Without further ado, we bring you the recipe!  For those interested in the cookbook, we sell them for $12! Contact me at torie{at}amishtables{dot}com if you would like one to add to your baking shelf!

Thank you for joining us in this discussion. As always, please email your questions on Amish traditions and practices to Casey at Casey@AmishTables.com.

Rumspringa is period in a young Amish person’s life that has been greatly misrepresented in the media. Contrary to depictions shown on TV or on the front of magazines, Amish parents do not push their children into the English world for exposure to sex, drugs, and modern technology.

It is also not a time in a young Amish person’s life when he or she must decide to live the Amish life. In truth, Rumspringa is not as exciting as the movies make it out to be. However, it is a vital period in the Amish teen’s life.

Socializing

Rumspringa begins at age 16 and lasts until the young person marries. It is a period of socialization, when the young men and women get together, date, and get to know one another in order to find a mate. Socializing is not done at parties in the modern world that include drugs and alcohol. They are more along the lines of card games, singing, and enjoying one another’s company.

Courtship

It is common and expected that Amish teens engage in courtship activities when finding a mate. Unlike courtship in the English society, Amish courtship is kept modest. The young men lead the family to believe that he is going out for a business purpose, while the young woman slips out of the house as soon as her parents turn in. The couple stays out until the early morning hours, from Saturday into Sunday. Unlike the media version depiction of Rumspringa, courtship takes place within the community and under the veil of night.

Exploring

Some Amish youth do try worldly things like radios, clothing, or some types of entertainment like a movie. However, these dalliances are done in secret and by young men and women who are not baptized into the church. The extent of the exploration is also determined by the Ordnung, set of rules for Amish and Old Order Mennonite living.

More liberal Amish communities may produce youth who experiment more during Rumspringa than others. The majority are conservative in Rumspringa and stick close to their community’s rules.

Hopefully, this clears up some of your confusion about rumspringa. It is merely a passage into adulthood and marriage, not a wild oats sowing period. Unfortunately, until more is learned about the Amish culture, the prevailing image of Rumspringa will outshine the innocent reality.

As you can see from our testimonials, customers love everything about Amish furniture, but many want to know more about the Amish traditions that produce such desirable pieces.  Have you ever wondered who the Amish are? We’d like to takes this moment to answer some of your questions on the Amish culture behind that inspired the furniture.

Question: Do the Amish really believe that electricity and modern culture are evil?

Answer: No, this is a common misconception.  The Amish community chooses not to connect to electrical lines because it would be a connection to the modern world. The Amish lifestyle avoids any conformity to the ways of the modern world and it’s culture. A reliance on electricity (and definitely use of the internet) signifies a conformation.

Additionally, they only use modern conveniences if necessary to get through daily life. In the Amish community, electricity is simply not necessary. They still use the same cooking, working and living practices that our ancestors did as far back as the 17th century.

Question: Do the Amish use anything from the modern world? How do they interact with people outside the Amish community without electricity ?

Answer: Yes, the Amish do use modern conveniences, if the use is indeed necessary to the task at hand. Sometimes, their interactions with people outside the community—Englishers, as Amish call them—requires the use of certain conveniences like a telephone or a vehicle.

For example, some communities may hire a taxi or truck to carry large amounts of supplies or several people to town. This is done only if the horse and wagon are incapable of the job. The trip must also be a necessity, that means no sightseeing or social visits. Some communities also have telephones that are used only for practical and necessary purposes, like calling the taxi.

Question: The Amish are plain but their furniture has distinct character. How do they accomplish this?

Answer: Plain does not have to be bland. Furniture artisans in all cultures show creativity in their work. The furniture for Amish Tables is not overly ornate or heavy on the decorative details. Rather, they are simple pieces with clean lines, shaped for comfort and utility. The furniture is amazingly sturdy. You see this as character in the Amish Tables bedroom furniture line as well as with other pieces throughout the website.

More Questions

Hopefully these answers erased some of the mystery out there about Amish furniture and Amish culture. If you have any more questions for us, email Casey at Casey@amishtables.com and he will answer your question as soon as possible.

If you’re looking for some great web-resources on the web, check out the following sites:

Amish America
Amish FAQ
An Amish FAQ – 20 Most Asked Questions

Today’s Amish communities are as entrepreneurial as the Shakers, helping to support and build their communities using their gifts as honest artisans. The world appreciates the unique custom designs that contrast so obviously from the mass produced disposable furniture offered in most showrooms today. These solid wood designs are premium heirlooms that showcase the integrity of a community very much like their brothers and sisters in the Shaker villages.

