3 open questions…

Your opinion appreciated on any or all of these difficult issues:

Snitz or shoofly?

Stoltzfuses” or “Stoltzfi”?

New Year’s or 4th of July?

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    52 Comments

    1. richard

      good morning folks…… must be a slow news day, but my ego is such that i will answer all 3 questions. for me it has to be shoo-fly-pie, stoltzuses is a common last name in the lancaster area of where i live, so ill go with that . and the last one, new years is always sad for me in away when i look back at some people that ive lost, and the things i wanted to do, but didnt, so its the 4th of july and why not its good to be american….. catch everyone later in the day, stay warm now………… richard from penn

    2. Alice Aber

      Greetings!

      Never had either on the Snitz or shoofly so I can’t answer that one. I have heard the name Stoltzfuses more than the other. And the holidays,,, well that is a tough one,,, I like celebrating our independance and America but we seem to be losing that independance little by little. New Years to me is something I look forward to becomes it is a symbol of new beginnings. I am looking forward to new beginnings this year again, so I guess right now I am leaning towards New Years. But if you ask this question again in the middle of June that answer might change, LOL.

      Hope you are well today Richard. Suppose to hit the 50s here on Friday but won’t last long.

      Blessings, Alice

    3. Plain Lady

      I assume you’re talking about pie here? never tasted either on but I do shoo flies all summer…..

      I have heard of a Stoltzfus clan.

      New Year’s would be more importatnt to me simply because of the ‘fresh page’ factor.

    4. Shoofly and snitz pie in Lancaster County

      Hey guys thanks for taking a crack at my tough questions 🙂 Plain lady that is correct. Snitz pie is made from dried apples and usually served after church in Lancaster Co. Shoofly is molasses based and also quite good, common in Lancaster. Amish often eat shoofly in a bowl with milk poured all over it. Messy but tasty. Shoofly you can buy just about everywhere in Lancaster; snitz is much less common, but I’ve seen it in a few places.

      And on #2 I was actually goofing a little bit on the plural form of “Stoltzfus”, ie, do we add an -es or does it follow the alumnus/alumni or octopus/octopi pattern (though I think ‘octopuses’ is okay too, but now I’m starting to go off on a word-o-phile tangent). Anyway, I kind of like the sound of “Stoltzfi”.

      And 4th of July/New Year’s, well I guess superficially they’re our 2 ‘fireworks’ holidays, both marking different milestones of sorts–the passing of time and the birth of a nation. All other things being equal the weather might sway me on this one. But as you note Richard I do appreciate the opportunity for recollection at New Year’s. A good opportunity to take stock and look to the future.

    5. Bob Rosier

      I prefer Snitz…Shoofly is just too sweet for my taste.

      You can have a family of Stoltzfuses who live in a Stoltzfus’s house. I am doing genealogy on Stolfuses, but when I found a Gideon B Stoltzfus who had 101 grandkids, 498 great-grandkids, & 58 great-great-grandkids, I knew had had my work cut out for me :-).

      Starting a New Year is a litttle like spring, so I prefer that over the 4th. Quakers are not generally flag wavers either, and not that we are not patiotic, but we feel that many people think being patriotic means supporting wars, and we believe “War is not the Answer”.

    6. Shoofly or snitz? I love both. Shoofly is sweeter and probably not as healthy as snitz. New years is my favorite as I like to reflect on my life and what I have accomplished (or not accomplished) for the Lord the past yr. and wonder what the future holds for me and my family this coming year. The name Stoltzfus has the meaning of “Proud Foot”. Probably originated from a man who was known to be proud!

    7. Alice Aber

      Richard, nice picture!! So happy to be able to put a face with the name. 🙂

      I just saw all the mis-typed words in my last post,,, guess it goes to show how tired I still was. I need a nap, LOL

      Blessings, Alice

    8. Monica

      The correct plural is Stoltzfuses, and I think the question you meant to ask is “4th of July or Independence Day?” 😉
      I’ll take shoo-fly or snitz, but would prefer vanilla or grape. And there may be a snitz pie recipe coming up on my blog. Just sayin’!

    9. Alice, didn’t even notice!

      Monica, I think you’re right, but still I’d love to be allowed to say “Stoltzfi” 😉

      Actually, I did mean New Year’s or July 4–it struck me that every 6 months we are set up with a holiday commonly celebrated by overindulgence and/or setting off explosives. Not that there aren’t other ways to go about it, of course.

      Did you get your details to Sherry Gore for your Pinecraft Pauper subscription? If you don’t have her contact just let me know.

    10. In the Shoofly v. Snitz standoff, I’m with Bob. I take snitz hands-down.

      Shoofly ain’t bad at all, but there’s something about the simplicity of snitz.

      As a matter of fact, I’d take snitz over most pies.

