It is a lovely October evening with temperatures still over sixty. The sun was out all day, which we are thankful for. The laundry dried really fast. Son Benjamin, Joanna, and daughter Verena were blowing and raking leaves and then burned them. They were nice and dry, so it didn’t take long. Verena had Loretta’s two children since this morning, and Denzel came after school. Denzel loved helping with raking the leaves. His favorite word is, Sure! No matter what question you ask him, his reply is … sure! Daniel Ray was working on cutting up the doe he shot on Saturday when he went bow hunting with son-in-law Tim. Tim also shot one. Daniel Ray will make some jerky with some of his venison meat. To me, that’s the best part of a deer. They keep telling me how good those steaks are, but I haven’t been convinced yet. I guess I’m my father’s daughter. They say it’s all in my head. Haha! My father was a little picky about venison. I actually don’t mind the burger in Sloppy Joe or in chili, etc., but to just eat the steaks is different for me. Maybe if I had grown up eating it, then I wouldn’t think of it so much.
I don’t think I mentioned yet that grandsons Timothy, 7 (TJ) and Isaiah ,7, were excited to shoot their first deer during youth season. TJ shot a doe and an 8-point buck, and Isaiah shot a doe. They were some proud little boys. Little Ervin Jr., 2, wanted to go hunting with his dad one night. He came out all ready and prepared to go with his life jacket on. Haha! Sweet little boy thought since it protects him when swimming that it should surely keep him safe when hunting. No, he didn’t get to go along, but I’m sure his parents and siblings had a chuckle out of it.
We plan to attend the 5:00 wedding dinner on Wednesday night of Thomas and Kathy. This is the last of our wedding invitations now and the wedding season is winding down. Congratulations to the couple. We wish them a long, happy married life! The weather forecast sounds like it will be sunny and a high of 70 that day.
Friday evening, our monthly “Family Night” was held here. It was so nice to have the whole family gather here again. It’s been a while since they were all home at the same time. So much good food was brought in, and I didn’t have to cook. We furnished the ice cream. The rest of the evening was spent playing games such as Rook, Cover Your Assets, Piles, etc.
Sunday, we had a relaxing day! Joe grilled an 18-pound turkey that I still had in the freezer. I made mashed potatoes and gravy to go with it. Benjamin and Joanna, Daniel and Verena, and Joe and I were the only ones here, so we had a lot left over. After lunch, we played a game of Life on the Farm. That game ended up lasting two hours. As we were finishing up, we had company show up. It was Sister Emma, nephew Steven, nephew Ben and Crystal, and their three children. The rest of the night was spent visiting.
Mary, a reader, contacted me asking if I knew how to process celery for later use. I do not know how as I never grow celery. Would anyone out there know how so I could help her out with this? My mom and some of my sisters grew celery, but it is one thing I’m never tried. My garden was usually full of everything else. Carrots were different and easy to keep, but now I don’t even grow those. It takes less each year around here, and I’m trying to get used to that. This week, I’ll share the recipe for Salsa Mac-n- Cheese. Enjoy!
God’s blessings to all!
Salsa Mac-n- Cheese
1 pound hamburger
16 ounces chunky salsa
1 3/4 cup water
2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
12 ounces processed cheese
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Brown meat in a large skillet, drain grease off if needed. Add salsa and water; bring to a boil. Stir in macaroni, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer 8-10 minutes or until macaroni is tender. Add cheese. Stir until melted.
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 questionsforlovina@gmail.com and your message will be passed on to her to read. She does not personally respond to emails.