Tag Archives: Amish grandmother

Lovina heals from surgery and enjoys time with grandchildren

I am still taking life at a much slower pace this week. Last week daughter Elizabeth took my place writing this column, which I appreciated.

I had hernia surgery, and the doctor added mesh, so I hope for good results. Earlier this year, in February, I had a hernia that was also repaired with mesh. The doctor says that one is doing well, so hopefully I will be done with surgeries for a while. My regret is that my doctor will be retiring from being a surgeon. In the last fifteen and a half years he has done all eight surgeries I’ve had and always did a great job. When we moved to Michigan, I didn’t have a doctor yet when I had daughter Lovina by emergency c-section and had complications which made me have a hospital stay of a week. This was when I met my current doctor and he did a wonderful job. Seven weeks after Lovina was born I had my gall bladder removed, also. I will miss not having him for my surgeon, but he will still be my doctor for a few more years.

We have had supper brought in three times this week and that has really been a great help to the girls. It is greatly appreciated, and may God bless those who brought food for their kindness!

We were finally able to get some coal, so the house is more comfortable with the coal stove going. We had some pretty chilly days, and when you aren’t active with work it’s more noticeable. Cold weather approached us pretty fast. It was as if we skipped autumn.

Monday and Tuesday were both rainy and with no heat in the house it was a challenge to get the laundry dried. I wish we had more clotheslines on the porch. We filled up what we do have and hung clothes out on the lines between showers. When you have nasty weather and laundry that needs to be dried, the rain makes a lot more work. At least next time the clothes can be dried in the basement if the weather isn’t good.

Yesterday daughters Elizabeth and Susan and their children came home for the day. The children can’t understand why grandmother doesn’t come out and carry them in like usual. My doctor’s orders are to not lift over 15 pounds and all the children are over that. I can hold them on my lap though, if they hold still.

I sat by the table with Abigail, 3, and Jennifer, 21 months, and colored in coloring books. Abigail didn’t like how Jennifer wanted to scribble up the whole picture. Jennifer didn’t like that Abigail had the newest colors, so it was interesting to sit between them and keep peace. It always amazes me how young children can be so forgiving and, in a few minutes, forget what their quarrel was about. Let us take an example from these little angels to forgive and forget.

This evening daughter Elizabeth and son-in-law Tim will leave their children here while they attend the viewing/visitation of Tim’s 50-year-old cousin Richard. Richard was biking when he was struck by a driver in a hit and run. Another truck came along and didn’t see him lying on the road. Richard died later at the hospital due to injuries from the accident. Richard’s wife died last year from cancer, also at the age of 50. Our sympathy goes to the children and loved ones losing both parents so young and close together. Such a tragedy! May God help them through this trial.

I have an appointment this afternoon at the doctor’s office to have some of my staples removed. I will be so glad once this is all over. Patience is not my strong point. It is hard for me to not be able to work like I usually do, but I think its good for me to see how others have it who cannot do everything they want. I need to be thankful for my blessings.

Space is up so until next time—God bless!

This week I will share the recipe for pumpkin bars which daughter Elizabeth made and brought here for us to eat. Delicious!

 

Pumpkin Bars

4 eggs
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing:

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin until light and fluffy. In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix until thoroughly combined and batter is smooth. Spread batter into a greased 9×13-inch pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before icing. Cut into bars. Makes 48 small or 24 large bars.

Icing: Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in the powdered sugar until combined. Stir in the vanilla. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

 

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, will be available in April 2020 from the publisher, Herald Press, 800-245-7894. Readers can write to Eicher at PO Box 1689, South Holland, IL 60473 (please include a self-addressed stamped envelope for a reply); or email LovinasAmishKitchen@MennoMedia.org and your message will be passed on to her to read. She does not personally respond to emails.

 

A grandmother’s wonderful news

We have entered the month of August and the sun is shining this morning as I sit writing at the desk. I am by the east window, but the wraparound porch keeps the sun from shining in the windows. It makes nice sleeping with the cool evenings.

