morel mushrooms | Lovina’s Amish Kitchen

Overnight, a new foal born without help; name ideas?

It’s Thursday morning around 6:30 a.m. Son Kevin, 12, is waiting on the bus to pick him up for school.

We had a few thunderstorms during the night. Loud enough to keep us awake a lot so I feel tired yet. I’m letting the ones that don’t have to go to work sleep in a little longer.

Last night Mose and daughter Susan and baby Jennifer were here for supper. We had a severe thunderstorm right before they wanted to leave for home. I am wondering if there could have been a tornado with it but maybe it was just the strong winds that did so much damage in this area. It flattened our neighbor’s barn and tore some of their house roof off. It downed trees and power lines. It tore the soffit from our porch ceiling off, took big branches off our trees, threw around a lot of things outside. We felt fortunate to not have anything major happen here. The hail that was hitting our windows sounded pretty big. It was one thunderstorm after another going through so Mose and Susan decided not to try taking the buggy home. Lots of roads were blocked off from fallen trees.

It was cute to see little Jennifer sleeping so soundly this morning when my husband Joe, and Mose were leaving for work. She had her hands stretched over her head. Jennifer has to wear mittens on her hands as she scratches her face with her fingernails. We have tried to clip her nails down but she still ends up with a scratch on her face. She doesn’t seem to mind the mittens.

Daughter Elizabeth and Abigail are coming today. She has a friend bringing them. I am glad she isn’t bringing the horse and buggy. We are having another thunderstorm right now. Kevin is on the bus and on his way to school. I decided to get this written before I wake up the rest. It seems to go faster that way—less noise around.

I went to the doctor on Monday after feeling sick all weekend. He said I have bronchitis and gave me several antibiotics to take. I feel so much better! I now wish I would have went in sooner. I didn’t cook any meals on Sunday. My husband Joe made dinner on the grill for everyone. He grilled chicken and potatoes. I sat on my recliner most of the day wrapped in blankets.

Monday morning our horse Ginger had a little foal. When I looked out in the pasture field after daylight, I saw the little foal running beside its mother. The little ones always look so cute how they run and hop around the field. We haven’t decided on what to name this filly yet but she is a lot lighter in color than her sister Midnight is.

Horses always take good photos, don’t they?

Ginger gave birth to our horse Midnight three years ago on June 1. Midnight is what Joe and I drive leading our buggy. The other foal that year was Beauty and she was three years old on May 1. We gave Beauty to son Benjamin for his birthday. Ginger’s filly she had now will probably end up Joseph’s birthday gift in a few years when she is ready to drive.

Daughter Loretta was also excited when her special friend Dustin gave her a Tennessee Walker horse that is trained for riding. The horse’s name is Diamond. One horse we had for many years was named Diamond. We miss not having Diamond anymore. Loretta’s Diamond is a mare though. The horse is a smooth-gaited horse. Loretta has never ridden a horse before but is looking forward to learning. Dustin is a great friend to her and has done so much for her.

I hope to see some of you readers at my book signing in Warsaw, Indiana, on Saturday. Plans are to bring all my daughters and granddaughters with me.

This is the way we like to fix morel mushrooms that can be found in the wild around here.

God’s blessing to all!

Morel Mushrooms

1 egg
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
butter

Cut mushrooms in half lengthwise. Soak morel mushrooms in salt water for an hour or more to kill insects. Use 3 tablespoons of salt per gallon of water.

In a small bowl, beat egg; add milk. In a separate small bowl place flour for breading. Start with 1/2 cup and add as needed. Melt butter in frying skillet. Start with 1 tablespoon and add as needed. Put mushrooms into egg and milk mixture, then dip into flour. Shake off excess flour and fry in butter. Sprinkle each side with salt when frying. Fry until golden brown.

Lovina’s Amish Kitchen is written by Lovina Eicher, Old Order Amish writer, cook, wife and mother of eight. She is the co-author of three cookbooks; her newest cookbook, The Essential Amish Cookbook, is available from 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 at LovinasAmishKitchen@MennoMedia.org.

