A Little Bit of Charm (46 page)
Read A Little Bit of Charm Online
Authors: Mary Ellis
Sarah snorted. “Good luck finding something that the Princess Bride of Charm doesn't already have.” She stuck a spoon into the bowl of salad and placed it on the table.
Rachel looked from one to the other and burst into a torrent of tears. “I'm so glad you came. Your being here is my best gift so far.”
Beth giggled. “Stop your blubbering, then. You never used to be a crybaby. What have these
Englischers
done to you?” She spread chicken salad thickly on two slices of homemade bread as though her mouth were as large as an ox's. “I came to make sure this Jake Brady is good enough for a King sister. If he doesn't treat you properly, I'll be back.” She winked over the top of her two-fisted sandwich.
Rachel wiped her eyes. “He's good to me. Don't worry about that, but I wanted you here so much.”
“Do I get to be in your wedding? I sewed a new Sunday dress.” Beth took a huge bite.
“Absolutely. I saved you a spot.” Rachel tried unsuccessfully to control her emotions.
“While I eat, bring me out the dress you made. Have you finished it yet?”
Rachel did as instructed, but when she slipped the plastic covering from the expensive wedding gown, Beth's sandwich slipped from her fingers onto her plate. “You sewed
that
with all those little pearls and pin tucks and fancy ruffles?” Beth stared as though at a two-headed hippopotamus.
“It's called
ruching
,” Rachel said, pointing at the delicate gathers of fabric. “But no, I bought this gown at a bridal store. Between my chores here, my job at Twelve Elms, and helping Jake organize his new therapeutic riding program, I ran out of time to sew.”
“See what has happened to your
schwester
?” asked Sarah. “She's
fully English now, even taking driving lessons as though it would be safe on Casey County roads with
her
behind the wheel of a car.”
Beth looked from Sarah to the extravagant wedding dress and then back at Rachel. “It's okay, cousin. She might be wearing funny clothes, but I'm sure she still sings out of tune, can't see more than two feet in the dark, and couldn't thread a needle in less than five minutes if her life depended on it.” Beth's young face crinkled with amusement. “She's still my big sisterâ¦and I love her. This Jake Brady person is about to become the luckiest man on earth.”
(Chicken and Dumplings)
1 onion, chopped
4 tablespoons shortening
1 tablespoon paprika
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
4- to 5-lb. chicken, disjointed
1½ cups water
1 cup sour cream
1 cup sweet cream, if desired
Flour to thicken, if desired
Brown the onion in the shortening, add the seasonings and chicken, and then brown the chicken for 10 minutes. Add the water and then cover and let simmer slowly until tender, about 45 minutes.
Remove the chicken and add the sour cream to the drippings in the pan and mix well. (For more gravy, add a cup of sweet cream to the sour cream. If desired, add flour to thicken.)
Add the dumplings (recipe on the next page), and then arrange the chicken on top. Heat through and serve.
3 eggs, beaten
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon salt
½ cup water
Mix all of the ingredients together and beat with a spoon. Drop the batter by teaspoonful into boiling salted water. Cook approximately 10 minutes, drain, and rinse with cold water. (Note: dumplings float when they are almost done. Drain well and add to paprikas.)
Chicken Paprikas may be served over noodles instead of dumplings.
Author's Note:
This is a Hungarian recipe, not Amish, from my mother, which she got from her mother, but I think Sarah Stoll would have liked it! I also love this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, not readily available in my grandmother's day.
Aunt Peg Hersman Triplett
(Recipe provided by Linda Hersman Hitchcock, Kentucky resident)
½ cup (1 stick) butter
1½ cups sugar
2 tablespoons cornmeal
3 eggs
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 9-inch unbaked pastry shell, homemade or favorite store-bought
Melt the butter and then stir in the sugar and cornmeal. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well, and then add the vinegar and vanilla. Pour into the pie shell. Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes until set and lightly brown on top.
