Category Archives: Pies

Joyful wedding preparations

The first day of autumn is bringing cool, rainy weather with the temperature at 51 degrees this morning.

Church services were held here on Sunday. It was council meeting, so we served everyone lunch throughout the service. Around 11:30 a.m. a few at a time come in to eat. We had one table set for men, one for women, and a smaller table for the younger children. On our menu was chicken noodle soup, cheese spread, peanut butter spread, bologna, pickles, red beets, hot peppers, grape jelly, butter, homemade wheat and white bread, several kinds of cookies, tea, and coffee. Sister Emma made the soup for me. She made four twelve-quart kettles of soup.

We appreciate all the help we have had with Dustin’s pole barn and getting ready here for the wedding. So many have sent over meals or a casserole to make my workload easier. May God bless their kind hearts. It is greatly appreciated.

Last night nephew Benjamin and niece Emma’s husband Menno helped on the pole barn. The east side of the pole barn is now closed up. It looks like Dustin’s cousin is over there today. I think they are installing the two overhead doors. The rest of the doors and windows are installed already. It looks like we will actually get done on time.

I have my dress, cape, and apron to sew yet for the wedding. I plan to do that today.

Saturday we will set up all the tables. The plates, silverware, and glasses will be set and then we cover all of it, so it stays okay until next Friday for the wedding.

Yesterday my three head cooks came, and we went through the recipes to see what all we need. It takes a lot of head work to come up with a grocery list for over 1000 people. Now it’s time to go shopping. Do I ever have a list to get! I should’ve started sooner, but I’ll wait until after Saturday when the cooler will be here to get the groceries that have to stay cold.

The wedding cook wagon, cooler, and dishes all come Friday afternoon. The tent will be set up next week. This is where the cooks can work to peel potatoes, mix dressing, etc. We have around 50 cooks but I’m sure a few of them might not be able to come. There will be a lot of activity going on next week around here. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday the cooks will each come for a day to help prepare whatever needs to be done such as bake bread, pies, etc.

During this busy time my oldest grandchild Abigail started school. She goes four days a week and she loves it! She tells all kinds of stories about school and her new friends. Life has changed for daughter Elizabeth. Abigail kept an eye on the two little ones. Now it sounds like T.J., 2, and Allison, 1, are into everything. T.J. cried when Abigail left the first day and said he wants to go to school too. Nephew Steven is in the eighth grade so when sister Emma and daughter Elizabeth were here helping one day Steven and Abigail came off the bus here. She had made beads for all the other children here. Such a sweetie!

Memorial flowers planted for Dan and Mose by their families. Photo provided.

Our three loved ones are so missed over this time. They were always here to help out with the other weddings. We try not to dampen Loretta and Dustin’s excitement, but our hearts still ache so much. Rest in peace Mose, Susan, and Jacob!

God’s blessings to all!

 

 

 

 

No-Cook Fruit Pie Filling

2 cups fruit, such as blueberry, cherry, apple, blackberry, etc.
1/4 cup clear jel
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup water

Put fruit in 8-inch pie shell, piling in a peak in center. Mix sugar and clear jel and pour over fruit. Pour water over everything and mix gently. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

For apple pie, add brown sugar and cinnamon.

For cherry pie, use more sugar and add almond flavoring.

For blackberry pie, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

 

 

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. 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.

 

The first tastes of spring

We are having cooler weather again this week. On Monday it was rainy, and yesterday was cloudy. At least today the sun is shining at times.

Son Joseph, 18, is home today. He has been busy outside cleaning the yard and filling in dirt on the low spots before we roll the yard.

We had success with our garage sale last week, but we still have some things left. I want to take it to a thrift store, or the free store, or give it to someone who can use it. It was time consuming to have the sale but makes more space now in my storage areas.

Our rhubarb is plentiful, so I have made quite a few rhubarb custard pies. We are also enjoying asparagus from the garden.

My husband Joe planted some more vegetables in the garden on Saturday: lettuce, radishes, peas, and corn.

Sunday is Mother’s Day, so I wish all mothers out there a Happy Mother’s Day. I am blessed to have 8 wonderful children who call me Mother: Elizabeth, 26, Susan, 25, Verena, 23, Benjamin, 21, Loretta, 20, Joseph, 18, Lovina, 16, and Kevin, 15. I thank God for their love, and I hope I will always be a good example to them. It takes daily prayers to raise a family. I also have 5 precious grandchildren who call me Grandma: Abigail, 4, Jennifer, 3, Timothy (T.J.), 2, Ryan, 21 months, and Allison, 16 months.

