The children are enjoying their spring break from school, and so far we have been having beautiful days.
Temperatures are reaching the 70-degree mark almost every day. They are enjoying taking our pony, Stormy, and the pony wagon for rides again after this long winter interrupted that favorite pastime.
Rhubarb and winter onions are starting to peek their way through, hopefully a sure sign spring is here to stay.
While the children are home, we want to get the yard raked and cleaned up. We need to plant grass in some more places.
On Saturday evening, we had a surprise when brother Albert, wife Sarah Irene and nine of their 10 children arrived. They had come to visit Jacob and Emma to see how Baby Steven is doing. Albert and family live in another Amish community about 20 to 25 miles from here. It took them almost two hours to come with two buggies.
We managed to find room for everyone to sleep, even if not everyone ended up with a bed. I fixed some pizza casseroles and we also had corn, salad and cake for our evening supper.
The following morning, Sunday, we had breakfast casserole, fried potatoes, sausage links, cheese, toast, hot peppers, orange juice, milk and coffee. After breakfast dishes were washed, we all drove the four miles over to Jacob's in three buggies. Also some of the children drove with Stormy and the pony wagon and some with bikes.
Sisters Susan and Verena joined us there as well. Emma and Jacob had a delicious noon dinner of barbecued chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, corn, peas, potato salad, pickles and deviled eggs. The meal was followed by cherry, apple and pecan pies for dessert. It was a beautiful day and the children enjoyed the outdoors while at Emma's.
Albert started for home in the afternoon for their two-hour journey back. Before we left for home, Joe and Jacob took the boys for a bike ride. By the time we got back to our place in the evening, everyone was ready for bed early as they were tired from an eventful weekend.
We hope Albert had a safe journey back home.
Next on my list today is to get the laundry washed and hung out on the line. It is so nice again today. We were all hanging laundry outside, which makes it smell so much fresher.
Thank you to the readers who are supporting this column by joining the "friend club." I feel humbled and unworthy of such encouragement. May God bless you.
My sister Susan recently made some pumpkin whoopie pies and sent some over here. They didn't last too long! Here is her recipe:
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
2 c. brown sugar
1 c. vegetable oil
1&1/2 c. fresh pumpkin
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs
3 c. flour
1 t. salt
1/2 t. ginger
1 t. baking soda
1&1/2 t. cloves
1&1/2 t. cinnamon
1 t. baking powder
Icing:
2 t. vanilla
4 T. flour
2 egg whites, unbeaten
2 T. milk
1&1/2 c. vegetable shortening
1 box confectioners' sugar (1 lb.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together brown sugar, oil, pumpkin, vanilla and eggs. Then blend in flour, salt, ginger, baking soda, cloves, cinnamon and baking powder. Stir all until the batter is smooth. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto light greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Spread icing between two cookies and press together like a sandwich.
To make frosting: Stir vanilla, flour, egg whites, shortening and sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Spread onto whoopie pie cookies.
Editor's note: To put The Amish Cook column's future on more solid ground, Oasis Newsfeatures is turning to readers for support by creating the "Amish Cook Friend Club." For more details, go to amishcookonline.com, call (877) 571-4112 or write to: Oasis Newsfeatures, P.O. Box 2144, Middletown, Ohio 45042. This is not a program of the Record-Eagle.
Lovina Eicher is Old Order Amish. She hand-writes this column from her home in southern Michigan. Anyone with cultural or cooking questions can send them to: Lovina Eicher, The Amish Cook, P.O. Box 2144, Middletown, OH 45042. Read all of her columns online at www.record-eagle.com/amishcook.
Print this story
E-mail this story
