Tag Archives: Mother’s Day

Birthdays and Rhubarb Custard Pie

We are having a cool May, making it a challenge to put any plants out in the garden yet. Yesterday the temperature hit the mid-60 mark, but the air had a chill in it.

Son Joseph doesn’t have to work today, so I will probably go to town with him this morning to get him new shoes and a few other things he needs for work. It is a little after 4:00 a.m. and son Benjamin left for his job. Everyone else is still in bed, so I am going to take advantage to write this column while all is quiet. Tomorrow Benjamin will be home, as they are on four-day work weeks, and Joseph will go to work. Hopefully it will be a nice day to do laundry again.

I received new cable-coated wash lines and new laundry baskets for my birthday, which is next week (May 22). I was very happy for the new lines, as I had a few lines break on me recently. It isn’t fun when your clean clothes need to be rewashed. I didn’t have cable-coated lines before, so the lines would break, and I would patch them up with wire. I think these lines should hold out for many years. It’s nice to hang up blankets and not have to watch so that they don’t touch the ground. My husband Joe and son Benjamin put the new lines up and put a fence stretcher on the end of each one so the lines stay in place.

I was also spoiled with flowers and meals brought in from my children on Mother’s Day. I felt honored and so unworthy of it all. It makes me so glad to be a mother to eight wonderful children. Each one holds a part of my heart and I can’t complain about any of them. They treat me like a queen and I thank God each day that he made me their mother. So often I fail as a mother, but I keep on doing my best, which is all we can do.

My sister Susan had her 44th birthday on Sunday, May 10 (Mother’s Day). The girls and I spent yesterday at her and sister Verena’s house. Sister Emma and her two daughters were also there. My sister Susan loves making cards and so do a few of the girls, so there was a table set up for that. Emma and I helped set up a flower bed for Susan outside, and just sitting around spoiling our grandchildren was enjoyable! I do not have enough patience to sit and make cards, but it’s nice to see the ideas they come up with. Abigail really took an interest in it.

Daughter Lovina’s 16th birthday will be in a few days, on May 18. Is it possible that 16 years went by so fast? She will be with the youth group now and son Kevin will be the only one of our children still not with the youth. That makes us feel older. Next year Kevin will also be in the youth group. Time goes much too fast.

We are enjoying many meals of asparagus and also rhubarb fixed in different ways. I still haven’t canned my rhubarb juice.

A reader has asked how we run electricity to use our vacuum sealer. We use a generator to run the meat grinder, slicer, and the sealer on the days that we butcher meat. Our solar power would not power all this, so we rely on the generator to do jobs like that.

I will share my mother’s recipe for rhubarb custard pie. This is for a 9-inch pan. When making and testing recipes for my cookbook, we discovered what a big difference it is to say “9-inch pie plate” rather than “9-inch deep pie plate.” Thus, the rhubarb custard recipe in my cookbook is a little different than my usual recipe, as I normally use the flat 9-inch pie plates. The rhubarb custard pies I made did not last long.

God’s blessings to all!

 

Rhubarb Custard Pie

1 1/2 cup rhubarb
2 tablespoons flour
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup cream or whole milk

 

 

Mix all ingredients and pour in unbaked 9-inch pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

 

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 now 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.

 

All that goes with preparing for a wedding—and birthdays and Mother’s Day too

We had a nice sunny day in the 70s. That was a welcome change after some cool rainy weather the past week. Yesterday was also nice and sunny, making laundry dry fast. It was rainy on Monday so I spent my day sewing and we postponed washing laundry until Tuesday.

I had a good day with sewing. I sewed daughter Lovina’s dress, cape, and apron for the wedding next week of niece Elizabeth. I also sewed two shirts for son Kevin and gray pants for the wedding. Yesterday I sewed daughter Verena’s dress, cape, and apron for the wedding. Now its daughter Loretta and my suits left to sew. I am hoping to work on that tomorrow.

Today daughter Elizabeth and Susan were home with their sweet little ones. They brought their sewing for the wedding along, so I helped them instead of working on mine. Elizabeth has a two-year-old and five-month-old baby, so I know how many interruptions you can have trying to do extra sewing. Elizabeth and Tim are also hosting church services in June, so she has cleaning that needs done as well. And of course it’s time to plant the gardens.

My husband Joe has been tending to our gardens since he’s not working anywhere yet. He’s planting extra in hopes we can sell some by the road. Radishes, lettuce, and corn are up despite the cooler weather we had. Rhubarb is ready to use, so I need to make rhubarb custard pies sometime. That is one of the pies sister Emma plans to have us make for her daughter’s upcoming May 24th wedding next week. I will take my rhubarb if she needs more.

Saturday, Joe and I will go help at Jacob and Emma’s house to unload the wedding tables and dishes for the wedding. Tables will be set and all that goes with preparing for a wedding.