Father’s Day will be hard on daughter Susan, to have 2 little children who won’t have a father to give their love to. Mose would buy a flower for the children to give to Susan on Mother’s Day. May God continue to guide her and comfort her. Let us remind ourselves that God makes no mistakes.

On Sunday we had communion services at our neighbors’ home. Daughter Susan and children and sister Verena were here for the night on Saturday and went to church with us.

Ryan was so excited to have a little black hat to wear to church. When we came to church, he thought he could wear it during the service, so it took a little persuading to get him to hang it up until afterward.

Sister Verena and daughter Susan and children stayed overnight again Sunday night. When Ryan woke up Monday morning Joe had left for work already. Ryan went to our bedroom, to Joe’s side of the bed, asking where Grandpa was. I told him he was working. He then pointed to the cabinet on the wall where Joe keeps his hat and asked for Joe’s hat. He thought he should have both his and Grandpa’s hat, but I told Ryan we need to leave it there for when we go to church again. Such sweet little angels. What do they have to see in the future?

I answered all the reader mail now. I want to again thank everyone for their support and encouragement. It is all greatly appreciated. May God bless all of you!

I will share the recipe for asparagus shepherd’s pie this week for those of you who love asparagus. We had asparagus last night just fried in butter.

Take care! Until next week…God bless!

Asparagus Shepherd’s Pie
6 medium potatoes, diced
1-2 pounds hamburger
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (10.5 ounce) can cream of chicken or asparagus soup
1 pound fresh asparagus, cut in pieces
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2-1 cup shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese

Boil potatoes in water until tender. Brown hamburger with onion and garlic; drain grease. Stir in soup and pour into a greased 2-quart baking dish. Cook asparagus in small amount of water until crisp and tender, about 3-4 minutes. Drain and layer over beef mixture. Drain the potatoes and mash, adding milk, butter, and salt. Spread mashed potatoes over asparagus and sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 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 wherever books are sold. 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.

Medical concerns mount for Eicher family

A brand new year is before us. What does it hold for us? It is so good we don’t know our future.

Saturday we decided to wash our laundry and also daughter Susan’s. We have a heated basement with lines in it so it’s nice to dry clothes in these cold winter months. We weren’t started too long when my husband Joe came to tell me we had a call from sister Verena to ask if I could come right away to help with sister Susan. Sons Benjamin and Joseph went with me. Sisters Verena and Susan live just down the road from us. When we got there, Verena said Susan was having bad stomach pains. This had been bothering her quite some time already, but it was very bad to the point she could hardly walk. I asked her if it was okay if I called the ambulance to take her in to get help. She said it would cost too much but I told her that her life was worth far more than any amount of money. Susan was rushed to the hospital. Sister Verena and I went up with an Amish driver, following the ambulance. The doctors soon decided that she needed to be transferred to a bigger hospital over an hour away. Verena was able to sit with her until the ambulance came to transfer her. I was so glad one of the nurses let me go in to say a few words to her. A COVID test was performed, which was negative. They told Verena if the test is negative she can sit with Susan. Sister Verena was told only she can visit Susan each day from noon to 8 p.m. Since it was after 8 by the time she was transferred, Verena and I came back home. Daughter Lovina, 16, went home with Verena for the night. Our daughter Verena was still staying with daughter Susan and children. Makes our house seem empty.

On Sunday sister Emma and Jacob went to the hospital with sister Verena so she could visit with Susan. Jacob and Emma couldn’t go in the hospital, so they had a long wait until Verena came out again.

They performed a CT scan and MRI, among other tests. Doctors said she was bleeding in her abdomen and suspected a tumor or a possible small aneurysm, but they said she was losing a lot of blood and had to give her blood.

Around 10:30 p.m. Sunday night, daughters Lovina and Verena were staying with sister Verena (daughter Susan and children stayed with us) when the doctor called to tell Verena to bring the family up as Susan is on life support and losing out fast. All my siblings and sister-in-law Nancy were contacted and rushed to the hospital. The six siblings were all allowed to go in to Susan. We talked and prayed with her, but she was sedated. It was still comforting to hold her hand and tell her we love her. The doctors told us to stay in the waiting room during the surgery (to try to stop the bleeding). They didn’t think she might survive the surgery. It was comforting for all of the siblings to be together. Daughter Verena and a few of the nephews were also along. We prayed, visited, and cried together, not knowing what we would find out. The doctor came out to let us know the surgery was over and she would have one again in a few days to take out the packs they put in her to stop the bleeding. The siblings all got to go see her for a few minutes and then we were told to go back home. The visiting went back to only sister Verena from noon to 8 p.m. each day. It was 7 a.m. when we arrived back home.

