We are now well into November. Today is brother-in-law Jacob's 35th birthday. We plan to go there tonight in honor of his birthday.
His wife Emma will have pizza and ice cream and cake on the menu. We'll also bring along some food, but I'm not sure yet what to make. I'll think of something.
My nephew Ben's wedding in Wisconsin is only two weeks away. We are making plans to go. I need to get some sewing done before then and make sure everyone's clothes are in order.
On Friday, Joe and Jacob are both off work so they plan to start taking the windows out of the old house. Also the chimney in the part of the house that will be moved needs to be taken down. Joe and Jacob then need to begin working on cutting apart the roof so we can start tearing down the section of the house that won't be moved. Our goal is to have it down by the end of next week.
But we also have all sorts of other fall chores that need to be done around here. For instance, leaves need to be raked, firewood has to be carried and stacked and plenty of laundry needs doing. So far this week we've had nice sunshiny days. We did laundry two times already and would like to do more tomorrow if the weather holds out.
Five-year-old Joseph just came home from school. He only goes until lunchtime. It was an exciting day at school for Joseph. He had to furnish the snack today for his class, which was fun for him. He also had to take something for "show and tell," which excited him. The children take turns bringing the snack for everyone. I should have had this column done before he came home, but time did not allow it.
Now Joseph is sitting beside me asking one question after another. The first question he asked before he had even closed the door, "Mom are we ready to go to Jacob and Emma's house?" I explained to him that we need to wait until the other children and Dad come home. This didn't make him too happy.
Then he asked, "Which horse we will take?" I told him we plan to take the 3-year-old colt, Ginger. He was even more unhappy at that answer, as he doesn't trust her yet since she has had a few stubborn spells. He said 13-year-old Diamond is his favorite and he wants to take him. I tried to explain that Diamond used to be like Ginger when he was her age.
A typical 5-year-old, but God grant me the patience to always take time to answer their hundreds of questions. After all, my mind was churning on what I could write next when he came home. Well, he just helped me finish the column.
My world would seem empty without the children. Let us pray that we will bring them up to always follow our dear God.
With Thanksgiving now just a few weeks away, try this recipe for homemade stuffing, which would go well with turkey!
Amish Potato-Bread Stuffing
5 or 6 medium potatoes, cooked in their skins
1 c. milk
4 slices whole-grain bread
1&1/2 T. canola oil
1 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped celery
1/4 c. finely chopped fresh parsley
2 t. seasoning (thyme, sage)
Salt and ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Peel cooked potatoes and place in a large mixing bowl. Mash the potatoes with 1/2 cup of the milk. Cut bread into half-inch cubes. Place these in a small mixing bowl and pour the remaining milk over them. Soak for several minutes.
While bread is soaking, heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet. Add the onion and celery and sauté over low heat until the onion is lightly browned and the celery is tender. Combine the onion and celery mixture with the mashed potatoes in the large mixing bowl. Stir in the soaked bread, parsley and seasoning mix. Season to taste with salt and lots of pepper. Pour the mixture into a well-oiled, two-quart baking dish. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top is a crusty golden brown.
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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