This week already brings us into autumn. This week always takes me back to the time 20 years ago when my dear mother passed away so suddenly. She died on September 17 but was in Blue Springs, Missouri at the time of her death. The funeral wasn’t until September 23rd. My mother wrote this column for eleven years, and I started writing after her death. Joe and I had six children at the time and Joseph was 8 weeks old. Where have all the years gone? Time doesn’t stand still. I have many precious memories of my sweet mother. She has surpassed me in cooking/baking.
Yesterday we were doing laundry and I left everything hanging outside, then I heard thunder in the distance. I gradually took off the clothes as they dried, but the storm was getting closer. I hung what fit on the lines on the porch, then brought in the rest in baskets. We didn’t get too much thunder and lightning, but some rain. After it was over, I hung the wet one outside again. I could have left it out in the rain but the towels were reasonably dry and although it required more physical work I decided to take them off until after the rain. All laundry was dry and could be folded and put away until night. I really hope that one day I can get hold of those washlines that you can attach to your porch ceiling and fold back up after use. On rainy days when you don’t have heating in the house, it would be so nice to hang laundry outside. We have a large wraparound porch that would be great for this.
Daughter Loretta and baby Denzel came here for the day. She brought her tomatoes, and I had several five-gallon buckets from my garden that son Joseph had picked the night before. We made 30 liters of tomato juice from all the tomatoes for Dustin and Loretta. Loretta started washing and slicing the tomatoes while we did the laundry. She was glad when Dustin came home from work and helped her. This will be a nice supply for her this winter.
My pepper plants are loaded again so this week I will have son Kevin pick the peppers and put them in jars. The raised beds make picking vegetables easier for Kevin.
Church services were held on Sundays at niece Emma and Menno’s, which was also council meetings. Everyone comes for lunch at two tables at a time, from 11am to 1pm or until everyone is full. Services were held under a tent. Lunch was served in their pole barn. They had a good lunch consisting of chicken noodle soup, homemade wheat and white bread, ham, cheese, peanut butter spread, pickles, beetroot, pepperoni, butter, strawberry jam, assorted cookies, coffee, and iced tea.
The service ended around 2:30 p.m. and everyone went home. Our family stayed and Emma cooked dinner for us. Cornhole was played while dinner was being prepared. Nephew Jacob, 22, also has muscular dystrophy, and cornhole games are one thing he makes money from.
We are working to host a benefit dinner at our community youth center on October 7th. We will be serving rotisserie chicken and pulled pork from 4pm to 8pm. I wrote notes with pies, potato salad, etc. to pass to the ladies who want to help bring the food. The upside is helping Dustin and Loretta with hospital and ongoing medical bills. Dustin is raising pigs for slaughter this winter, so they’re going to roast one of those for the benefit. There is a lot of work involved, but there are many willing people who want to help. Many hands make work easier!
Loretta will have an ultrasound on both legs in mid-October to see what’s causing the clots. We pray it will be something simple that can be fixed.
Denzel is 10 1/2 weeks old and attracted a lot of attention at church when he decided to giggle out loud. Loretta made faces at him and he just giggled and giggled. He’s such a cutie!
I will share the cookie recipe that daughter Lovina tried and everyone loved. I hope you will enjoy them too. God bless everyone!
Chewy chocolate chip cookies
1 1/4 c. butter, softened
2 C. Sugar
2 eggs
2T vanilla
2 1/2 C. Flour
3/4 C. Cocoa
1 ton baking soda
1/2 ton Salt
2 c. (1 12-ounce packet) peanut butter chips or chocolate chips
Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. add eggs and vanilla; hit well. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt, then mix until creamy. Stir in chips. Scoop onto ungreased baking sheets with rounded teaspoons. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 9 minutes (do not overbake). Cookies become soft. They puff up as they bake and flatten as they cool.
Lovina’s Amish Kitchen was written by Lovina Eicher, Old Amish author, cook, wife and mother of eight. Readers may write to Eicher at Lovina’s Amish Kitchen, PO Box 234, Sturgis, MI 49091 (please enclose a postage-paid return envelope for a reply); or email [email protected] and your message will be forwarded to them for reading. She does not personally reply to emails.
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