Last week my daughters and I and sisters Verena and Susan helped sister Emma and her daughters Elizabeth and Emma put 216 eggs into noodles. My husband Joe went along to help brother-in-law Jacob with his work. Working together making noodles is always fun. Of course, many hands make lighter work.

Saturday is also daughter Lovina’s 15th birthday, so a happy birthday goes to her.

Sunday, Jacob and Emma’s family and we and our children all gathered at my sister’s house in honor of sister Susan’s birthday. We enjoyed a haystack brunch and dessert. After dishes were washed, some played croquet outside and the rest of us played Rummikub. This was my first time playing the game. It seems similar to Phase 10 but has tiles instead of cards.

Sunday was also nephew Benjamin’s 17th birthday and Mother’s Day as well. I have some nice hanging flowers on my porch from our children. Daughter Elizabeth and Tim had their flower along in the buggy to give to me Sunday at my sister’s house. When Tim brought it in to give to me, granddaughter Abigail started crying. She said she wanted to keep the flower. She loves flowers, and it was so cute to see her want to keep it. My sister Susan went outside and picked a few flowers for Abigail, which made her happy again.

Before we all left for home, sisters Verena and Susan heated up the leftover haystack, making a casserole of everything that was left over from brunch. Everyone ate before parting ways to go home. It was an enjoyable day together!

God’s blessings to all!

 

Apple Rhubarb Crisp

2 cups apples, cut fine
2 cups rhubarb, cut fine
2 eggs
2 tablespoons flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Topping:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar

Mix apples, rhubarb, eggs, flour, sugar, and nutmeg together. Place in baking dish.

Topping: Combine butter, flour, and brown sugar to crumbly consistency mixture. Pour over apple-rhubarb mixture. Bake in oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, or until done. Serve with milk or ice cream.

 

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.

Birthdays, Mother’s Day, and Wednesday with daughters: all good

First of all, daughter Lovina will be 14 tomorrow, May 18. A happy birthday to her!

Also, happy 25th birthday today, May 17, to my niece Elizabeth. We are invited to her parents (sister Liz and husband Levi) on Saturday for a surprise birthday party for Elizabeth. With so much gardening and spring work it doesn’t look like we will make it. Elizabeth is married to Samuel and has two little children LaRose and Samuel Lee.

I want to add a paragraph that was omitted from my last column. While visiting family we also stopped in to visit with sister Liz and Levi. Their daughter Rosa and her husband Menno have living quarters in the new building beside the house. They have a little boy named Jeremiah. Daughter Susan and baby Jennifer were with us. Susan and Rosa hadn’t seen each other’s babies yet. Always nice to catch up on the little ones. They grow so fast and are so precious!

Daughter Loretta and special friend Dustin enjoyed the wedding in Andover, Ohio, last week. They (Dustin’s family and Loretta) traveled up to Niagara Falls and enjoyed seeing the beautiful sights. It was Loretta’s first time to see New York (even before I did—smile). They had a nice time and arrived safely back in Michigan on Friday evening.

Verena gave this beautiful candle/plaque to Lovina for Mother’s Day, in memory of Lovina’s brother, Amos Coblentz.

Sunday was Mother’s Day. So I hope all mothers had a nice day, spending it with family! My mother passed away in 2002 unexpectedly. I still miss her so much. I have many precious memories of her. I started penning this column in 2002 after her sudden passing. She wrote it for eleven years. Rest in peace dear mother—you will always stay close in our hearts. The good example she left makes me want to always try and do my best!

My children all came home for a brunch on Mother’s Day. We had bacon, ham (fresh ham on the grill), eggs, potatoes, sausage gravy, toast, jelly, butter, coffee, milk, and juice. Also rhubarb custard pie and peanut butter swirl bars. Spending time with family is always precious to me. Timothy and Elizabeth left early afternoon as his brother’s family was coming to their house for supper. Mose and Susan were here for an early supper of fried chicken.

Yesterday, daughters Elizabeth and Susan came here for the day. Usually every Wednesday they come home for the day. Daughter Verena, 20, started working for nephew Emanul several weeks ago. She works in the office doing a lot of secretarial work for his woodworking business. She works four days a week and has Wednesdays off. She is glad to be home on the day her little nieces are here to entertain.

Yesterday was such a nice day we decided to head to town. We took three buggies and horses. Elizabeth, Susan, and baby Jennifer went with Elizabeth’s buggy and horse. Verena, Abigail, and I went with our buggy and our horse, Mighty. Loretta, Joseph, and Lovina followed with our other buggy and our horse Midnight. We did some shopping and decided to eat at a family restaurant. Little Abigail had so much fun. Daughter Lovina was glad for a break from her school work. After we were back home Joseph, 15, mowed our yard. The girls took Abigail down to the nearby lake and let her walk in the water. She didn’t want to leave. Around 5:00 p.m. Elizabeth and Susan headed for home. The girls made an easy supper of BLT sandwiches and we also had leftover tater tot casserole from the evening before. It was an enjoyable day!