Today (Tuesday) they had surgery again and were able to stop the bleeding. The life support is still on her. Sister Verena goes to sit by her bed each day as is allowed. Then daughters Lovina and Verena take turns staying with sister Verena for the night. The other one stays with daughter Susan and children.

Daughters Elizabeth and Lovina and I assisted sister Emma in cleaning today as church services are set to be there Sunday, Lord willing! Thank you for all the prayers during this past month. God bless!

Shoestring Potato Pie

2 unbaked pie shells
potatoes, peeled and shredded
cubed ham or meat of your choice
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup water (or more)

Fill pie shell heaping full with potatoes, ham, and seasonings. Add water and place second crust on top. Cut slits in top crust to let steam escape. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until potatoes are done. Pie can be served with your choice of gravy.

 

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. 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.

Thanksgiving preparations at the Eicher homestead

Thanksgiving Day is coming upon us. A great day to spend with family! My sister Emma and I take turns hosting Thanksgiving dinner for our families and sisters Verena and Susan. This year sister Liz and Levi and daughter Suzanne have plans to join us since they will be in the area that day.

We had a surprise visit from Joe’s sister Esther and David and their son David Tyrel, age 4. It was so good to see them again and have a visit with them. David Tyrel is really growing up fast. They live in the Sugarcreek, Ohio, area.

This week I am sharing many recipes for your Thanksgiving celebrations.

This turkey casserole is a great way to use up leftover turkey.

 

Turkey Casserole

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 cups turkey, diced (or chicken)
1 cup shell macaroni, cooked
1/2 cup celery, diced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 hard-boiled eggs, diced
1 small onion, diced

Mix mayonnaise and soup together. Add remaining ingredients and place in a buttered casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

Another recipe I’ll share is the pumpkin roll we always have for Thanksgiving.

 

Pumpkin Roll

3 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup pumpkin
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine eggs, pumpkin, and sugar, then add the rest of the ingredients and blend together well. Pour into a 15x10x1-inch cookie sheet that has been greased. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Sprinkle clean towel with powdered sugar. Flop out the pumpkin cake into the towel when it comes out of oven. Roll up like a jellyroll; let cool completely before filling.

 

Filling:

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix filling ingredients together until smooth. Unroll cooled cake, then spread with filling and roll up again without towel and refrigerate.

I use this dressing recipe to have with the turkey. It’s a simple, easy dish to add to your menu.

 

Dressing

4 eggs
1/4 cup diced carrots
1/4 cup diced celery or celery leaves
1/4 cup chopped onions
2 cups hot water (use potato water, if you have some)
2 tablespoons chicken-flavored soup base
10 slices bread, crumbled

Dissolve soup base in hot water, then add rest of ingredients and mix well. Pour into a greased casserole dish or cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

I never think we can go without pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving Day either. Whipped topping or ice cream finishes it off. This recipe is for a 9-inch regular pie plate (not deep dish). If you use a deep-dish plate you will probably need to double the recipe.

 

Pumpkin Pie

1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup pumpkin
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon flour
Cinnamon

Mix all ingredients except cinnamon. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce to 350 degrees until set. Makes 1 pie.

And to finish off a good meal there is nothing better than some dinner rolls warm from the oven. Mix these up after your turkey and dressing are in the oven and bake them last so they are warm to serve with the Thanksgiving meal.

 

60-Minute Dinner Rolls

2 packages dry yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup warm milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup melted butter
4 cups flour

 

Add yeast and sugar to warm milk and let stand for 15 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Stir well and let stand in warm place approximately 20 minutes until double in size. Form into 24 egg-sized rolls. Place on a well-greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

I wish everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving. Let us give thanks for all the blessings we receive from our Father in Heaven. May God be with each of you. Let us pray for unity in our nation. Peace to all and God’s blessings!

 

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.

Autumn leaves, deer hunting, and apple pie

We are having nice, sunny autumn weather with temperature in the 60’s by the end of the day. It’s a good time to get the leaves raked and the yard cleaned up before the snow flies. We did have a coating of snow on Sunday, but it didn’t accumulate much.

