Cultural question

I have a question for folks about Amish communities in North America. It started when I saw a beautiful knitting basket that someone on a knitting forum had received, made by Amish craftspeople.

Isn’t it lovely? (And practical!)

I was clicking around the website to look at all the beautiful items when I came across these amazing pie baskets:

I haven’t been well lately, and cooking has been a struggle. Plus we live in a small town, which although it has its benefits, is lacking in take-away options. The thought of someone arriving at your house bearing not one, not two, but three delicious home-baked pies almost had me in tears!

Do Amish people frequently visit each other with pies? Or take them to gatherings? What a wonderful idea!

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Many of the Amish are still part of a farming community. Often events are cooperative efforts and good food is certainly a part of that. Pies always welcome.
Those baskets are lovely but the idea of carrying several pies is especially appealing.

I’m sorry to hear that you haven’t been feeling well. It’s always great to have someone arrive with dinner but particularly when you don’t feel at all like cooking. (I wish we lived closer but I suspect there’s an ocean between us.) Hope you’re better soon.

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Thank you for the nice message, salmonmac. Yes, we must have at least one ocean between us!

The small town where I live used to be the hub for the local farming community, but, like many places, the number of farming families have decreased. I am sure there were many delicious dishes brought to events here in days gone by too, although we didn’t have special baskets for it. (I am a “blow in” – new arrival.)

I am hoping to feel better soon. In December, there is a cherry orchard that sells at the farm gate. I might have a go at making a cherry pie.

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Now I’m salivating.
3 in a basket over to my house please :slightly_smiling_face:

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Cherry pies? I could consider moving.

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The cherries will be delicious, but I don’t have much experience making pastry. Maybe I’ll make clafouti instead.

It’s a sort of upside down baked pancake, in case anyone reading hasn’t heard of it. Easier than making pastry.

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I’ll get started now!

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H, those baskets are beautiful! I wish I had that pie one years ago. My mother was a wonderful cook but didn’t bake desserts at all. I baked all her pies & cakes for her when she had big family gatherings. A carrier like that would have been wonderful. No more big gatherings now. When that generation died off all branches splintered.

Then my only sibling joined a cult that does not celebrate holidays or birthdays. So I get lots of crafting time during the holidays. My church even stopped having pitchins. Im not sure why. I was not there when it was decided. This is the time of year when we had big weinie roasts. Miss those big fires!

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I can only imagine what pitchins are. Maybe like pot luck suppers? Can you tell us more?

Gathering around a fire is always special. I was in Guides and sitting around the campfire when we went camping to a bush reserve is a nice memory. We used to make jaffles. (I’m sure we made a savoury main course first but I don’t remember that!)

Not sure if jaffles are known outside Australia – you have an iron gadget a bit like a waffle iron on a long stick. You butter inside it, line with slices of bread, and fill with sliced apple. When you hold it over the fire it sort of steams and toasts. Yum.

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Jaffles sound delicious and good for you to boot. In the US Girl Scouts, we would likely make s’mores which are yummy but not so nutritious.

It is nothing more than everyone bringing a dish & then all of them are shared. Our church used to have many of them. Is that what a pot luck supper is? We also had many “Hobo stew” events where the meat broth was already started & everyone brought their own additions. We usually had 2 pots going, “leaded & unleaded” our pastor joked. Leaded meant ingredients people were sharply divided about such as peppers or garlic.

Those jaffles sure sound good. We had a waffle iron like thing on a long rod, but we used it for melted cheese sandwiches more than deserts.

Hi K. I live in Wisconsin. We just had our house built by an Amish gentleman and his crew. Considering formal education is done w/in community and 8th grade is the end of the formal education, they then continue w a trade. The building inspector here made note of how the beginning structure was so exact. They do math differently. We live close to the community. There is a store u can shop at w wooden floors, no electric, and beyond reasonable. There is a farm tht put up a bakery shop, ohh my. Our farrier for our horses is Amish. The gentleman tht is building the house, his boys, dwn to 8yrs old, help w the business. I’ve met all 8 of their children and visiting is helping, which I love. Home births of course. They never tell anyone if a baby was conceived. It is the will of God and as natural as how it was conceived. Part of life. They stay true to their convictions and close to God through work. Lonnie is his name, he said the more they work the closer they are to God. In marraige, from the time of understanding, children know tht a wife or a husband is to be each others friend and partner for life and share n decide w each other first. Church services are held at a different home each Sunday. There is NO business of any kind on a Sunday. First God then family time as all the families gather for tht day. A handshake sealed the job for our house being built. You take care of urself.

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