Shipshewana, Indiana - Amish Country

My Momma and I have been talking about taking a trip together now for almost two years and we finally did it this past week!  We had originally planned to travel down to Paducah, Kentucky because of all the quilt shops down there, but it was going to be 8 - 10 hours each way, so we opted to visit Shipshewana, Indiana instead.

The drive to Shipshewana on the freeway takes about 3 1/2 hours from my house, but we took the back roads instead to see what we could see.  My Daddy calls my Mom "Mosey Roads" and now I truly understand why!  (smile)  She loves an adventure and doesn't like to stick with the normal route to go anywhere really.  But, as a result, we saw beautiful homes, old barns, abandoned historic churches, and sprawling, flat farmland that was really something to see.  I wish we could have stopped to get photos of every place I fell in love with, but it would have taken longer than the 5 1/2 hours it did to get there!

 One of the many gorgeous homes we saw along the way

We left my house this past Sunday and got as far as Greenville, Ohio where we stopped for lunch.  We found this adorable restaurant called Sweet One-o-One.  When you step through the front doors, you're welcomed by a large open space with high ceilings and tables randomly placed on both sides of the pathway to the counter.  Looking up, you see the tin-punched ceiling and ceiling fans operating by way of long leather straps winding through pulleys.  It's really neat!  The building in which the restaurant is housed was once a large department store, but now houses Sweet One-o-One, another restaurant toward the back, and some meeting rooms.  They offered lunch fare of wraps, soups, salads, or quiche - all made fresh daily.  The case was filled with freshly baked pies, cookies, and other delicious goodies.  They also had flavored coffees, iced tea, and fresh  lemonade.  Mom and I thoroughly enjoyed our lunch here.  I was not yet in the mode of carrying my camera (we were only an hour from my house), so I didn't get photos inside, but on our way through, I shot this photo of the front of the restaurant from the car.

 Sweet One-o-One, Greenville, Ohio

So, our first day of travel took us on several back roads from Dayton, Ohio to Goshen, Indiana where we stayed in a Comfort Inn.  I will have to get with my Mom to see if she kept track of the route we took and if she did, I'll be sure to share it with you.  Some more photos I took on the way...

These guys are ready to catch something!

Such a contradiction in lifestyles...

Once we reached the Comfort Inn, we checked in and then went for dinner at the nearby Chinese restaurant.  Neither one of us were up for trying to navigate around town after dark, so we ate at the first place we saw.  Needless to say, I was on the treadmill when we returned to the hotel!  Had to work off General Tso's chicken somehow!  

Monday - our first day in Shipshewana

 

The first place we stopped was on the outskirts of Shipshewana, Indiana.  It was a bulk food store called E&S Sales on N. State Road.  The store was immaculate and had all sorts of foods in bulk.  They also had a few aisles of canned goods, toys, and housewares from which to choose.  Fresh meats, cheeses, and other refrigerated food items were available as well.  This was my "haul", albeit a small one.

Cocoa, quinoa, edamame, deep dish pizza crust mix, sliced almonds, crystallized ginger, dried pineapple bits, dried cranberries, wheat berries, and flax seed

Next to the bulk food store was a produce store with excellent looking vegetables and fruits all priced very reasonably.  We picked up some Gala apples for munching - yum!  

And, next to that building was an Amish diner from which heavenly aromas were coming!  We stopped over to see a menu, but neither one of us was terribly hungry yet, so we thought we might come back at some point (we never did - too many other places to eat!).

We headed in to Shipshewana proper to see what we could get into on our first day in town.  We came across Yoder's Red Barn Shoppes first.  Honestly, the shops were pretty and they had some beautiful things, but for us, it was a bit too commercialized and pricey.  We were hoping for more "homespun" type shops, so we kept going.  We visited a few other places only to find that they were pretty much the same way until we found 'downtown'.  

The Davis Mercantile is worth a look if you like fabric and quilts like we do.  Lolly's Fabric Store has over 2,000 bolts of fabric from which to choose!  Her main store is on the main level where fabrics are priced around $10.00 per yard and fat quarters are $2.75 each.  She has a very nice selection of quilting books and magazines along with thread, notions, and tools of the quilting trade. 

Now, for those looking for quality fabric at a fraction of the going rate (that was us!), be sure to visit her 'discount' store called A Little Bit of Lolly's which is in the same building, but on the lower level.  Fabrics down there are $5.95 per yard unless it's a flat fold and then it's the regular price with 25% off.  My Momma found 60-inch batik fabrics for $5.95/yd!  She bought four yards with a great big smile!  This store also has piles of fat quarters in an actual wooden dinghy right in the front of the store for $2.25 each.