    11. richard

      hey folks…. thought id put another picture in here, maybe im having alittle too much fun with this. i was in ohio in this one, and in a amish buggy which i drove for like a mile or so. had a amish friend at that time riding shot-gun. weather is warming-up here in lebanon,pa, they said it will get up to 48 degrees on new years day here in lebanon,pa. i left florida, but maybe florida has come back to me.how about this topic, shoo-fly-pie or cell phones, which one do you think ill pick, hint… ill have mine warm with some french vanilla ice cream on top. you never had shoo-fly-pie alice, you need to try it with some coffee. its not something you can have alot of alice, the best place i think in the lancaster area for shoo-fly-pie is made at the dutch haven. has anyone from lancaster been there, its been making shoo-fly-pies since the 1940s. and does anyone think dutch haven has the best pies like i do. id like to know from the readers which place they think makes the best shoo-fly-pie………. richard from lebanon,pa

    12. Alice Aber

      Erik, you are so right, I totally missed it. I am so over-tired from sleep deprivation it’s not funny any more. 🙁 Just getting ready to head for a nap, but saw that Richard had posted a new pic and wanted to come see it first, LOL.

      Richard, its really hard to see much of anything, its too dark,,, but I can tell you are sitting there, LOL. No, I have not had shoofly pie and would love to have some. So the best place to go is out by you huh? Looks like I need to do some traveling next summer if I have the money, LOL.

      Erik, Richard is right, we do need a spell checker on here,, LOL. And some wake up juice? LOL Oh my goodness, I pray the Lord brings me some sleep. Will pop back on later after I hopefully get a nap.

      Blessings, Alice

    13. richard

      i would give-up my cell phone for a spell checker erik,and after you put a spell checker on here, im running out to buy a new cell phone……. richard

    14. richard

      im thinking a shoo-fly-pie give-away is in order. are you listening dutch haven….make it happen erik, im hungry……… good night folks, and stay warm……… richard from amish country penn…..

    15. Richard, I am with you, we just need a sponsor 🙂 You wouldn’t want to taste whatever I happen to come up with.

    16. Alice Aber

      Just got up from a nap and I do think I could have slept the entire night through. Still feel tired. Its going to be an early night for me tonight.

      Anyone have a recipe for shoofly pie and snitz? You all have me curious now!

      Blessings, Alice

    17. Slightly-handled-Order-man

      Well, the actor what played Gloria Stivic’s “dummy” grocery boy “boyfriend” on an All In The Family episode grew up to be a Stoltzfus, I think, in Dan Ackroyd and Macauly Caulkin’s “My Girl” and it’s sequel. He was the player uncle who worked for his love interest in number two, in California.

      Snitzel I think is a pounded and breaded pork dish good with apple butter. Soufflé is more clear.

      As a Canadian I love it when the First of July (Canada Day) and the Fourth of July share a common long weekend. Means a majority of a whole continent is chil-laxin’ somewhere by a real lake, the woods some where, or in “port-a-back-yard-ah”

      My take anyway.

    18. Slightly-handled-Order-man

      … But to be fair. I love New Year’s Eve because it’s a new beginning, too.

    19. Ann Whitaker

      Hi Erik, it’s been a while since I’ve been on the web.
      Definately shoo-fly; Stoltzfuses. and New Year’s!
      And speaking of New Year’s, wishing you a healthy and happy 2011

    20. I grew up eating Shoo-fly pie…molasses based pie

      Schnitz…dried apples

      My mom made schnitz pie and schnitz un knepp…a cooked diah with ham, schnitz and the knepp which is dough dropped into the boiling schnitz and ham broth and this forms dough balls.

    21. Should have said cooked dish not diah

    22. Peggy Pitcher

      Just got back from a wonderful trip to Lancaster Co. with my husband and 10 year old granddaughter. Theatre, food, drive through farm country. It was awesome! Next time, I think I’ll ask (off post) for suggestions on places to eat!

      Snitz, Stolzfuses, 4th of July. Why? Shoofly is too sweet, Stolzfuses is correct (though I took Latin in highschool and clearly understood the desire to turn the US into an I!) and 4th of July is in the early summer, my favorite time of year.

    23. richard

      greetings folks…..first let me get to peggy pitcher, if you would like to know what i think are some of the better restaurants in lancaster, since i live in the area and i like to eat, id be happy to give you a few tips of where id go.now im about to do something thats not really my bag, im about to give everyone whos interested a recipe for SHOO-FLY-PIE. so here goes…… 1/2 teaspoon baking soda…3/4 cup water (boiling)…1/2 cup of darm molasses…1 egg beaten…3/4 cup flour…3 tablesspoons of shortening…1/2 cup of brown sugar…1/2 teaspoon of salt…1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon… one 9 inch unbaked pie shell…… preheat oven to 350f… liquid-dissolve baking soda in water…stair-in mollasses and one beaten egg(dont scramble)…crumbs…mix flour, shortening,brown sugar,cinnamon…form the mixture into crumbs… por the liquid mixture in a unbaked pie shell, then add crumbs to the top, and bake for about 30 mins…………… now i need to take a nap, im spent……….. richard from lebanon,pa

    24. richard

      typo folks on darm molasses……….. it should have been dark molasses……….. richard

    25. Alice Aber

      Oh my Richard that does sound sweet,,, thanks for sharing the recipe though!!

