Pa-Dutch-Travel

PA Farm Show 2012 Butter Sculpture

noreply@blogger.com (Pa-Dutch-Travel) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:55:00 +0000

PA Farm show was a good time as always. I am always impressed with the butter sculptures. This year it was the farm queen handing a ribbon to the little boy from 4-H who showed his calf. A 1,000 pounds of butter was used to make the sculpture. The butter was donated by the Land O Lakes in South Middeltown Township The sculpture was done by the sculptor Jim Victor of Conshohocken,. He has also done a Milton Hershey in a butter sculpture in the past.

When the farm show ended the butter was then donated to a local farm. The farm then takes the butter and transforms it into a gas which then is used to produce electricity to run the farm. How cool is that!

Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery Book Review - Custard's Last Stand

noreply@blogger.com (Pa-Dutch-Travel) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 17:55:00 +0000

Custard's Last Stand is a PA Dutch Mystery written by Tamar Myers. Custard's Last Stand is a humorous murder mystery. It is number eleven in the Pennsylvania Dutch mystery series. The Price is $5.99 for paperback. Each book in the series contains recipes. This particular book contains recipes named after, you guessed it, Colonel Custard.

Custard's Last Stand is about a character Colonel George Custard who comes to the little town of Hernia, PA to stay at the inn Penn Dutch while conducting business. The Penn Dutch is run by Magdalena Yoder a Mennonite woman. Colonel Custard thinks that the little town of Hernia could use a five star mega hotel. But the folks of Hernia are not too keen on the idea.

Colonel Custard then turns up dead, found shot to death in the inn. An all out investigation is underway when Magdalena takes matters in to her own hands to figure out who shot the Colonel in her inn. She certainly can't rely on the bumbling idiot town police chief Melvin Stoltzfus, her brother-in-law.

Custard's Last Stand will keep you laughing with Magdalena's sharp witted humor and her feisty Amish Cook Freni Hostetler's antics.

I found this book to be a light-hearted quick read. To see more about this book or other books in the series visit :

Custard's Last Stand (A Pennsylvania Dutch Mysteries with Recipes)

Airville Mud Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Pa-Dutch-Travel) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 18:52:00 +0000

Saturday March 19th I attended a Mud sale in Airville, PA. You might be wondering what a mud sale is. No, its not a place where they sell mud. Mud sales are auctions that are held at various Fire companies throughout Pa Dutch Country. The auctions benefit the fire companies. The ground is thawing and its rainy, so therefore it is muddy. Hence the term mud sale.

You will find various items up for auction, such as quilts, farm equipment, household items, arts and crafts, tools, and much more. Below is a quilt I purchased at the auction.

If you have never been to a mud sale you should check one out sometime. Below is a little video I took at the Airville Mud Sale. You can see the parking area for the Amish buggies, one of the auctioneers and a little sample of some of the things available at the sale.

There is another Mud Sale coming up in April that I will be attending. It is April 2 Robert Fulton Volunteer Fire Company Mud Sale 7 a.m. breakfast, , 2271 Robert Fulton Hwy., Peach Bottom, 717-548-8995 They will have Crafts, plants, tools, antiques, farm equipment, furniture, food, buggies, wagons, groceries, horses, antiques, glassware and more. Robert Fulton Fire Company

Pennsylvania Amish Horsepower Is Where Its At

noreply@blogger.com (Pa-Dutch-Travel) — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 16:44:00 +0000

Back in February I sent out a tweet about PA Amish horses that pulled out 18 wheeler out of the snow in Ottawa, PA. For those of you who may have missed it I have included the video footage of that incident. Also I have provided a video of the milk truck driver being interviewed by Fox and Friends in Philly.

Old Fashioned Horsepower beats Modern Horsepower. Sometimes simple is better.

I guess he could of used the horses two more times that day. Hope you enjoyed the videos!