Like the Shakers the Amish live every part of their life based on religious principles. This includes the quality of their work, whether at home or in the workshop. Today the Amish wood worker in Northern Indiana crafts the same designs with the same quality of materials and skill as their ancestors. The same principles and beliefs held by the earliest Shaker furniture designer and builder are still honored by the Amish woodworker. With traditional designs like the traditional Burlington table or the neatly lined Bungalow chifferobe, chest, bed, dresser and nightstand you can bring the same warm style to your home.

The Shakers were always a small group whose self-imposed abstinence insured their demise. At their zenith the group held about 4000 members spread among nineteen self-sustaining communities. The Shakers lived the example set forth in the Holy Bible about living in the world without being a part of it. The community’s business sense was astonishing, especially for a small nineteenth century religious organization.

Although not part of the world it is obvious that Ann Lee, the group’s founder who had arrived the New World pre-American Revolution, was influenced by the Federal design style of that era. The Shakers had taken the Federal template and created a less formal and more rural design based on the needs and ideals of the farming communities they settled in. The influence of their religious beliefs and their country settings brought forth functional furniture with clean and simple lines. This was especially appealing to those who were suffocating under the opulence and gilding that was the Victorians.

The Shakers not only opened the door for the Arts and Crafts Movement in America but actually inspired some of its founders. The cousin of Arts and Crafts, American Mission and its father, Gustav Stickley, were quite possibly more warmly welcomed because of the influence of the Shaker ideals and products.

Easter is celebrated by many Christian denominations in the spring of each year and the Amish and Pennsylvania Dutch are no exception. In fact, in many Amish communities a second day is even added to celebrations such as Christmas, Easter, or Pentecost. The Amish do celebrate these holidays as a sacred time, but adding a second day allows for religious observations on one day and quiet family activities the next. The additional days are called Second Christmas, Easter Monday, and Pentecost Monday. Good Friday and Whit Monday (the day after Pentecost) are also kept. This extra day may be allotted to visiting friends or relations, shopping or various recreational activities.

The day prior to Pentecost, is called Ascension Day and it is a holiday for families to go visiting, or perhaps go fishing together. While most homes in American have fallen into a commercialized celebration of Easter, Easter festivities in an Amish home are spared from commercial trimmings. The European tradition of decorating or painting eggs may still be seen in some Amish households. Like many other children the Amish may receive a basket of candy. The Easter Bunny does not visit Amish homes and the Easter season is considered a sacred holiday. This is a time to observe religious customs such as fasting and to meditate on scriptures. The extra day is a time to enjoy a day from work and participate in family gatherings or quiet celebrations.

Shrove Tuesday is known as “Fasnacht Day,” or “Fastnacht.” Shrove Tuesday falls the day before Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday marks the season of fasting known as Lent; a Catholic custom that lingered on into some Protestant churches. While Lent was not allowed to be observed in many of the Anabaptist churches because the Anabaptists rejected all the Christian holy days believing that these holy days were created by the Romans, some of the other Pennsylvania Dutch or, more accurately, the Pennsylvania Germans did keep with their European Lutheran backgrounds.

The Pennsylvania Dutch prepared for Lent on the Monday before Ash Wednesday. Dough was put out in straw baskets to rise and later be cut into squares and deep-fried in fat. These deep fried dough squares and served with hot coffee at breakfast, where they are split in half and spread with honey or coated with confectioners’ sugar. The Pennsylvania Dutch knew that 40 days of sacrifice lay ahead and thought it wise to use up all the fats and sugars in the house and gorge themselves on delicacies prior to the fast.

“Gruna Dunaschdawk,” or Green Thursday, is the day before Good Friday. This was the day to eat something green with the belief that this act would insure good health for the next year. “Kaofreidawk,” or Good Friday, immediately follows Green Thursday. On Good Friday the family would attend church services and the “haus frau”, or housewife, would begin the boiling and decorating of the eggs. There was also a traditional meal to break the Lenten fast on Easter morning.

The famous New York Easter Parade began in the 1870‘s as a religious recognition walk to carry Easter flowers from St. Thomas Church to St. Luke’s Church. The parade route then extended from Madison Square to Central Park. The one block floral parade became a traditional rite of spring and also a venue to show off new spring fashions. No self respecting Victorian would have been seen without their hats and these Easter Bonnets grew larger and larger with more and more flowers, lace, ribbons, and even whimsical novelties like bird’s nests.

There is an assumption that Amish women have worn bonnets since the birth of the descendants of Anabaptists formed a old religious sect. The fact is that the famous Amish bonnet is relatively new. While living in Europe and working the fields the women often wore protective flat hats, straw in summer and felt in winter, instead of fabric bonnets. These hats could even be tied down with strings. Some believe that the Amish womenfolk actually adopted the Quaker bonnet, which was introduced into Pennsylvania from England around 1800.

