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  3. Cool to lukewarm.

  4. In a separate small bowl, sprinkle yeast over ½ cup lukewarm water in which 2 tsp. sugar has been added. Let stand 10-15 minutes.

  5. Stir and add to milk mixture.

  6. Add the beaten eggs.

  7. Work in about 4 cups flour by stirring, and then kneading until dough can be easily handled.

  8. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk.

  9. Divide the dough and roll each half into a 9 x 12 rectangle.

  10. Brush each rectangle with melted butter.

  11. Sprinkle each half with half the brown sugar, cinnamon, and raisins if you wish.

  12. Roll up each rectangle like a jelly roll.

  13. Cut in 1”-thick slices. Lay slices about 1 inch apart in greased baking pans.

  14. Cover and let rise until double in bulk.

  15. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes.

  16. Frost while warm.

  Broccoli Cauliflower Soup

  Makes 6-8 servings

  4 cups chicken broth

  2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules

  1 large bunch broccoli, diced

  2 cups cauliflower florets, diced

  2 cups milk, divided

  1 tsp. salt

  2 cups cooked chicken, cut up

  6 Tbsp. cornstarch

  6 slices white American cheese, or other cheese that you prefer

  1. In 4-quart saucepan cook broccoli and cauliflower in chicken broth and bouillon until soft.

  2. Add 1½ cups milk and salt.

  3. In a small bowl, stir cornstarch into ½ cup milk. When smooth, stir into saucepan.

  4. Cover and heat over low heat, stirring frequently.

  5. When soup is hot through and thickened, stir in cheese until blended into mixture.

  Potato Chowder

  Makes 8 servings

  2 Tbsp. butter

  ¼ cup onion, diced

  ½ cup celery, diced

  3 cups potatoes, diced

  1 carrot, shredded

  6 cups milk

  10¾-oz. can cream of celery soup

  14-oz. can chicken broth

  6 slices white American cheese

  salt and pepper to taste

  1. In a large saucepan, sauté onion and celery in butter.

  2. Add enough water, a cup or more, to cook potatoes and carrots until soft.

  3. Add milk, cream of celery soup, and chicken broth. Cook over low heat until very hot.

  4. Add cheese, stirring until melted.

  5. Salt and pepper to taste.

  Farmer’s Market Tomato Casserole

  Makes 3-4 servings

  2 cups stewed tomatoes

  ½ tsp. salt

  ¼ tsp. pepper

  a bit of onion powder, garlic, and oregano to taste

  1 Tbsp. sugar

  1 cup croutons

  4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated

  Parmesan cheese

  1. Mix all ingredients except Parmesan cheese in a greased baking dish.

  2. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

  3. Bake uncovered at 350° for 30-45 minutes, or until heated through.

  Barbecued Meatballs

  Makes 10-12 servings

  MEATBALLS:

  3 lbs. ground beef

  12-oz. can evaporated milk

  2 cups dry oatmeal, old-fashioned or quick

  2 eggs

  1 cup chopped onion

  ½ tsp. garlic powder

  ½ tsp. pepper

  2 tsp. salt

  1. Mix together well.

  2. Form into 1” balls.

  3. Place in lightly greased baking dish.

  4. Cover Meatballs with Sauce. Bake uncovered for one hour at 350°.

  SAUCE:

  3 cups ketchup

  1¼ cups brown sugar

  ½ tsp. garlic powder

  ½ cup chopped onion

  1 Tbsp. liquid smoke

  1. Mix together in a bowl.

  Spaghetti Sauce

  Makes about 44-46 cups

  ½ bushel fresh tomatoes

  3 garlic cloves, diced

  3 lbs. onion, chopped

  4 green bell peppers, chopped

  1 pint vegetable oil

  4 12-oz. cans tomato paste

  1 Tbsp. dried oregano

  1½ cups sugar

  1 Tbsp. sweet basil, dried

  ¹⁄³ cup salt

  1. Cut stem ends out of tomatoes.

  2. Cut tomatoes in half.

  3. Cook tomatoes and garlic in large stockpot over medium heat, covered. Stir frequently to prevent sticking.

  4. When tomatoes are very tender, put through tomato press.

  5. Cook chopped onions and peppers over low heat for ½ hour. Stir frequently to prevent burning.

  6. Combine all ingredients in stockpot over low heat. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.

  7. Put in jars and seal, following instructions for using your canner.

  Bread and Butter Pickles

  Makes 4-5 pint jars

  1 gallon thinly sliced cucumbers

  2 large onions, thinly sliced

  ½ cup salt

  1. Mix together well in large pot or crock.

  2. Cover with ice water.

  3. Cover with a heavy plate for three hours.

  4. Drain thoroughly and pack in pint jars.

  5. Mix in large bowl:

  4 cups vinegar

  4 cups sugar

  4 tsp. mustard seed

  1 tsp. celery seed

  1 tsp. turmeric

  1. Fill jars with this mixture.

  2. Process in boiling water bath, following instructions for using your canner.

  White Bread

  Makes 2 large or 3 medium loaves

  ½ cup lukewarm water

  1 package yeast

  1 tsp. sugar

  2 cups lukewarm water

  1¼ tsp. salt

  ¹⁄³ cup sugar

  1¾ Tbsp. shortening

  7-8 cups flour

  1. Dissolve the yeast and 1 tsp. sugar in the ½ cup lukewarm water.

  2. Mix the 2 cups water, salt, ¹⁄³ cup sugar, and shortening in a very large mixing bowl.

  3. Add the yeast mixture and, gradually, the flour.

  4. Knead until smooth and elastic.

  5. Place in greased bowl, cover, and set in a warm place to rise until double.

  6. Punch down. Let rise again.

  7. Put in two large loaf pans or three medium ones. Let rise until double again.

  8. Bake at 350° for ½ hour.

  The Glossary

  Ach, voss machts aus?—A Pennsylvania Dutch dialect phrase which means, What does it matter?

  Bobbies—A common hairstyle for little Amish girls. Bobbies are two small, tightly rolled knobs of hair, designed to keep their uncut hair off their faces.

  Broadfall Pants—Pants worn by Amish men and fastened with buttons, rather than a zipper.

  Cape—An extra piece of cloth which Amish women wear over the bodices of their dresses in order to be more modest.

  Combine—A hutch or piece of furniture where dishes are stored.

  Covering—A fine mesh headpiece worn by Amish females in an effort to follow the Amish interpretation of a New Testament teaching in I Corinthians 11.

  Dat—A Pennsylvania Dutch dialect word used to address or refer to one’s father.

  Der Saya—To wish someone God’s blessing.

  Dichly—A Pennsylvania Dutch dialect word meaning head scarf or bandanna.

  Dochveggley—A Pennsylvania Dutch dialect word meaning buggy.

  Doddy—A Pennsylvania Dutch dialect word used to address or to refer to one’s grandfather.

  Driver—When the Amish need to go somewhere, and it’s too distant to travel by horse and buggy, they may hire someone to drive them in a car or van.

  Eck—One corner of the room reserved for the wedding party during the wedding reception.

  Engl
ish—The Amish term for anyone who is not Amish.

  Gehorsam—A Pennsylvania Dutch dialect word for obedient.

  Gros-feelich—A Pennsylvania Dutch dialect word for conceited.

  Hold Conference—A time during the wedding ceremony when the bride and groom meet with the ministers (away from the congregation). Traditionally the ministers offer the couple words of encouragement and advice.

  In-between Sundays—Old Order Amish have church every other Sunday. This is an old custom that allows ministers to visit other church districts. An in-between Sunday is the day that a district does not hold church services.

  Kaevly—A Pennsylvania Dutch dialect word for a little straw basket with a lid on it. Lizzie fills her kaevly with Laura’s toys.

  Mam—A Pennsylvania Dutch dialect word used to address or to refer to one’s mother.

  Maud—A Pennsylvania Dutch dialect word meaning a live-in female helper, usually hired by a family for a week or two at a time. Mauds often help to do house-, lawn-, and garden-work after the birth of a baby.

  Nava-sitza—A Pennsylvania Dutch dialect word that refers to a bridal party.

  Ordnung—The Amish community’s agreed-upon rules for living, based upon their understanding of the Bible, particularly the New Testament. The Ordnung varies some from community to community, often reflecting the leaders’ preferences and the local traditions and historical practices.

  Risht dag—The day of preparation for an Amish wedding. Since Amish weddings typically take place at home, this is the day when the family prepares much of the food for the wedding and sets up the benches and tables used during the ceremony and the meal that follows.

  Roasht—Chicken filling. Mam prepares both a Lancaster County and a Ohio roasht.

  Shtrale—A Pennsylvania Dutch dialect word for a fine-toothed black comb.

  Siss ken fa-shtant!—A Pennsylvania Dutch expression which means, It makes no sense.

  Snitz Pie—Made from dried apple slices, Snitz Pie is often served at the lunch which follows the Amish Sunday church service.

  Whoopie Pies—Two round, soft cookies filled with a sweet, creamy icing. Whoopie pies were originally chocolate, but pumpkin and oatmeal varieties are also common.

  Young Married Ones—The couples who are recently engaged. They receive special treatment during their engagement, especially at weddings. In some areas, after these couples are married, they visit members of the community together, sharing meals and receiving gifts.

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook onscreen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Big Decisions includes material originally published by the author as these books: Lizzie and Stephen and Lizzie’s Married Years.

  Copyright © 2011 by Good Books, Intercourse, PA 17534

  Cover design by Koechel Peterson & Associates, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota

  Design by Cliff Snyder

  978-1-4532-7590-0

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  This edition published in 2012 by Open Road Integrated Media

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