The Whoopie Pie War wages on

noreply@blogger.com (Pa-Dutch-Travel) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 17:03:00 +0000

As some of you already know there is a whoopie pie war waging on between Pennsylvania and Maine.State lawmakers want to pass a bill making it the official state dessert. Maine would love to claim that the whoopie was first invented in there. But here in Pennsylvania we know the real truth. So anyway here to explain a little more about the situation is a funny video created by the Pa Dutch Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Will Maine lawmakers pass the bill to make whoopie pies their state dessert? Only time will tell. But when you think about it. Shouldn't it really be blueberry pie or something? I mean they are famous for their Maine blueberries.

And if your from Maine, your in luck if you visit the Pa Dutch Country anytime this year. If you go to the Bird In Hand Restaurant they will give you one free whoopie pie if you show them your Maine drivers license.

Whoopie Pies Cake Ingredients

4 cups flour
1 cup cocoa
2 cups of sugar
1 cup of shortening
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 pinch of salt
2 teaspoons of vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup of milk
1 cup of warm water

Preparing the Cakes
In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, cocoa, and baking soda. Mix and set aside. In another bowl, combine the sugar, shortening and eggs. Beat for about two minutes. Mix the dry ingredients with the egg mixture and add the warm water and milk and beat at a medium speed for two to three minutes. Add the vanilla and beat until the ingredients are thoroughly blended. Bake the batter as drop cookies. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased non-stick cookie sheets. Bake in a preheated oven at 375° for 10 to 12 minutes or until the center of the "cookies" spring back when lightly pressed. Remove from the cookie sheets and cool a wire rack.

Filling Ingredients

4 T. flour
4 T. milk
2 egg whites
1-1/2 cups vegetable shortening
2 tsp. vanilla
4 cups confectioner's sugar

Preparing the Filling
Beat the egg whites until stiff then set them aside. Combine the other ingredients and beat vigorously for several minutes at a high speed. Fold in the beaten egg whites.
Whoopie Pie Assembly
Spread a generous amount of filling on a completely cooled cookie and then top with another cookie. To preserve your newly created treat, wrap each whoopie pie individually in plastic wrap.

*recipe provided by Pennsylvania Dutch Convention and visitors bureau

If you in Pa in September, then save the date for the Whoopie Pie festival Sept 17 2011 held at Hershey Farm Restaurant and Inn.

Stay tuned for more updates from Pa Dutch Travel about the Whoopie Pie War

The Brethren Book Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Pa-Dutch-Travel) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 18:24:00 +0000

Giveaway Instructions

I am doing a book giveaway. One lucky winner of the Pa Dutch Travel blog will be receiving a copy of The Brethren by Beverly Lewis. Here’s how it works. You can leave one comment for each of the following activities.

Join my Facebook page
Tweet this blog Post on Twitter (provide url to your tweet)
Follow me on Twitter
Go to Pa Dutch Travel website and sign up for Pa Dutch Country Insider Newsletter
Follow this Blog

So, you can leave a total of FIVE individual comments. Make sure you let me know what you’ve done in each comment. I’ll use a random number generator to pick the commenter and then, we’ll have a winner.
The giveaway ends on February 19th at 1:30pm est.

Thank you for all that Entered! The winner was Donna K.. Stay tuned for more contests and giveaways!! We will be giving away more books, travel products and Pa Dutch items!

Win a free Burton Wheelie Double Deck Luggage

noreply@blogger.com (Pa-Dutch-Travel) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 01:48:00 +0000

Wouldn't you like to win a piece of new luggage to take on your next trip? I know I would. Well you can have a chance to win this luggage by Burton if you head on over to Altrec.com .

The contest runs till February 28th 2011. You'll find all the contest rules and details there. Happy Traveling!

Pa Dutch Travel does not claim to or imply to be directly affiliated with the manufacturer(s), brand(s), company(s) or retailer(s) of the products listed on this site, and in no way claim to represent or own their trademarks, logos, marketing materials, or products. None of the companies that produce, manufacture, promote, or distribute the products listed on this site own, endorse, or promote Pa Dutch Travel.

