9:15 a.m. Dishes are being washed and floors are being swept. My husband Joe and the boys do the morning chores. We had a cold minus 7 degrees this morning. Sister Emma and Jacob gave us a new wireless thermometer and rain gauge. It has a sensor that Joe mounted outside. The outside sensor and the rain gauge need to be within 100 feet of the indoor unit. Our old thermometer is one you put the wire out through a window. It is on a north window by our back porch so it doesn’t get much wind. This one shows 7 to 8 degrees warmer than the wireless. I am not sure if it is because the wireless sensor is out in the wind. I’ll be interested to see how the self-emptying rain gauge will work.
10 a.m. Verena takes all the children to the basement and plays school with them. She gives them lessons on things they are practicing in school. It is a fun way to get them to study.
11:45 a.m. I mix up some meatloaf and put it in the oven. It has warmed up outside so the boys go out to play in the snow.
1:30 p.m. We eat dinner later than usual since we had a late breakfast. Our menu is mashed potatoes, gravy, meatloaf, corn, cheese, deviled eggs, cake, and peaches. Elizabeth’s friend Timothy is also here for dinner.
2:30 p.m. Dishes are washed and some are working on the 1000 piece puzzle we started yesterday. Others are playing board games such as Connect Four and Mancala, a marble game, which were Christmas gifts.
6:30 p.m. The girls and I heat up leftovers for supper while Joe and the boys do the evening chores. The puzzle is not far from finished. Some of the younger children are putting together a 100 piece puzzle which is easier. Daughter Lovina, 6, says the 1000 piece puzzle is just too hard for her and the pieces are too small. She will take the 100 piece puzzles and put them together over and over.
8:45 It is bedtime for the children as tomorrow morning will be here before we know it. Joe will have a four day work week this week so he is also ready for bed.
On January 6, Joe’s family gathered at his sister’s annual Christmas gathering. We had a carry-in brunch around 10:45 a.m. and everyone brought snacks for later. Board games and singing was done. The children enjoyed sledding with their pony pulling the sled. Joe’s family is a count of almost 90 now but not everyone was present. If my count is right the total there was 66. Brunch was served in their full basement. Two of Joe’s sisters had new babies in the past year. Christine and Jake were blessed with a daughter, Rosetta. Henry and Loretta were blessed with a son, Jonathan. Both are around four months old now.
Here is the recipe for Egg Dutch. I usually double this recipe and then make two pans full, so I use a total of 20 eggs for it.
Egg Dutch
5 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
1 heaping tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
Put eggs, salt, pepper, flour and milk into a medium bowl. Beat. Pour into a greased skillet and cover with a tight lid. Place over medium heat. Cut and turn when half done and finish baking.
Makes 6 servings.
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