Christmas Cookies

My wife decided to invite all five of our grandchildren over for a Christmas Cookie making party last Saturday. She put on her Santa's-helper apron (Santa thought she looked really cute in it!)







Last Christmas she made little aprons for all of our grandchildren to wear while doing art projects or baking cookies. They all put on their aprons and "chef hats" and we were ready to get started.

 Our littlest chef had to stop for a few moments and send an important text message. (actually he was looking at pictures on my phone, his favorite thing to do... especially my horse pics)


Two of our four daughters were there to help, and you can see them at the table with our grandchildren.

Of course we had to make some horse shaped cookies too.

 and everyone loved adding frosting, sprinkles, and colored sugar.

 Of course we had to do taste testing too!

Everyone put on a reindeer hat and lined up for a photo with Santa's helper. 

Cookie dough and sprinkles approximately $5... memories of making Christmas cookies with grandparents... I'm gonna guess, priceless.

Easy as Pie

 I never knew my wife's grandmother, but I have benefited from her cooking and baking skills all of my married life.

Grandma Katie Kinsinger grew up Amish and became a Mennonite when she and John got married in 1918. Her daughters learned how to put on a great meal and back it up with amazing deserts.

  My wife didn't polish her skills until after we were married. Fortunately, her mother Ruby and Aunt Mildred were more than willing to share their secrets with her when she was ready to learn.

Mildred, Ruby, and my wife Shari, all three have had the ability to make pies that melt in your mouth. And the crust is never left on the plate. I don't know how, but their crust is so good you could eat it without filling!




Mildred and Ruby, have both gone to be with their Lord. As two of my favorite people I've ever known, I named and modeled characters in the Amish Horses Book Series after them.

 They, all three, have always taken extra care to make their pies beautiful, even though they know that we are going to devour these works of art.

They, all three, also are famous for apologizing about every item they bake. "Oh, did I put too much salt in that?" or "Sorry, the crust is a little crumbly." or "Oh dear, is it overdone?" Meanwhile, we are all perfectly quiet... unwilling to stop eating long enough to answer their ridiculous questions.

My wife often puts crumb topping on one pie, because like her mother and aunt before her, she is worried that someone may not like her two-crust pie. Oh well, I will clean up whatever is left over either way!

As far as I can tell, the only thing easy about pie is eating it. And that is VERY easy!

 Oh, by the way, don't bother to ask for the recipe, they are old family secrets. You young girls may have a chance to get in on it if you marry my son or one of my grandsons.

Mennonite Wife

My wife and I,
at Oak Alley Plantation

My wife's home frozen applesauce

Shari's home canned peaches

If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, get a Mennonite girl for a wife.

I didn't grow up Mennonite but my wife did. I don't have pictures to show you everything my wife cooks and bakes, but my five children and five grandchildren can vouch for me, she's the best!  Her homemade pies and cinnamon rolls are ridiculously amazing.  These canned peaches have ruined store bought peaches for me. I will never be able to eat store bought again.

Shari also makes homemade applesauce.  She only will use Yellow Transparent apples for her applesauce, which are hard to find. I've tried applesauce made from other varieties and she is right, they don't compare.  Homemade Bread, crescent rolls, kolaches, homemade caramels and chocolates at Christmastime, "perfect" chocolate cake for birthdays, and numerous other delightful goodies.

Home canned pizza sauce is a family favorite, on her made-from-scratch pizza dough.

You younger fellas should take note, Amish and Mennonite girls know how to bake and cook!

These cinnamon rolls, pictured below, melt in your mouth. They are best eaten right after they come out of the oven.  Just pour a glass of milk or a cup of hot coffee to go with them and you are in paradise!

Pumpkin pies for our family's Thanksgiving dessert
(note the tiny clothesline my daughter painted on our pantry wall)

My wife Shari, preparing cheesy potatoes, yum!

 Grandma cut balogna and cheese with a cookie cutter, in the shape of horses.

How clever is that? (Specially made, for our horse loving granddaughter.)

Our grandchildren often have tea parties and also get to play with this homemade play-dough.

So from my personal point of view... get a Mennonite girl to marry you!

Gift Idea

 Are you looking for a gift for Grandpa or Grandma?  Here's an idea!
Anyone who is interested in the Amish will enjoy this visit to an Amish farm.