Amish Haystack Dinner Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (Pa-Dutch-Travel) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 04:44:00 +0000

I'm going to start off by defining what hay is. I'm sure your probably thinking of course I know what hay is. But, actually many people it confused with straw. In fact, I saw on other websites pictures with the Amish haystack dinner recipes and they were actually something like this:

One website even had a picture that said they were haystacks when in reality it was a picture of dried corn stalks bundled up. Now I am not trying to be condescending if you didn't know. We all didn't grow up on or around farms. I didn't live on a farm, Just near them. And believe me when I say there is plenty I don't know about farm life. I always say you can learn something new every day. So here is the definitions and then will get on with the recipes.

Hay is cut grasses and legumes. Hay is usually greener then straw unless it has been sitting around and is bleached out. Animals eat hay for nutrition.Straw is cut grains. It is much more coarse and is used for bedding for animals. So, the top picture is hay and the bottom picture is straw.

What exactly is a Amish Haystack dinner? The dinner is for large gatherings of people and are many times used to help raise money for families in need. The first recipe is the traditional haystack dinner from the Old Order Amish, which the guests serve themselves. This way there are able to put it together how they like. One layer on top of another. The second is a casserole. Enjoy the recipes!

Haystack Supper
Soda crackers, crushed
Hamburger, browned, drained and taco seasoning added
Lettuce, chopped
Tomatoes, chopped
Green peppers, chopped
Onions, chopped
Spaghetti or rice or both (cooked until soft)
Put some of each on your plate, one layer at a time. Top with shredded cheese or a homemade cheese sauce. Also good to add is salsa or ranch dressing

Amish Potato Haystacks

10 med. Potatoes
2 pkg. Ranch dressing mix
1 c. sour cream
1 c milk
4 lb. Hamburger
1/4 c. chopped onion
2 pkg. taco seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
Cheese Sauce:
1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
4 c. milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 box Velveeta cheese
Melt butter in pan. Add flour. When boiling, add milk, salt, pepper and cheese.
Cook, peel and shred potatoes. Add sour cream and milk to dressing mix. Fry hamburger with onion and add taco seasoning. Layer all ingredients in casserole in order given, then put cheese sauce on top. Bake until hot. Before serving, top with crushed nacho chips.

So, now that you have been inducted to the world of Amish cooking you may want to try more. Below is the Amish Heritage cookbook from bestselling Amish fiction author Beverly Lewis.

The Beverly Lewis Amish Heritage Cookbook
A homespun, authentic collection of Amish recipes collected over the years by Beverly Lewis. Many are from her grandmother and other family members as well as dear friends from the Amish world she writes about with such power and authenticity. Now she lovingly shares these with her millions of readers who have come to treasure her insights into Amish life. The additional Amish sayings and line drawings make for an appealing gift.

My Top 7 Favorite Travel Blogs

noreply@blogger.com (Pa-Dutch-Travel) — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 20:59:00 +0000

These are my top 7 favorite travel blogs. That's right I said top 7, not top 10. I like the number 7. There are 7 colors of the rainbow, 7 days of the week etc... I could go on but my blog post is not about the number seven but rather about my top favorite travel blogs right now. I just wanted to make you aware cause you will probably hear me reference seven a lot.

Okay, so lets get started. First of all let me tell you this was NO easy task. There are many wonderful wonderful travel blogs that are not listed here, but you may find them at a later date. And I couldn't possibly read all the travel blogs that are out there, there are far too many. So, hang on here we go...

http://www.elliott.org/category/blog/ - What can I say about Chris Elliot's blog? Chris is just an awesome all around guy who is a consumer advocate and journalist. He will keep you on top of all the latest in Travel.

http://atravelerslibrary.com/ - Love to read? Love Travel? So do I, this blogger combines the best of two worlds.

http://www.gadling.com/ - Your one stop for everything travel. From travel news, travel tips, and everything fun and exciting in the travel field.

http://www.padutchcountryblog.com/ - Staffers of the Pa Dutch CVB give you information about Local activies and events in Lancaster county along with attractions to visit.

http://blog.artistinn.com/ - See Lancaster county Pa Dutch country through the eyes of local innkeepers. A very informative blog.

http://amishamerica.com/ - Join Erik Wesner as he teaches you about Amish traditions. He has visited over 30 Amish communities.

http://www.yorkblog.com/ - This is the blog for York County. It is jam packed with information about York County, the the county I was born and raised in. Where to eat, where to visit, what to see, and pa dutch traditions and much more.

