This week brings us into autumn already. This week always takes me back to twenty years ago when my dear mother so suddenly passed away. She died September 17 but was in Blue Springs, Missouri, at the time of her death. The funeral wasn’t until September 23. My mother penned this column for eleven years, and after her death I started writing. Joe and I had six children at the time, and Joseph was eight weeks old. Where have all the years gone to? Time does not stand still. I have many precious memories of my sweet mother. She far outdid me in cooking/baking.

Yesterday we did laundry and I had everything hung outside, then I heard thunder in the distance. I gradually took off the clothes as they dried, but the storm kept getting closer. I hung what fit on the lines on the porch, then brought the rest in baskets inside. We didn’t get too much thunder and lightning, but some rain. After it was over, I hung what was wet outside again. I could’ve left it out in the rain, but the towels were halfway dry, and although it took more physical labor, I decided to take them off until after the rain. All the laundry was dry and could be folded and put away by nighttime. I really hope I can someday get those wash lines that you can put on your porch ceilings and fold back up after you’re done using them. On rainy days when you don’t have heat in the house, that would be so nice to hang laundry out there. We have a big wrap-around porch that would be great for that.

Daughter Loretta and baby Denzel came here for the day. She brought their tomatoes, and I had several five-gallon buckets out of my garden that son Joseph had picked the evening before. We canned thirty quarts of tomato juice for Dustin and Loretta from all the tomatoes. Loretta started washing and cutting up the tomatoes while we did laundry. She was glad when Dustin came home from work and helped her. This will be a nice supply for them this winter.

My hot pepper plants are loaded again, so I will have son Kevin pick the peppers this week and get those in jars. The raised garden beds make it easier for Kevin to help pick the vegetables.

Church services were held at niece Emma and Menno’s on Sunday, which was also council meeting. Everyone comes in for lunch two tables at a time, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. or until everyone is fed. Church services were held under a tent. The lunch was served in their pole barn. They had a good lunch consisting of chicken noodle soup, homemade wheat and white bread, ham, cheese, peanut butter spread, pickles, red beets, hot peppers, butter, strawberry jam, a variety of cookies, coffee, and iced tea.

Services were over around 2:30 p.m. and everyone left for home. Our family stayed, and Emma made supper for us. Corn hole was being played while supper was being prepared. Nephew Jacob, 22, has muscular dystrophy also, and corn hole games are one thing he makes for income.

We are working on having a benefit supper at our Community Youth Center on October 7. We will be serving a barbecue chicken and pulled pork meal from 4–8 p.m. I wrote out slips of paper with pies, potato salad, etc. to pass out to the ladies that want to help bring the food. The benefit is to help Dustin and Loretta with hospital and ongoing medical bills. Dustin is raising pigs for this winter to butcher, so they will roast one of those for the benefit. There is a lot of work involved, but there are a lot of willing people wanting to help. Many hands make lighter work!

Loretta will have an ultrasound done in mid-October on both legs to see what is causing the clots. We pray it will be something simple that can be fixed.

Denzel is 10 1/2 weeks old and drew a lot of attention in church when he decided to giggle out loud. Loretta was making faces at him and he just giggled and giggled. He is such a cutie!

I will share the cookie recipe that daughter Lovina tried and everyone loved. Hope you will enjoy them, too. God’s blessings to all!

Chewy Chocolate Cookies
1 1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups (1 12-ounce package) peanut butter chips or chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt and then blend into creamed mixture. Stir in chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 9 minutes (do not overbake). Cookies will be soft. They will puff while baking and flatten when they are cooling.

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.