Category Archives: Cakes and Frostings

Autumn weather and pumpkin torte

We are having very cool mornings with temperatures around the upper 40’s to lower 50’s, and then warming up gradually. Next week autumn begins, so we can expect cooler weather. Our hay has been cut for the last time this season. Hopefully, we will get it in the barn before there’s any rain. Yesterday, daughter Lovina, sixteen, … Continue Reading ››

Summer brings outdoor church and rhubarb treats

We have turned another page on our calendar. June is here! Our hay is cut and now we have the challenge of getting it raked and baled before it rains again. Yesterday was pretty warm with the temperature reaching the 90s. This morning at 4:30 a.m. the thermometer shows 72 degrees. It feels good to have … Continue Reading ››

Camping and Fresh Strawberry Yogurt Cake

Another week has gone by and it’s time to pen this column again. It is 4:30 a.m. and both boys are off to work. The rest are still asleep. I could use a few more winks myself, but first I need to make sure this column is done. We had a few warm days with the … Continue Reading ››

Eicher family celebrates a winter birthday with chocolate fudge cake

Diary of January 15, 2020 3:00 a.m. Alarm rings—time to start a new day. My husband Joe and son Benjamin, 20, get ready for work. They refuel both coal stoves for the day while I pack their lunches and make  grilled cheese sandwiches for their breakfast. 3:35 a.m. Joe and Benjamin leave for work. I go back … Continue Reading ››

Any guesses who shouted “Happy New Year” to the neighbors?

Lovina's newest grandchild, Timothy, has a cozy outfit to keep him warm riding in the buggy.
A brand-new year lies before us! What does it hold? Last year brought us two more grandchildren who bring us joy. But Joe and I each had a … Continue Reading ››

Lovina’s friend Ruth offers sneak peek into Amish wedding preparations

In this week’s column Lovina’s English (non-Amish) friend Ruth Boss gives us a glimpse into Lovina’s busy week as head cook for her niece’s wedding. This week I helped with preparations for the wedding for Lovina’s niece Emma. As an outsider, I am impressed by how beautifully orchestrated these events are. Family, neighbors and the … Continue Reading ››

Horses escape in the wee hours—but sons and daughters save the day

Our Sunday church services are set here for August 12. So right now we are extra busy cleaning everything. I know that we could have church services here without everything clean. To us though, that is our way of getting everything clean again. It gives us a goal to reach. We host church services once … Continue Reading ››

Lovina’s diary offers glimpse of an Amish woman’s ordinary day

Lovina’s diary offers glimpse of an Amish woman’s ordinary day 3:00 a.m. Alarm rings—time to get up and pack husband Joe’s lunch, fill his water jug with ice and water, make a pot of coffee, etc. 3:45 a.m. Joe’s ride is here to go work in the factory. In January it was 13 years ago that he … Continue Reading ››