Both Randy and Marsha had become fluent in the Pennsylvania Dutch language. But then, Heidi reasoned, children learn more quickly than most adults.
Laura’s eyes fluttered open, then closed again. She was such a good baby—truly a blessing.
More good news had come a few days ago, when Darren, Ellen, Jeremy, and Becky stopped in for a surprise visit. Heidi was pleased when they asked if she and Lyle would attend their wedding in September. This news in itself was cause for a celebration.
Heidi felt certain the Lord had been with her through every cooking class she’d taught. Many people’s lives had changed for the better, and she, as well as her students, had made some new friends.
Her gaze came to rest on the Bible, lying on the table beside the rocking chair where she sat. Heidi reflected on Psalm 6:9, the verse that she’d written on the recipe for surprise muffins: “The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer.”
Heidi’s thumb caressed the baby’s soft cheek. Even though she couldn’t bear children of her own, God had given Heidi the desire of her heart by allowing her and Lyle to raise three precious children. Thank You, Lord, for receiving my prayer. May every day with my friends and family feel like a celebration.
Heidi’s Recipes
Fresh Fruit Salad
Ingredients:
6 peaches, peeled, pitted, and chopped
1 pound fresh strawberries,
rinsed, hulled, and sliced
½ pound seedless green grapes
½ pound seedless red grapes
3 bananas, peeled and sliced
Juice from one lime
½ cup pineapple juice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
In large serving bowl, combine cut-up fruit. Toss gently. In smaller bowl, whisk together lime and pineapple juices with ginger to make light dressing. Pour dressing over fruit. Toss gently to combine. Cover and chill fruit for half an hour or so before serving.
Mini Corn Dogs
Ingredients:
1⅓ cup flour
⅓ cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon shortening
3 tablespoons softened butter
¾ cup milk
1 package hot dogs, each hot dog cut in half
In medium bowl, mix dry ingredients with shortening, butter, and milk. Using rolling pin, roll out dough on greased cutting board or mat. Cut circles from the dough. A wide-mouth canning jar lid works fine for this. Place ½ of hot dog on each circle. Bring the sides of the dough up and pinch in the center. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.
Strawberry Shortcake
Ingredients:
½ cup sugar
4 tablespoons softened butter
1 egg, beaten
½ cup milk
½ teaspoon vanilla
1½ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
In medium bowl, mix cream, sugar, and butter. Add egg, milk, and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Pour into greased 9-inch pie pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Top with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.
Egg-Salad Sandwiches
Ingredients:
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
⅛ cup mayonnaise, or more if mixture is too dry
¼ teaspoon vinegar
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon celery salt
1½ teaspoons yellow mustard
1½ teaspoons sugar
⅛ teaspoon onion salt
In medium bowl, mix chopped eggs with all other ingredients, stirring well. Serve on bed of lettuce or make sandwich using fresh bread. A leaf of lettuce, pickles, or sliced olives may be added.
Meatballs
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 large egg
¼ cup finely chopped onion
⅓ cup old-fashioned oats
¼ cup milk
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
1 cup tomato sauce or ketchup
Using shortening or coconut oil, grease 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Set aside. Mix ground beef, egg, onion, oats, milk, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper in bowl. Use tablespoon to scoop mixture and shape into 1½-inch balls. Place meatballs in prepared baking dish. Pour tomato sauce or ketchup over meatballs. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Makes about 25 meatballs, depending on size.
Surprise Muffins
Ingredients:
1 egg
1 cup milk
¼ cup cooking oil
2 cups flour
¼ cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Strawberry or blueberry jam
Grease bottom of 12 muffin cups or use paper baking cups. In medium bowl, beat egg with fork. Stir in milk and oil. Blend flour and other dry ingredients until mixture is moistened. Batter may be a bit lumpy. Do not overmix. Fill muffin cups half full of batter. Drop scant teaspoonful of jam in center of batter on each muffin cup. Add more batter to fill cup so it’s two-thirds full. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Muffins will have gently rounded and pebbled tops. Loosen from pan immediately and remove with spatula. Serve warm or cold. Makes 12 medium muffins. Discovering the jelly inside the baked muffin is the surprise.
Discussion Questions
1. As in the case of the Troyers helping the Kimballs, would you be able to open your home to a family in need without hesitation?
2. Do you think Hank was too harsh on Velma about the accident she’d caused that left them without a car? Why do some people react to bad news in a negative way?
3. Has a tragedy ever brought positive results into your life and made a bad situation better, like the fire did for Velma?
4. Do you think Velma should have neglected her parents because of the disagreement she and her husband had with them?
5. Do you agree with Velma that it’s best to let our children learn life’s lessons from their own mistakes?
6. Miranda gave Trent a second chance. Would you be willing to do the same when a person you don’t trust is trying to prove they can be trusted?
7. Do you think it is wrong for a couple who is going through an unsettled marriage to use their children as go-betweens or to ask questions about the other spouse the way Trent did?
8. Did Ellen wait too long to tell Becky she was adopted? When is the right time to tell a child about their adoption?
9. Should a parent let their children’s influence get in the way of happiness as Darren and Ellen almost did? Would you find it difficult to love again after you’ve lost your soul mate?
10. How would you handle a child such as Kassidy? Do you think children today are being pacified with too many material objects? Does giving a child a lot of gifts cause them to take important things for granted?
11. Do you think Denise’s husband put too much responsibility on her for raising Kassidy? Was it right for Greg to spend so little time with his wife and daughter while he worked long hours at his law firm?
12. How did you feel about Becky standing up for Randy when Kassidy made fun of his chickens? Is there ever a time when it’s all right for a child to become physical? What kind of damage can bullying cause a child?
13. In a blazing fire or any situation where it means risking your own life, would you be able to save another person, or even their pet, the way Darren did?
14. After losing a loved one, have you kept a memento that reminds you of them, as Jeremy did with his mother’s barrette? How would you feel if you lost that special item?
15. Do you think any of the children or their parents received help from the scriptures Heidi wrote on the back of the recipe cards? Were any of the Bible verses your favorite, and if so, which ones?
16. Which o
f the characters in this book do you feel changed the most by the end of the story? How did Heidi’s influence affect any of these changes?
17. Was it good for the children’s parents to attend the cooking class with them, or should they have dropped their kids off and come back to pick them up after the class?
18. If you had the opportunity to take a cooking class hosted by an Amish woman, what questions might you ask her?
Amish Cooking Class--The Celebration Page 32