Neighbor Dana's Gingerbread from Christmas Angels

What do you do when you're sad, lonely and afraid? One thing that helps is partaking of comfort food. For poor Abigail, the taste of Dana's gingerbread that she shares with the other boarding house residents does the trick--at least for a bit of time.

Here's the recipe. May it give you a bit of cheer on a "bad" day!

Ingredients for the Gingerbread Loaf:  

1 stick of butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup of applesauce
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
chopped walnuts, for topping (optional)

Frosting:
4 oz of cream cheese, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 – 2 cups powdered sugar (add more if icing is too runny)

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9×5 loaf pan lightly with nonstick cooking spray that has flour in it or use shortening and flour.  Cream together the butter and the sugar until fluffy.

Beat in the vanilla and the egg. Blend in the applesauce

Slowly add the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices (ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.)

When everything is mixed, pour the batter into your loaf pan. Bake for about 55 minutes until it rises and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely on a rack before frosting.

To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese with the vanilla and then add 1 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar and beat until smooth and creamy. 

Spread a thick layer of the frosting over the gingerbread cake. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts. 

Delicious! Enjoy! 

Scene from Christmas Angels where Old Man Albert shares some of Dana's Gingerbread with Abigail:

He beckoned with his gnarled hand “Come in. Come in, Abigail. Want some tea? That dismal Dana—even if she is a good cook—brought me some gingerbread last evening. Have some. Have some. It’s good even if I didn’t make it. Sit down, child, for a minute.” Albert toddled over to the fridge and brought out a quart of milk. “Want milk with your tea, Abigail?”

Where had he gotten real milk?

But she shook her head, not wanting to use up his precious supply, and sniffed. The spicy, delectable smell of the gingerbread wafted toward her, and she closed her eyes to savor it. When was the last time she'd had such a treat? Suddenly ravenous, she couldn't wait any longer and crammed her mouth full of the sweet bread. A little sound of moaning escaped from between her lips. This was so-o-o good.

Christmas Angels blurb:

Her mother called her a failure, and maybe she was. Her husband was gone—in the service, yes, but if he loved her—really loved her, why didn't he write? Or call? Or send the money she needed?

She was scared too, afraid of being alone, and though she loved this sweet little bundle of joy—her baby—well, was she smart enough and strong enough to raise her? She didn't mind doing without all the nice things she'd love to have, but not being able to provide luxuries like Christmas trees, ornaments and presents for her baby girl was beyond enduring.

What she needed was a miracle...and that wasn't going to happen.

Buy Link:

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Lake-River-Buckeye-Chr…/…/ref=sr_1_1…

Barnes & Noble/Nook:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/from-the-lake-…/1129185393…

Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/…/from-the-lake-to-the-river-buckeye-c…

About Carole:

Besides being an active participant in many writing groups, Carole is an award-winning author and enjoys mentoring beginning writers. She loves to weave suspense, tough topics, romance, and whimsy into her books and is always on the lookout for outstanding titles and catchy ideas. She and her husband reside in SE Ohio but have ministered and counseled nationally and internationally. Together, they enjoy their grandsons, traveling, gardening, good food, the simple life, and did she mention their grandsons? 

Personal blog: http://sunnebnkwrtr.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaroleBrown.author

Amazon Author Page:  http://www.amazon.com/Carole-Brown/e/B00EZV4RFY/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1427898838&sr=8-1

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/browncarole212

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sunnywrtr/boards/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5237997-carole-brown

Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/carole-brown-79b6951a?trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile

Google+:    https://plus.google.com/u/0/113068871986311965415/posts

Word Sharpeners: https://wordsharpeners.wordpress.com/

Stitches in Time:  http://stitchesthrutime.blogspot.com/

Traveling to Ohio Amish Country

Main Street Berlin, Ohio

If you're traveling to Ohio Amish Country, plan to stop in at the wonderful town of Berlin, Ohio. Give yourself lots of time because they pack a lot of fun in this little town.

For information about the area, Amish Heartland Tours and Information Kiosk in Berlin is a good place to start. They know a great deal about the area and offer tours to local Amish homes and businesses, meals in Amish homes, and lots of other fun things to explore. You can find Amish Heartland Tours and Information Kiosk on Facebook.

Gift stores, craft shops, and antique malls line both sides of the streets. And don't miss the great food in several of the restaurants and cafes tucked between the stores. Helping Hands Quilt Shop is one of my favorite places to visit. They have a wide variety of fabrics, patterns. and breath-taking quilts made by local quilters. On certain days of the week you can watch several talented Amish women quilt at the shop. Call Helping Hands Quilt Shop to find out when. They are on Facebook too.

A Craft Shop in Berlin

If you have the option, a visit during the weekdays is best for less congestion and traffic. You can visit on the weekends as well, but be prepared for a lot of traffic into Berlin. Watch for lots of Amish buggies in the mix too. Slow and careful is the best way to travel anytime you're in Amish country.

Weekend Traffic

Drive Safe in Ohio Amish Country

Make time in your schedule to travel the back roads too. A lot of Amish sell baskets, produce, quilts, and leather goods from their homes. Many of the farms are simply beautiful.

There's much more to see in this beautiful area, but those are for another post. I hope you get a chance to visit Ohio Amish Country soon.

Have you ever visited this area? What are your favorite places to visit?

An Amish-Made Sewing Basket

I bought this lovely Amish-made sewing basket in Wilmot, Ohio. I discovered it in a quaint basket and quilt shop below the Amish Door Restaurant. Isn’t it cute? Some of the other woven items for sale were paper-towel holders, silverware baskets, picnic baskets, and so much more. It was hard to choose.

Many Amish families in this area make and sell hand-made baskets for additional income. They sell their hand-crafted items in shops, at roadside stands, and in their homes. Often all members of the family learn the craft of basket weaving to help in the family business. The workmanship is top quality and they’re beautiful too. One roadside stand sold adorable basket birdhouses. I may have to return for one of those. :) This sewing basket has two tiers of storage with pegs inside for spools and other items. I don’t know if sewing baskets are used as much as they used to be, but I like to store supplies in one for my current project so they’re just a reach away.  

I hope you will treat yourself to an Amish-made basket in the future. You won’t be disappointed. Do you use a sewing basket? If you do, what’s your favorite kind?