I also have some tulip bulbs I want to plant this week.

The leaves are absolutely amazing in their fall colors—scenery that only our Master Artist can create. Daughter Lovina, 16, and I drove to town with the horse and buggy. We saw a lot of nice scenery on the back roads.

Last week we helped Mose and Susan finish painting their house, although the pantry needs to be painted yet. My husband Joe helped Mose install their kitchen cabinets. On Saturday Joe, our sons, son-in-law Tim, his nephew, and Dustin (daughter Loretta’s boyfriend) helped Mose move in enough of their furniture so they can live in the house while they finish remodeling. Dustin and son Joseph also put up some trim. The back porch still needs to be turned into another bedroom and the laundry room remodeled, but the doors can be shut while finishing those rooms.

Mose and Susan heat with an outside wood boiler, so their house is nice and cozy now. What a relief for Susan to have an indoor bathroom and running water again. The fruits of their labor are worth all the time invested. I know they appreciated everyone’s help during this busy time.

On Friday afternoon Joe, son Kevin, and I went to daughter Elizabeth and Tim’s house. I helped Elizabeth in the house while Joe helped Tim grill forty pounds of chicken. Kevin helped keep the children entertained. Daughters Verena and Lovina also came to help with supper. They invited Elizabeth’s pen pal and extended family from a nearby community for supper. They had almost forty guests that night. On the menu were tater tot casserole, barbequed chicken, lettuce salad, cheese slices, pumpkin and apple pies, Swiss roll bars, ice cream, lemonade, punch, and coffee.

After supper dishes, we spent time visiting and singing. Elizabeth’s pen pal, also named Elizabeth, has two children.

The girls and I washed our clothes and Mose and Susan’s clothes on Monday. It was such a beautiful week to hang clothes outside to dry.

Dustin went hunting with a bow and arrow and landed a seven-point buck. Loretta is also hunting with a bow and arrow again this year. She hasn’t been able to get any deer yet. I like venison meat for sloppy joes, as it’s drier to fry. I always mix some sausage with it.

Sons Benjamin and Joseph have also gone deer hunting a few times. And sons-in-law Tim and Mose have put one or two deer in the freezer already.

I received my reader mail again and was very humbled to receive the gifts from readers. May God bless you for thinking of us. I try not to worry and let God be in control. Something will come along, I’m sure, and Mose has been very glad for Joe’s help.

Today Joe is at home and not feeling well, so I hope it’s nothing serious. God’s blessings to all and lots of prayer for our government. May God guide them in the right way to guide our country.

Plain Apple Pie

6 medium apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (6 cups)
1 (9-inch) pie shell, unbaked
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup water

Place apples in pie shell. In a small bowl, mix together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and water. Sprinkle flour mixture evenly over apples. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, or until apples are soft. Makes 1 pie.

 

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.

Welcoming autumn with pecan pies

It is the first day of autumn! Our gardens are cleared out, being tilled, and are history for 2020! We had a frost Saturday morning that put an end to them. We have lots of tomatoes and peppers that I want to use to make spicy vegetable juice. A lot of people covered their plants to avoid the frost, but we didn’t take the time to do that. We are thankful for the harvest we did get, though. Next week we will be going to the u-pick orchard to pick grapes for grape juice. We ran out of grape juice this year, so I want to can more this year than I did last year.

Saturday morning was chilly for the local consignment auction but ended up being pretty warm by the end of the day. I made pecan pies for the auction’s bake sale to help with hospital bills for a local family. Of course, I made a few extra to take to daughter Susan and Mose on Friday when we went to help them with last minute work. They hosted church services again on Sunday under a tent. Mose ran a propane heater in the tent to heat it up somewhat. It was a cold morning, with the temperature in the low 40’s, but it warmed up as the sun came out, and the heater soon had to be turned off. Susan and Mose were relieved to be done with their two turns to host church services and now be able to concentrate on remodeling their house. This week, Mose is trying to install the bathtub, toilet, and vanity, so at least the bathroom will be available. The living room and bedroom are ready to be painted.

My husband Joe doesn’t have any work, so he and Mose’s dad helped on the house for the last few weeks.

Tomorrow the girls and I plan to go help daughter Elizabeth clean her house. Church services will be at their house next time. It will be a longer service because we will have a council meeting in preparation for Communion two weeks later. (Editor’s note: Some Amish refer to this service as “rule church,” when, as the name implies, rules of the church are discussed. It is usually held the service before Communion.)