Some of the authors of the blogs have written books. Please go check them out you will be glad you did. Also I included an extra book which is a cookbook for this area by Phyllis Pellman Good. I will be posting more on her later. So go ahead, see what new books you can add to your library!

Top Seven Tips for Flying on an Airplane

noreply@blogger.com (Pa-Dutch-Travel) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 01:57:00 +0000

Everyone needs to get away every now and again. And sometimes this requires flying. So I am going to provide some tips for flying to make your next experience smooth and hassle-free.

1.Make sure when you are checking rates you check all the airports in the area for example some cities have two airports. Or if your in a small town such as York Pa you could fly out of Harrisburg or Baltimore etc.

2.When packing make sure to put your lotion and such in bags. If it luggage gets smashed at least the lotion won't end up all over your garments.

3.Get to your destination a day early for important events. Not only with this insure you are well rested for the event but it will also insure that you will be there. You don't really want to miss your siblings wedding. Trust me I know I missed a funeral this way when the plane I was on was delayed and I missed my connecting flight. A very sad affair.

4.If you decide to take a nap make sure you put your seat-belt over your blanket or you will have flight attendants waking you during mid-flight to make sure your seat-belt is on when the seat-belt sign comes on.

5.Make sure you take reading material along. If is an awful long flight if you have nothing to do. You may even want to pick up the latest travel memoir.

6.Don't leave old tags on your suitcases. You don't want to cause confusion of where your luggage is to be going. You could end up with your luggage in another state.

7.Chew gum or suck on mints to prevent your ears from popping due to cabin pressure.

**Want to to learn secrets of getting cheap flights and hotel reservations.Click Here!

The above image of the purple airplane logo was developed by the CDA(Chicago Department of Aviation) This label can be downloaded and printed on to 2.5 inch sticker circles. This symbol indicates people who have disabilities and require assistance. Chicago airports receive training in recognizing the symbol in order to help passengers.

Have fun and be Safe!

A Day in York City Pennsylvania

noreply@blogger.com (Pa-Dutch-Travel) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:07:00 +0000

Thursday I went in to York city for a bite to eat and what a fantastic day I had. First I stopped off at J.r.s Fresh Cut French Fries in Central Market House for a shrimp combo. The shrimp combo includes fries and a drink all for 7.50! The shrimp was good, and of course the fries were good as always. If you have never tried J.R.s you really should. It's a very inexpensive and tasty meal. Not to mention the people are very friendly.

Then I strolled on over to see Sarah at Nuts About Granola. She is also located in the market. I got the greatest Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola, it's called Lover's Combo. If you haven't tried the granola, it is highly recommended. Sarah's granola is so good her granola was actually featured on Rachel Ray. That's right Rachel Ray, I guess that puts Sarah like in Celebrity status. I will be visiting Sarah quite frequently I think, because now I am officially hooked on her granola.

Then I headed over to the York book emporium to meet with Jim Lewin and find out about his bookstore. We sat and had coffee and talked about the store and it's history and the types of things the emporium carries. Jim keeps free coffee available for the customers, which I think is a nice added touch. Then Jim gave me a grand tour. After I talked to Jim I set off on my own in the bookstore. It's the first time I was ever in there. It was huge, I thought I was going to have to stick up a flag for him to come find me. If your like me and you love books, then you will love this bookstore. This is not your typical used bookstore, nor any bookstore for that matter.The York book emporium offers everything from antiques to old military items, collectibles, music, you name its there. I was in there singing and dancing to the music that was playing. No not in my head I mean literally. Who knew you could have so much fun in a bookstore. Oh and did I mention it is very affordable? Yes again Jim put's the big internet gurus to shame. This is my new favorite bookstore!

