¼ teaspoon dry mustard
Dash pepper
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup sour cream
½ cup onions, thinly sliced
2 to 3 slices bacon, fried and cut into small pieces
Paprika
Place potato chunks in large bowl. Combine sugar, salt, dry mustard, pepper, vinegar, sour cream, onion, and bacon pieces. Pour over warm potatoes and toss lightly until coated with dressing. Serve warm with a dash of paprika.
Heidi’s Sweet– and– Sour Meat Loaf
Ingredients:
1½ pounds ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup saltine cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon pepper
1½ teaspoons salt
1 egg, beaten
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In mixing bowl, combine ground beef and onion. Add cracker crumbs, pepper, salt, and egg. Mix well. Shape into loaf and place in a 9x5 pan.
Topping:
½ cup tomato sauce
1 cup water
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons mustard
2 tablespoons brown sugar
In a mixing bowl, combine tomato sauce, water, vinegar, mustard, and brown sugar. Spread over meat. Bake for 1½ hours.
Discussion Questions
1. Heidi wanted desperately to have a baby, but her husband wasn’t willing to adopt. Was it right for her to keep asking, or should she have accepted his decision from the beginning?
2. Heidi’s husband, Lyle, thought it must not be God’s will for them to have children, so he closed his mind to adoption. Do you feel everything that happens to us is for a reason? If you were unable to have a child, would you see it as God’s will, or would you seek to adopt?
3. Was it right for Lyle to think only of himself when it came to adopting a child, or should he have considered his wife’s need to become a mother?
4. When Kendra’s parents, who professed to be Christians, forced her out of their house after she told them she was expecting a baby, she became bitter against them and their religion. Is there ever a time when a parent should turn their back on a grown child?
5. Because of Kendra’s father, her mother didn’t stick by her, either. Would you be able to choose sides between your husband or child, knowing one of them would be hurt? Was Kendra right in trying to get her mother to take her side against her father’s orders?
6. Loretta wanted a simpler life for her children. Could she have found it without joining the Amish church? What are some ways you can simplify your life and still remain English?
7. After the death of his wife, Eli convinced himself he would never fall in love again. Is it possible for one who’s lost one’s mate to feel the same kind of love the second time around? Why would some widows or widowers feel disloyal to their deceased spouse if they were offered the opportunity for love again?
8. Charlene struggled with feelings of inferiority because she wasn’t a good cook. How did attending Heidi’s cooking classes help Charlene rise above her insecurities and self-doubt?
9. Should Charlene have made the first move to call her boyfriend after their disagreement, since it was because of her request to move out of the area that she didn’t hear from him? Should she have even made such a request, knowing his job, which he enjoyed, was in Dover?
10. Ron had flashbacks and nightmares from the things he’d encountered during the Vietnam War. The things Ron said and did seemed to be related to the emotional scars left from the war. Do you know someone who is suffering from physical or mental postwar trauma? How can you help that person deal with the pain?
11. Ron’s children were now adults. Even though his life was messed up due to traumatic things that happened to him during the war, should he have tried to locate his children and attempt to be part of their lives? Have you or someone you know been abandoned by a parent? If so, how did you cope?
12. Eli waited over a year until the law caught the hit-and-run driver who killed his wife. Could you find the strength to move forward and have the patience Eli did in waiting to find out who and why? Would you be able to forgive the person responsible, as Eli did? What does the Bible say about forgiving others?
13. Kendra was devastated when she lost her job and the same day found out the Troyers would not adopt her baby. If something similar happened to you, would you find it difficult to keep a positive attitude and not give up?
14. What are some things you learned about the Amish from reading this book?
15. Could you relate to any of the characters in the story? Were there any scriptures Heidi shared with her students that you found helpful? What is your favorite Bible verse, and how has it helped you during a difficult time?
About the Author
New York Times bestselling, award-winning author, Wanda E. Brunstetter, is one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre. Wanda’s ancestors were part of the Anabaptist faith, and her novels are based on personal research intended to accurately portray the Amish way of life. Her books are well-read and trusted by many Amish, who credit her for giving readers a deeper understanding of the people and their customs. When Wanda visits her Amish friends, she finds herself drawn to their peaceful lifestyle, sincerity, and close family ties.
Wanda enjoys photography, ventriloquism, gardening, bird-watching, beachcombing, and spending time with her family. She and her husband, Richard, have been blessed with two grown children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
To learn more about Wanda, visit her website at www.wandabrunstetter.com.
Amish Cooking Class - The Seekers Page 30