The Amish Cook By LOVINA EICHER I will attempt to write this column even though 4-year-old Kevin is beside me chattering away. He is full of questions this morning. Right now he is singing Jingle Bells. He has the right tune but it is a little too loud. Some mornings he will lay on the couch and sing one song after another. Kevin also keeps asking me when his cousin Steven can come play with him again. Sister Emma, Jacob and family stopped in on their way home from church services yesterday. Kevin and two year old Steven had a great time together, as always. Those two little boys are quite a handful when they get together. We didn’t hear them for awhile, so we thought someone should check up on them. After a brief search, we found them both sitting in the bathtub with a bowl of popcorn.

I am glad they didn’t decide to turn the water on. Kevin is always excited when Steven comes. I think he likes the idea that he is older and bigger than Steven. Kevin told me Steven sings but that his cousin, baby Marilyn can’t, she just cries. Marilyn is almost 3 months old and is such a little sweetie. She doesn’t lack attention when she comes here.

Our annual church potluck Christmas dinner is planned for two weeks from now. The holidays are coming up way too fast. Daughter Verena will be 12 on Thursday, Dec 10. It is hard to believe in another year she will start her teenage years.

My husband Joe’s grandmother will be 96 on Wednesday, December 9. She broke her pelvis a few weeks ago. We have not heard lately how she is doing. She lives two hours away so it is harder to keep in contact. Daughter Verena is already writing a letter to send her in with the birthday card. As I pen this column we are having snow flurries. It doesn’t seem to be accumulating much, though. I told Kevin to look out the window because it is snowing. He looked and said it is not snowing because he doesn’t see any on the ground.

The children have two weeks of school and then they will have two weeks off over the holidays. Kevin will be excited to have everyone home those two weeks. Susan, 13, is helping the children write a play. They want to act it out for the family after they get everything written. This occupies the children for hours in the evenings, rehearsing their lines and practicing scenes. It gets dark so early so it is something for them to do. I am looking forward to watching the play and seeing what they came up with this time. Seven year old Joseph told me one evening that he doesn’t want to be in the play because Susan is making it too sad, but they talked him into helping them again.

The children are also working on their songs for their school’s Christmas program which will be December 17. Five year old Lovina sings her song to her us. It sounds so cute to hear her little voice sing. She is really adjusting well in school. Last week were the parent-teacher conferences. They have now completed their first trimester for this school term. It took quite a bit of time to meet with all six children’s teachers and daughters Susan and Verena have four teachers. It is time-consuming to meet with the teachers to see how they were all doing, but we are thankful for the great staff the school has.

I need to bring this to an end and go help daughter Elizabeth with washing dishes. But with the holidays still around, sweet potatoes are enjoyed this time of year. Try this easy but delicious sweet potato casserole!

Sweet Potato Casserole

3 cups boiled and mashed sweet potatoes

3/4 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

2/3 cup white sugar

2 eggs

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

In a large bowl, mix well sweet potatoes, butter, sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Spoon into a 9 X 13 casserole dish. Then, in a separate bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, and butter. Sprinkle this mixture over the top of potatoes. Sprinkle 1 /2 cup pecans on top if desired. Bake 30 minutes at 400. Delicious!

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