Friday's FIVE!

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Bruce and I married in February of 2002 - beginning a new life together later than most.
The first summer we were married, we continued the tradition of weekends at Yellow Creek Lake. One hot July Sunday afternoon, we were sitting on the front porch... thinking about our life together. I was working in Richmond, IN as Director of OT at Ried Hospital. It was a two hour drive from Marion - and I was making the commute daily to a postion that just wasn't a good fit for me. I wasn't happy with my job and Bruce was also struggling with his business.
We loved our escapes to Yellow Creek - and we dreaded Sunday nights when we had to go home.
I really don't remember all of the conversation... but I remember in the discussion of our future saying "Well, we can't live here (at YCL)".... and his response was "Why NOT?" - I couldn't answer that. We weren't that far away from family here - and they enjoyed being here anyway.
In our mid-forty's - we were starting fresh with friends and lifestyles.... and we both had careers that could be found in any location....Why not just live here and start over with my peaceful husband in a peaceful place that is so dear to my heart? So - the first weekend in August, we came to the lake for the weekend.... and never went back 'home'. We both found jobs in this area and made friends and established our 'community'. Yellow Creek Lake is now our full time residence - and we love living here.
The first year or so that we lived here - I worked as an independent "First Steps" Occupational Therapist. First Steps is an Indiana early intervention program for infants and children 0-3 years old. I traveled to homes throughout the county holding babies, teaching them to eat, roll and sit. Another benefit of the position - was that I traveled all over the Kosciusko-Marshall county area. I learned to appreciate and love the Amish homes - gardens and lifestyle as many of the children I treated were in Northern Indiana Amish homes.
I would drive down country roads and observing farmers with an 8 horse hitch plowing fields, see drab laundry hanging clothes lines, gorgeous gardens filled the front yards and there were several Amish country stores that offered fresh produce, fresh baked goods and bulk dry goods.
I gained a lot of weight that first year as the Amish cookies were just too hard to resist.
I don't do First Steps services and that kind of traveling anymore - but we are lucky enough to have two Menonite bulk stores near our home. The bakery items are delicious and continue to be difficult to resist - however, because of these stores.... I have learned to enjoy a whole new variety of foods that I might not have ever tried. This weeks Friday's FIVE! is a focus of some of my favorite items that I buy at Maple Lane Bakery in Silver Lake, IN just a few miles down the road.

1. Steel Cut Oats (and many other grains and cereals) 1/2 C Steel Cut Oats in 2 Cups of Water cooked overnight in a 1.5 qt crockpot and a hot and steamy, good for you breakfast available when you wake up in the morning...
YUMMY!!!!!!

2. BULK Cumin and other spices. We love home-made salsa... and mexican food. Kosc. County also has a large hispanic community and many of these items are available to us. I'm sure that will be the topic of another Friday's FIVE! someday!

3. Jams and Jellies and Butters - Elderberry Jelly is a favorite - as is Pumpkin Butter!!
Elderberries are a Pence family favorite and I love the savoring the flavor of Elderberry jelly - remincent of Pence family Elderberry Pies.

4. Amish Style Rolled butter - So delicious ... especially on the soft homemade Amish rolls and bread!!! I also love the cheese you find in many of these stores.

5. Buttermilk Cookies...I can hardly resist the soft cake like cookies with the confectioner sugar glaze. Bruce likes Peanut Butter and Chocolate chip - and the kids love the Amish Monster Cookies and Whoopie Pies.