Nephew Henry is home today and also was yesterday. He hurt his foot at work and it is really swollen and painful. He went to the doctor yesterday and they took an x-ray at the hospital. He should find out the results today. I hope it is not broken. He is using a pair of crutches we had and is keeping ice packs on it.

It looks like we are going to have another beautiful day! Laundry and planting more garden is on the list for today. God bless all of you!

I will share this recipe for baked French toast. We make this a lot. Its easy and you can put it in the oven. We love maple syrup on ours.

Baked French Toast

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons corn syrup
10–12 slices bread
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Bring brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup just to a boil and then pour into the bottom of a 9×13-inch glass pan. Top with two layers of bread. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle on top of the bread. Then beat together eggs, milk, and vanilla and pour over the bread. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Do not overbake or syrup on the bottom will get hard.

 

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.

 

 

 

After Mother’s Day, Lovina’s all set for fishing: license, rod, and life jacket!

Hi. This is Lovina’s 18-year-old daughter, Verena.

I hope all you readers are doing great! Part of my Mother’s Day gift to my dear mother is writing the column for her this week. I also gave her a lighted crystal cube that says “I Love You Mom.” Dad and all of us children gave her two potted rose bushes, and a life jacket. Dad got her fishing licenses so she can go out fishing with us. Also a new fishing rod, so she is set to go.

It has been a rainy day! Mom took me to the eye doctor today as I have been having problems with my right eye since Sunday morning. I have an infection in my eye lid and I think the doctor called it blepharitis. My eye lid dried up which caused it to stick to my cornea which was why my vision is blurred. The doctor gave me antibiotic eye drops to put in my eyes for a week. He wants me to put it in both eyes to keep the infection from spreading into the other eye.

Around May 24, my friend Lori’s Yorkie dog will give birth to her puppies. I get first choice out of the puppies. I am hoping one will be a female. I just love little Yorkies. Sister Liz has two and I am so attached to them! They are so sweet and can be a lot of fun!

I want to thank Pamela for the money she sent to help me purchase the Yorkie. That was so kind and thoughtful of you! I will send you a personal thank you yet. May God bless you!

Dad is outside grilling tonight. I love when he grills because he will often yodel while grilling. It just always lifts my mood! If it wasn’t raining, we children would be out there with him.

Last week we went fishing three different days. We caught a total ofLakeNearLovina 182 Bluegill. I enjoy fishing. The first day I went fishing was with sister Susan and her boyfriend Mose. Susan and I were catching so many fish that Mose hardly had time to fish since he had to put the worms on our hooks. If I really had to put those slimy worms on the hook, I could have but I wasn’t going to tell Mose that.

The next night I went fishing with sister Liz and her husband Tim. Susan and Mose went along too. It was enjoyable. Dad and my brothers and Mose’s brother Freeman took another boat out as well.

Boat2016One afternoon and evening we had both our boats and Tim’s boat out on the lake. Uncle Jacob, cousins Emma and Elizabeth, and their friends Menno and Manuel went along that time. Joseph, Lovina, and Cousin Benjamin fished from our friend’s dock since we had enough on the boats.

Saturday was a nice sunny day to weed the flower beds for Mom. One thing Mom does not like doing is weeding her flower beds. I still have more weeding to do around the house. It makes it look so much better.

Reading is one of my most favorite things to do. I just love to read every free moment I have. I like Karen Kingsbury’s books. I am reading the Baxter Family series now. I borrow sister Susan’s books. Karen makes her books so realistic that I have a hard time putting them down.

Our new horse Rex is doing great for us. Brother Benjamin and I use our horse Mighty on weekends to go to the Community Youth Center or to Sunday evening singings. He is such a calm, safe horse. Mom likes taking Mighty to town because he is calm around all the traffic. Uncle Amos trained Mighty and sold him to us.

I like this verse: “Stress makes you believe that everything has to happen right now! Faith reassures you that everything will happen in God’s timing.”

I will share the recipe for my favorite salad with you readers. I love salads.

Love and best wishes to all! God bless!

Taco Salad

1 pound hamburger
1 package taco seasoning
1 medium head lettuce, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
1 package taco chips

Dressing:

8 ounces Thousand Island dressing
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
1 tablespoon taco sauce

Brown hamburger. Add taco seasoning, reserving one tablespoon of seasoning for dressing.

In separate large bowl, place chopped lettuce, and add all ingredients except chips, ending with cheese.

Combine ingredients for dressing. Toss salad with chips and dressing.

 

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.

 

 

 

Amish noodle making, morel mushrooms, and fresh fish!

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.MorelMushrooms

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.

NoodlesBeforeCuttingDrying2016 NoodlesDrying2_2016Yesterday, 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.

Noodles1_2016

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!

MandMandChipBars

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.