This book is 6"x 9"

A book is the perfect gift, because a person can never own too many of them.

Under the Heavens is a story of city boy visiting his Amish relatives on the farm.

Grandpa and Grandma will enjoy a trip down memory lane, and others will enjoy visiting an old-fashioned farm for the first time.

Perfect for horse lovers.

Under the Heavens is about twice the size of old paperbacks and all double-spaced.


Click on the words below to read reviews of Under the Heavens.

Amazon Link and reviews




Or, send a $20 check or money order to:
Amish Horses
P.O. Box 495
Kalona, Iowa 52247   (This offer only valid within the U.S.A)

If you live outside the U.S.A. and want a copy; or for any other questions.
 Email:  amishhorses@outlook.com

We will send you an autographed copy.  In fact, the author Thomas Nye would be happy to personalize your gift.  Just include a the name of your loved one, and something about them and/or what you would like the message to say. Thomas Nye will hand write a personal note on the title page!
Be sure to also include a clearly marked name and address of where the book should be sent, if other than the person to receive the gift.

150 Year Old Apple Tree

Apple season is one of my favorite times!  A few days ago, our good "family friends" stopped by with a jug of their home-pressed apple cider. The Miller's have a family gathering each fall, working hard and having fun at the same time, making cider.  I stopped in once while they were pressing the apples and was amazed at the process... and the results!


Our Amish neighbors a couple of miles up the road sell apples, garden produce, eggs and a whole bunch of other things.  My wife and I stopped in a while back to buy some garden produce.  We spent about a half an hour there because the elderly matron of the farm was, in my wife's words, an excellent sales person. My wife's mother bought produce from this lady for years and now my wife stops in and gets even more than she went to buy.  It's all worth every penny!

I stood outside while the ladies were haggling prices and watched a group of little Amish children playing near the barn.  I wanted to take pictures, but thought maybe I shouldn't.


Before we left, I asked the kind, older lady, "Do you still have that old apple tree that leans on boards to keep it off the ground?"  She was obviously pleased that I asked about her special tree and encouraged me to walk around her produce shop and go see it.  I didn't know she was following me so, I snapped this picture.

"The last time I visited this farm, this tree was propped up on boards," I said.  She grinned and didn't say anything right away.  I've found that if you stand quietly for a few moments, a person is often rewarded for having patience.  She began to tell me more about her tree.  "We think this tree is about 150 years old." And then she proceeded to tell me that her husband put props under the tree in the 1970's and then her son re-propped it in the 1990's and just a few years ago they abandoned the props and let the old tree lay on its side.  She smiled and looked at her tree affectionately, saying, "We still get apples from this tree every year."  You can see apples in its boughs in this picture.

I couldn't help but feel that I was witnessing something extraordinary!  There has to be some type of moral lesson or fable connected with this tree. (Don't be surprised if it makes an appearance in one of the Amish Horses Series books)  In the meantime, you all need to see this picture, it is too wonderful to keep to myself. 

My picture isn't very clear but because the Amish woman was standing there I didn't want to take any more shots.

I included this picture because it was taken in front of the farm with the 150 year old apple tree.

Fly By

 Crop dusters fly over the Nye homestead.

We had a fly by spaying the other day.  I was out cutting weeds in the pasture and all at once a low flying plane came out of nowhere.  I enjoyed watching it and took a few pictures before the smell got the best of me.  I headed inside with my grandsons, until it got quite outside again. In the evening, my wife and I decided that it would be a great time for a campfire/smores fest.

 Our grandsons, Alex and Ezra totally agreed!  The boys wanted to sit up on Karm and Coke first.  We noticed that no flies were bothering the horses.  Very unusual. 
 Ezra suggested that grandpa ought to get up on Karm too.  I climbed on a concrete block to get on my Percheron mare, which was fine until I jumped down and caught the corner of the block with my shin.  Ouch!

While enjoying the campfire, my wife commented that it was a perfect evening, with no flies or bugs.  It didn't occur to us until later that the fly by, spray-plane had killed off all the bugs in our area.





Fortunately, fire-flies were unaffected.  My grandsons spent over an hour catching and storing them in a jar they used as a nightlight at bedtime.