• The Amish Cook By LOVINA EICHER This has been a busy time in the Eicher household! For starters, we attended the wedding of niece Mary Jane and Amos on Thursday in Indiana. This is brother Amos and Nancy's third daughter to get married. After having a daughter getting married the last three summers they should be in good practice by now. One out-building was set with benches for the wedding service while another had tables set for the meal. An adjoining building was used for the cooks to prepare food in. They served a very delicious meal to all the guests. I was a cook while my daughter Elizabeth, 14, helped wait on the childrens table. All the cooks pitched in with different tasks. First I helped with the tapioca pudding, then I worked on the

Watergate salad, and then I went in and helped with frying chicken. We were to wear gray dresses. Elizabeth and I didn't have any that color so I was extra busy sewing the last few weeks. I also sewed Kevin , 3, a new white shirt for the wedding. The men and boys wear white shirts for churches and wedding services . Kevin had outgrew one of his white shirts and the other was too stained after passing it down from his older brothers Benjamin and Joseph. On some material the stains are so much easier to get out than others and it just wouldn't come clean. Although after enjoying his chocolate cake at the wedding Kevin's new white shirt didn't look very clean anymore.

We cooks fried 300 pounds of chicken for the noon meal and there wasn't much left by the time it was all done. Along with chicken they had mashed potatoes, gravy, noodles, dressing, mixed vegetables, tossed salad, Watergate salad, cheese, mixed fruit, tapioca pudding, a variety of cakes, and plenty of pie, which include the following flavors: pumpkin, cherry, oatmeal, and pecan . We didn't stay all day so I am not sure what the evening menu was. We were glad we could at least go for the wedding ceremony and the meal afterwards. Meanwhile, we received another wedding invitation, this one from niece Elizabeth and her fiance, Levi. Their wedding day will be October 16. This is sister Leah and Paul's daughter.

Another excitement for Leah and Paul is that they are now grandparents for the first time. Their son Ben and Rose Marie were blessed with a son on Sept 8 named Ben Jr. While attending the wedding of Mary Jane I visited with Aunt Lizzie, she is having many lonely days since Uncle Chris's funeral. They were married 51 years together.

Another task that has kept us busier than usual is canning grape juice. We canned 5 bushels of grapes and canned 240 quarts of juice this week The children are enjoying it already. I think it is a healthy drink for them to enjoy.

Along with everything else we are helping Emma and Jacob prepare for church services which will be held at their house next Sunday. We are hoping that things will slow down after that.

Today Emma and Jacob and family were here for the noon meal. We had mashed potatoes, gravy, mixed vegetables, barbecued chicken, cheese, tomatoes, turnips, cole slaw, and cake and ice cream. The chicken was from ones we butchered ourselves. We also had deviled eggs since I have so many egg on hand,. Those are a real treat for everybody. I told them just come over and relax since preparing for church is so much work, I figured they could use a break! This is the recipe for "Watergate salad" served at the wedding.

Watergate Salad

Editor's Note: This salad has become very popular in Midwestern Amish communities. The name of the salad is interesting and seems to imply "political scandal", but no one seems to know for certain how this popular salad got its name.

1 box of pistachio pudding

1 can of crushed pineapple with juice

2 cups of mini-marshmallows

1 7-ounce carton of Cool Whip

1 cup English walnuts, chopped

Put pudding mix and crushed pineapple in medium sized mixing bowl. Mix well. Add marshmallows, nuts and whipped topping. Mix well again. Cover and place in refrigerator. It takes approximately 2-3 hours to completely chill.

Lovina's first book, The Amish Cook at Home, will soon be released. Cookbooks will not be available through Oasis Newsfeatures, but instead will be available at most major bookstores. Online bookstore Amazon.com is taking preorders at a discounted price until the book's Oct 21 release date. Visit Amazon.com and type in "Amish Cook at Home."