- The Old Washing Machine May 14, 2018
| By Richard Gappmayer, Jennifer’s dad |
When I was growing up, my mother could not do the laundry because the two-tub washer was in the basement and she had rheumatoid arthritis. She was confined to a wheelchair many times in her life. One of my brothers or I did the washing. About this time the automatic washer was brought onto the ... Keep reading! - Lord of the Rings Quilt April 16, 2018 By Allison Sharp, Jennifer’s sister
Several years ago, I decided to make my oldest niece a quilt to celebrate her wedding. As other nieces got married, I continued to make each of them a quilt big enough to fit a queen-size bed. I always asked what colors and patterns they liked, and while some of them didn’t care, others ... Keep reading!
- Peaches and Fuzz April 9, 2018 | By Richard Gappmayer, Jennifer’s dad |
My father had about five acres of peach trees of several varieties. Each spring, before the blossoms came out, we would prune the peach trees. They had to be pruned quite heavily each spring or they would not produce big peaches, and if not pruned regularly, they would grow so much foliage that the ... Keep reading!
- Chocolate Wonder April 2, 2018 This is one of my favorite recipes, and I feature it in “A Christmas Bakery on Huckleberry Hill” in “An Amish Christmas Kitchen.” Katie Rose makes it for Titus and then someone takes it from him! It’s a crowd pleaser anytime.
Keep reading!
- Easter in an Egg Carton March 26, 2018 Last year to help my grandchildren learn the Easter story, I made them “Easter in an Egg Carton.” The carton contains 12 plastic Easter eggs with a part of the Easter story and a token to go with each. I wanted to share it with you. Feel free to copy!
First I collected empty egg cartons. You can buy unused egg cartons ... Keep reading!
- My (Sort of) Battle with a Skunk March 12, 2018 | By Alesha Thompson, Jennifer’s sister |
On our mini farm in Wisconsin, we have lots of critters. Mostly our awesome tomcat, Pippin, takes care of them—mice, chipmunks, and even rabbits. But there is one critter that even Pippin can’t defeat. We know this because we will periodically smell the strong scent of skunk on him, and we’ll know he’s lost ... Keep reading!
- Salted Caramel Layer Cake–Delicious! March 5, 2018 by Nicole Thorpe, Jennifer’s daughter
It was my birthday last week! I made my own birthday dinner, and my own birthday cake, but my husband did 100% of the clean-up, so it was actually a sweet deal. I’ve always wanted to experiment with caramel flavors in a layer cake, but was always intimidated as caramel seems sort of “one note” to ... Keep reading!
- The Reviews are In! February 26, 2018 I recently completed a blog tour for “A Courtship on Huckleberry Hill,” my latest Huckleberry Hill novel that came out on December 26. I was humbled and thrilled with the response to this book! Here is a small collection of the reviews from my blog tour.
“Elsie and Sam were fun and sweet. It took them awhile, mostly due to their ... Keep reading!
- Baby Elephant Quilt February 19, 2018 By Allison Sharp: Jennifer’s sister
I am thrilled to announce that I have another grandchild! There is nothing in the world that is better than a grandchild, and her birth means, obviously, that I got to make a baby quilt! Her mother requested something purple, but the rest of the design decisions were mine. First, I decided to make the quilt ... Keep reading!
- The Elk Hunt February 12, 2018 By Richard Gappmayer, Jennifer’s father
In Utah permits to hunt elk were obtained by participating in a lottery. My father would pay the fee, enter the lottery, and hope to draw a permit. To my knowledge he went elk hunting only once. Here is what happened.
I was just old enough to go on this hunt along with my brother. The entourage ... Keep reading!
- Valentine’s Dessert Skewers February 5, 2018 By Nicole Thorpe: Jennifer’s daughter
I told you last year how much I love Valentine’s Day, and it’s still true. This year I’m having a Galentine’s Day Party (for some gals, on February 13th). I’m making a couple different treats and thought I would share this one with you all. It’s simple, and doesn’t require you to cook anything- assembly only! ... Keep reading!
- A Gift of Music January 29, 2018 I ran across this recording last week. It is my family, me, husband, sons, daughters, and sons-in-law, singing at my mother-in-law’s funeral three years ago. My husband is the first tenor soloist and my son–17-years old at the time–is the baritone soloist. My family and I sang this song at several funerals and in church a couple of times. I ... Keep reading!
- Instant Pot Coconut Chicken Curry January 22, 2018 I jumped on the bandwagon and asked for an Instant Pot for Christmas. Santa was good to me and I got one, but I hadn’t tried it since I got it. I haven’t been especially nervous about cooking with an Instant Pot, but my husband and I go out to eat a lot and I just haven’t had a chance ... Keep reading!
- Doll Stroller Quilt January 15, 2018 By Juliet Sanders, Jennifer’s sister
I have this cute stroller that my kids haven’t played with for years. I found it a few weeks ago and decided I could use it for the toddlers group I work with at my church.
However, it has a stain right on the part where the baby doll is supposed to go.
The stain is not appealing ... Keep reading!
- The Deer Hunt January 8, 2018 By Richard Gappmayer, Jennifer’s father
My father loved the deer hunt. It wasn’t just the hunt, but the social activities that went along with it. It usually turned into a big male family outing. It included my father’s brothers, brothers-in-law, nephews, and sons. My aunt Edith would go along with us, but she was the only woman.
The preparations beforehand took many weeks and ... Keep reading!
- Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars January 1, 2018 Happy New Year, everybody!
I am so excited for the new year and all the promise of wonderful things! On my own personal New Year’s Resolution List: Deepen my trust in God, strengthen my cherished relationships, and always choose love. And lose 5 pounds. What are your resolutions?
This recipe is from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe with a few of my own changes. ... Keep reading!
- Mexican Chicken December 4, 2017 By Nicole Thorpe
This chicken is a standby for all my Mexican cuisine. It freezes, so a double batch is not a bad idea.
I do tacos, quesadillas, tortilla soup, enchiladas, chimichangas, and taquitos with this chicken. It would also be super tasty in a taco salad. Plus you make it in the crockpot so it wins.
Put all the ingredients in a ... Keep reading!
- A Pie for Thanksgiving! November 21, 2017 Happy Thanksgiving, everybody. I hope you have a wonderful-gute day filled with food, family, laughter, and love.
One thing we try to do in our family on Thanksgiving is to recount our many blessings and remember those who went before us and made it possible for us to have what we have today. We like to tell this story:
“Thanksgiving Day is ... Keep reading!
- Horses on the Farm November 13, 2017 By Richard Gappmayer, Jennifer’s father
In the 1930s and 40s farm tractors were available but most of the small farmers could not afford one. Some farmers would cooperate in the purchase of one and then share it. Because of scarcity of motorized equipment many farmers relied on the horse.
My father owned several horses and we used them on the farm. My ... Keep reading!
- Pumpkin Pancakes November 6, 2017 By Nicole Thorpe.
Immediate disclaimer- this recipe makes a double batch, because it’s necessary to have copious amounts of these on hand. My family of 5 makes quick work of them, and leftovers are scarce.
I love fall; it’s my favorite season. I love the colors and the chill. I love pulling out my comfy sweaters and hot chocolate book comas. So ... Keep reading!