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Pine Forest Braucherei


More Than Pennsylvania Dutch Sugar Cookies
When I was a child, my best friend and I walked to visit my grandmother nearly every day in the summertime. A widow, she lived alone in...
Gretchen Swank
Dec 7, 20232 min read


Libby's Pickled Eggs and Beets
My great-grandmother, "Libby," was a woman of Pennsylvania Dutch descent, a practitioner of folk healing, and a woman of strength and...
Gretchen Swank
Apr 7, 20231 min read


Dandelion on Griedunnerschdaag (Green Thursday); a Pennsylvania Dutch Tradition
The Dandelion. Perhaps one of the most misunderstood gifts provided by Mother Nature. Their bright yellow heads pop-up everywhere, and...
Gretchen Swank
Apr 5, 20233 min read


HEALING WITH FOOD
As a Healer, I live by the philosophy of Hippocrates, "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." Our bodies house our hearts,...
Gretchen Swank
Mar 25, 20234 min read


Yarrick Kaundi Pefferminzkuche (York County Peppermint Pie)
I am revisiting one of my favorite recipes today, from one of my favorite Pennsylvania Dutch recipe books by William Woys Weaver; Yarrick...
Gretchen Swank
Feb 13, 20231 min read


Pennsylvania Dutch Beef Pot Pie
INGREDIENTS - Egg Noodles: 3 egg yolks ...
Gretchen Swank
Jan 5, 20231 min read


Anti-Inflammatory Soup
As we enter the Winter cycle, a time of going within, hibernation, self-reflection, and healing, everything slows down, including our...
Gretchen Swank
Dec 6, 20221 min read


Saint Nicholas Eve Feast
Today, December 5th, 2022, is the eve of Saint Nicholas Day. My family and I celebrated with a big dinner and the movie "Krampus." My...
Gretchen Swank
Dec 5, 20222 min read


Turkey Vegetable Soup with Homemade Noodles
Today was the day I had to do something with the leftover turkey from Thanksgiving. So, I tapped into my creativity, opened my cabinets,...
Gretchen Swank
Nov 27, 20221 min read
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