Martin Family Retreat / Amish Food

In March, Marie and I flew back to Indiana for the annual Martin family retreat. It was the first time we have been able to come home since the engagement and we were excited to see everyone again. Everyone from the Martin side made it for the weekend.

We were also excited that this would be my first real Amish experience. The retreat was in Shipshewana, a predominately Amish community in Northern Indiana. I heard a lot of stories about the Amish, and was looking forward to trying the food and perusing the shoppes for some authentic goods.

We got in Friday evening, spent some time with Marie's relatives playing games and doing puzzles, then got to bed at a reasonable hour. Nothing too exciting.

Saturday I woke up in search of Amish food, instead I found Raisin Bran, English Muffins and Coffee. I was starting to think I was being tricked, but stayed optimistic. Later in the day we grabbed lunch at Wanacup, a small short order restaurant. I ordered a grilled ham and cheese sandwich, which was served to me by an Amish girl. Close, but not there yet....

After more games and puzzles we got ready for dinner. This is where my search for real Amish food came to an end. I had fried chicken, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, noodles and pie. The best part of the entire meal was the Amish Peanut Butter. Someone could get sent to rehab for this stuff... seriously. I have requested jars to be mailed to me since I couldn't take them on the plane back home.

That evening we played family jeopardy, wii sports and other games. The food coma I put myself in wouldn't allow my body to function after 11pm, so I was in bed fairly early.

Sunday we got back together for more family time. Marie's family also announced the winner of the annual Martin family cup - a prestigious award recognizing the best of the best in the Martin family. (Okay... it's actually given to the person who gets the lowest scores in all the games played all weekend)

Surprise Surprise, I won the cup. It's now on display in our apartment for all to see. We plan on handing the cup out next year to another worthy recipient.