It is Monday morning and the temperature is 19 degrees Fahrenheit. The windchill is at 7 degrees, so it feels cold when the door opens. We sure have had our share of cold temperatures. Son-in-law Tim is hoping the lakes will freeze hard so he can take his children Abigail, 8, and Timothy (T.J.), 6, ice fishing.
My husband Joe left for work around 5:10 a.m. Son Benjamin doesn’t leave until 6:30, so I’m trying to write this column until it’s time to pack his lunch while he does the morning chores. He lets our horses out during the day so they can run around in the snowy pasture field. At nighttime he puts them back into the barn. They are enjoying our new barn, but we still aren’t finished with the tack room and the feed room. We have three horses and a pony and Benjamin has two horses, so a total of six. This year Jett will be two, so he will be trained to pull the buggy.
Yesterday Joe and I spent the day at Dustin and Loretta’s house. Son Joseph and Grace went there Saturday evening and spent the night. I took in a meal to have brunch with them. I ended up taking everything over there and making it at their house. Our menu was biscuits, sausage gravy, fried eggs, sausage patties, cheese, and hot peppers. Also cookies, orange juice, V-8, and coffee. Sister Verena came to join us. Her neighbor Mary brought her. Mary sure is a good neighbor. She takes daily walks and checks up on Verena a lot. We sure do appreciate her. Verena met her newest great-niece Kylie for the first time.
After we ate, Joseph and Grace took Denzel and Byron outside and gave them sled rides and made a snowman for them. Denzel and Byron stood and watched as the snowman was being made. I think it was a first for them.
Daughter Susan, Ervin, and their six children and daughter Verena and Daniel Ray all came for a visit after church. Verena went with Daniel Ray to his church district, and Ervin’s went to their home district church. We used to be in the same church district as Ervin’s until it divided last fall due to it being so large. Since we host church services at our own places (taking turns), it makes it hard when it gets too big to make room for everyone. So once a district has 40 or more families, a line is decided upon and the district is divided into two churches. Depending on which side the bishop, two ministers, and deacon are on, some new ones will be ordained so that each side has a bishop, two ministers, and a deacon. A new bench wagon, benches, dishes, and so on have to be done for the “new” church. The church where the bishop lives stays on the same church Sunday, and the “new” church district will be held the next Sunday. When we moved to this community 21 years ago, there were only six or seven church districts. Now there are 18 church districts.
I was very glad to see Ervin, Susan, and the children. We hadn’t seen them since Christmas. Ervin Jr. was a year old in November and has finally decided to walk. This was the first time I have seen him walk. He has so many babysitters with his five older siblings. Jennifer will be 7 on January 15th, so we gave her a birthday gift a few days early. The children were excited to meet cousin Kylie for the first time. It was so good to see them all again.
Today (January 13th), Ervin, Susan, and Ervin Jr. will board a bus bound for Florida to stay with Ervin’s parents for a week. This is a belated wedding gift to Ervin and Susan from his parents.
Daughter Verena will stay at Ervin and Susan’s house with their other five children during the nine or so days they are gone. Daniel Ray will do the chores and help Verena at night with jobs she can’t do. I told Verena I will bring the laundry here to wash and will try to make a few meals to help her out. Kaitlyn, 8, Jennifer,7, and Isaiah, 6, will go on the bus to school every morning. Ryan, 5, and Curtis, 5, will be at home with Verena during the day while the others are in school. Verena is great with children, so I’m sure they will do fine. I’m sure they will be very happy once their parents arrive back home, though.
Sister Verena came home with us from Dustin’s and spent the night here. Until next time . . . God bless!
Buttermilk Chicken Tenders
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders (may substitute boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into strips)
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper, as desired
For the breading:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper, as desired
vegetable oil (for frying)
Marinate the chicken: In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and salt and pepper. Add the chicken tenders, ensuring they are fully coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (For extra tenderness and flavor, refrigerate overnight.)
To prepare the breading: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper.
In a large skillet or deep frying pan, heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove the chicken tenders from the buttermilk marinade, allowing any excess to drip off. Dredge each tender in the seasoned flour mixture, pressing down to ensure the tenders are well coated.
Carefully place the coated chicken tenders into the hot oil, frying in batches for 3–4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. The internal temperature should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.
Lovina’s Amish Kitchen is written by Lovina Eicher, Old Order Amish writer, cook, wife, and mother of eight. Her three cookbooks, The Cherished Table, The Essential Amish Cookbook, and Amish Family Recipes, are available wherever books are sold. Readers can write to Eicher at Lovina’s Amish Kitchen, PO Box 234, Sturgis, MI 49091 (please include a self-addressed stamped envelope for a reply); or email [email protected] and your message will be passed on to her to read. She does not personally respond to emails.