CajunKing and Family Meet Mr Cub and the Amish

April 11-13, 2008

This trip for me was TRULY UNIQUE!!

How you may wonder??

I talked my wife and son in joining me on this trip. You see she has never been more than 2 hours from SE Indiana in her entire life, my son has never been more than an hour away from home.

I have been a life long Chicago Cubs fan, and over the last 3 years got my wife interested in baseball (cubbies only). Last summer the Cubs announced that they were redoing the front area of Wrigley Field and adding the Ernie Banks Statue and memorial pavers.

My wife wanted to get a paver in honor of her parents 50th Wedding anniversary (which would be next weekend), So we did.

Last week we got the letter stating that the paver has been placed in the area around the new Ernie Banks statue, and it gave us the players name to look around.

So I talked her into spending the weekend in Indiana's Amish Country, then heading Saturday over to Chicago and visiting Wrigley Field.

SHE WENT FOR IT!!

So.....

Friday afternoon we picked our son up straight from school and headed to Elkhart, Indiana and the Comfort Suites South (2 Room Suite for $64/night)

Friday's meals consisted of the golden arches So I was looking forward to Saturday's food adventures much more!

Saturday the 12th

Breakfast at the Hotel, was cereal and FRESH local Danishes made from one of the local Amish Bakeries. We wanted to get an early start on the day in Chicago.

The day was cold, rainy and WINDY (gee go figure) and of course none of us brought jackets. We got to Wrigley Field with NO problems, and since the cubbies were in Philly parking was a breeze.

There standing gaurd over the front entrance to Wrigley Field was "Mr. Cub" Ernie Banks


I never got to see him play, but growing up a cub fan, I ALWAYS heard stories about him.


Glenda and Brandon standing by Mr. Cub

The rain was starting to fall a little harder now, and Glenda really wanted to find her parents brick, so after about a 10 minute search of the[url='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mordecai_Brown']Mordecai Brown[/url] section


we finally found her parents brick.
"In Loving Memory Charles & Velma Vest 2007"
(Her mom died in August 2007, brick carved in 2007 and placed in 2008)


We walked across the street and they both got cubbies jackets to wear, and I got my fitted Cubs home cap.



We got back to the car and headed for lunch at [url='http://www.hotdougs.com/default.htm']Hot Doug's[/url]


I parked somewhat close by, and walked to stand in the line and wait, my wife and son stayed in the car and kept the doors LOCKED!!

I forgot the camera and did not want to lose my place in line, so no pictures of my lunch.

I ordered:

1 Kiera Knightley (Fire Dog) somewhat hot but not really too hot
1 Salma Hayek (andouille) Mmmmmmmm Good
1 Ribeye Steak Sausage with Horseradish-Garlic Cream Sauce, Smoked Cheddar Cheese and Crispy Fried Onions
1 Order of Duck Fat Fries

All in all very good I wish iwould have gotten pictures though. Glenda and Brandon however ate at.... McDonald's.

The weather was not really cooperating with anything else I wanted to show the family, so we headed back to enjoy some time in the heated pool and jacuzzi

Saturday for Dinner I tried to convince the family to join me, but the family had fallen asleep in front of the tv, watching the Disney Channel.

So I headed for near by Middlebury, Indiana and [url='http://www.essenhaus.com/']Das Dutchman Essenhaus[/url]
This place has been discussed several times here on RF and I have been there several times with family and friends.



This place is HUGE, and has 2 different styles of dining. Menu dining on one end of the building and family style dining on the other. There was an hour wait for a table at the family style dining end, and since I was minus the family, I decided to eat at the menu dining area.

After a short 10 minute wait (not enough time to look around the gift shop or the bakery ) I was set at the only open table. The place was full of both tourist and Amish alike.

I wanted to get a picture of the dining room, but couldn't get a shot without getting some Amish folk in the picture (religious beliefs prohibit Amish from getting their picture taken)

So.....




SO MANY CHOICES, and only one stomach to et it all with!!!

I placed my order and my Amish server asked if I wanted White, Wheat or Rye Yeast Rolls?? I chose Wheat


Now what to top them with?? Oh Yeah I know what I want on them!


The apple butter was a little watery, but had an AWESOME apple flavor
The Amish Peanut Butter was OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!! It was a mix of peanut butter and honey (two of my favorites)

Just as I finished my second roll my dinner arrived.

Creamed Chicken over a fresh baked biscuit topped with REAL mashed potatoes

That is a 12 inch dinner plate, and a good 3 inches tall

For my sides I chose:
Amish Noodles
Green Beans
Amish Dressing with chicken gravy


The Amish noodles were dense and flavorful
The Dressing was so moist and full of flavor too
The green beans were canned

So 2 out of 3 ain't to bad.

NOW COMES THE TOUGHEST CHOICES OF THE NIGHT!!!!

