Lunch with the Amish

Everyone here talks about shopping at the Amish markets for great produce and good prices, so Dad and I set out Saturday to find an Amish market.  We found one and luckily there was a special event going on.  Every few months, the Amish have a huge chicken BarBQ along with the usual sale of baked goods, rabbit hutches and shoes, but no fruits or vegetables at all.  We still need to find the right place for that so we stayed and had lunch.  The chicken was delicious, as were the baked beans and coleslaw.  The best part of all was being in the midst of these interesting people and coming to realize that they seem totally normal.  As the young girls served us our food, we heard their distinct German accent – German is taught in most homes as well as English.  The girls wear no makeup and their hair is tied back under a severe black bonnet.  They all dress alike, wearing all black with a thick fabric belt that is pinned with straight pins in the back (no buttons allowed for some reason).  The men wore black pants and homemade blue shirts and they all had beards.  The children were adorable: The little girls wear dark blue bloomers and black dress on top with cute floppy bonnet, the little boys dress  identical to the men but they had lighter blue shirts on.  Both men and boys wore broad brimmed straw hats.  On church day the men wear all black like the women with black hats.  We observed happy, social people who love to talk, eat and visit.  The Amish do not like their picture to be taken but Dad snuck one of the men at the grills from a distance, and I took a picture of a horse and buggy.  I’m pretty sure the horse had no objection!  It has been so unique to watch these folks at work, at play and coming and going around town.  We hope one day to be able to go inside an Amish home and have a real conversation.  Another thing to add to our “To Do” list.  I am hoping to find the recipe for traditional Amish baked beans and if I find it I will pass it along.  Needless to say, with all the good eating that happens here in PA, Sister Abbott has not lost any weight!