By LOVINA EICHER
Special to the Record-Eagle
October 13, 2008 12:00 am It was a very chilly weekend with temperatures going down to the freezing mark for the first time this season. A lot of gardens are now history for 2008. My tomato plants and hot pepper plants survived the surprise frost on Saturday morning. I was very glad as my hot pepper plants were still loaded with peppers. When the temperatures started dropping again Saturday evening after dark, Joe started picking all the hot peppers. I would like to get them in jars and canned today. My carrots are still out in the garden but they take the cold temperatures better. I would still like to dig them up this week, though. This morning the temperature is about 20 degrees warmer than the past few mornings. So far we haven't had to start our coal stove as the gas lights do well heating the house on chilly mornings. We need to start buying our coal as the winter months are approaching fast. Saturday we spent the day helping Emma and Jacob. This is the "in between week;" they had church services at their house last weekend and they will have them against next week. Joe and Jacob and boys put vinyl siding on their new building where the services are held. Emma and I and daughters done a big laundry, cleaned the garage and did odd jobs. The garage is where the meal tables will be set Sunday for Communion services. Communion services will be there which usually last from 9 a.m. to 3:30 or 4 p.m. From 11:30 through 1 p.m. lunch is served two tables at a time during services. There are 14 men and boys at one table and 14 women and girls at another. By 1 p.m. everyone is done eating lunch and returns to services. Emma plans to serve chicken noodle soup and egg salad along with the regular church menu. The regular church menu is coffee, tea, homemade wheat and white bread, red beets, pickles, peanut butter spread, butter, jam, and three different kinds of cookies. Last time she served chicken and noodle soup also. We made one 16 quart kettle and one 12 quart kettle full. Along with that they served bologna, cheese spread and also the regular church menu. Emma has the young girls in church help us which makes a lot less on us. Needless to say we were ready to go sit down again after everyone had been fed. On my agenda this week is to start cutting out my navy blue dress, cape and apron for niece Elizabeth's wedding next week. I have to help cook at the wedding and we are to wear dark blue dresses. Since mine isn't in very good shape any more for a wedding I need to sew me a new one. I hope they will have a nice warm day for their wedding. On Oct. 17, 51 years ago my parents were united in marriage. They were married 42 years together before Dad's death in 2000. That many years ago there weren't nearly as many guests for their wedding. With so many relatives and friends weddings can get very large amongst the Amish. Yesterday ended up being a nice fall day but the sun warms everything up. We all biked over to Jacob's, Kevin and Lovina riding in the bike trailer. It was nice to all go biking on a nice day like that. Jacob and Emma served us a good barbecued chicken dinner and all the trimmings. Pumpkin Sheetcake 2 c. sugar 4 eggs 1 c. vegetable oil 2 c. flour 1 c. chopped nuts 2 c. fresh pumpkin or 1 can 1/2 t. salt 1 t. baking soda 2 t. baking powder 2 t. cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together and pour into a sheet cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Let cake cool and then add frosting. Frosting Recipe: 1 8-ounce package cream cheese 2 sticks of softened butter 1/2 c. chopped nuts box of powder sugar Mix well and spread on cake after it is cool Lovina's first cookbook, The Amish Cook at Home, is now available in bookstores. 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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