The days of Papsi and Ravels seemed numbered when Pic-A-Pop came to Steinbach Manitoba. We all know that saving money came with the culture of being a Mennonite, so it seemed only logical that saving money by refilling pop bottles with your favorite soda went hand in hand. No longer would you have to pay for Papsi advertising! Now there was Pic-A-Pop! Who remembers the Saturday ritual of loading up 5 cases of Pic-A-Pop empties into the trunk of a ’73 Chevy and traveling with mom to Steinbach to have the them refilled? Ahh the seemingly endless choices!…root beer, cream soda, orange, black cherry and cola? (to name just a few) It would seem that the days of Papsi and Ravels were over. The savings that came from buying Pic-A-Pop would be deposited into the Cradit Union to draw interest for all Mennonites who practiced frugality. Why Coca-cola never became a contender? Who knows?! You just never heard of any kid walking to Steinbach for a Coke and a Ravel! (that just sounds wrong) A Pic-A-Pop black cherry and a Ravel?! (I don’t think so) There’s just nothing that could compare to a Papsi and a Ravel :-)
Have some fun and bring back the wonderful memories of Mennonite youth with these garments that are sporting this famous “Mennonite phrase”!
Remember those awesome Mennonites dishes that mom made?! Well they ALL here in the classic cookbook that made Mennonite food famous! Makes a great gift idea for helping the younger generation to keep the food traditions alive!
That’s right,,.”real” schmaunt-fat and Kielke! The thick noodle tradition of the Mennonites. The noodles are not really that hard to make, but the scahmaunt-fat is another matter.
Schamunt-fat is like a fine wine that allows no substitutes. Don’t be fooled by a knock off cream sauce that looks and tastes like béchamel! The real deal is made with the pan drippings of forma worscht. Any connoisseur of this Mennonite elixir knows that it should have a sweet smoky aroma and may even have small bits of worscht in the sauce. It is then caressed with sautéed onions that take the traditional Mennonite culinary noodle to the pinnacle of gustatory ecstasy!
Would you like to learn how to spectoakel in Plautdietsch? The ultimate low German dictionary ever published is still available. This amazing dictionary is the most complete reference of a language that was only used verbally for almost 500 years. Professor Jack Thiessen undertook the immense project of putting together a definitive and comprehensive dictionary to preserve this unique language. It makes a great gift for the younger generation who would like to learn and understand the spoken low German language of their parents and grandparents. It also makes a great gift for those who have forgotten many of the unique words and Plautdietsch phrases that have been used by Mennonites in the past 5 centuries. Order your copy and enjoy Plautdietsch like never before!