We liked the Head over Heels store located on the lower level too.  They have outdoor apparel for the entire family, fun outdoor gadgets and tools, and some great toys and puzzles for children.  I fell in love with a just-below-the-waist bright blue rain jacket with lapels and belt that was lined!  But, the price tag was high enough to make me release it immediately!  (smile)  Ah well, perhaps someday, yes?

Check out this link for a complete directory of shops in the Davis Mercantile.

I know this post is lengthy, so I will try to shorten it a bit.  These were our favorite stops in Shipshewana:

The Breadbox Bakery - an excellent place for lunch or to get some freshly baked bread or goodies.  We stopped in here to get a snack - Momma and I split a brownie and a piece of pumpkin cake (yeah, we're on vacation!).  It was so good, we stopped back later after browsing other shops so we could get some 'real' food.  Their panini's were delicious and the service was friendly.  Their theme is bread boxes, so the entire place is decorated with antique breadboxes that have been donated to the shop.  I took the following photographs with full permission from the owner of the shop.

Their saucer sized cookies looked amazing!  The shelves are a bit empty because this is not their peak season.

Momma and I ate at the table right in front of the window.  This room has black and white family photos of the owners on the walls - very sweet.

This is actually a pie carrier, but it was my absolute favorite piece on display in the Breadbox Bakery.

Rebecca Haarer Arts & Antiques - we met the owner Rebecca and her mother and they were both just lovely!  She graciously allowed me to take photos inside her store and then graciously took a photo of my Momma and I together.  So glad we got this one - it was the only one of us together on the trip!  Rebecca is a lovely lady.  She describes her shop as being "just like me - eclectic".  She's right!  She has an affinity for antique and hand-quilted quilts, which she displays beautifully in her shop.  While we were visiting, an older Amish lady came into the shop looking for Rebecca because she had a few hand woven rugs she wanted to sell to the shop.  They seemed to know each other well and we came to find out in talking with Rebecca that she grew up Mennonite, so she has ties to the Amish community as well.  If you visit Shipshewana, definitely stop in and say hello!

Rebecca's shop from the outside - located on Morton Street in Shipshewana

Momma and I at Rebecca's Shop

 I can't wait to try this homemade jam I bought at Rebecca's shop!

The Center for Traditional Arts (I couldn't locate a website) was located across the street from Rebecca Haarer Arts & Antiques.  The director of the center, Cliff Pequet, was very friendly to us and had a wealth of knowledge to share about the historical items in his store.  The store is filled with the heavenly scent of leather.  He makes leather boots, belts, and saddles by hand!  Remember the movie North and South?  He made the boots for that movie!  Pretty interesting stuff if you ask me.  Be sure to stop in and see him if you're in town.

We were so close to Middlebury, Indiana, we decided to stop over there and see a quilt shop called The Quilt Shop.  It's a lovely shop with some fabric, but mostly gorgeous quilts in every size and color.  By the time we finished browsing in there, the shops were closing and it was getting dark (6:00 or so), so we decided to head back to the hotel.

We weren't all that hungry by the time we were ready to return to the hotel, so we just munched on apples, protein bars, and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies when we got back to the hotel.  Great dinner really!

Well, that was our first day in Shipshewana, Indiana!  I'll be sharing more with you tomorrow about the day we spent visiting Goshen and Wakarusa.

Until then, all my best to you today!

Caramel Latte Recipe

I discovered this caramel latte recipe on the back of a CARNATION Evaporated Milk can one day when I was baking.  It looked like such an easy recipe, I just had to try it.

 

I don't know what it is about baking days in our house, but I seem to get into a "mode" and start digging into the pantry and cupboards to see what ingredients I have to work with and then I just get busy making new things.  

I immediately fell in love with the creamy flavor of this drink!  If you like caramel and you like coffee, I'm sure you'll love this latte recipe.  

The ingredients for the caramel latte are few - only 4 ingredients total. It's quick and easy to make, but tastes like you just visited your local coffee shop.

Ingredients for a Quick Caramel Latte

• 1 can (12-oz) evaporated lowfat 2% milk
• 1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping plus additional for drizzle, if desired
• 4 teaspoons instant coffee granules, divided
• 1 cup very hot water, divided

Heat evaporated milk and ice cream topping in the microwave in a small uncovered microwave-safe bowl on High for 2 minutes.