      Erik,,, Richard is right,,, we definitely need a spell checker in here, LOL.

      Sorry I have not been here much lately, been fighting a whale of a migraine.

      Blessings, Alice

    26. richard

      hey alice………. glad to see you made it back on. i do hope your migraine is on its way out. yes a spell checker would be great. not much going on today on here i see, everyone is busy im sure with new years maybe. incase im not back later, have your self a good evening alice, and nurse that headache…………. richard… lebanon,pa

    27. Alice Aber

      Hey Richard,,, thanks so much. I have been resting a lot and keeping a cool cloth on the forehead hoping to get it to let up. I think it is the lack of good sleep and the drastic weather change here. We went from fridgid temps to the low 50s over night practically.

      I hope you have a good evening too Richard!!

      Blessings, Alice

    28. Daniel Endy

      It’s gotta be shoofly pie. That’s what drew me to the Amish in the first place. Stoltzfus is the name of my friends out there. I’m getting into New Years as a way to set some goals for myself. Especially in 2011.

    29. Hoping everyone has a great start to 2011. Maybe a spell checker is a good resolution of some sort….Shom I did not know about Canada Day, thanks for letting know, I am a bit ‘continentally’ ignorant here I suppose 😉

      Alice there is actually a recipe if you follow the ‘snitz’ link in the post. I can’t vouch for how good/accurate it is, but it seems pretty simple. And looks like Richard has shoo-fly covered.

      Ann, welcome back. And thanks to all for sharing your picks. Daniel best wishes with your goals. The new year is certainly a good time to take stock.

    30. Alice Aber

      Erik,,,, I have two “Amish Cook” books, the original and the anniversary book. I have no clue as to why I did not think to look in either of them until just now, LOL. Guess we can chalk it up to my migraine. I’ll check out that link too.

      Maybe the spell checker will catch all my typos when I am tired or not thinking clearly,,, I know I sure make them, LOL.

      Best wishes for a Happy New Year to everyone!!

      I’ll be in and out tomorrow as I have some errands to run and some outdoor work to try to squeeze in while it is so warm. Suppose to be in the 60s tomorrow here in Central Illinois!! Expecting a bit of rain on and off too but the work I need to do is actually on the covered porch so no problem there.

    31. richard

      best wishes also for a happy new year, and i look foward in joining everyone on here into 2011. have a good one erik, you have a very good site here and i enjoy being on it alot. happy new years alice, and i look foward to many more chats to come……….. richard from the amish community of lebanon,pa….

    32. Alice Aber

      Richard, as do I. Will you be on at all tomorrow? We might have to keep the chatting going again, LOL.

      Have a great night my dear friend in Lebanon, PA!!

      Blessings, Alice

    33. Slightly-handled-Order-man

      I’d like to correct what I said, about the “My Girl” films. I don’t believe the family name was “Stoltzfus”. It sounded like that, but I don’t think it was. I think it was something like “Sultanfus”. I am sorry. I made a mistake and I will own up to it. Jokingly, I got caught up in the Stoltzfus of it all, as it where.

    34. Christina

      I’ve made Shoofly pie before and it was ok. Not a big fan of molasses unless it’s in molasses cookies! I’ve never had Snitz pie, but I know it involves dried apples and I love apple pie so I’d probably go with Snitz over Shoofly any day!!

      Not sure about the Stolzfus plural…LOL!

      4th of July is my favorite holiday. You aren’t expected to send cards, you don’t have to worry about crowded shopping malls and you can blow stuff up and make pretty colors in the sky! And don’t forget the food!

    35. Alice Aber

      Greetings!!

      It has warmed up tremendously here in Central Illinois and we are expecting thunderstorms today of all things. Currently 55 with a high expected in the low to mid 60s.

      I’ll be heading out the door soon to run some errands, hopefuly before the worse of the storms gets here, LOL.

      Will check back in later. I trust everyone is doing well. Will you be celebrating the end of a year or the beginning of a new one??

      I will be celebrating the beginning of a new one because, “all things are new again”. Its always a good time to reflect, take stock then start over. I feel blessed God has given me another new year to look forward to.

      Have an awesome day!
      Blessings, Alice

    36. Many thanks Richard, I do enjoy your comments as well, and a great new year’s to you and all. And I’ll look into that spell checker but can’t promise anythin 🙂 ..Alice the Amish Cook books are probably good places to find those recipes.