Animal Rescue Inc.

noreply@blogger.com (Pa-Dutch-Travel) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 01:22:00 +0000

Animal Rescue is a no kill shelter located in New Freedom, Pennsylvania (York County) . This is a great place to adopt a cat or dog. There are many many wonderful animals to choose from. I personally know this from experience because when I am not busy with my travel business then I work there a few hours a week. The owners are wonderful they really go over and beyond for all the animals. All the animals there are very loved. The picture above is me sitting in my co-workers building with her cats. No makeup, hair not done, watch out!

The cats and dogs are so lovable. Below is a picture of Tasha. She hangs out with me in the laundry room.

Come visit yourself. You can reach the shelter at 717 993-3232. To see more adoptable pets go to
http://animalrescueinc.org/

UnCork York Tour De Tanks 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Pa-Dutch-Travel) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 01:24:00 +0000

Yesterday I spent a wonderful day on the wine trail with my friends. Part of the UnCork York wine trail in Adams county. Adams County is one of the ten counties in Pa Dutch country. We started off the day at Reid's Orchard. They had a nice strawberry wine and great applesauce. Then we headed over to Hauser winery.

Hauser winery is situated on top of a hill which over looks acres of woods, orchards, and farmland. They have a really neat tasting room which is glass enclosed all the way around so you get to enjoy a breathtaking view. Hauser winery had a few wines that were unfinished that you could taste. And then you were able to sample the finished product. I am really excited about the sparking peach wine to come in June. They had a variety of dry wines to choose from. One of my favorites there was the Merlot. Our next and final stop was Adams County Winery.

Adams County winery is located just west of Gettysburg. The winery is located in and old Pennsylvania Barn. Two of the wines they are known for are Tears of Gettysburg and Rebel Red. We took a tour of the winery and then we went into the tasting room and gift shop. While there we met two other couples . We all decided to go out for dinner. We went over to Little Italy in Biglersville. We were able to take our own bottle of wine in to have with our meal. It was a great time!

Pennsylvania Dutch Cookie Coffee

noreply@blogger.com (Pa-Dutch-Travel) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:12:00 +0000

One day when I was out and about I decided to stop at Intercourse Canning Company a place where many visitors like to head to get PA Dutch canned goods. When I walked in a looked over to the right and saw a big row of coffee. Being the big coffee drinker I am I headed right over there. There was so much to choose from I had a hard time deciding. So I decided to narow it down to four and then I would choose two. I narrowed it down to Pennsylvania Dutch Cookie, German Chocolate Cake, Kahlua n Cream, and Rainforest. So from there I decide I would go home with the Pennsylvania Dutch Cookie and Rainforest. I had the guy at the store grind one bag for me and the other I decided I would grind myself.

I headed home with my prized coffees. I quickly open the package of the PA Dutch Cookie coffee and thew some of the aromatic beans into my grinder. While it was brewing the whole house smelled of PA Dutch sugar cookies. I was so excited I could hardly wait. Once it was finished brewing I poured a cup of this dark delight. A little creamer and sugar and I was good to go. I took the first sip and I was delighted. To me it tasted like those Pa Dutch sugar cakes we make around here. It had the flavors of vanilla with a hint of cinnamon. I would purchase it again in the future. They have a special where when you buy so many bags of coffee you get one free.

The Artist's Inn

noreply@blogger.com (Pa-Dutch-Travel) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:46:00 +0000

The Artist's Inn and Gallery - Rated one of the Best Undiscovered Romantic Inns of PA

The Artist's Inn and Gallery is a great place for a getaway. It is located in the quaint town of Terre, Hill PA in Lancaster County.

Chase, my mother, and I went to visit the Artist's Inn and Gallery a few months ago and let me tell you it was spectacular.

Click here to read the rest of the story.

Honest Scrap Award

noreply@blogger.com (Pa-Dutch-Travel) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:37:00 +0000

Wow, I have been awarded the Honest Scrap award by Cottage Homestead. If you are not following her please check her out. She has great recipes and ideas for your homestead. I have to say I was surprised. I am new to the whole world of blogging. I have a website www.pa-dutch-travel.com that is my primary business.. I don't consider myself a professional blogger or anything. I just want to find a way to connect to others and show people that we (my son and I) are real people behind the website. We just want to share our love of the PA Dutch Country with others and figure I would try blogging in addition to the website.