Saturday, our plans are for the whole family to help Tim and Elizabeth with preparing to host church services. They did a lot of remodeling and painting in their home and added a few closets. It is all looking nice. The renovations make so much more room for them.

The week after Tim and Elizabeth host church services, they will travel to Kentucky to attend the wedding of their niece. I will sew granddaughter Abigail’s dress, and Tim’s sister Martha sewed T.J.’s shirt. Such little deeds help a busy young mother.

I am starting to wonder why I thought we were busy before our daughters were married, when we had no grandchildren. I am so glad we can help and the joy the grandchildren bring is wonderful.

I made a breakfast casserole to take to Elizabeth’s tomorrow morning. Sister Emma, niece Elizabeth, and niece Emma and her two little ones also plan to help clean at Elizabeth’s.

Elizabeth told us all to come for breakfast, so I told her that I would bring breakfast. Daughter Susan made a casserole for lunch to take along. It helps so much when we don’t have to stop to prepare the meals and can keep on cleaning.

It is always enjoyable to get together with my daughters and with Emma and her daughters. There are seven little children between my five grandchildren and her two children, with the oldest being Abigail at four years old.

I am now writing the morning after I began this column. Son Benjamin, twenty-one, left for work at 4:30 a.m. and it’s time to get lunch packed and breakfast made for son Joseph, eighteen. He leaves a little before 6 a.m. today.

Daughter Verena is answering my reader mail since my time is so limited lately. I really appreciate it. She loves to write to readers. I’m sure that they get longer letters back than the ones they wrote (smile!).

I will share the recipe for pecan pie this week.

Wishing you all a safe and happy week and may God bless you!

Pecan Pie

6 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup water
2 (9-inch) pie shells, unbaked
2 cups pecans (halves or pieces), divided

Mix together beaten eggs, sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, vanilla, and water. Divide mixture evenly between the two pie shells. Sprinkle 1 cup pecans on top of each pie.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce oven to 300 degrees and bake for an additional 40–50 minutes, or until middle of pie is set. Cool completely before serving. Makes two (9-inch) pies.

 

 

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.

 

Annual family gathering and easy peach cream pie

On Saturday, July 11th, we all were awake and ready by 5:30 a.m., waiting for our ride on the bus to Monroe, IN to sister Leah and Paul’s house for the annual Coblentz gathering. Lo and behold, 6 a.m. rolled around and still no bus. Finally, we saw a bus pass by and soon after it headed back. Somehow a few wrong numbers in an address made quite the difference. The driver must have been frustrated to have to stop at three or four of our Amish neighbors’ houses. We could see the bus pull in and out of their driveways, so finally son Benjamin jumped on his bike and waved the driver down. Everyone was waiting to load up when he pulled in, so we still made good time. We stopped at a nearby McDonalds for breakfast. Daughter Elizabeth took everyone’s order and called them in the night before, so the waiting time wasn’t as long. With only the drive-thru open, it isn’t easy for a big bus load of people. Every order was marked for each family. It all worked out well. Then we headed for the interstate while everyone enjoyed their breakfast while visiting. It was very enjoyable to all be together. With almost thirty people on the bus, it wasn’t quiet, but it was an enjoyable, fun ride. The last time Jacob and Emma, sisters Verena and Susan, and our family all fit in the same vehicle was sixteen-and-a-half years ago when we started land shopping in Michigan. Daughter Elizabeth was nine at that time and is twenty-six now.

Our family totals around 110 now and if I’m counting right, everyone was there except six nieces and nephews and their families.

The noon meal was more than enough food with all the side dishes and desserts added to the hot meal Paul and Leah provided.

I forgot to mention that the bus had a lift so nephew Jacob and daughter Loretta could take their mobility scooters along.

Of course, my parents and brother Amos were greatly missed. Invitations to the wedding of brother Amos and Nancy’s youngest daughter, Laura, were passed out. She and Enos have set August 6 for their wedding day. Amos and Nancy had ten children—eight daughters and two sons. This is their eighth wedding to prepare for. Nancy has her youngest son Sam still at home with her. The newlyweds, Enos and Laura, will make their home with Nancy and son Sam for now.

Singing took place in the afternoon and everyone brought snacks to enjoy before we headed home at 4 p.m.

We arrived home in Michigan around 6:30 p.m.

