Lovina and Family Celebrate a Late Christmas

On January 14 we had our family home for a late Christmas. With the preparations of daughter Susan and Ervin’s wedding, we decided to wait until later. We told everyone to be here around 9:30 a.m. for a brunch.

Our brunch was simple but still good. We had a breakfast casserole made from eggs, potatoes, bacon, sausage, smoked sausage, sour cream, Velveeta, and onions—all mixed together and baked. Then we also had sausage gravy and biscuits, cinnamon rolls, cookies, milk, chocolate milk, orange juice, apple juice, coffee, and V-8 juice.

Our family total is 25, so the table was set for all of us. We added two six-foot tables to our 10-foot dining room table. Andrea, 11 months, was in a booster seat, and Denzel, six months, was in the highchair.

As the children arrived, they were attracted to the table with their gifts. They would look for the one with their name on it, then hold it and turn it over and try to guess what it was. Seeing their faces light up was so precious. They were almost too excited to eat breakfast.

After dishes were washed, which was very few since we had paper plates and cups, etc., we passed out their gifts. We then played some games where they could win extra small gifts.

Around 1 p.m. we set out the snacks, which was a good variety including fruit and dip, veggies and dip, cheese ball and crackers, popcorn, chips, cheese dip, peanuts, candy, etc. We played games such as Marble Chase and Yahtzee as we snacked. The day went much too fast.

Thanks to some of you readers who sent money so I could do something for our family. I ordered pizza from town to be delivered so everyone was able to eat before heading home. It was one way to treat everyone.

It was another Christmas down in history for the Eicher family. We truly have so much to be thankful for with all the blessings God sends. We have a few sons-in-law who are off from the RV factories for over six weeks. With groceries being so much higher, it doesn’t make it easy to support a family. This is affecting a lot of people. We put our full trust in God and know he will provide a way.

The evening before the family Christmas, Joe and I attended the Christmas dinner at the metal shop owner’s house for a delicious meal. The employees had a cornhole tournament. All employees were given a cornhole game to take home, among other gifts. Joe didn’t have one yet, so that will be nice for him to have his own.

On January 6 (Epiphany or Old Christmas), the neighbors were all invited for a 5 p.m. supper at our neighbors Richard and Erma’s house. They served us a delicious meal of mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, green beans, and poor man’s steak.

After supper we played games in their attached garage—cornhole, Rook, Uno, and canasta. Then snacks were set out for everyone to eat, including homemade ice cream. It was a fun night of fellowship.

On Sunday, January 15, our family gathered at daughter Susan and Ervin’s house in honor of granddaughter Jennifer’s fifth birthday. She was so proud that everyone came and that she could blow out the candle as we sang Happy Birthday to her. She helped daughter Verena decorate her cake.

Granddaughter Allison’s birthday was December 27th while we were at the community building preparing for the wedding. We all sang “Happy Birthday” to her. She later told daughter Elizabeth (her mother) that “they sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to me and blessed me too.” Such sweet innocence.

Recently, daughter Elizabeth had to take four-year-old Timothy (T.J.) to the doctor for his asthma, and he has an inhaler now. One morning he was breathing heavy and said, “Mom I need my haler cause my breath is heavy.” Ha ha! God bless!

Mocha Pudding
2 cups crushed chocolate sandwich cookies (24 cookies)
3 tablespoons butter (melted)
8 ounces cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup chocolate syrup
2 tablespoons coffee concentrate
16 ounces whipped topping
1 cup instant pudding (vanilla)
2 cups milk
Chocolate syrup for decorating top

Mix the crushed cookies with the butter and press the mixture into the bottom of a 9×13-inch Tupperware pan. In a separate bowl, whip the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the vanilla and stir it in. Add the condensed milk a little at a time, mixing each time. Add the chocolate syrup and coffee concentrate and mix again. Add the whipped topping. In another bowl, mix the instant pudding with the milk. Then add the pudding mixture to the cream cheese mixture. Pour the mixture into the pan, on top of the cookies. Pour chocolate syrup over the top length of pan. Swirl with a knife the other direction.

 

Lovina’s Amish Kitchen is written by Lovina Eicher, Old Order Amish writer, cook, wife, and mother of eight. Her newest cookbook, Amish Family Recipes, is available wherever books are sold.  Because Lovina is Old Order Amish, she does not have email or a telephone in her home. Lovina does not respond to comments on this website, if you would like to contact her directly, click here.

16 thoughts on “Lovina and Family Celebrate a Late Christmas”

  1. The family gatherings touch my heart…beyond measure. We do not have a very big family but have always wanted one so these stories speak volumes to me…God’s richest blessings…beyond compare..are the family members he gives to us!

    Thank you for sharing your stories…I so look forward to reading this special column every Friday morning…..

    Blessings to each and every one of you folks!!

  2. I would love to know what Poor mans steak is and maybe the recipe for it.
    I would also love your recipes for ice cream.

    1. Hi! I make Poor Make Steak alot and can share the recipe with you. An Amish family fromna community in Iowa shared it with me!

  3. Would love recipe for your Breakfast Casserole you had so I could serve at my nieces wedding shower Feb 25. Sounds delicious.

  4. I’ve been following your column for years, just love it. I have your cookbook which I use. God bless you and all the family this yr

  5. Would love the rules and regulations for Canasta. I played it so much as a teenager, however I have forgotten the rules and how you play. Please help.

    1. When making the pudding for the wedding they made the coffee concentrate by mixing instant coffee with cold water in a large quantity and then used 2 tablespoons of that concentrated mixture for each individual pan of the mocha pudding. If a person is only making one pan of the pudding, Lovina suggests starting with 1 tablespoon of instant coffee and stirring in 1 tablespoon of cold water until the coffee is dissolved.

    1. When making the pudding for the wedding they made the coffee concentrate by mixing instant coffee with cold water in a large quantity and then used 2 tablespoons of that concentrated mixture for each individual pan of the mocha pudding. If a person is only making one pan of the pudding, Lovina suggests starting with 1 tablespoon of instant coffee and stirring in 1 tablespoon of cold water until the coffee is dissolved.

  6. Sounds like your family enjoyed all of the celebrations. Love how Family and Faith are so important to you all as it should be. Hard to believe that we are almost through January already. I am so ready for Spring and all of it’s beauty. Thank you for sharing your stories with us all.

  7. In your recipe it says to use 1 cup instant pudding. Would that be 1 cup of prepared pudding or 1 cup of the powder?

    1. The 1 cup of instant vanilla pudding is 1 cup of vanilla pudding powder, not one cup of prepared pudding.

Comments are closed.