For those of you who are not familiar with The Honest Scrap Award, it is an award given by bloggers to people they feel have brilliant design and or content. So therefore, I humbly accept this award. So, if I have passed this award on to you, I sincerely feel that you have a blog worth following.

What I am supposed to do or what you are supposed to do if you receive this award is:

Present this award to at least seven blogs that you feel are brilliant in design and or content. And make sure you mention the person that gave you the award.
Put links to the 7 winner’s on your blog and inform them that they have been given the “Honest Scrap.”
Share 10 "Honest" things about yourself.

Okay, so here goes my ten honest things....

1) I own three pet birds (Harley, Tang, and Tweety). None of which I named.

2) I think everyone should try and do something little to try and take care of the earth.

3)I have been battling the effects of tick diseases for awhile now.

4)I enjoy the outdoors and hiking. I hope to hike to Havasu Falls someday soon.

5) As I write this I have a garlic clove stuck in my ear. That's right, I said garlic clove. Okay stop laughing. I have been battling double ear infections for several days. I have been trying homepathic ear drops, lymphatic drainage massage, Tylenol, antibiotics, they have all helped a little but not enough. So hence the garlic clove. I saw this on a site that had an article about relieving earaches. Since garlic is in and of it self an antibiotic, it may do the trick. And so I decided to try it on one ear and see. I swear I think it might be actually starting to work. Now the problem comes in with the smell. I think socially I may not be so popular now. So what am I supposed to do? Maybe I can use some parsley. So if you see me walking around with parsley sprigs hanging out of my ear you know why. Any suggestions are appreciated.

7)I love Garfield!

8) I enjoy meeting new people and networking. So I like to hang out on Twitter

http://twitter.com/PaDutchTravel

9) I enjoy the shows The Office and Hell's Kitchen.

10) I try to enjoy the little things in life.

Okay, now that I have rambled on about myself here are the blogs I would like to give the award to.

Now, I will have to save the other three for another day because right now my computer and I are not getting along.

The Amish and Autism

noreply@blogger.com (Pa-Dutch-Travel) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:29:00 +0000

According to a Government study 1 in 100 children has an Autism Spectrum disorder. As a mother with a child who has an autism spectrum disorder it really does make me wonder about the autism vaccine connection. Yes there are some Amish who vaccinate, but the numbers are lower. The one child that I know of that has autism who is Amish was adopted. I am not saying that there is not an Amish child without Autism I am saying that it is almost non-existent. And according to the governments numbers then there should be way more Amish running around that have and autism spectrum disorder. So really what are we doing that is so different then the Amish. We need to take a closer look at why their children are not getting the autism spectrum disorders and ours are. Mainstream science says that autism is from a genetic disorder but I am not totally buying that. My personal belief is that there may be a number of different factors that could cause a child to have autism. So, again I say what can we learn from the Amish?

Back from Terre Hill!

noreply@blogger.com (Pa-Dutch-Travel) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:10:00 +0000

I had a great time in Terre Hill at The Artist's Inn & Gallery. If you haven't been there, you have to go. I will be posting more about it in the near future at www.Pa-Dutch-Travel.com. Look for a link on the Bed & Breakfast page under the Artist Inn & Gallery. I will share more about this B&B on a page devoted entirely to The Artist Inn. Sorry, things have been a little slow around here; I haven't been feeling the greatest. So hang around for more details.

Going to Terre Hill - Lancaster County!

noreply@blogger.com (Pa-Dutch-Travel) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 05:47:00 +0000

I am heading to Terre Hill this week to stay at a Bed & Breakfast. I am so excited. I have to get busy and start packing. I don't know what to take with me. Yes I know, I need clothes. But what type? And then the weather is an issue. I'll figure it out.

Has anybody out there been to Terre Hill? If yes, what would you recommend to do and see in the area?

We will be three miles down the road from Lancaster County's largest smorgasbord(Shady Maple). Between the delectable breakfast we will have at the B&B, the smorgasbord, and the Whoopie Pie festival my mouth is watering! Stay tuned for more updates!