Hello from our house to yours! This is Lovina's eldest daughter, Elizabeth. I decided to take a moment and scribble a few lines.
The laundry needs to be folded, the dishes for lunch boxes need to be washed, and sewing is beckoning, but it's the little things that are important, so I'd like to ignore the housework and write about it. I think.
The children are on spring break from school. They were looking forward to spending a week at home for a while. me too! There's no morning rush, just a slower pace, no alarm clocks to disturb the kids' sleep, and everything is peaceful and quiet. After the kids woke up, sleepy-eyed and smiling after a good night's sleep, I made “nest eggs” (our family's favorite) for breakfast.
The children picked up the logo, put away their picture books from their afternoon play, and ventured outside to cycle around the circle drive. It was a warm windy night. Abigail, 7, was so excited when her 5-year-old TJ learned to ride a bike without training wheels a few months ago. He became a bit of a whiz on the bike and gave his sister a challenge to stay ahead of him. TJ reminds me a lot of my brother Ben when he was little. Like Ben, TJ is always on an adventure. Four-year-old Alison still rides a bike with training wheels, while two-year-old Andrea has yet to master the art of riding a tricycle without help.
On Sunday afternoon, Tim, the kids, and I went for a bike ride. Tim pulled an enclosed bike trailer with Allison and Andrea shoved inside. Abigail and TJ rode their bikes with us. It didn't take long for TJ to become exhausted, but he still enjoyed it. After returning home, we returned to the forest and took a walk through the hayfields. The north side of our property is adjacent to a river, which attracts a lot of wildlife. Abigail was very excited to find a four-leaf clover. TJ ran ahead in search of adventure (not too far away). Alison was singing and skipping, so happy in her own little world. Andrea was content to sit in the wagon that Tim was pulling.
Tim still works as a sawmill worker at the sawmill. He enjoys it and we are grateful that he has a job and is able to work. The things we take for granted in our daily lives are often taken for granted. We heat with an outdoor wood boiler so he cuts wood from our forest. Tim hand-planted corn on five acres of pasture last spring. We don't have the equipment to plant and harvest corn, so everything is done by hand. I help when I can. Tim doesn't plan on planting corn every year, but our pasture wasn't in the best condition so he decided to switch pastures for a year. It definitely helped with feed costs. Tim grew up on a farm, so working on a farm is not new to him.
The children enjoy riding in an open wagon pulled by the trusty old mare Sian while the corn is harvested. It's a fun old fashioned experience. She loves to steal a corncob or two while we are at work. Tim bought Cyan many years ago when I first started dating him. She hopes she will be by her side for many years to come. As a child, she remembers riding in her grandfather's wagon and watching her parents, aunts, and grandparents harvest corn. Beautiful and precious memories!
Easter is almost here! Good Friday and Easter remind us that we are not walking alone. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). (Colloquial translation) That is my favorite poem.
Tim and I are considering using colorful chicken eggs to boil and color eggs for the kids this year. Usually white eggs are used, but eggs of all colors except white are available. I don't know what the color will be, but I'll look into it. Abigail and TJ take care of the chickens and are always happy to let me know how many eggs they have collected. For the time being, eggs are plentiful. We love deviled eggs, so you can make them from boiled eggs.
I wish you all a blessed Good Friday and a wonderful Easter.
Lunch and cheddar pretzels
2 pounds pretzels, optional
1℃ oil
1 piece of sugar
3/4 ton.onion powder
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
2T. Cheddar cheese powder
3/4 ton.garlic powder
Place pretzels in a mixing bowl. Mix remaining ingredients. Pour over pretzels. Mix. Bake in a cake tin at 200 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
Lovina's Amish Kitchen is written by Lovina Eicher, an Old Order Amish author, cook, wife, and mother of eight children. Readers may write to Eicher at Lovina's Amish Kitchen, PO Box 234, Sturgis, MI 49091 (please include a stamped, self-addressed envelope for return). Or email her at LovinasAmishKitchen@MennoMedia.org and her message will be passed to her to read. She does not respond to her emails personally.
