Plain Pursuit (42 page)
To my Old Order Amish friend in Lancaster County, thank you for allowing me to share your fabulous recipes and for your continued availability to answer my questions. Blessings to you.
Mary Sue Seymour, it’s great to have an agent who is also a friend. Thank you for everything. Peace to you always.
Leslie Peterson, you are so much fun to work with! You make what could be a tedious round of revisions not such a scary thing.
A special thank-you to Natalie Hanemann and the entire team at Thomas Nelson. I’m very proud to be a part of this amazing family. Blessings to each and every one of you.
My most heartfelt thanks will always be to God. Without His guidance these books would not be possible.
Thank You.
1. At the beginning of the story, Carley is forced to take a vacation because her editor believes she hasn’t come to terms with the accident and the death of her mother. Do you believe that to be true? Why or why not? What might have happened to Carley if she had continued on her current path, never going to Lancaster County?
2. Early in the story, Lillian tries to talk to Carley about God. Carley is not comfortable with the topic. Have you ever had a friend who tried to widen the scope of friendship by bringing up spiritual issues never before discussed? Did you really listen to what that person had to say? Or, if you were in Lillian’s shoes, how far would you push the issue in an effort for your friend to see that having a relationship with God can make a difference?
3. When Noah approaches the subject of God with Carley, she becomes agitated. However, each time Noah veers away from the subject, Carley comes back to it. Why do you think that is? Have you ever had a difficult time reaching out to God because you felt like He had let you down? If so, how did you resolve those feelings?
4. Carley judges Noah based, in part, on his profession. Have you ever judged someone based on his or her line of work, or the way that person looked or dressed? Were opportunities missed because of your judgment? If so, in what way?
5. The Amish believe that shunning is a way to keep the church pure. It is not intended to be a punishment, but an opportunity for the person shunned to right his or her ways in the eyes of God. Do you feel this is a fair and acceptable practice? Or do you believe it is cruel? Should exceptions be made in certain cases? Have you ever been shunned by someone you love? Have you ever shunned?
6. When Noah falls into a coma, his family members fear the possibilities, causing them to struggle between upholding the shunning and standing by their loved one. Have you ever held firmly to a belief, only to have it tested during a crisis? What if someone you had pushed away lapsed into a coma—or worse, died? What regrets would you have? Are there relationships in your life you need to take a look at while you still can?
7. Carley watches those around her put their faith in God, despite the challenges they face. In what ways did Carley’s life begin to change when she opened her heart to God? When she accepted that the plan she had for herself might not be the plan God had for her? Have you struggled with accepting God’s plan in your own life? In what way?
8. Why was it so important to Samuel to find the letter Noah wrote him? What do you think would have happened if he hadn’t found it? Would he still have gone to the wedding? Why did he give the letter to Noah?
9. Carley finds self-healing when she focuses on the needs of others. In addition to getting the clinic ready, helping Lillian with household chores, and caring for Anna, how else did she help those around her? Did she help Samuel? Dana? Esther? What opportunities have you had to minister to yourself as you minister to others?
10. Members of the Old Order Amish community worry that they will be unequally yoked with outsiders. However, despite their beliefs, they still maintain relationships with several
Englisch
friends in the story. Have you ever felt unequally yoked with someone? Did you disregard your beliefs to help that person in a time of need or to allow a friendship to develop?
11. Lillian has everything Carley wants—a loving husband and beautiful family. Does Carley ever show signs of being envious? Or jealous? What is the difference between the two emotions? Have you ever envied someone you felt “had it all”? What did you do about it?
12. Carley is afraid to commit to a relationship with Noah, largely due to her breakup with Dalton. Would things have played out differently if Carley hadn’t been haunted by those bad memories of Dalton? Have you ever allowed events from the past to influence your decisions?
Raisin Puffs
1½ cups raisins
1 cup water
Boil raisins in water until water is gone.
Then add:
1 cup butter
1 tsp. baking soda
In another pot, heat together:
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1½ cups sugar
Add to raisin mixture and stir.
In large bowl, combine raisin mixture with 3¼ cups flour and ½ tsp. salt. Mix well.
Flour hands. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Makes 3 dozen.
Homemade Bread
In a small bowl, mix together:
½ cup warm water
1 tsp. sugar
3 T.
yeast (4¼-oz. packets)
Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
In large bowl, mix together:
1½ tsps. salt
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 qt. warm water
4 cups flour
Add yeast mixture and mix. Add 5 more cups of flour. If mixture seems too sticky, add more flour until dough pulls from side of bowl. Knead well and let rise in bowl for 30 minutes. Then knead again and put in 5 bread pans. Let rise another 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Meatloaf
1½ lbs. ground beef
1 cup tomato juice
¾ cup quick oats
1 egg (beaten)
2 T. brown sugar
¼ cup chopped onion
1½ tsps. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Form into small loaves and place in baking dish.
SAUCE:
1½ cups brown sugar
½ tsp. garlic powder
1 cup water
2 T. liquid smoke
1 cup ketchup
Pour sauce over top of loaves and bake at 350 degrees for 75 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Baked Corn Casserole
2 cans creamed corn
1½ T. flour
1 cup milk
1 T. sugar
½ tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs (beaten)
Spray casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. In large bowl, mix together corn, flour, milk, sugar, pepper, and salt. Then add beaten eggs. Put in casserole dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. While casserole is baking, combine 4 T. butter with 1½ cups Ritz cracker crumbs (1 sleeve). Pull out casserole, sprinkle with Ritz crumbs, and bake for 15 more minutes.