We are having a lot of rainy days this past week. The garden hasn’t dried up enough for us to get in it, so we still haven’t been able to plant more vegetables. I am really eager to get more garden planted and by next week it will be time to put out tomato and green pepper plants, etc. I like to wait until the middle of May to put these plants in the garden in case it gets too cold—frost can hurt the tender leaves and plants.

Joe and the children are all hoping for the rain to quit for tonight. They have plans to go fishing with the boat on a nearby lake. Son-in-law Timothy is planning to bring his boat so some can ride with him. I will stay home and enjoy the peace and quiet. Daughter Elizabeth might stay here with me and we’ll enjoy visiting. I want to make supper early before they go. Fish and French fries will be on the menu. Friday evening my husband Joe, son Joseph, and Timothy took the boat out on the lake. They came back with over fifty fish; mostly bluegills. When I prepare the fish I dip them in a batter and deep fry them. Some like to eat them as a sandwich with bread and mayonnaise.

This week we also had fresh mushrooms and I also dip and fry those. At the local consignment auction on Saturday they sold some mushrooms that a local Amish lady found. It was to help benefit nephew Emanul and Mary Kay with their hospital bills. Joe bid for the mushrooms as he loves fresh morel mushrooms (that grow in wooded areas but are hard to find) and he also was able to do a good deed this way. Needless to say, the mushrooms did not last long.

At the auction we bought a three-year-old horse. So far we are really happy with him. He has one thing he doesn’t like and that is water puddles along the road. He doesn’t do more than shy away from the water, but for three years old, I think he is doing really well. We had the whole family choosing names and settled on Rex. Rex is very well behaved and friendly with the other horses out in the pasture.

Yesterday, sisters Verena and Susan, daughters Elizabeth, Verena and Loretta, and I assisted sister Emma with her work preparing for church at her house. We washed laundry and made six batches of noodles with around twelve and one-half dozen eggs (that’s 150 eggs!). Emma needs the noodles for Sunday lunch. We will have Rule Church and it usually lasts until 2:00 p.m. A lunch will be served and a few dozen people will go to eat at one time so the services continue on. On the menu will be chicken noodle soup. I took my noodle maker (to cut the noodles) along and we also used Emma’s. It made the project go faster. Emma now has five six- and eight-foot tables of noodles drying. After they are dried for a week, they can be stored in air tight containers. I am sure it will take quite a few pounds on Sunday.

Tomorrow is Ascension Day [May 5] and the Amish in our community honor this day with fasting and praying until lunch time. Jacob and Emma and family, sisters Verena and Susan, Timothy and Elizabeth, and the girl’s friends will all come for lunch. Joe plans to grill venison steaks on the charcoal grill. He likes to use the charcoal grill and leaves the gas grill for me. He says the flavor of the meat is better and I think so too, but I go for what is easier. I will prepare the rest of the meal in the house. Everyone is bringing a dish so it will be simple.

Happy Mother’s Day to all you readers who are mothers! A mother thinks about her children day and night. Even when they are not with her. We love them in a way they will never understand until they become a mother.

I will share the recipe for M&M chocolate chip bars daughter Verena made. If you need a lot of bars these will be good to make and very easy.

God bless!

M&M Chocolate Chip Bars

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon water
5 eggs
2 teaspoons soda
2 teaspoons salt
5 cups flour
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup M&M’s

Cream together butter and sugars. Add vanilla, water, and eggs. Beat well. Stir together flour, soda, and salt. Add to batter and mix well. Stir in chips and M&M’s. (Variation: just use all chocolate chips.) Put on 1 or 2 large cookie sheets (with edges) and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Lovina Eicher is an Old Order Amish writer, cook, wife and mother of eight. Formerly writing as The Amish Cook, Eicher inherited that column from her mother, Elizabeth Coblentz, who wrote from 1991 to 2002. Readers can contact Eicher at PO Box 1689, South Holland, IL 60473 (please include a self-addressed stamped envelope for a reply) or at LovinasAmishKitchen@MennoMedia.org.

Lovina’s Amish Kitchen

Tag Archives: morel mushrooms

Overnight, a new foal born without help

Amish noodle making, morel mushrooms, and fresh fish!