This looks like an excellent cookbook! i can't wait to try homemade root beer!! I have wanted to make it ever since reading an Amish fiction novel where the family made and sold it, so that one popped out right away! I have read lots of complaints from reviewers about using items like jello, pudding, and canned fruit, etc, and also about recipes not being healthy. In my experience, (I live in an Amish area and am Mennonite), typical Amish and Mennonite cooking is not meant to be healthy! Most conservative amish and Mennonite are working so hard physically every day, there isn't much need for dieting. And I'm not surprised either at the use of canned fruits (my guess is that some would use their home canned items anyway) and mixes. The recipes look delicious and I recognize many of them as being common in our area also. My mom makes Poor Man's Steak, and we love hamloaf (though I've never attempted to make it from scratch... I'm tempted though, it looks so simple!). The breads look amazing; amish bread is famous around here and I'd love to be able to make my own! And Country Caramel French Toast... that one will be on the list too! And for a super traditional dessert (around here in central PA anyway), try the whoopie pies! Delicious... There is an excellent range of items; delicious looking desserts, breads, breakfast items, main dishes, salads, cookies... and a yummy looking seafood section that looks to be the most unique thing about the Pinecroft Amish! Alligator Stew may be difficult to make if you aren't seaside, but there are a lot of other options, like Grilled Lime Fish Fillets, and Peppered Lime batter for fish. I'm not a seafood eater, but I may have to try those! The stories peppered throughout the book are like snippets of Amish life, stories about family life- they may not be super exciting, but its a neat peek into Amish living- it feels like you are reading bits out of the Budget!

If you are looking for a healthy, simple living cookbook, then this is probably not the one for you. If you want good, simple, authentic Amish food, then try it! Tons of great recipes and a peek at Amish life. I'd recommend it!

Note: In looking at the pictures, it seems that that Pinecroft Amish are more like conservative Mennonites in our area (central PA), though I believe there are more liberal Amish in the Lancaster area as well. Either way, the food is very similar to Amish and Mennonite food here as well.

I recieved a copy of this book for my honest review from the publisher.

While I haven't worked through the book as intended, I read through most of it in order to give my review. I am excited to use this book as a daily exercise as the author intended. I am a huge fan of Eggerich's Love and Respect book, and we just finished a sunday school class study on it. This is a nice extension for me of that series. The author gives forty daily readings and challenges for thought on the topic of respect. She recommends journaling the experience as well. The book is for women in thinking about their relationships with their husband. This is not old-fashioned submission, as in respecting ones husband the goal is not to become a doormat, rather to honor what God requests of us in terms of our spouse. While the book does not give many concrete suggestions or "dares", it is more of a time for introspection as a wife as to how we think about, respond to, and respect our husbands. I can see this being very helpful in my life, as I often find myself struggling with my attitude towards my husband and what is happening in our home. And honestly, any marriage book discussing how to change one's husband as opposed to changing oneself is not worth the paper it's written on. I recommend this book for anyone interested in continuing their study and efforts to respect their husband. Though I would recommend first reading Love and Respect in order to gain a better understanding of the Love and Respect relationship in a marriage.

I received a copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.


After using it more, i find that i don't love it as much as i thought. it was ok, but so many of the stories seemed cutesy and perfect; i found myself thinking, "most husbands wouldn's say/do that!" It was ok, and a good reminder of how our attitudes affect our marriages.

good, but the ending left something to be desired... i wanted more info about what happened!

Bathsheba Bathed in Grace is a fictionalized account of 8 women in the Bible. I was excited to read this but ended up a bit disappointed. Granted, the author tells each story in one chapter so there isn't a lot of room to expand the stories, and I actually appreciated that she didn't go out of the way to invent details and what "might" have happened. However, I did feel that the stories were rather superficial and basic. For example, in the first story of Bathsheba, I thought the author's covering o f the murder of her husband Uriah was very lacking. She really didn't seem distraught at all, even though she was so in love with him at the beginning of the story. She very quickly was grateful to David for taking her and her unborn son to the palace rather than leaving them to fend for themselves, instead of being angry that he'd killed her husband. Perhaps she didn't know this, but still her grief for Uriah was very superficial. I did learn more about the women and what their perspectives might have been. She does give the reader new insight into some of the lesser known women like Tamar and their stories. Tamar was probably my favorite and I learned the most from that story. I would read more from this author though I do hope her writing deepens a bit.

I recieved a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

This was a very quick read for me. It was fairly simple and there was no huge drama, it was just a sweet simple love story. I enjoyed it as a nice quick getaway read. Maren comes to Denmark planning to marry a man who is quick to run off when he realizes her sight is failing. She has settled in with Mrs. Brantenberg and her granddaughter, helping to raise the young granddaughter and do the farmwork. A man shows up on the farm and turns out to be Gabi's father, and Mrs. Brantenberg's son-in-law, who left them in grief for the war when his wife dies in childbirth. The story has a bit of romance, and grace and redemption. If you are looking for a book to keep you on the edge of your seat, this is not it. But if you enjoy clean, sweet and simple romance to get away from the stress of life, then I recommend this book to you.

I recieved this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.