Author's Note:
Linda told me this pie is a Kentucky favorite. Many versions of Chess Pie exist, some with cream or milk, and some with flour in place of cornmeal. Still others add lemon in place of vanilla and eliminate the vinegar. Some even add chocolate, although Linda feels her Aunt Peg's recipe is the best. This recipe came from her mother (Linda's grandmother), who died in 1933. The origins for Chess Pie are murky, but it has been suggested the recipe originated in England and was then brought to the Virginia Colony and Kentucky, where it became popular. Chess Pie is usually served at room temperature and doesn't need embellishment, although whipped cream is nice. It can be stored at room temperature and was probably held in a pie safe in previous eras. Chess Pie is made with ingredients readily available on a farm, quickly assembled, and easily doubled or tripled for a large family. Enjoy!
Nannie Lizzie (Neely) Bray from eastern Wayne County, Kentucky
2 tablespoons lard
2 heaping cups cornmeal
1 heaping cup self-rising flour
Salt
1 pint buttermilk
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use a tablespoon and put two scoops of lard in a 10-inch iron skillet and place in the oven while it is preheating. (Mom always used lard, but I have found that shortening works fine and is easier on my heart and mind.)
Meanwhile, Mom used her cupped right hand as a measuring cup. In a mixing pot or bowl, put 2 heaping cups of cornmeal mix, 1 heaping cup of self-rising flour, one generous pinch of salt, and mix with the right hand. (She never used a spoon to mix.) Get the buttermilk ready on the counter.
Remove the iron skillet from the oven. Make sure all of the lard is melted. Roll the lard around the skillet and halfway up the sides. Pour the extra in the cornmeal and flour mixture. Make sure that ¼ inch of oil remains in the skillet. Put the skillet back in the oven to get really, really hot.
Mix the cornbread mixture up by adding some buttermilk. Stir with the right hand and add buttermilk until it is a thick mixture, but can still be poured with a little help from the hand.
Take the skillet out (the lard might be smoking a little, but you can see the swirls from the heat). Pour in the cornbread mixture (it should sizzle when it hits the oil), scraping the bowl, and then put the skillet back in hot oven. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the bread is firm to the touch in the middle.
This makes for a crunchy crust on the sides and bottom. If there are any leftovers, they will not be the crust and they will not be thrown out. Leftovers can be used for the famous Kentucky cereal, AKA corn bread and milk.
Author's Note:
This comes from Donna Taylor, who was taught by her mother, Nannie Bray, a lifelong Kentucky resident. It is a
procedure
, not a recipe, for cornbread. As unbelievable as it may seem, she never used a measuring cup and her bread was always the same. But her mother
never
used a recipe,
never
owned a cookbook, and
never
had an official measuring cup or spoon. But nevertheless, everyone loved her cornbread.
1. In what ways would it be difficult for someone Amish to hold down a job in the English world?
2. How might raising a contender for the Kentucky Derby conflict with a Christian's ethical code?
3. Why do many Amish and some Mennonites reject the idea of vaccinations?
4. Why does Rachel prefer working at Twelve Elms instead of for her cousin Sarah?
5. What challenges does nurse/social worker Donna Cline face with her new assignment?
6. Both Jake and Rachel are attracted to lifestyles different than their own. What does Jake aspire for that puts him at odds with his parents?
7. Why does the Amish bishop originally refuse to help Donna, and what makes him change his mind later on?
8. What are some of the factors contributing to Rachel's decision to date Jake?
9. How does Jake's view of the role of religion in his life change over the course of the story? What precipitates the changes?
10. Jake and his dad butt heads on more than just the financial drain of Eager to Please. Why else is Ken displeased with his son's behavior?
11. Rachel's faith becomes more of a stumbling block to their relationship than her being Plain. What attempts does Jake make to find common ground?
12. Sarah must tread carefully with her cousin. What influence does she have on Rachel's future?
13. Jake's poor decision almost changes his family's future forever. In what ways does his character grow from one rash act?
14. Donna is conflicted by several aspects of her job. How does her faith help in fulfilling her obligations?
15. There is no decision in life without consequences. In what ways will Rachel's life change if she follows her heart?