pages, I lost count of how many dishes I really want to try out.  And thankfully, most of the ingredients are things that I could find in my own pantry, not something so out of the ordinary that I wouldn't even know where to look for it.

A nice touch is the photography scattered throughout the book.  There are pictures of some of the desserts, as well as bright, colorful snapshots of Amish life.  Several of the pages also include a verse of scripture or a little piece of wisdom in the form of a short quote.  All in all, I think this book would make a nice gift or a nice addition to your own recipe collection.

Chasing Sunsets -- a lovely, multi-layered story

Chasing Sunsets by Eva Marie Everson is a rich, multi-layered story of love and relationships. 

Kimberly Tucker is at a very low point in her life.  Reeling from her divorce and conflict with her ex-husband over their sons, she faces the prospect of a lonely few weeks.  At her father’s insistence, she reluctantly goes to the family vacation home in Cedar Key, not looking forward to facing painful memories.  Once there, Kim connects with an elderly neighbor who helps her face with God’s grace a variety of issues as they come to the surface – including a possible second chance with the man who held her heart during a long-ago summer of love.

This book started off as a pretty straightforward story.  But as it progressed, deeper layers of the plot were uncovered, leaving me unable to put the book down.  As each new piece of the story was revealed, I was anxious to see where the story would go next. 

I don’t know how long it is before the next Cedar Key novel is due to come out – but it’s too long!  I can’t wait to learn more about the interesting characters.  I’m pretty sure I would enjoy a trip to Cedar Key, but I guess for now I’ll have to settle for visiting there vicariously.

(This book was provided free from Revell for my honest review.)

Available June 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Growing Up Amish

Growing Up Amish by Ira Wagler is a memoir by a man who grew up in an Amish family and struggled for years before finally leaving the church at the age of 26.  Ira left the Amish lifestyle multiple times over a period of about ten years, but was drawn back repeatedly because of his fear of being eternally lost if he remained outside the church.  It was only after coming to a personal relationship with Christ and gaining peace about his spiritual condition that he was able to finally give in to the yearnings he had for life outside the box he had felt confined in.

Because of my interest and enjoyment in reading Amish fiction and learning more of the plain lifestyle, I was intrigued by the details of Amish workings from a non-fiction perspective.  However, the author's story was so full of hurt and defeat -- his own and others -- that I felt almost depressed by the time I finished the book.  I did appreciate the fact that while he disagreed with much about the lifestyle of the people he left behind, Ira did not "bash" the individuals or put them down as a whole.  This is definitely not a "feel-good" story; rather it is a difficult look at a troubled season of life.

(Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.)