Traverse City Record-Eagle

Lovina Eicher: The Amish Cook

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November 10, 2011

The Amish Cook: Junior is back in town

BY LOVINA EICHER Special to the Record-Eagle

Following is a diary of this past Saturday:

• 7:30 a.m. We slept in this morning. It was a nice break to sleep later after another busy week.

Last night we got home later as we went to Jacob and Emma's house for Jacob's 39th birthday, which was Nov. 1. They had a delicious supper of barbecued pork steak and ribs and a haystack supper. Emma presented Jacob with a big ice cream cake from Dairy Queen. After we washed the dishes we sang and some of us played Aggravation.

• 8 a.m. Everyone is awake now and the girls and I are making breakfast. Joe and the three boys are doing the morning chores.

It is relaxing to have a Saturday morning that isn't so rushy. We made a breakfast casserole layering scrambled eggs, potatoes, sausage, bacon and cheese with sausage gravy poured over everything. Yum!

• 9:15 a.m. Breakfast is ready. We have the casserole along with frosted sugar and ranger cookies, milk and grape juice. Elizabeth and Susan baked almost 200 cookies on Thursday. Some are for church services on Sunday and the children wanted to take some to their teachers. They are delicious and disappearing fast.

• 10 a.m. Joe and the boys are working at odd and end jobs outside. Verena and Loretta are sorting potatoes for the winter. We like to sort through all the potatoes we pick up from the fields. We separate the good ones from the ones with cuts and bad spots so they can be used first.

Elizabeth and I start with the weekly cleaning while Susan and Lovina wash the breakfast dishes.

• 1 p.m. The cleaning is done and everyone takes a break from work. We eat a light lunch of sandwiches, apples and bananas.

• 1:30 p.m. Joe leaves to get some repairs done on our buggy.

• 3 p.m. Joe is back home and he and the boys start on the evening chores. Taking care of the stove is another chore on his list during the winter months.

• 3:30 p.m. Joe's brother Junior comes for a visit. We haven't seen him in almost seven years so our younger children do not remember him. He had lived out of the area but recently moved back. Joe tells him to stay for supper.

• 5:30 p.m. Joe starts the grill outside to prepare some chicken. I make a chili soup in the house.

• 6:30 p.m. Suppertime with Junior and Elizabeth's friend Timothy.

• 7:30 p.m. Junior leaves for home and everyone gets cleaned up and ready for church tomorrow. Our time will go back an hour tonight; we'll be glad for the extra sleep.

Both our buggies are repaired so we will be able to take both of them to church. Our single buggy had not been usable since it flipped over several weeks ago. Our 17-year-old horse, Diamond, felt his harness catch on the shaft and it scared him enough to take off and flip the buggy. But now the damages are all repaired.

• 8:30 p.m. Everyone is ready for bed.

With Thanksgiving on the way I have a great recipe to use up some of the leftover turkey.

Turkey Casserole

3 slices of bread, cubed

2 c. cooked turkey pieces

1 egg

1 can chicken noodle soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 c. cracker crumbs, crushed

¼ c. margarine, melted

Place cubed turkey pieces and bread in a greased casserole dish. Combine egg and soups and pour over meat and bread. Combine cracker crumbs and melted margarine. Sprinkle on top of the casserole. Bake at 350° for 50 to 60 minutes.

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.

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