      Christina, for me, milk is almost a requisite on shoofly, as it is a bit on the dry side for my taste otherwise.

    37. Anita

      shoofly hands down! Oh man….
      Stoltzfuses- my cousin’s married to one and I’m pretty sure that’s how they do it.
      4th of July! I love New Year’s… but the 4th is just special. 🙂

    38. Anita

      ps- grew up on shoofly; the 4th just turns my blood red, white and blue!

    39. Bob Rosier

      I was able to get one line of Stoltzfus all the way up to a family presently living in Honey Brook, PA. I sent them a chart & ask for updates. Nicholas (1718- ), Christian (1749-1832), Christian G. (1781-1865), John (1810-1897), Jonas (1838-1919), Daniel M. (1862-1917), Jonas E. (1886-1947), John L.(1922-2009).

      That a lot of Stoltzfuses,Stoltzfi, or whatever 🙂

      Happy New Year everyone

    40. Daniel Endy

      Bob–I’m good friends with a Stoltzfus family in Honey Brook. What are their names?

    41. Mona

      Love this site Erik, just make a TOMATO PIE…..it is delicious…….I have the recipe if anyone wants it…..made it back in the summer when we had fresh tomatoes…..very,very good….one of the ladies on the Amish site sent it to me……
      HAPPY NEW YEARS ERIK, looking forward to what you have in store for us for 2011…..and I agree with everyone else on here SPELL CHECKER would be the best 🙂 Take care only 3hrs,21seconds till 2011……Mona

    42. Bob

      Hi Daniel….small world 🙂

      They are Amos E. and Hannah Stoltzfus. They live on Reservoir Road. Amos has a sister Anna E. who is married to Daniel M. Stoltzfus.

      Sure hope you know them and thanks for replying.

    43. Daniel Endy

      Bob—That’s them. They are wonderful people. I met him at the Mennonite visitors center he works at in June and the relationship has grown from there. They have welcomed us as family. We’ve made many trips since June. Would love to move there to be perfectly honest. We’ve gone to their church and also the New Order church his mom is a part of. My 5 year old loves them and calls them her grandparents in Honey Brook. We live in Boyertown, about 45 minutes away.

      Dan

    44. Bob

      Daniel – That’s really amazing. With all the data I have, that was the only family I was able to find data from the beginnning when Nicholas and Christian stepped off the ship “Poly” in Philadelphia on October 18, 1766 to today in the little town of Honey Brook. I hope they enjoy the chart I sent them showing all their ancestors.

      After Nicholas died, I found that Christian moved to Lancaster. I’ll let you know what I hear back.

    45. Daniel Endy

      That’s cool. I met a guy at the new order church who seemed to really know the history of the Amish in general. His name was Chris Stoltzfus. I don’t know where he lives but Amos and Hannah would. Have you seen this website?

      http://www.nicholasstoltzfus.com/index.shtml

      They’re having a dinner in Intercourse in February with Don Carpenter who’s supposed to be real knowledgeable on the Amish. Amos and i may be going to that.

    46. Bob Rosier

      Yes, I did see the Web Site, and I am going to contribute to the Homestead Resoration Project. My wife (Sue) and I will be in Lancaster all of April….if you should be in town I would be glad to buy lunch…Amos and Hannah also invited.

      My direct email= k4oce@gvtc.com

      We missed seeing the dogwoods in Lancaster last year…we were too late. Anyone recall if the beginning of April is a good time so we don’t miss them again?

      Don’t forget it’s 2011. Wishing a good year to all and so glad I found Erik and this group !

    47. Gisa

      How, dear Erik, do you think about Stoltzfeet? Because the original German meaning of Stolzfuss is “proud foot”.

      A good and happy 2011 for all of us; Gisa

    48. Right Gisa, that one didn’t even come to mind. Like the sound of it though 🙂

    49. Stoltzfus House planned barn

      Bob and Dan, I am glad you both found this place as well. And nice you brought up Stoltzfus House/Nicholas Stoltzfus.

      I visited this past summer; a gentleman named Paul Kurtz runs the show as far as the restoration efforts, with some help from other supporters. As I understand the home is largely renovated, and there is a good bit of support for getting a new (historically accurate) barn put in on the grounds, which would have visitor’s facilities and a place for a caretaker to stay. Here are a couple of posts from the past year or two on Stoltzfus House, if of any interest:

      https://amishamerica.com/calling-all-stoltzfuses/

      https://amishamerica.com/lancaster-happenings/

    50. Mona, have never heard of a tomato pie–you’ve got me curious. Sweet? I wonder if you wouldn’t mind posting the recipe for anyone that might want to give it a shot!

      Anita, red white and blue blood, I would say get that checked out, but since it’s the 4th, sounds like a healthy colorful mix.