I had to choose from 29 different pies:

Butterscotch, Apple, Rhubarb Custard, Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb, German Chocolate, Red Raspberry Chocolate Cream, Fresh Peach, Peach, Banana Cream, Old Fashioned Cream, Cherry, Raisin Cream, Custard, Coconut Cream, Fresh Strawberry, Pumpkin, Fresh Blueberry, Blueberry, Praline Pecan, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Dutch Apple, Mincemeat, Chocolate Peanut-Butter-Banana, Red Raspberry Cream, Shoofly, Lemon, Black Raspberry, Chocolate Cream, Pecan

Plus Ice Cream and several cakes

In following in the footsteps of my friend BuffettBuster I asked the server what pie they were known for?

Her reply was "Amish Dutch Apple" and "Shoofly"

So I ordered BOTH, AND a piece of Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Banana Cream Pie (3 favorites rolled into one piece of pie)


Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Banana Cream Pie


Shoofly Pie

I decided I was TOOOOOOOO stuffed to eat the third piece of pie there so I had it boxed to go, it made a great breakfast Sunday.


Sunday April 13th

After snoozing in late (comfort suites has VERY COMFY pillow top mattresses) we got up and checked out. It was still early in the day so I decided to stop by my Great Aunt and Uncle's place and introduce them to the family.

My father's side of the family is Church of the Brethern and Amish.
Many older members are still "Old Order" horse and buggy type.

My Great Aunt and Uncle are "Old Order" and they were very happy to see us. Marvin took my son Brandon out to the barn and he got to help groom and feed the horses.

Sandra went on a mile a minute about the Frantz side of the family and our Amish and Brethern roots.

Every ten minutes she would ask if we were hungry, and finally she prepared a huge feast of baked pork chops, butter beans, corn and dressing. You know for a women in her late 70's she still gets around quite well.

Before I knew it, time had slipped away and it was almost 8:00pm
and we still had a 4 hour drive home.

I carried a very exhausted little boy into the house and layed on his bed, he never even stirred.

I had a great weekend, I got to eat some GREAT food, My wife and son FINALLY went on an adventure with me, I spent some time with a part of the family I know little about.

Great report CajunKing. You kept up with Buffetbuster in one setting eating two pies.

So what exactly is Shoofly pie?

CajunKing

I think you outdid yourself again.

I'm wondering if the Amish food served in Indiana is much different than that served in Pennsylvania.

I'll be heading to Chicago late in the Summer- and plan to hit Wrigley and at least one Hot dog joint (probably Weiner's Circle)

Ok, all this food is making me full- I have to take my walk now!

Congratulations, Don. Bringing the family along makes these trips all the better. Thanks for sharing!

Cajun, I got to hand it to you as you sure can pack away some groceries.

Sounded really good to me but I have never been to that part of Indiana.

I would like to know more about the Amish background.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

quote:

Originally posted by wanderingjew

CajunKing

I think you outdid yourself again.

I'm wondering if the Amish food served in Indiana is much different than that served in Pennsylvania.

I'll be heading to Chicago late in the Summer- and plan to hit Wrigley and at least one Hot dog joint (probably Weiner's Circle)

Ok, all this food is making me full- I have to take my walk now!

WJ

I have eaten in both areas and MOST dishes are the same, if you look at the history of the amish you will see a western migration, about every 30-40 years.

It starts in PA, then Ohio, Then Indiana and so on.

So the recipes are basically the same, you may find some regional variations when things were not available.

There are a lot of Amish in southeast Minnesota near the Iowa border. When you drive through New Harmony you see quite a few buggies on the road berms. They extend into Iowa and southwest Wisconsin.

Cajunking,
Thanks a million for a truly awesome report. Sounds like you really had a big kafloodle, you did.
We don't seem to have any Old Order Amish in these parts, but Mennonites live nearby in South Carolina (in fact, there are several Mennonite-run eateries in such places as Abbeville and Honea Path, South Carolina), as well as the sizeable comunity in South Central Georgia, in the vicinity of Yoder's in Montezuma. These people almost all (well, ALL as far as I know) drive cars and utilize electricity; they dress plainly and live simply, much like the more conservative members of the Religious Society Of Friends (Quakers).
Their food is amazingly heavy because it comes out of their tradition of shunning modern conveniences... so they have to chow down on some hearty, rich stuff to keep their human furnaces stoked! I'd gain weight just thinking about eating like that for more than one meal per epoch!!
Thanks again for your report.
Hoosier Daddy, Ort. Carlton in Amazing Athens, Georgia.
P. S. "A big kafloodle" sounds like a real "plain-people" kind of expression, but it actually came to me in a dream one night a couple of weeks ago... in which an elderly Mennonite lady in a cafe said that to me (I dreamed I was on the road), so it may or may not mean anything in real life. (I may or may not mean anything in real life, for that matter! Tee hee.)

29 different pies to chose from.. Life's a drag, ehh??? lol.. Awesome report there Don!

Thanks for another great trip report Don.

How come people don't name their kids Mordecai anymore

quote:

Originally posted by exsquidao

How come people don't name their kids Mordecai anymore

Beats me, but I think Dave Barry would approve of "Mr. Cub and the Amish" as a band name...

Brad

Oh Don...You and Glenda have a wonderful family ... And , what a blessing your trip was ! Your little son Brandon is a handsome little man and an adorable child...If I lived nearby , I'd have to spoil him on teacakes and lemonade !

