County Seat Newspaper
of Clare County

Amish Cook Peanut Butter Balls

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THE AMISH COOK
BY GLORIA YODER

Good morning from a quiet Yoder household. It's only my little early bird that's awake with me. When Jesse was an infant, he had already figured out that morning was his time to be awake.

Last night, the children and I all gathered in a circle to open a large brown envelope from a reader friend, Mrs. Young, in Delaware, Ohio. This time, it was Joshua who opened it up. His eyes sparkled as he giggled and cut until he got it. An array of school papers that reflected Mrs. Young's years of teaching, along with stickers, calendars, and chewing gum, awaited inside.  "Mom, may I open this packet of gum and place it on the shelf for Sunday morning?" Elijah wanted to know.

The children have adapted to our Sunday morning policy of each child getting a piece of gum after being dressed and combed, ready to leave for church. They were impressed with a new kind for next Sunday morning. Along with this, they know they won't get gum through the week, that is, unless Aunt Gracie comes along. They know they'll get it every time she comes to our house.

While Joshua was trying to get his package open and his older siblings sat there thinking how fast they could have opened it, he finally got it to where he pulled out a letter from the side. "It's for mom," Austin quipped.

I read it as Joshua kept working on the package. She wanted to know if I could share more on how Christmas is celebrated in our culture.

Of course, I'd love to share. So, my disclaimer will be that I won't be able to speak for all plain people, or even Amish folks for that matter, so I'll just speak for us here in Southern Illinois.

My mother was the one who made Christmas special. Even today, it is a special holiday, not because it is extravagant or that we have much ado, but simply because it's a special time to rejoice. There's good food, games for the children, Christmas songs, and the like. My mother takes her grandchildren Christmas caroling in the neighborhood just before Christmas much like she did with her cousins when she was a little girl.

As a little girl myself, there was nothing quite like Grandma's packages. Moving 400 miles from her and Grandpa was a dramatic change. Our visits were few and far between. Etched in my memory were all of us as a family gathered around a big cardboard box. Lifting the flaps, we'd find carefully wrapped packages with our names written on them. The love that went into those packages could clearly be felt from 400 miles away. Life changes, but that love remains.

Now that our children are grown and most of us have families, I see a Mom with joy and dedication that touches my heart as she prepares for her children to come home for Christmas. We live in four different states, including Alaska, so those times of all gathering do not happen every year, thus making time together even more precious when it does happen. 

Then there's Dad. As children, we all know how Dad is out for the ultimate good in our lives, no matter what. His strength of love has been demonstrated in many aspects over the years. One statement he has made numerous times has held my attention in a special way. He'd say, "I am fine to have my children scattered all over the world, as long as they are all living for the Lord and being a light to Him." Dad's love and protectiveness for his family won't keep his children from going where God would send them. Even as a widow, I cherish Dad's way of caring about me as his daughter and family, then ultimately trusting God with our lives and future. He has shown me the true depth of love in action and the love that releases. 

This Christmas season, I got an urge to send cards and personal letters to our many friends and supporters. I was saddened when I saw that I could not make it happen. Please know that your cards, letters, and support do make a difference. Also, may you be incredibly blessed for all the prayers offered on our behalf that only God knows about.

Lastly, I'll share a recipe Daniel helped Julia make when she was three years old, and Austin was a newborn. With all of us being avid peanut butter lovers these didn't last long. We now prefer using natural sugar substitutes and homemade chocolate.

Peanut Butter Balls

1 cup butter

2 cups peanut butter

1 ½ cups powdered sugar

1 ½ pound milk chocolate coating

Cream together butter and peanut butter. Add powdered sugar and mix well. Roll into balls, your choice of size; I prefer small ones with the children. Place onto a cookie sheet or flat-bottomed container of any kind, freeze for one hour or until they're set. Next dip in chocolate, one at a time. Place in wax paper-lined container. Chill and enjoy!

Yields about 10 dozen.

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