It is a nice sunny Sunday afternoon with a pleasant temperature of 75 degrees. It is great porch sitting weather.
We attended church services this morning hosted by our neighbors. My cousin Lovina, her husband Pete and some of their families were there. It was good to visit with her again. I was surprised to see her. Cousin Lovina’s daughter is getting married in July so we both are extra busy in our lives at the moment. I was surprised to hear this is the sixth of her children getting married. She has eighteen grandchildren. I don’t know why I forget that while our family is growing, others also have children getting married and having children. It’s probably because we don’t see each other often and that reality doesn’t sink in right away.
Lovina’s Dad, Chris, was my mother’s only brother. We spent a lot of our childhood days together. We would help each other butcher hogs or cook apple butter in large quantities. Lovina and Pete live on Uncle Chris and Lizzie’s farm. Lots of memories of years gone by.
Yesterday was a busy workday here. A lot of jobs were completed for the upcoming wedding of daughter Verena and Daniel Ray. Daniel Ray’s family and all of our family assisted with our work. The house siding was power washed, the pole barn was washed out well, flower and garden beds weeded, and sidewalks, pavement, and cement were all power washed. Windows, doors, cabinets, and walls were cleaned in the pole barn. Basement and breezeway windows were also cleaned. The younger children scrubbed the porch railings. Trimming was done around the fence lines, etc. We sure appreciated all of their help. Joe grilled forty pounds of chicken for lunch. I made creamed potatoes and dinner rolls to go along with that. Desserts were brought in.
Friday evening most of our family had supper at daughter Loretta and Dustin’s. We enjoyed spaghetti, banana poppers, grilled whole chicken, chips, applesauce, cookies, and cake. I had washed a lot of my clothes that day plus finished with my sewing, so it was a treat to not cook supper. Plus, I got to enjoy some time with my children and grandchildren while not working. Little Kylie is now five months and is at such a fun age. She’s a real chatterbox. She weighs thirteen pounds now. She’s a petite little girl.
I sewed my son Kevin a new pair of pants for the wedding. I finished my dress, cape, and apron and also sewed my daughter Verena’s wedding dress. She will wear a colonial blue colored wedding dress with a white cape and apron. The moms will wear dresses in a color called happy teal. The cooks will wear royal blue, and the sisters will wear a peacock color. The table waiter girls will wear aqua.
This coming Wednesday my daughters and daughter in-law will come help do the last-minute cleaning. We have a new garage door ordered and the plans are to install it Tuesday evening. We also want to stain the ramp, steps, and the garden beds. Our to-do list is gradually getting jobs crossed off. The cook wagon, cooler, and wedding supply wagon will all come on Friday. On Saturday we will set the tables for the wedding. We usually can seat around 350 at one setting. This is a lot of plates, glasses, silverware, coffee cups, serving bowls, etc. to unpack.
The wedding wagon owners usually want you to take a count of how many of each item there is then it is recounted when it’s put back in. If anything gets lost or broken, then we have to pay the cost of it. On the bright side though we don’t have to borrow dishes, stoves, etc. for the wedding. When Joe and I were married we didn’t have the wedding wagons available to rent and everything was borrowed.
Daughter Elizabeth will have her thirty-first birthday on Saturday, June 14. I wish her many more happy, healthy years. She was our first born and we named her after my mother. God bless you dear daughter on your birthday and always.
On Saturday, Aug. 2, I will be at the Farmer’s Market in South Bend, Indiana, from 8 to 11 a.m. for a book signing. I also will have books there to sell. The market is located at 1105 Northside Blvd., South Bend. I will be seated near the main office. I hope to meet some of you there!
God bless!
CREAMED POTATOES6-8 potatoesSeasoning of your choice to taste2 heaping tablespoons flour1 cup milk8 oz shredded Colby cheese or sliced cheese can also be usedPeel and dice potatoes into 1-inch pieces. Put potatoes in a 4-quart pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Mix flour and milk together and whisk until smooth. Stir into potatoes. Add seasoning. If you need thicker just mix more flour and milk. Add cheese and stir.
Lovina’s Amish Kitchen is written by Lovina Eicher, Old Order Amish writer, cook, wife, and mother of eight. Her three cookbooks, “The Cherished Table,” “The Essential Amish Cookbook,” and “Amish Family Recipes,” are available wherever books are sold. Readers can write to Eicher at Lovina’s Amish Kitchen, P.O. Box 234, Sturgis, MI 49091 (please include a self-addressed stamped envelope for a reply); or email questionsforlovina@gmail.com and your message will be passed on to her to read. She does not personally respond to emails.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Amish Kitchen: The Eichers are busy preparing for Verena’s wedding