The Amish Cook, Week of 9/23: Daily Diary

THE AMISH COOK

BY LOVINA EICHER

4:50 a.m.  My alarm goes off.  Daughter Elizabeth is up already, packing her lunch.  My husband Joe didn’t have work today so we didn’t have to get up earlier.

5:10 a.m.   Elizabeth’s ride is here and she leaves for the factory.

5:30 a.m.  Joe gets up.  I told him to sleep in since he has a chance, but he said to him 5:30 is sleeping in.  I make some coffee and we relax in our recliners until it’s time to wake the children up.  Nights have been cool so we usually close most of the windows at night.  These chilly mornings make you think of the winter months ahead.  We did have a killing frost already in some areas on Saturday morning.  It affected some of my garden.  That’s the earliest I can remember having a killing frost since our move to MI.

6 a.m.  We get the children up to start getting ready for school.  Our breakfast is biscuits and gravy.

7 a.m.  Bus is here and Benjamin-14, Loretta-13, Joseph-11, Lovina-9 and Kevin-8 all leave for school.  Susan-17 and Verena-15 wash the breakfast dishes.  Joe does the morning chores.  The 4 calves still seem to be doing well so far.  No more escapes and calf chases, which we hope stays that way.  I clean up the house and sweep the floors.

8:45 a.m.  Susan, Verena and I leave to go help sister Emma with her cleaning.  Church services will be held there Sunday.  Susan and Verena go with Tiger and the pony wagon.  Susan thinks Tiger needs more exercise so she decided to take him.  I go with Itty Bit and the queen-size buggy.  The children plan to come off the bus today at Jacob’s so we need more room to come home.  The queen-size buggy has only one seat and our surrey buggy has 2 seats.  Itty Bit is a smaller horse so we usually hitch her to the queen since it’s easier pulling.  Joe stays home to clear out most of the garden and get it ready to till.

12 noon.  Emma fixed a lunch of potato soup and ham sandwiches.  We cleaned her basement and washed off walls and ceilings in both her bathrooms.

3:20 p.m.    The children come off the bus at Jacob’s house with their boys-Jacob Jr., Benjamin and Steven.  They eat a snack and then go outside to mow grass.  The girls are outside cleaning the tool shed windows where church services will be held.  I do odd and end jobs for Emma in the house.

5 p.m.  We leave for home.  Elizabeth is home from work and sewing on her baptismal dress which she finishes before suppertime.  Joe has the garden looking better.

6:45 p.m.  Supper’s a little later than usual.  We have scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and tomatoes on the menu.

8 p.m.  Dishes are washed and everyone is getting cleaned up for bed.

9 p.m.  Most of the family is in bed, so all is quiet.  It’s time to think through the day so I could write this diary.  May God bless you all!

Apple Pudding

2 cups peeled and chopped apples

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 egg, beaten

3 Tbsp. butter, melted

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine apples and nuts in a bowl.  Sift flour, sugar baking soda and salt together and blend with 1^st. mixture.  Combine egg, butter and vanilla and mix well.  Then add to the rest and still till moistened.  Bake at 350 degrees until set.