Good Books – serie

Sensitively answers the most common inquiries about Amish and Mennonite peoples. Authoritative, sympathetic, and thorough. 20 Most Asked Questions looks at origins, dress, pacifism, education, weddings, funerals, and food, as well as many other facets of Amish and Mennonite life. This book has sold more than 200,000 copies.1. What is the difference between the Amish and the Mennonites?2. When and how did these people get started?3. Are they a Christian group or do they represent a different religion?4. Aren’t they a bit naive and backward? Why don’t they accept modern things?5. Does anyone ever join them? Does anyone ever leave?6. Why do they dress that way?7. Is it true they don’t go to war?8. Why are they against education?9. Why are they such good farmers?10. Why don’t they pay Social Security taxes?11. Do any of the Amish or Mennonite groups believe in missions?12. What are their weddings like?13. How are their women and children treated?14. Is food a part of their religion?15. Do they go to doctors and hospitals?16. What about burial?17. Don’t they believe in having fun?18. What are some of their problems?19. Are they growing or dying in number?20. What, in fact, holds them together?

This historical novel, literary and engaging, examines a close-knit community of Amish pioneers over several decades (right up to the eve of the American Civil War). Employing eight different voices, Miller unpeels the cohesions and tensions as settlers move west while others stay behind. Beneath the surface but never quite forgotten is the unsolved murder of an Amish baby (based on a true incident). This is a story of judgment and misplaced responsibility, of attempts at love and forgiveness, and finally of grace despite unspeakable loss. It is told lyrically from within this often-idealized but sometimes scarred human community. An unforgettable story.Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade, Yucca, and Good Books imprints, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in fiction—novels, novellas, political and medical thrillers, comedy, satire, historical fiction, romance, erotic and love stories, mystery, classic literature, folklore and mythology, literary classics including Shakespeare, Dumas, Wilde, Cather, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Downstairs the Queen Is Knitting is Dorcas Smucker's brand new chronicle of family life with six fast-growing up kids. Downstairs the Queen Is Knitting follows Dorcas' two earlier and beloved collections, "Upstairs the Peasants Are Revolting" and "Ordinary Days." The kids are a bit older now, and Dorcas and Paul's marriage is longer and deeper. But Dorcas sees with more disarming clarity than ever, and she writes piercingly about life on and off the grass farm as the kids move toward more independence. Downstairs the Queen Is Knitting will entertain you, and ultimately it will soothe your soul.

In a modern world where technology is taking over our lives, could we lead an essential, simple life without electricity? How can we get by without computers, power tools, phones, or even basics such as electric lights and appliances? The answers lie in Amish communities and other Old Order groups in the United States, Canada, and Mexico that have been living lives off the grid while still affording to be self-sufficient for countless years.Living Without Electricity examines the Amish response to technology and shows us why and how they live without inventions other people take for granted. Taking lessons from the Amish, learn how to light a room without electricity, keep warm without centralized heating, get around without a car, communicate without a phone, and others. In addition, take Amish instruction on how to cook and store food, pump water, wash clothes, and even run farms and businesses, all while off the electric grid. Reconsider the basic necessities of your life, and you might decide to orientate yourself toward a self-sufficient life without electricity.

Create showstopping cookies that taste as good as they look! A collection that includes something for everyone, no matter the occasion or season.  In Creative Cookie Decorating for Everyone, the follow-up to the beloved Creative Cookie Decorating, Emily Hutchinson takes you through decorating with buttercream, with hundreds of step-by-step photos. She covers each season and holiday with new ideas and designs for your cookies.Unique to this book are instructions for how to flood with buttercream. (Yes, you read that right, you can flood with buttercream!) Emily shares twice as many (new!) delicious recipes while also including allergy-conscious cookies that everyone can enjoy. These recipes have been tested and perfected, so they are ready for the spotlight! Emily's main goal is to teach you all her tips and tricks, which have taken her years to learn, and help you develop or fine-tune your decorating skills, no matter your background experience in the kitchen. Emily loves to see bakers succeed, and this book is sure to help you take your cookies to the next level.  Emily, the creator of The Hutch Oven, has built a brand around creative ways to decorate beautiful and achievable buttercream-frosted cookie designs with trusted recipes. She passionately shares her gift of baking, along with her inspiring journey after her daughter passed away from SIDS in 2008. Her heartfelt stories will leave you full of hope and the feel of a warm embrace as you soak up valuable cookie knowledge. Emily is real and relatable, and it's like you're baking right alongside her. Creative Cookie Decorating for Everyone is as much about finding joy and peace in the kitchen as it is connecting with people while baking.

Pasta night has never been easier! 75 delicious recipes for the whole family.  Super Easy Pasta! offers 75 easy recipes for all your favorite pasta dishes. Whether you like to prepare dinner on the stovetop or in your slow cooker, Instant Pot, or oven, there are plenty of delicious options here. Find recipes such as: Easy Tomato Alfredo ChickenPasta PrimaveraBow-Tie Pasta with Peas and BaconMostaccioliMeatless Lasagna Roll-upsSpinach Cheese ManicottiCreamy Baked ZitiInstant Pasta à la MariaSausage TortelliniRicotta Gnocchi with Spinach SauceShrimp with Sun-Dried TomatoesAnd more!These recipes use ingredients that are inexpensive and easy to find at your local grocery store. With each recipe, you'll find the approximate prep time (usually 15 minutes or less) and cooking time, so you'll know exactly what you're getting into before you start. Icons on the top of each recipe page indicate whether the dish requires a slow cooker, Instant Pot, stovetop, or oven. With vegetarian, beef, chicken, and seafood options, there's something here for everyone!