Pour the hot mixture (carefully) into a blender. Cover and blend until the mixture is frothy on top.

Place 2 teaspoons coffee into each 12-ounce mug. Add 1/2 cup of hot water to each mug and stir to dissolve the instant coffee granules.

Pour the milk/caramel mixture into each mug.

Drizzle extra caramel on top if desired.  Add some extra whipped topping too, if you like.

Sit down, sip, and enjoy!  

Please forgive the photo - it may not look very exciting, but the taste is delicious!  I'm still working on getting food and drink photos to look just right.  Anyone have some tips for me?

All my best to you today,

Thankful For God's Creation

Fall is our favorite time of year.  We love getting out and enjoying God's creation. I'm writing about this very topic as a guest blogger on Frugal and Focused.

I'm honored that Janet would ask me to write a guest post for her!

The guest post will be featured this Wednesday, November 10th.  I am posting this early because I will be out of town with my mom as of today.  We aren't returning until late Wednesday and I won't have access to a computer during that time (I miss my laptop!).  

I certainly hope you will take the time to visit Janet at Frugal and Focused.  She has a beautiful blog!  She shares about her family, her faith, how to live frugally, and she always posts beautiful photos.  So, stop by and say hello, ok?

Mom and I are headed to Shipshewana, Indiana today - home of quilt shops, artisans shops, and excellent Amish restaurants.  We've missed the huge flea market as they are closed for the season, but I'm sure we will find plenty of other things to get into!  I'll be sharing about our trip when I return, so stay tuned!  Until then, have a blessed week.

All my best to you today,

Wonderful Weekend

My entire weekend was wonderful.  I can't say that too often as I never really feel that I have weekends "off", but this one was an exception.  Highlights of my weekend...

Holding hands with my sweet husband 

Hiking with my family on a cool, crisp fall day

Blue skies and sunny both days

Chatted over coffee with my hubby

Giggles and outright laughter with both my daughters

A nap on Sunday

Enjoyed a clean and clutter free house (did that during the week)

Had fun shopping with my daughters

Read a magazine from cover to cover!

Sewed a little bit and worked on some unfinished projects

These things may not seem like much to anyone else, but for me, the weekend was wonderful, restful, and enjoyable!  Loved it.  Thank you Lord!

Did you enjoy your weekend?  Any sweet memories?

Quilt Holes

My husband sent this poem to me today and as tears sprung to my eyes, I smiled too...I sometimes try to imagine what it will be like when I see my Lord and Saviour...what will I do?  What will I think?  Will I speak?  Will I cry?  Sing?  Laugh?  Dance?  I often wonder how I will feel when I kneel before Him and offer my pitiful life to Him, the Lord of All...the Mighty One...My Redeemer...My Saviour...My Protector...what might He say to me?  

The song, I Can Only Imagine by Mercy Me speaks to my heart every time I hear it played - it's a powerful reminder that some day I will kneel or stand before the Lord Jesus and account for my life...I am so thankful that as a believer, His blood covers my sin!

Anyway, here is the poem my hubby sent me today.  I'm a novice quilter, so it hit home in more than one way. 

 

Quilt of Holes

Author: Unknown

As I faced my Maker at the last judgment, I knelt
before the Lord along with all the other souls.

Before each of us laid our lives like the squares
of a quilt in many piles; an angel sat before each of us sewing our
quilt squares together into a tapestry that is our life.

But as my angel took each piece of cloth off the
pile, I noticed how ragged and empty each of my squares was. 

They were filled with giant holes.  Each
square was labeled with a part of my life that had
been difficult, the challenges and temptations I was faced with in
every day life. I saw hardships that I endured, which were the largest holes of all.

I glanced around me.  Nobody else had such
squares.  Other than a tiny hole here and there, the other tapestries were filled
with rich color and the bright hues of worldly fortune.  I gazed upon my own
life and was disheartened.

My angel was sewing the ragged pieces of cloth together, 

threadbare and empty, like binding air.

Finally the time came when each life was to be
displayed, held up to the the scrutiny of truth.  The others rose; each
in turn, holding up their tapestries.  So filled their lives had been.
My angel looked upon me, and nodded for me to rise.