It was time to prepare for church services at a young married couple’s house a few miles from here the next day. Daughter Loretta had her fifth service of following instructions for the eighteen articles of faith that the Amish youth take before getting baptized. All the church ministry and members have been so helpful to make sure everything is easy for Loretta and nephew Jacob with their handicaps. It is greatly appreciated and makes us appreciate the love. So often, we take our health for granted and do not think of the effort it takes others to do the same things we do. It causes a lot of discouragement for them, and even for me as a parent, when they have a bad day of accepting that they cannot do what others their age can. I know they have greater compassion for others through their handicaps. May God bless the youth that take time to stop and reach out to them. You have no idea what it means when their challenge is so much greater than ours. The kingdom of heaven will have no handicaps. God bless.

Easy Peach Cream Pie

3 cups fresh peaches, peeled and sliced
1 (9-inch) pie crust (unbaked)
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
dash of salt
1 cup heavy cream.
1 teaspoon vanilla

Place peaches in the pie crust. Beat eggs slightly in bowl; blend in sugar, flour, and salt. Stir in cream and vanilla; blend well. Pour over peaches. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes, or until center shakes slightly when moved.

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.

 

Wedding memories and Mother’s raisin pie

July 15 was our twenty-seventh anniversary. Lots of memories throughout the years since Joe and I were married.

Tables decorated for Lovina and Joe Eicher’s wedding in 1993. Photo provided.

 

This is what my mother wrote in her column in July 1993 about our wedding. Mother wrote,

The weather was ideal for the wedding of daughter Lovina to Joe Eicher. Lots of work at such a time.

The Tuesday before the wedding, which was Thursday, July 15, about two dozen women came to help. They baked 90 pies (oatmeal, cherry, raisin, and rhubarb) and made 14 batches of nothings. Didn’t really want that many pies, but that number came upon us before we knew or thought of it. Well anyways no worry to run out of pies.

Wednesday about a dozen girls came to peel potatoes, cut up vegetables for the dressing and make potato salad for which I had cooked a twenty-quart cooker full of potatoes. Also, the tables were set and the last minute cleaning done. Our wash house or shed saw lots of life out there, as all the work was done in there to prepare for the wedding ceremony. Wednesday evening quite a few of our friends came to see the wedding tables, and refreshments were served to the ones that came. It was an enjoyable evening.

Then came the wedding day. We started to fry chicken (300 pounds) at 4:15 a.m. which was served for dinner. Had enough for supper too and also served boneless ham. Our meals consisted of chicken and noodles, gravy, mashed potatoes, dressing, chicken, buttered corn, green beans (which came out of our garden), pork and beans, potato salad, carrot salad, lettuce salad (plenty from the garden), hot peppers, Swiss cheese, fruit salad, tapioca pudding, pies, cakes, nothings, celery sticks, coffee, bread, rhubarb jam, and butter. There were around 18 skillets used to fry the chicken. We cooked 3 twenty-quart cookers of potatoes for dinner for mashed potatoes and 2 twenty-quart cookers for chicken and noodles. In the afternoon we again cooked over 3 twenty-quart cookers of potatoes to be mashed and more chicken and noodles for supper. Also 16 quarts of gravy. There were 28 women to prepare the meals. We could seat 98 people in the house and 70 in the wash house. The tool shed was cleaned out where the wedding services were held and later used to set up a table for the children for the noon and evening meals. We had quite a crowd here for both meals. Well enough of this for now. What a relief to have it over with.

I have so many precious memories of mother and how much she did for her family.

Joe was called back in to work this week after being laid off since March 23. It sure is a relief to us to have his income coming in again.

Yesterday, son Benjamin turned twenty-one, so he wanted the family to come home for supper. He ordered out pizza and wings for all of us. What a treat is was! Chips, cheeseball and crackers, and ice cream were also added to the menu. I didn’t get time to make a cake and didn’t for daughter Loretta’s birthday either. With son Joseph’s birthday coming up next week, it looks like we will have one cake for all the July birthdays. It’s almost too much cake for one month if we have three. Benjamin said he wouldn’t eat cake anyway, so he didn’t care that there wasn’t a cake.

Since I am running out of space, I will write about our family gathering at sister Leah and Paul’s house next week.

I will share the recipe for Mother’s raisin pie. God bless!

