The Way to a Man's Heart (The Miller Family 3) (43 page)

3½ cups all-purpose flour

Melted butter for brushing on dough

Cinnamon sugar

Raisins, optional

Pecans, optional

Mix together the sugar, salt, and melted butter in a large bowl. In a small saucepan scald the milk (but do not let it boil) and pour over the sugar-and-butter mixture and mix. Add the eggs. Dissolve the yeast in warm water and add to the mix and stir. Add in the flour, a little at a time, until the dough reaches a good consistency. It should be firm and not “wet” looking. Refrigerate dough overnight.

 

The next morning roll out the dough and brush with melted butter. Then sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar (raisins and chopped pecans may also be sprinkled on). Roll up the dough and cut into 1½-inch slices. Place cut-end up into a round cake pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray or lightly coated with oil. Let rise for 1 to 2 hours. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until slightly brown. Cool for a few minutes and then ice with your favorite icing.

 

Carol’s secrets: I use real butter, not margarine, and I also use Robin Hood Flour.

 

Blackberry Cheesecake Pie

 

Mary Ellis

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

½ cup sugar

2 cups blackberries (washed and drained), reserve some for garnish (fresh fruit is best, but canned also works if out of season)

1 10-ounce tub Cool Whip

1 graham cracker piecrust (you can use storebought or prepare one yourself)

Cream together sugar and cream cheese. Stir in berries. Fold in Cool Whip. Use a spatula to scrape the cheesecake filling into graham cracker piecrust and refrigerate for three hours. (Eat any leftover with a spoon.) Garnish with the prettiest berries of the bunch!

 

D
ISCUSSION
Q
UESTIONS

 

   1. Why would working at a local diner be especially appealing to Old Order Leah?

 

   2. Members of the Amish community usually steer clear of conflicts in the English world. Why is it so hard for Matthew to stay removed from the problems at the horse farm where he works?

 

   3. Jamie’s devotion to his bride, Emma, has changed his life in profound ways. How do the “little changes” threaten to undermine their relationship more than the major ones when he became New Order Amish?

 

   4. With the runaway success of the diner, what particularly female character flaw rears its head in Leah’s personality? Why would this be especially onerous for an Amish woman?

 

   5. What is it about Jonah Byler that makes him irresistible to Leah? Why does human nature cause us to seek the apple beyond our reach, while surrounded with prime fruit ready to be picked?

 

   6. How does Matthew’s God-given gifts serve him well as a horse trainer, but doom him to a lonely future with humankind? How would becoming an independent trainer be hampered by the
Ordnung?

 

   7. Why would Leah enter a baking competition, knowing her parents wouldn’t approve? What about the contest becomes problematic for someone Amish?

 

   8. Leah long suspects something isn’t right with her business partner at the diner. Why does she wait so long to confront her, and what is it about April’s personality that allows this to snowball in the first place?

 

   9. Why does Leah believe the diner’s closing has ruined her chances with Jonah, even though she wasn’t culpable in the mismanagement?

 

 10. Why wouldn’t Matthew return to his beloved horse-training job after the owner fires his former boss?

 

 11. How does Emma’s frequent disagreements with Jamie’s family members help her to mature in her marriage and grow as a Christian?

 

 12. What had caused Jonah’s lapse of faith, and how does Leah help him restore his relationship with God?

 

A
BOUT THE
A
UTHOR

 

Mary Ellis
grew up close to the eastern Ohio Amish Community, Geauga County where her parents often took her to farmers’ markets and woodworking fairs. She and her husband now live in Medina County close to the largest population of Amish families, and enjoy the simple way of life.

 

The Way to a Man’s Heart
is Mary’s third novel with Harvest House, following up on her bestselling first and second books in The Miller Family series,
A Widow’s Hope
and
Never Far from Home.

 

www.maryeellis.wordpress.com

O
THER
B
OOKS BY
M
ARY
E
LLIS

 

A W
IDOW’S
H
OPE

Can a Young Amish Widow Find Love?

After the death of her husband, Hannah Brown is determined to make a new life with her sister’s family. But when she sells her farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and moves her sheep to Ohio, the wool unexpectedly begins to fly. Simon, her deacon brother-in-law, finds just about everything about Hannah vexing. So no one is more surprised than the deacon when his own brother, Seth, shows interest in the beautiful young widow.

But perhaps he has nothing to worry about. The two seem to be at cross-purposes as often as not. Hannah is willful, and Seth has an independent streak a mile wide. But much is at stake, including the heart of Seth’s silent young daughter, Phoebe. Can Seth and Hannah move past their own pain to find a lasting love?

 

An inspirational story of trust in the God who sees our needs before we do.

 

N
EVER
F
AR FROM
H
OME

What Happens When an Amish Girl’s Prince Charming Is an
Englischer
?

Emma Miller is on the cusp of leaving childhood behind and entering the adult world. She has finished school, started her own wool business, and longs for someone to court. When the object of her affection is a handsome English sheep farmer with a fast truck and modern methods, her deacon father, Simon, knows he has more than the farm alliance to worry about.

Emma isn’t the only one with longings in Holmes County. Her mother yearns for relief from a debilitating disease, Aunt Hannah wishes for a baby, and Uncle Seth hopes he’ll reap financial rewards when he undertakes a risk with his harvest. But are these the plans God has for this close-knit Amish family?

 

An engaging story about waiting on God for His perfect timing and discovering that dreams planted close to home can grow a lasting harvest of hope and love.

 

 

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

Nineteen

Twenty

Recipes

Discussion Questions

About the Author

Other Books by Mary Ellis

AmishReader.com

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