Amish Benefit Dinner in Andover

I'm fascinated by the Amish and will do anything to get a peek into their lives. When I see them in the grocery store, I get in line behind them. I'll often drive the long way home just to go by Amish farms. And, when I see that there's an Amish Benefit Dinner or Auction, I make sure to go.

These pictures are from a dinner held to benefit an Amish school just across the Ohio border, in a little town called Andover. Dinner was typical Amish fare - meatloaf, ham, noodles, peas, 'smashed' potatoes, gravy, salad, pies, and homemade ice cream (you can see the men making ice cream in two of the pictures). The Amish like their starches! They also served an amazing date pudding, which was really more of a date cake with a carmel sauce and whipped cream. 

Each Amish sect has its own set of rules. These Amish, for instance, dressed slightly differently from what we see near Conneaut Lake. Mens' hats were a different shape and buggies (see above) were white instead of the black we're accustomed to. 

In the top left picture you can see a father taking care of a baby. This was very common at the dinner because the women were all busy, busy, busy running the show. In the bottom right picture you can see a woman running from the house (home to the kitchen and 'washroom' for the evening) to the dinner. They cooked, served, and cleaned all evening.

I'm still craving that date pudding. I found several recipes online. Has anyone ever made it? 

~Becky