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Please Don't Quote Me HIstory of Lanark, Shannon, Milledgeville, Mount Carroll, Chadwick, Milledgeville, Savanna, Thomson, Fulton, Pearl City, Morrison, Freeport, Sterling, Illinois

PART V — Franklin Langworthy, late of Mt. Carroll, wrote a book concerning the Carroll County ‘49ers “and their trips to the Gold Rush. It apparently, is among the rarest of the rare. Who has read it?” Scenery of the Plains, Mountains and Mines, a diary. Report of the Overland Route to California by way of the Great Salt Lake. Travels in the Cities, Mines Agricultural Districts Embracing the Return by the Pacific Ocean and Central America in the years 1850, 1851, 1852, 1853.” And that was merely the title page, not a condensed version of the story!

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The Amish Cook

By Lovina Eicher

3:15 a.m. - This always seems too soon to get up yet, but Joe needs to head out for the factory. I packed Joe’s lunch and filled his water jug for work. On these hot days he wants me to add plenty of ice for his water. Joe usually isn’t hungry for breakfast this early so he usually waits for his first break to eat.

3:45 a.m. Joe leaves for work and I go back to bed.

5:30 a.m. Time to get up again. Daughters Elizabeth and Susan pack their lunch while I make each of them a “breakfast burrito.” It is a cool morning to detassel corn and also wet from overnight rains. The girls use a big contractor’s garbage bag to cover themselves while they detassel. They cut out holes for their arms and head and it helps to keep them dry until the corn dries off.

6:20 a.m. Elizabeth and Susan leave for another day of detasseling corn. A bus comes through here to pick them up every morning. They work in teams with other young people from the area. They are still working six days a week but they think next week they will finish up. I get caught up with some bookwork and enjoy the peacefulness for awhile.

7:15 a.m. The rest of the children are awake now so I start breakfast for them. I also make some more breakfast burritos for them. They are always a favorite for the children. Some of us like homemade salsa with them.

8:30 a.m. Son Benjamin, 11, helps me do the laundry Loretta, 10, sweeps the floors while Verena and Joseph washes dishes.

10:30 a.m. The clothes are all out on the lines. It is a nice breezy day for drying laundry. After a little break the children take turns mowing the grass. And I do a little mending before I start lunch.

12:30 p.m. I made a one-kettle soup for our lunch. I put a whole cooking onion, pint of beef chunks, and diced potatoes in a large cooking pot, adding enough water to cover well. When the water starts boiling I add more water and then some spaghetti. After the spaghettis are tender I season it with salt and pepper. This soup makes a quick, easy meal on busy days. I remember mom making this soup when I was a little girl. It was great for busy days.

2 p.m. Elizabeth and Susan are back home. They get cleaned up which they like to do as soon as they get home. The boys are mowing and Verena and Loretta help me get the dry laundry to fold and put away.

4 p.m. Joe, Susan, Kevin and I drive to town with our horse, Itty Bit, and the buggy. I was in need of some groceries so we decided to make a quick run to town.

6:30 p.m. We are back from town We have fresh tomatoes out of garden so we make an easy supper of bacon, egg, and tomato sandwiches. Those fresh tomatoes are so good along with all the other garden goodies. It looks like our sweet corn is ready so that will be another easy meal for tomorrow.

9 p.m. Everyone is ready for bed after another day’s work.

I read through some reader mail my editor sent to me. To Theresa from Minnesota about what to do when you get too many eggs: a great way to use up your eggs is making noodles which is what I do.

To Sue from Fort Wayne, Indiana, try this recipe for Rhubarb-Custard pie it never turns out soupy for me.

I bake it until it is set.

Homemade Rhubarb-Custard Pie

1-1/2 cups rhubarb, diced

2 tablespoons flour

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup cream or whole milk

Preheat oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl, mix together above ingredients. Pour in unbaked 9 in ch pie shell and bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour or until set.

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