The Amish Cook

By LOVINA EICHER

Another year has gone into history. I often think of the verse “another year will soon be past only what is done for Christ will last.” How very true those words are.

We had a green Christmas with warmer than usual weather but we awoke yesterday to a white world. The ground was covered in snow and the snowflakes were still falling. Needless to say Stormy the pony and the sled were put to use giving rides out in the hayfield. The children like our hilly hayfield for sled rides.

This week we have kept busy cleaning house. Yesterday we cleaned the basement. Joe and the boys hauled manure from the barn the last few days. Today, we will do laundry and some more house-cleaning. We have been getting done early every day so we have been having some nice long relaxing evenings. It has been relaxing not to have to follow a schedule with Joe being home from work and the children being off from school. After a few weeks, though, it always seems like I am ready to get back on schedule.

We started on a 1000 piece puzzle that we work on in our free time. Our goal is to get it together before the children and Joe’s holiday break is over. It is different to just be able to leave the puzzle out without having to worry about little toddlers messing it up. An incomplete puzzle always seemed to attract the children when they were little. I know there were some of our puzzles that would get messed up 3 or 4 times. It is just so hard to believe these years have gone by so fast. Now our youngest, Kevin, age 6, thinks he is old enough to help on the big puzzles. He still needs to stick with the smaller puzzles as he thinks he can just push the pieces together to make them fit. We give him the job of laying out all the pieces of the puzzle face-up so he still feels included.

We gave each of the 3 oldest girls an Aggravation board for Christmas. Sister Emma’s husband Jacob made them and they are very nice. He has one side where 4 players can play and the other side for 6 players It has nice oak trim around the edge and should last them a lifetime.

The girls made Christmas cut-out cookies last week and decorated them. Those are already history by now. Yesterday the girls also made Rice Krispie treats. Next week we want to make chocolate covered pretzels and peanut butter balls.

I also made a batch of “party mix” for over the Christmas holidays. This year we are just making some Christmas goodies a few at a time. Apples and peanuts in shells are a snack we also have around most of the time over the holidays.

Uncle Joe and Betty from Indiana came for a short visit one day last week. They brought us some bananas. I think Kevin eats the most of them. He loves bananas and knows Joe and Betty will always bring them some when they come.

Jacob, Emma, and family and Elizabeth’s friend Timothy came for supper on Dec. 22 in honor of my husband Joe’s 43rd birthday. Joe made barbecued chicken and hot wings. We also had mashed potatoes, noodles, corn, cottage cheese, sliced Swiss and Colby cheese, carrots and ranch dip. I had a Dairy Queen cake hid in the freezer but Joe found it before supper so I couldn’t surprise him with it. We wish all of you readers a blessed 2012. With all the potatoes we have for the winter we are trying different ways of making potatoes.

Here is an easy way to prepare baked French fries.

Baked French Fries

4 - 5 medium-sized potatoes
1 stick of melted butter
1 package of saltines, crushed

Cut potatoes into length-wise pieces, peeled or unpeeled. Dip slices into melted butter and then roll in cracker crumbs until they are completely coated. Lay the potato slices on a greased cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake 40 minutes at 350, or 45 minutes for crispier fries.

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