Wanda E. Brunstetter by Twice Loved Page A

shortening, raisins, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. Bring gently to boil and continue boiling for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Sift in flour and baking soda, stirring only until combined. Add nuts and fruit. Place in greased 9-inch square pan. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
    Wacky Sheet Cake
    ½ cup butter or margarine
    1 cup water
    ½ cup lard or shortening
    4 tablespoons cocoa
    2 cups flour
    2 cups sugar
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
    2 eggs
    ½ cup milk
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice
    In saucepan, bring to boil margarine, water, shortening, and cocoa. Sift together flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Combine dry mix with liquid. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in milk, soda, and vinegar. Place in greased 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
    Buttermilk Pie
    1 cup sugar
    3 egg yolks
    2 teaspoons butter or margarine
    1 tablespoon vinegar
    1 teaspoon cinnamon
    2 heaping tablespoons flour
    1 ½ cups buttermilk
    Blend all ingredients in saucepan and cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Fill a baked 9-inch pie crust. Can be topped with a meringue made with leftover egg whites that is browned in the oven.
    Faked Whipped Cream
    An option for when you were out of rations for dairy products.
    2 egg whites
    ½ cup powdered sugar
    1 cup apple, grated
    1 teaspoon lemon juice or vanilla
    Beat egg whites until stiff. Slowly add half the sugar while beating. Then add grated apple and the rest of sugar, alternately while continuing to beat. Quickly stir in lemon juice. Serve on cakes, pudding, and the like.

Frugal Craft
    Stuffed Camel

    In a few easy steps, you can create a cute stuffed camel toy. This pattern was inspired by Rag Bag Toys, a 1940s-era booklet with patterns to create cost-conscious, homemade toys during the thrifty war years. Use spare scraps of fabric or worn-out clothing for the body of your camel. For stuffing in a pinch, try cotton cosmetic balls—just pull the fibers apart and fluff before stuffing.
    Materials—
    Remnant fabric (about ¼ yd)
    Thread
    Embroidery floss
    Stuffing

    Instructions—
    1.  Enlarge pattern to ¼ inch larger than desired finished size. (Sample toy is 9 inches tall.)
    2.  Fold fabric in half, wrong sides together, and cut using pattern.
    3.  Sew two fabric pieces with right sides together, leaving small opening at belly.
    4.  Turn right side out.
    5.  Using embroidery floss, embellish as desired. Add eyes, eyelashes, mouth, hooves, etc. Braid three lengths of floss together, knot at one end, and tack in place for tail.
    6.  Stuff.
    7.  Whipstitch opening closed.

Wanda E. Brunstetter is a bestselling author who enjoys writing Amish-themed, as well as historical, novels. Descended from Anabaptists herself, Wanda became deeply interested in the Plain People when she married her husband, Richard who grew up in a Mennonite church in Pennsylvania. Wanda and her husband live in Washington State, but take every opportunity to visit their Amish friends in various communities across the country, gathering further information about the Amish way of life.
    Wanda and her husband have two grown children and six grandchildren. In her spare time, Wanda enjoys photography, ventriloquism, gardening, reading, beach-combing, and having fun with her family.
    In addition to her novels, Wanda has written Amish cookbooks, Amish devotionals, several Amish children’s books, as well as numerous novellas, stories, articles, poems, and puppet scripts.
    Visit Wanda’s Web site at www.wandabrunstetter.com .