First of all I want to share our wonderful news of the birth of our fourth grandchild. Ryan Isaiah Bontrager was born to daughter Susan and son-in-law Mose on July 27, 2019 at 1:56 a.m. Ryan weighed 8 pounds, 12 ounces and was 22 inches long. He joins his sister, Jennifer, 18 months old. Jennifer loves the baby but she doesn’t like when we hold him before we hold her first. And Mose isn’t allowed to hold Ryan; Jennifer thinks he’s only her daddy. It’s hard for her to understand that she’s not the only child anymore.

We sure have been enjoying baby Ryan. Susan is doing as well as expected. Daughter Verena and Lovina have been helping out with household duties over at Mose and Susan’s.

Today baby Ryan is five days old. Mose brought Susan and the children here for the day while he’s at work. Daughter Verena was there the last few days and came back home with them this morning. It’s nice to have her back home. She enjoys helping out with the little ones.

I closed our windows to make the house warmer for the baby. The temperature was in the 60s, so with all our windows open there was a chill in the house.

It is now later and the breakfast dishes are washed. Susan and baby Ryan are resting. Daughter Elizabeth and children Abigail and T.J. joined us for the day. The house is full of action with all the grandchildren. I love every minute of it, but this grandmother needs to finish this column. I am already past the deadline. I moved out on the porch to finish writing this. I need to concentrate, and with all these sweet babies it’s hard to do so.

Fresh dill sprigs will be placed in each jar. Photo provided.

We want to can pickles today. I didn’t have enough fresh dill, so neighbor Susan said I could have some of hers. Elizabeth and I went over there and cut a bagful, so now we can get started. Sure appreciate neighbors who are willing to loan or share with each other.

As I look across the road at neighbor Irene’s house, it gives me a lonely feeling. Irene would usually be mowing or working outside on such a nice cool day like today. Such a friendly neighbor and always willing to help. Her grandson Joe lives beside us and is also a good neighbor.

We are also enjoying tomatoes and had a few meals of sweet corn. I’m disappointed that my green beans didn’t come up. Joe planted them twice, so I am not sure why they didn’t grow. Zucchini are more than plentiful. I’m also getting a lot of cucumbers.

When pickling cucumbers come into season, it takes multiple rounds to can them all. Photo provided.

Tomato plants are loaded with tomatoes, so I think we should be canning V8 and tomato juice soon. We are out of V8, so I will be glad once we have some again. We love it with our breakfast.

Last night we were invited to neighbor’s Joas and Susan’s for a fish fry supper. They had all the families in our church district invited. The children had appointments, and with the two-hour drive we didn’t make it home in time to attend. We appreciated the invite. Mose and Susan couldn’t go with the baby so young yet. Tim and Elizabeth and children went, then stopped in here on their way home. T.J. was just so happy to see us.

I must get busy now. It’s so nice out here, but those pickles need to be canned.

Jars of sliced cucumbers ready to be filled with pickling brine and then canned. Photo provided.

This week I’ll share the recipe for vegetable juice (V8). Process it according to your canning instructions. God bless!

 

Homemade Vegetable Juice

Makes 14 quarts

I tried to sit down and make a recipe, and that is what I will share with you readers. But you can add whatever vegetables you want. There is no rule on how much of anything to put in. I always put in more tomatoes than anything else. I like to add a lot of extra jalapenos, as we like the spicy flavor they give. We love to drink this for breakfast on weekends.

15 pounds tomatoes, cut into chunks
4 onions, diced
4 green bell peppers, seeded and diced
6 large jalapenos, diced
6 small potatoes, peeled and diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 cucumbers, sliced
2–3 teaspoons garlic powder
Salt

Combine all the ingredients except the salt in a 3-gallon stainless steel pot over medium-high heat. Cook about 30 minutes, or until softened enough to go through a food mill or strainer. Strain and put into sterilized quart jars and add 1 teaspoon salt to every jar.

Lovina’s Amish Kitchen is written by Lovina Eicher, Old Order Amish writer, cook, wife, and mother of eight. Her newest cookbook, The Essential Amish Cookbook, is available from the publisher, Herald Press, 800-245-7894. Readers can write to Eicher at PO Box 1689, South Holland, IL 60473 (please include a self-addressed stamped envelope for a reply); or email LovinasAmishKitchen@MennoMedia.org and your message will be passed on to her to read. She does not personally respond to emails.