The Amish Cook By LOVINA EICHER Last week was a busy week canning the meat from two deer. We canned some deerburger and chunk and also made some summer sausage. With my husband Joe being off work it was good to see more meat in jars and in the freezer. Before we stored the meat, I defrosted the freezer and cleaned out the refrigerator. It is always a relief to have it all clean again. I wanted to do this before I put in more meat. We now have chicken, fish, and venison meat in the freezer. What a blessing to have such a bountiful supply of meat when my husband's work is slow. Our chickens are also doing real well and we have plenty of eggs to use and also the potatoes we have from our own garden. With Thanksgiving this week let us thank our Heavenly Father for the many blessings he sends. We must remember to thank Him not just on Thanksgiving Day but everyday.

Joe woke up yesterday morning with fever and sore throat. This morning he is still running a fever and not feeling too well yet. He has a bad cold also. I am trying to doctor him up the best I can. I sure do hope my husband feels better soon. He wants to go back out and try his luck getting another deer once he is feeling better. Last week Joe was doing some more odd jobs around home and working on our upstairs bedrooms. He is pasting and taping the dry wall in Elizabeth's bedroom now. The drywall is hung but it needs to be finished and painted. With Joe being home he is getting caught up on some of these jobs. I keep teasing him that I have quite a big "honey do" list. It is our turn to have my family Christmas gathering this year. I still don't know when that will be. I need to get in contact with everybody and find a date that will suit. We are a total of 69 now and it gets pretty hard to find a day that works for everyone, but we will try our best.

Meanwhile, my brother Amos and Nancy are grandparents for the third time. Baby Amanda was born to Paul and Elizabeth Coblentz. She joins a sister Lisa. Baby Amanda spent quite a few weeks at the hospital. She is at home now but is still on a heart monitor. She was born seven or eight weeks early. We wish them God's blessings and better health for baby Amanda.

It was sleeting this morning but now it has turned into snow. Joe is always glad for the snow through deer season. It helps him to track the deer easier. Benjamin, 9, Loretta, 8, and Joseph, 6, have all taken a turn to go deer hunting with him. Loretta spotted some deer from their tent and yelled "hey, Dad, deer!." She gave the deer enough chance to get away. Joe told her next time she has to tap him arm and to be quiet. We did get a good laugh out of it. I do think she was rather on the deer's side and couldn't handle having Joe shoot one. Needless to say she isn't interested in deer hunting anymore.

I will share a baked French toast recipe. It is easy to do and is very good served with scrambled eggs.

Baked French Toast

1 /2 cup butter

2 tablespoons corn syrup

10 ­ 12 slices of bread

1 /4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

6 eggs

1 1 /2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Bring brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup just to a boil. Then pour in bottom of 9X13 inch glass pan. Top with two layers of bread. Mix sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle on top of bread. Then beat together eggs, milk, vanilla and pour over bread. Bake at 350 for 30 ­ 35 minutes. Do not overbake or bottom will get hard.

The Amish Cook at Home, Lovina's first cookbook, is a 200-page color coffeetable cookbook with many recipes and information about Amish culture. The cookbook is now available for holiday purchase at all area Barnes & Noble and Borders book stores.

To join The Amish Cook Friend Club: ONE-YEAR SILVER $25; name card, signed 8 by 10 color photo of the Eicher's horse and buggy or meal-time scene. Free access to any paid products at amishcookonline.com. ONE YEAR GOLD $50; all of the above, plus a quarterly newsletter, "The Amish Cook Extra," with family favorite recipes, color photos of Lovina's home, stories and Amish information. EDITOR'S CIRCLE $75; All of the above, plus a happy birthday card from Lovina sent to the home of one loved one per year and an invitation to the editor's picnic next spring with the Eichers in attendance. Memberships must be received by November 15 to receive invitation to picnic. Memberships can be sent to: Oasis Newsfeatures, P.O. Box 2144, Middletown, 45042. Readers can also join with credit card by calling 1-877-571-4112 24 hours, 7 days. Please note if your membership is for a Christmas gift

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