This column will wrap up March 2023 and another month down in history. It’s unbelievable how fast time goes.

We moved to Michigan from Indiana in March 2004, which is 19 years already. Lots of changes in those 19 years. Our oldest child was 9 when we moved, and we only had our six oldest children. In May 2004, daughter Lovina was born, and then Kevin in 2005.

We have been helping daughter Loretta and Dustin, and hopefully next week we can go again. They will host church services at their house at the end of April, Lord willing. This is their first time hosting it. On Saturday, son Joseph and daughter Lovina and Daniel (Lovina’s special friend and Dustin’s brother) were helping. Lovina cleaned out some cabinets, and the boys helped Dustin get some more trim on that wasn’t finished from when they remodeled their house. The services will be held in their pole barn, so that has to be cleaned out yet.

On Saturday we had supper at daughter Elizabeth and Tim’s house. Tim had the grill and deep fryer going. On the menu was grilled ham, fries, cheese curds, cheese, chips, cinnamon rolls, cookies, ice cream bars, and ice cream sandwiches. All of our family was there except son Joseph and daughter Lovina. After supper we played games.

On Sunday, Joe and I were the only ones home all day. In the afternoon we walked across the road to daughter Loretta and Dustin’s house. We played Marble Chase with them, and they told us to stay for supper. They put pepper poppers and ham on the grill. After supper we played Marble Chase again. Joe and I were teamed up against Dustin and Loretta, and we were ahead in the games we won. We probably should’ve quit while we were ahead. Haha! They ended up winning the most games. It can get pretty exciting, and it’s always fun to see which team wins. Denzel was happy watching and sitting on our laps until he decided he should move the marbles, too. He’s okay letting me hold him until Grandpa Joe comes around, then he wants to go there. For some reason it’s way more fun hanging out with Grandpa.

Yesterday, daughter Elizabeth dropped her daughters Allison, 3, and Andrea, 1, off here before she picked Tim up from work. They took Timothy (T.J.) to the doctor and they changed his cast to see how his finger is doing.

The doctor said it’s healing well but his finger won’t look normal the way it did before. He won’t have a fingernail on it, and it’s going to be shorter than it was. Basically, what they did is use the part that was cut off to cover the open wound. By doing this they didn’t have to cut below the first joint. It won’t look normal but at least it wasn’t worse than that. T.J. was excited to show us his new cast, and this time the doctor put on a blue cast. Last time it was white, so he was glad he could have a colored one. T.J. is an active little boy, so it was a good thing he had the cast changed. His other one looked dirty already. Typical for a 4-year-old boy.

Abigail, 6, came off the bus here, and she was glad to spend some time here before her parents came to pick the three girls up. We enjoyed having the girls here.

Daughter Verena came home after her dentist appointment yesterday and stayed the night. Today daughters Elizabeth, Susan, and Loretta and all their little ones will come for the day. I want to get a breakfast casserole in the oven soon so it’s ready to eat when they come. It’s been a while since they all came home for a day together. Susan has a few more to bring than she used to, but she enjoys it. She is a good mother to their five little ones.

Ervin and Susan left their five children here Saturday while they went to town. Five children from ages 3 to 6 makes for never a dull moment. They are all precious. God’s blessings!

Cinnamon Bun Cake
3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Topping:
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2/3 cup chopped nuts, optional

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Once combined well, slowly stir in 2 tablespoons melted butter. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan.

In another large bowl, mix the two sticks of softened butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nuts until well combined. Drop evenly over cake batter by the tablespoon and use a knife to marble swirl through the cake.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out nearly clean from the center.

Place powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle over warm cake. Best served warm straight from the oven or then at room temperature.

Lovina’s Amish Kitchen is written by Lovina Eicher, Old Order Amish writer, cook, wife, and mother of eight. Her newest cookbook, Amish Family Recipes, is available wherever books are sold.  Because Lovina is Old Order Amish, she does not have email or a telephone in her home. Lovina does not respond to comments on this website, if you would like to contact her directly, click here.