Jacob and Emma had church services at their house yesterday. It was a very comfortable day. Services were actually held not in their house, but in a newly built shed that can comfortable fit our whole congregation.
The menu for church services was homemade wheat and white bread, ham, cheese, peanut butter spread, red beets, pickles, lettuce, sweet onions, hot peppers, banana and jalapeño peppers, butter and rhubarb jam. Coffee and iced tea were the beverages served. Three different kinds of cookies -- oatmeal, sugar and peanut butter -- were enjoyed by all. Around 150 people were in attendance.
Joe and I had traded turns with Jacob and were expecting to hold services here at our house at the end of September. Due to some misunderstanding, though, church services were set instead for here in two weeks. I am a bit overwhelmed to think about all the cleaning we have to do now in less than two weeks! But I am sure we'll get it all done somehow.
I appreciate all the offers of help from a lot of the women in our church. Daughter Elizabeth, 15, is still detasseling corn during the days and we miss her good help. She left a little before 6 a.m. for another day of detasseling.
Last week I baked six loaves of bread to take to Emma's to serve after church. I was going to town to get groceries one day so I asked daughter Elizabeth if she'd make a double batch of peanut butter cookies. I wrote the recipe out on a card for her and doubled the recipe so it would be easier for her to do. Elizabeth, however, didn't realize I had already doubled the recipe for her. So she doubled my "double recipe." So I had more than enough cookies to take to Emma's and enough for our own family!
Elizabeth also made a double batch of chocolate chip cookies that day. Needless to say she was tired of seeing cookies for awhile.
I canned 14 quarts of dill pickles last week and made around 20 quarts of freezer pickles, so at least I have my pickles ready for church now. My cucumbers are doing really well and it looks like my green beans will need to be canned this week. Tomatoes are a little slower this year.
I ordered three bushels of peaches that will be here the first part of next week or so. Those will need canning. Canning season will make us even more busy combined with preparing for services, but the children do a good job in helping. (Editor's note: There's a two-part video tour of Lovina's vegetable garden posted at www.amishcookonline.com.)
Last week the children pulled all our cooking onions and we have them hanging under the porch by our basement walk-out. Joe and the boys are also starting to dig up some potatoes whenever they have time. We are getting some very nice sized potatoes. We need to get those carried to the basement for storage.
Over the weeks ahead, son Benjamin will load up all the potatoes into a cart and then hitch it to Stormy, our pony, and haul them from our garden to our basement door.
While I write I keep thinking of all the work I need to get done for services so I feel tired before I have even started. I am very thankful, though, to have the health to be able to do my work. I think next on my list is laundry. Then I hope to start cleaning some walls and ceilings. I would really miss my wall mop if I didn't have one.
If you want to try a recipe for peanut butter cookies, here is the recipe for the regular batch, not the double-double batch. Ha!
(Editor's note: the recipe comes from our upcoming book, "The Amish Cook's Baking Book," which is scheduled for release this fall and is currently available for a pre-ordering discount on Amazon.com.)
Peanut Butter Cookies
1 c. shortening
1 c. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 c. peanut butter
2-3 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. soda
1/2 t. salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening, sugars, eggs, and vanilla until thoroughly mixed. (Editor's note: while Amish cooks would not have an electric mixer, one can be used here on the lowest setting).
Stir in peanut butter, flour, baking soda, and salt. The batter will be thick and should be stirred vigorously with a wooden spoon or kneaded with your hands until everything is thoroughly mixed. Drop by heaping tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Press the cookie dough with the back of a floured fork to make a criss-cross. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until brown on edges, but undone in center. Take out and leave on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to cooling a rack.
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.
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