The Amish Cook

By LOVINA EICHER

Another week has flown by making this the last column for September already. Autumn is here now and it is obvious. Mornings are chillier and leaves are starting to fall. Some of our trees are getting that colorful look. We haven’t had a killing frost yet but have had temperatures in the upper 30s. Sister Emma’s son Stephen came off the bus around noon. I had just finished hanging out the laundry. Susan and I have been babysitting for our friend Amy’s two children this week. Matthew is 2 and Emily just turned a year old earlier this month. Susan was kept busy tending to the little ones while I did laundry. Emily is starting to take steps now. I almost forgot all the things two little ones can get into. A favorite seems to be my sewing machine drawers. I forgot that my house was not childproof anymore. I think we have everything under control with moving things up a little higher and the stairs gated shut. Little Emily just notices right away if the gate is not by the stairway. Matthew is not a problem and plays really well. He loves when Susan takes him to see the pony. Yesterday we took him for a pony and cart ride. He was so excited he would have done that all day.

The sun hasn’t been out much today but there is a nice breeze blowing so hopefully the clothes will dry. Loretta is counting the days until she can have her cast taken off. She has two weeks to go yet. Daughter Verena will be fitted for a new AFO foot brace next week. Usually they need to be changed around every 9 months while they are still growing but she has had this for almost a year. Wearing the brace has sure helped her a lot. (Editor’s Note: Lovina is genuinely appreciative of all the readers who have contacted her offering various vitamin suggestions for her daughters. Lovina does have her children on a combined course of vitamins and conventional medicinal therapies and she is inclined to stick with what she is using. Lovina thanks readers for their concern and wishes she could respond to everyone personally)

My husband Joe ended up going to a doctor again as he just didn’t seem to be getting better. They gave him two antibiotics and is getting some relief finally. He has had some pretty miserable nights already. The doctor said if this doesn’t help he should get his chest x-rayed.

Tomorrow night our neighbors Joas and Susan will bring us supper. That will be a treat. They want Jacob, Emma, and family to come too. We have ordered our coal for the winter. It is so hard to believe it is that time of the year. Before we know it it will be butchering season again. I hope we can butcher pork early this winter as I only have sausage left in cans and none in the freezer.

After Loretta’s bed is moved upstairs I want to get started painting the dining room, living room, and kitchen area again. I also have the material now to sew curtains for the bedrooms upstairs that haven’t had any since the fire. After the fire there was not a sign of the boys curtains left. They melted right off the curtain rods. Seems like winter is coming up too fast and we still have lots to do.

Neighbor Irene brought over a bag of carrots that she picked out of a field. Mine never came up this year so I was really glad for them.

Try this recipe:

Oatmeal Carrot Muffins

1 cup quick cooking oats, not instant
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup melted butter or margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup finely shredded carrots
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1 cup whole wheat or all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Pour buttermilk over oats into a large mixing bowl. Add beaten egg, melted butter, sugar, carrots, and orange rind. Mix thoroughly. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix. Add to oat mixture stirring just until moistened. If desired add raisins and bake. Fill greased muffin cups 3 /4 full and bake at 375 for 15 to 20 minutes.