There seems to have been some controversy in the Amish church over whether a Plain woman should be allowed to wear a bonnet. The more stylish bonnet caused some recorded disagreements in public as well as private. The most conservative group of Old Order Amish known as the Nebraska Amish, still do not allow the bonnet as headdress. The women in this order wear black kerchiefs and the flat straw hats because like early church members, they believe that the fancier bonnets are worldly and vain. However the wearing came to be accepted among most Amish communities. It is quite obvious to note that it would have never taken place except through the gentle persuasion and perhaps persistence of Amish women. 

Whatever your obsession for collecting was routed into there may come a time to part from it. Even in the best of times life changes, money is tight, tastes change, space runs out, you marry someone who finds your beer bottles from around the world clashing with her doily collection…Whatever the reason, time may have come for you to lose the collection and gain the cash. Educating yourself away from the consumer thought process and towards the vendor end of the deal is wise.

The first step to selling your possessions is to determining your market. Ask yourself, where will you get the most money for your valuables? Today the availability of avenues to sell your collectibles is vast. From the old fashioned ads in your local paper to yard sales to online auctions, quite literally the world is your storefront. Decide what venue will give you the greatest access to the people who collect what you do? If you have in your collection any rare items the World Wide Web can pay off best. Bidding wars caused by auction frenzy and world wide monetary value differences can only benefit you the seller. A seller can only win when the world is your bidding audience. Include the auction fees when deciding whether to use an auction service.

A very specific target audience is the collector clubs. You may be able to buy and sell to members who obsess over what you have collected. Collector clubs can be reached through member specific publications or online sites and boards. True collectors are members who take the subject seriously. This is evidence of true passion and a truly passionate collector will come up with the cash if you have what they need to complete their collection.

Determine whether you want to offer the collection in bulk or individually. Ask yourself if selling as a whole or selling individually will bring the greatest yield. If you are in a hurry, selling as a whole is a quick route but, remember that selling separately or in smaller groupings can bring the highest amount. There is more time and effort in separating the collection. You also run the risk of being stuck with the less desirable pieces.

Showcase your collection in its best light, whether with pictures and description in print or online, or by insuring that it is in its best condition. Take the time to research your audience, pick the best marketing venue and display your valuables to your advantage. Caring for your treasures while you own them insures that their value is not diminished by improper storage. Investing in solid hardwood Amish designs like cedar chests, shelves, hutches and storage units not only create an amazing showcase but also help protect your investments.

One of the Pennsylvania Dutch groups, the Amish, has a diet considered to be considerably low in processed foods. Although influences have crept in based on the various regional and religious backgrounds (predominantly the Amish, Mennonite, Moravians, etc.) of each of the Pennsylvania Dutch communities, the tables and cupboards of a typical home are loaded with the resources of the agricultural lifestyle they cultivated in Pennsylvania Dutch Country.

Bringing little with them except salt and a few spices, these early Pennsylvania Dutch cooks were highly ingenious in their methods of food preservation. Using methods like smoking, drying, brining, pickling and even dried fruits in their cooking, they made their larder full. The philosophy of balance was achieved with the salty pickling and the sweet treats creating the seven sweets and seven sours meal.

True to their beliefs in not wasting resources, the Pennsylvania Dutch cooks often made use of food parts otherwise discarded. Like the Shakers the Pennsylvania Dutch were green before green was fashionable, honoring God and their world by using their assets in a responsible and accountable fashion. From pig organs to watermelon rind, nothing is wasted in the home of a Pennsylvania Dutch family.

Especially maintained by Amish families today, is the idea of seven sweets and seven sours, which stems from an ancient European custom based on the belief that everything should be properly balanced. Usually served in large families, and especially when serving company, seven various pickled foods, relishes, and spreads are laid out on the table. Because of the lack of of refrigeration these are often preserved in the summer for winter consumption. Alongside these are served the heartier starchy, and more filling dishes as part of the evening meal. These delicacies can be accompaniments or served by themselves.

The traditional sweet and savory or sweet and sour foods can be mixed all in the same dish as long as “seven sweets and seven sours” should be represented. The traditional “sweets” are usually based on locally-grown fruits such as apples, berries, or even candied watermelon rind. The “sours” are pickled onion, cauliflower, beets, tomato relish, spiced cucumbers and even more specialties that grew from definite German Old World influences. Their spicy flavors and their endless variety fill many an Amish themed country store. Spicy, pickled, preserved and cured, the Pennsylvania Dutch woman has always known how to present a spread for large families and groups from spiced peaches to pickled chow chow.