Wednesday, November 28, 2018

New Amish Release - Amish Neighbors Book 4

Just in time for the Christmas reading season comes Amish Neighbors Book 4!

2 Stories in 1
The Best Gift - Christmas is fast approaching. Can Asa convince Melvin Wickey to accept some much needed help for his family, or is the man too proud for charity?
A Note of Encouragement - Now that Jona's grandmother has passed, can he get rid of her annoying penpal, or will their old letters bring him a sense of peace he didn't know he was missing? 
Enjoy this mini-collection of clean and wholesome stories about Swiss Amish life and culture, each detailed and skillfully written by bestselling Amish romance author, Tattie Maggard, in a format to fit your busy lifestyle.

Only $0.99 for Amazon Kindle or read free in Kindle Unlimited.

Thursday, November 8, 2018

What do Amish Courting Couples Do Around Christmas?

"What do Amish courting couples do around Christmas?" I asked my Amish born friend once, and then contemplated the answer for a long time.
"They make taffy."
"They make taffy?" I repeated.
"For a couples' get together."

It took a lot of research for this to sink in to my thick skull, but what I found out was both charming and historical.

Years ago here in rural Missouri, a young gal would invite her beau over to help make taffy in the winter when there were less outdoor chores and the weather kept them inside most of the time. But it wasn't all socializing. Making taffy is hard work, as I found out.

First you cook it on the stove, then you let it cool until you can handle it. That's when the fun begins. The couple might sit by the fire in chairs facing each other, and with buttery fingers the young man would grab hold of the taffy in his gal's hands and pull it toward him, stretching it out to incorporate air into the sticky mass, then hand it back to her in a constant rocking motion. It took ten minutes or more before the taffy would begin to get stiffer and be ready to cut. Meanwhile they'd gaze into each others eyes and visit.

The old timers around here will tell you it was a popular practice in these hills years ago, and I think it's really special that the Amish still do it. I love it when the Amish culture of today intersects with my own rural Missouri heritage.

This week I published a mini-collection of three short stories that revolve around one such taffy pulling "frolic" in Swan Creek just before Christmas. Check out Amish Neighbors Book 3 on Amazon Kindle for only $0.99 and free on Kindle Unlimited.

See all of the Amish Neighbors series here.

Have you ever made taffy? Leave a comment and tell us about it. (Especially if it was with your beau.)  ;)