Don it sounds like y'all had a great little weekend! Davydd I think shoofly pie is a molasses sugar pie, but I'm not positive.

CajunKing-
I have been so busy lately, this was my first opportunity to read your excellent report. I imagine this was very special for you to be able to share this adventure with your family. I'm sure it was special for them, too and something your son will always remember.

29 varieties of pie? What a problem to have!!! As soon as I read Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana, I knew that would be one of your choices. I knew it sure would have been one of mine. By the way, I have a dumb question.....what is the difference between fresh peach and peach?

Well, you actually outdid Ernie Banks on this trip. His philosophy was, "Let's Play Two". Here, you ate three! Thanks for the great report!

BB

I called to Essenhaus and asked them about the 2 peach pies.

Fresh Peach pie is only made in season with fresh Indiana/Michigan peaches.

Peach pie is made year round using canned peaches.


The lady I spoke with said "both peach pie choices are delicious, but the fresh peach pie is only made during the summer, during peach season, and it is FANTASTIC"

CK-
I assumed it was something like that. Can you imagine anyone getting the peach when the fresh peach is available? Thanks for making the call and finding out the info!

quote:

Originally posted by Ort. Carlton.

Hoosier Daddy, Ort. Carlton in Amazing Athens, Georgia.

OK - THAT killed me, Ort - where on earth do you manage to come up with these great lines, every single time?!?

quote:

Originally posted by exsquidao
How come people don't name their kids Mordecai anymore

Exsquidao,
It might be because there is less Decai than there used to be.
Utterly Ortenically (my full name is William Orten Carlton), Ort. Carlton in Ununiquely-Named Athens, Georgia.
P. S. A couple I knew several years ago wanted an absolutely unique middle name for their son, so they chose Jereboam. He ended up liking it so much that he now goes by "Jerry." -- At least they didn't choose to name him "Schnurdy."

That's like my great-great aunt Sophronia ...

Just checking this site after our day trip to Amish Country in Blue Ball,PA. That picture of shoefly pie has me wanting to go back already. Love our frequent trips to Amish country and Amish food!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Lexi

quote:

Originally posted by Ort. Carlton.
Hoosier Daddy....

OK - THAT killed me, Ort - where on earth do you manage to come up with these great lines, every single time?!?

Lexi,
I only use half of my wit, that's how!
There's Indianoplace Like Home, Ort. Carlton in Ferry Across The Mersey Or No, Here I Stay Athens, Georgia.
P. S. Seriously, for once... one of the greatest delights in my life is making other people laugh. I am not unoften this funny in person (especially after a couple of pints of exquisite ale!!). -- But right now, I'm not able to write creatively for publication (I've sold quite a few articles in my day), so I post creatively here! It keeps the juices flowing, so to speak, and -- again -- if someone else appreciates my words, so much the better. I've actually received a couple of e-mails over time from other posters who look forward to coming to Roadfood (among copious other reasons, of course) to see what idiocy I've posted in the last couple of daze. That is a tremendous compliment to me. I'm glad to have made you laugh; just hold on when you rummage through here... okay?

quote:

Originally posted by iqdiva
That's like my great-great aunt Sophronia ...

iqdiva,
We had one of those in my Florida family, too... she was commonly alled "Fronie."
My great-uncle, a famed rodeo rider in his day, was William Guess Altman. Guess what he went by?
My grandfather was Howren Orten Carlton. He went by "Orten," or occasionally Ort. Guess wherefrom my folks glommed my name?
There was an America J. Carlton in my line sometime in the mid-to-late 1800's.
Some years ago, a wonderful little old lady from Virginia ran the Episcopal church's Thrift House here... her name was Vashti. (I assume it's an old Biblical name.)
But my favorite name of all is my father's first cousin Jack Himrod's wife's name: Mae Frank. I hope someone keeps that wonderful, unique name alive... I really do.
Nomdeplumbingly, Ort. Carlton in Capricious Athens, Georgia.

Mr. Ort ... ! We called mine Fronie too !

quote:

Originally posted by Ort. Carlton.



Some years ago, a wonderful little old lady from Virginia ran the Episcopal church's Thrift House here... her name was Vashti. (I assume it's an old Biblical name.)

According to Wikipedia:

In The Book of Esther, Vashti is the wife of King Ahasuerus who is replaced by Esther. She is thus part of the story behind the Jewish holiday of Purim, one of Judaism's festivals.

According to the account, she refused to obey the King's request that she "show off her beauty" (which is interpreted to "appear naked" or, "dance"), leading to concerns that, if unpunished, her actions would inspire other wives to disobey their husbands, and ultimately to the decision that she must not remain Queen. Her refusal to obey her husband has helped to secure her stature as a folk hero of the modern feminist movement as well as a villain because of her disrespect for her husband.

The meaning of the name Vashti is "Beautiful Women".

Shoofly pie:

http://www.amishnews.com/amisharticles/shooflypie.htm

Interesting report. loved Amish food when i ate it in Ohio.