My gaze dropped to the ground in shame.  I hadn't
had all the earthly fortunes.  I had love in my life, and laughter. But
there had also been trials of illness, and wealth, and false
accusations that took from me my
world, as I knew it.  I had to start over many
times.  I often struggled with
the temptation to quit, only to somehow muster the strength to pick up and
begin again.  I spent many nights on my knees in
prayer, asking for help and
guidance in my life.  I had often been held up to
ridicule, which I endured
painfully, each time offering it up to the Father
in hopes that I would not
melt within my skin beneath the judgmental gaze of
those who unfairly judged me.

And now, I had to face the truth.  My life was
what it was, and I had to accept it for what it was.
I rose and slowly lifted the combined squares of
my life to the light.

An awe-filled gasp filled the air.  I gazed around
at the others who stared at me with wide eyes.

Then, I looked upon the tapestry before me.  Light
flooded the many holes,
creating an image, the face of Christ.  Then our
Lord stood before me, with
warmth and love in His eyes.  He said, "Every time
you gave over your life
to Me, it became My life, My hardships, and My
struggles.

Each point of light in your life is when you
stepped aside and let Me shine
through, until there was more of Me than there was
of you."

May all our quilts be threadbare and worn, allowing
Christ to shine through!

 Is this the cry of your heart today?

 

The Real Me

Yes, I have procrastinated with this post.  Over the weekend, I read my blog roll and read Jen's post at Denton Sanatorium to bloggers to be honest and "real" in their blogs.  That's a tough one!  But, here goes...

This is me with my sweet husband, Jeff.  This is as close to a self-portrait as I will allow as I am not typically the one in front of the camera.  You can see why, can't you?  ugh...  But hubby makes up for me - he's handsome with a great smile and gorgeous blue eyes!

Reality check?  I need to color my hair, lose weight and find some new clothes.  Ah well, that will all happen in my spare time, right?  (If I could, I'd insert a laughing-out-loud smiley here)

A typical day in our house looks something like this:

I try to get out of bed by 5 a.m., but it's usually more like 6 a.m. these days.  Turn on the coffee, wash my face and turn on the computer.  Allow myself at least 1/2 hour to wake up a bit.  Work for about an hour, make hubby's lunch, get another cup of coffee, hug him goodbye, and get back to work.  I try to work until the girls wake up, which is usually around 8:30 or so.

My girls need a few minutes to wake up too, so I give them about 15 minutes to read and then we get breakfast.  Hygiene, getting chores started, and then we sit down to school.  Sometimes we don't get school started until (a-hem) 10 a.m.!  But that's ok, we get it done and that's what matters.  At least that's what I keep telling myself, a typical Type A personality.  If I could have my way, school would be started by 8 a.m.  Ah well, that's one of the beauties of home schooling... a flexible schedule.  

While the girls work on their subjects, I am usually flitting around the house tidying up whatever I didn't get done from the previous day and periodically answering questions from the girls as I fly by with laundry or stuff in arms.  Sometimes all this is done while I'm still in pajamas.  Sad, but true.

Lunch time for me is at 11:45.  I make my lunch while the girls finish up some things and then I watch "my" show.  No, it's not a soap opera!  I like the show What Not to Wear on TLC.  It seems a bit silly sometimes, but I like it anyway.  It's my "let down" for the day. 

1 p.m. - this is usually when my girls get their lunch (they eat breakfast so late) and watch a short show themselves.  I usually try to get more writing done for either my blog, website, or clients. 

Intermittently when I can no longer seem to form proper sentences, I get up and do more chores or see what the girls are up to.  By around 2:30 or so, I feel that wonderful "slump" - you know, when you want to lie down and take a nap but know you can't so you grab the first thing of caffeine or protein you can find, so I have to keep moving.

The girls spend their afternoons crafting, reading, playing the piano, or playing together.  Or, fighting - you know, it happens!  Right now, Julie, our oldest daughter, is working on Christmas gifts, so she often has her door closed in the afternoon.  It's all kind of hush-hush in there.  Love that!  Heather, our youngest, is an avid reader, so I can usually find her sitting in the living room or on her loft reading and listening to music.

Errands, if we have them, are typically next on the agenda.  I don't know about you, but when I leave the house, it's as if everything else just gets pushed to the side.  Errands seem to take forever, but we try to do them only a few times a week so we aren't out and running every day of the week.

By 4:30, I am thinking I need to consider what to have for dinner and try to get that started.  But, if I've gotten into a craft or have started a project, I will admit many times I am surprised when Jeff walks in from work and I have yet to even begin thinking about what to feed my family!  He is gracious with me, thankfully!   