Turn your homesteading dreams into reality through six weeks of learning, strategy, biblical reflection, and prayer.In Holy Homestead, author Hannah Deurloo guides readers through a six-week journey to transform their homes, hearts, and habits through faith and stewardship. Whether you live in a city apartment or a rural farmhouse, this book offers practical advice and spiritual encouragement to help you cultivate a homestead that glorifies God.Rooted in biblical wisdom and inspired by the Proverbs 31 woman, Holy Homestead is more than a how-to—it’s a call to live simply, work diligently, and steward resources with purpose. Each week focuses on a core homesteading area, with daily readings that blend practical tips and spiritual insight.Week 1: Groundwork – Time management, soil identification, and resisting consumerism.Week 2: Gardening – Choosing crops, identifying weeds, and growing with intention.Week 3: Preserving – Canning, fermenting, freezing, and storing food.Week 4: Cooking – Scratch cooking, hospitality, composting, and using preserved foods.Week 5: Animals – Caring for bees, birds, chickens, goats, and more.Week 6: Monetizing – Cottage food laws, selling strategies, and honoring God with your harvest.Throughout, readers are encouraged to pause, pray, and refocus on God’s plan. With humor and heartfelt wisdom, Deurloo shares her journey of letting go of perfectionism and embracing purposeful living. Holy Homestead is about doing what matters most—faithfully and intentionally.

Discover a World of Flavor with Willard Roth’s Mennonite CookbookWillard Roth, a celebrated cook and Mennonite church leader, brings decades of culinary experience and global food adventures to your kitchen. Raised on a sprawling Iowa farm, Roth learned the art of hospitality and home cooking from his Mennonite mother and grandmothers. His passion for food—growing it, preparing it, and sharing it—shines through in every recipe.This unique cookbook blends traditional Mennonite recipes with international flavors inspired by Roth’s travels across North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. From comforting farm-style dishes to vibrant global cuisine, these recipes are designed for home cooks who love easy-to-follow, flavorful meals.Inside you’ll find:Soups & Chowders: Thai Coconut Shrimp, Chilled Melon Mint, Hawkeye Corn & Chilies ChowderSmall Plates & Sides: Cheese Grits with Chunky Tomato Sauce, Corn Leek BakeMain Courses: Lemon Turkey Stir-Fry with Pasta, Monastery Cornbread Casserole, Pecan Crunch Salmon Bake, Beer-Braised Short Ribs, Balsamic Honey-Glazed Lamb ChopsDesserts & Treats: Cakes, cookies, pies, puddings, candies, and frozen delightsPlus: Chutneys, cordials, rum sauces, relishes, and fresh saladsWhether you’re looking for authentic Mennonite recipes, farm-to-table comfort food, or international dishes with a twist, this cookbook delivers. Roth’s warm storytelling and practical tips make every meal an opportunity to share hospitality and joy. Bring the taste of the world—and the heart of Mennonite hospitality—into your home kitchen with Willard Roth’s unforgettable recipes.

This book tells a story which until now has not been available in such an interesting and comprehensive form. What holds these people together? Why are they growing in number? Where do they live? The Old Order Mennonites are less well known than the Amish, but are similar in many beliefs and practices. Some Old Order Mennonites drive horses and buggies. Others use cars for transportation. Conservative Mennonite groups vary a great deal, but in general espouse strong faith and family life and believe that how they live should distinguish them from the larger society around them.           The author details courtship and wedding practices, methods of worship, dress, transportation, and vocation. Never before has there been such an inside account of these people and their lives. The author spent years conferring and interviewing members of the various groups, trying to portray their history and their story in a fair and accurate manner. An enjoyable, educational, inspiring book.

John L. Ruth, a Mennonite storyteller/historian, captures the spirit of Old Order Mennonite and Amish groups in his essays, along with photographs, poetry, and quotations. If the "plain people" of North America are to be understood in terms of their own concerns, we must consider sympathetically their own expressions and the biblical cadences they echo.           Having maintained, with the tolerance of their society, a simple life as "the quiet in the land," these folk still prize such passé virtues as modesty, humility, and obedience to God's will, as interpreted by a disciplined community of faith. Their values, difficult to appreciate in a world bemused by progress, are seldom if ever articulated, except as curiosities, in our mass media. --John L. Ruth, in A Quiet and Peaceable Life.

Truck farmers, devoted cooks, skillful bakers, and local butchers bring their beloved, home-prepared products to their customers at Lancaster, Pennsylvania's thriving Central Market three days each week. Now these standholders at the nation's oldest, continually operating farmers market have brought their best recipes together into an irresistible cookbook that features fresh tasting dishes with easy-to-follow instructions.           "Fresh from Central Market" Cookbook offers more than 300 purely delicious recipes for from-scratch cookies and pastries, meats and main dishes, brunches, snacks, appetizers, and grilling. In other words — these are the standholders' absolutely best dishes — some of which are brand new, some of which are irreplaceable traditions! This stunning cookbook includes full-color photographs of lively market days and of the beloved market building.Skyhorse Publishing, along with our Good Books and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of cookbooks, including books on juicing, grilling, baking, frying, home brewing and winemaking, slow cookers, and cast iron cooking. We’ve been successful with books on gluten-free cooking, vegetarian and vegan cooking, paleo, raw foods, and more. Our list includes French cooking, Swedish cooking, Austrian and German cooking, Cajun cooking, as well as books on jerky, canning and preserving, peanut butter, meatballs, oil and vinegar, bone broth, and more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.