 

Raisin Pie

 2 (8-inch) unbaked pie crusts
1 cup raisins
2 tablespoons clear gelatin
pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup water

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Use one crust to line an 8-inch pie pan. Cook the raisins with water to cover in a kettle over medium heat until plump and juicy, about 15 to 30 minutes. In a bowl, make a thickening with the gelatin, salt, sugar, vinegar, and water. Pour into the raisin mixture. Cook until the mixture is thick enough to stick to a spoon. Add more sugar if it is not sweet enough for you. Pour into the pie shell. Cover the top with the remaining pie crust and seal and flute the edges. Cut slits in the center for steam to escape. Bake for 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Makes 1 (8-inch) pie.

 

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.

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.

 

Mail from readers brightens Lovina’s day

Another week has passed and not much has changed around here. We did have the temperature go down in the 20s one night. My husband Joe didn’t expect it to get that cold and had his plants in the greenhouse. Unfortunately, it is too late for some of his plants. It was so disappointing for him on his first year of planting indoors. He was ready to just give it up, but such is life at times. If at first we don’t succeed, try and try again.

We really need to find a way to put a little heat in the greenhouse so he doesn’t have to move the plants in and out of the house all the time. He moved the plants that are okay to the basement by the walkout windows that get the morning sun. This way he can keep the plants there until it warms up to stay.

Spring snow arrived last week on the Eicher farm, though it didn’t last long and wasn’t as deep as in this previous photo of the Eicher homestead. Photo provided.

Last week we had around five or more inches of snow, and we had moved the plants inside through all that. Then, when it warmed up again, Joe decided to move everything back to the greenhouse. The early flowers peeping through the snow looked so pretty. It was snow that packed well for making snowmen. I’m sure a lot of the children home from school during this COVID-19 had some fun making snowmen. They probably lasted only a few days though as the snow was gone as fast as it came.

My friend Ruth sent my mail from the Illinois post office box to my home here in Michigan. She does a good job of helping me out even when there are hundreds of miles between us. Bless her good heart! She is truly a great kind friend and does it all for free.

Now I can answer my mail and get the letters back out to you readers. Thank you for your encouragement. I needed that extra boost with not leaving the house much and a houseful of my loved ones to cook and clean for. It is true as the saying goes, “If Mama isn’t happy, no one is happy.” After weeks and weeks of being on shut down from the virus it tends to take a toll on all of us, doesn’t it? That’s why we need to ask God to lead the way.

It seems like we keep cleaning corners we don’t usually get cleaned before we host church services. And in our minds we know we need to keep everything that was cleaned staying that way. Maybe I could relax better if our turn would be past or maybe I just should not make such a big deal out of having a little dirt around because that is not at all why we go to church. After this many weeks of not seeing our church members, we will all just be happy to be able to gather for church. I’m sure the last thing on people’s mind is looking to see if everything stayed clean.

A reader asked me for a recipe for caramel pecans, which I don’t have. If anyone does and cares to share it, I’m sure she would be happy to have it.

I appreciate all the ideas for raised garden beds that were sent to me. I passed them on to Joe and hopefully next spring we will be able to try them. A reader asks what I use to clean my walls with. I use a Stanley product that used to be called Try-It but the name is now Multi-Purpose Cleaner. They also have a product called Degreaser that I use with it in the kitchen area where it tends to get greasy around the stove. Also a reader is wondering where I get the flour cloth to clean windows. I buy the flour sack towels, which can probably be found by the other dish clothes in stores such as Wal-Mart. It has saved me from using paper towels. I use white vinegar and warm water and a clean rag to wash off, and then wipe the windows with the flour sack towels. Keep in mind to never wash the towels with fabric softener though.

I will answer more questions next week. Until then—God be with all of you

Fresh or frozen strawberries whip up into a tasty frozen treat in this week’s recipe from Lovina Eicher. Photo provided.

Strawberry Freeze

Crust:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 cup flour

Filling:
3 egg whites
2 cups crushed fresh or frozen strawberries
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup Cool Whip or whipped cream

Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a stainless steel bowl and bake in bowl for 20 minutes, stirring often. Cool. Crumble 2/3 of crumbs in an 8 x 8-inch pan. Save the other 1/3 for the top.

Filling: Put egg whites, strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a bowl and beat until mixture holds its shape, about 15 minutes. Mix in Cool Whip and spread over crumbs. Sprinkle remaining crumbs on top. Freeze at least 5 hours.

The recipe doubled will fill a 9 x 13-inch pan. If using frozen strawberries, drain off some of the juice.

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.