Dinner, chatting with the girls about their day, showers, and then watching a bit of television before bed.  Once the girls are in bed, I might watch a show I've taped or tidy up some more and then get to bed by 10 p.m. when I can.  

It doesn't sound like much, but there are days when it's just plain crazy around here!  I'm sure everyone has those days, yes?

More truth about me...

• I love a neat and clean house but struggle mightily to get it and keep it that way.
• I let my oldest daughter go to co-op last week with her hair still pink from the soccer game the night before (yes, I worried about what people might think and then I thought, seriously, it's just pink hair and how many times do you let her do this?  Not a battle I thought was worth fighting.)
• My sewing area is a disaster...it must be all those creative juices flowing...uh-huh
• I have piles throughout the house - things I plan to do, things I want to do, projects I want to tackle, or stuff I just don't have a place for and am too lazy to stick it back up in the attic...which is another place that needs cleaning.
• My sweet husband gets to leave for work every day with this image of me in his head - a wife who is still in her pajamas, drinking coffee, and hasn't brushed her hair.  Yes, that's lovely isn't it?  I do get up early so I can work before the girls get up and we have to tackle school, errands, etc. so I don't do much to get ready for my day until after he leaves.  He says he doesn't care...but someday I'd like to be that wife who has exercised, showered, and is dressed to the nines for her day before he leaves for work!
• Sometimes I put dirty dishes into the dishwasher with the clean ones just so I don't have to empty what's left in there and I run it again.  Yes, I know...sad, but true.  It makes for a clean sink very quickly!  That's how I think on some days...get it done!
• One redeeming quality - I do make my bed every day.  I figure if the rest of the house looks like a tornado hit it, at least Jeff and I have one room in the house to which we can retreat at the end of the day.

It's true, we blog about what we think people want to read about.  We put out the best photos of our trips, our crafts, etc.  Those are great!  But now and then it is nice to know that there are other moms and women out there who get through their days by the skin of their teeth and sometimes in their pajamas!  

Scripture Reading Update

Day 8:  Job17-20

Day 9:  Job 21-23

Day 10:  Job 24-28

Day 11:  Job 29-31

Day 12:  Job 32-24

All my best to you today,

Turkey Meatloaf Recipe

We love this turkey meatloaf recipe.  It's moist and delicious with the addition of the cottage cheese in the middle.  As I've mentioned before, we are trying some new foods in our house and this is a recipe I discovered in the back of my recipe binder the other day. 

It's from MPS, or Metabolic Profile System.  I used to make this when I was in the program.  I think it's going to be a "keeper" from now on!

Moist Turkey Meat Loaf

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey breast
• 1/2 large onion, finely chopped (about 2/3 cup)
• 2 teaspoons minced, fresh lemon rind, divided
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed, divided
• 3 pieces whole wheat bread crumbs (easy to make your own - see below)
• 1/2 cup 1% low fat cottage cheese (you can substitute an extra egg or broth)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup apple juice or white wine
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, pressed or minced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Coat a 9x5 inch loaf pan with  nonstick vegetable cooking spray and set aside.

Combine the ground turkey, onion, bread crumbs, egg, juice (or wine), olive oil, 1 teaspoon of thyme, garlic, 1 teaspoon of lemon rind, and salt in a large mixing bowl.  Mix well.  In another bowl combine the cottage cheese (or extra egg or chicken broth), remaining 1/4 teaspoon thyme, and remaining 1 teaspoon lemon rind.  Mix well.

Place half the turkey mixture in the bottom of the loaf pan and press out evenly.  Spoon the cottage cheese mixture on top of the turkey and spread evenly.  Cover with remaining turkey mixture.

Place meat loaf in a pre-heated oven and bake for one hour.  Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

**The original recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of minced, fresh lemon rind, but we found that we preferred the meatloaf without this ingredient.

Make Your Own Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs

I simply toast whole wheat bread until it is crispy (without burning).  Then, I tear the toast into smaller pieces and put the pieces into a blender.  Pulse a few times until you have crumbs.  It's so easy and much less expensive than purchasing the ready-made version.

I apologize for no photo with this recipe, but I am having a difficult time taking food photos that do the food item justice!  

Scripture Reading

As I feared, I have already been remiss in posting the scheduled Scripture readings, so here they are beginning from where we left off:

Day 4:  Job 1-5

Day 5:  Job 6-9

Day 6:  Job 10-13

Day 7:  Job 14-16