I am Verena, age 12. I am Lovina's third oldest child. I love to write and when I heard Mom say she doesn't hardly have time to write the column this week I decided to surprise her.
We have been butchering hogs and beef and that is why Mom is so much more busy right now. It is cold outside and the wind is very cold.
Mom is baking bread and it smells so good. Tonight we are going to have homemade pizza for supper. That sounds good too. Pizza is one of my favorite foods. I like to eat at school on Friday because they always have pizza for lunch. I love when we have potato soup too. I am hungry for that good bread Mom makes. We like to spread butter on it when it is still a little warm. That makes it so good.
It is starting to get dark outside. Sister Elizabeth is making peanut butter cookies. The cookies and bread are for a bake sale our church is having. The money will go to help a family in our church with hospital bills.
Mom thinks I am doing my homework now, but I am writing this column instead. I hope she will be surprised that she doesn't have to write the column.
I have four teachers at school. We change classes every hour. I have six classes and my favorite is English.
Just about every night before we go to school I get clothes ready for my brothers and sisters, Benjamin, Loretta, Joseph and Lovina. I bring the clothes down and hang them close to the bathroom. It makes it easier for them to get dressed when they are tired in the morning.
I have 20 classmates in my grade. They are all friendly to me. School is fun and I like having a small school so I know almost everyone. Our school, from grades K-12, has only around 300 students. Our principal is nice and won't let anything bad happen in our school.
I like when it snows so we can make Stormy, our pony, pull our sleds. Sister Susan drives the pony while us children get on the three sleds. She goes fast and turns short to try to flip us off the sleds. It is so fun.
When we go to church I wear a dress with long sleeves, a white cape and an apron. When we turn 10 we can sit with the girls instead of with Mom. Same with the boys. The men and boys sit on one side and the women and girls sit on the other.
I just got to taste one of Elizabeth's cookies and they are delicious.
In English class we made a book and had it published. We all wrote some wonderful stories. It is interesting how we do our worksheets in English class. The teacher has four groups and he divides us into groups. Every 12 minutes we switch to another group. I think it makes time go faster that way.
Monster cookies are my favorite so I will share the recipe.
Monster Cookies
2 sticks butter
1 c. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar
3 eggs
1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 t. light corn syrup
2 t. baking soda
1&1/2 c. peanut butter
4&1/2 c. oatmeal
2 c. chocolate chips
2 c. plain M&Ms;
Preheat over 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugars.
Add eggs, one at a time, then add vanilla, corn syrup, baking soda and peanut butter and mix well until smooth.
Add oatmeal, mix well, scraping side of bowl.
Add chocolate chips, mix. Add M&Ms;, mix.
Drop batter onto ungreased cookie sheets by tablespoons. Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
Let cool on cookie sheets about 3 minutes before removing to cooling racks. Makes 4&1/2 doz.
Lovina Eicher is Old Order Amish. She hand writes this column from her home in southern Michigan. Anyone with cultural or cooking questions can send them to: Lovina Eicher, The Amish Cook, P.O. Box 2144, Middletown, OH 45042. Read all of her columns online at www.record-eagle.com/amishcook.
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