Whenever I go to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, I always look forward to visiting my favorite restaurants and stores; however, seeing my special Amish friend is always the highlight of my trip. Even more special, though, if my Amish friend is hosting a meal in her home, and I have a chance to enjoy her company, along with her delicious cooking.
I met my Amish friend in 2007 when I was working on my very first Amish book, A Gift of Grace. I’m grateful that she and I have kept in touch and become very close. I’m looking forward to seeing her again this September.
I remember the first time I ate supper at her house. She served her incredible barbecued meatloaf. It was so scrumptious that I asked her for the recipe, which you can find below. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
My Amish Friend’s Barbecued Meatloaf
1 ½ lb. ground beef
Mix the following ingredients well and then add to ground beef and mix thoroughly:
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup milk
1 cup oatmeal
1 egg
1 ½ tsp. seasoned salt
1 ½ tsp. chili powder
¾ tsp. pepper
Topping:
1 cup ketchup
½ cup brown sugar
1 ½ tsp. dry mustard
1 ½ tsp. vinegar
Mix topping ingredients and spread over meatloaf. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.
Today is release day for Building A Future! Click HERE to get your copy.
They both had different plans for their futures . . . until their hearts led them to each other.
Michelle Lantz dreams of marrying and starting a family, and now that she’s been dating Korey for over a year, she thought it was only a matter of time before he proposed. But lately, Korey has seemed distant and is far from the attentive boyfriend she once knew. They’ve spent so much time together that she feels she can’t give up on their relationship, but she begins to question her own feelings as his seem to cool.
Tyler Bontrager is focused on expanding his father’s roofing company so he can take over one day. He throws himself into his work and thinks he’s too busy to worry about finding a wife. He and his brother Korey find themselves continually arguing: Tyler doesn’t approve of how Korey treats Michelle and Korey thinks Tyler is out to take anything that’s his. When Tyler happens to be around when Michelle needs a listening ear, he is startled to realize that he has feelings for Michelle, so he denies them because his relationship with his brother is too important.
But when there’s an accident and lives are at stake, true feelings come to the surface. Is it possible for Michelle and Tyler to put aside their feelings for the sake of their relationships with Korey, or will they find a new foundation on which to build their future?