It is a cool June morning with temperatures only in the low 60s. I had to close a few windows as it was chilly with them all open. Summer is officially here now.

It seems empty around here. My husband Joe, daughter Susan, and son Benjamin are working. Daughter Lovina is staying at Elizabeth and Timothy’s house for a few days.

On Sunday we attended church at Mose’s parent’s house. They just recently put up a new building, so the services were held in there. We were served a good lunch, plus—in honor of Father’s Day—ice cream, strawberries, and brownies were served.

Mose’s mother has so many beautiful flowers. She has a flower garden and grows all kinds of flowers, herbs, spices, and teas. They have some of their garden planted in raised beds, and are able to cover that up as a greenhouse in the colder spring months. They have big tomatoes hanging from their plants already. Also their sweet onions are big. They are harvesting red potatoes too. With the raised beds, weeding is so much easier.

Jacob and Emma and family and my sisters Verena and Susan also went to church there. We ended up all going to Jacob and Emma’s house for supper. Timothy and Elizabeth came over for awhile after supper.

Our children gave my husband Joe a propane fish deep fryer for Father’s Day, as well as a grill light and grill utensils. He was really happy! Monday evening he deep-fried fish and French fries here on the front porch. It worked very well, and we all could eat outside. Joe loves cooking outside, and I’m not going to complain. It’s so nice to get a break from it.

Yesterday sister Verena hosted a Pampered Chef party. Niece Rosa was the consultant. Her mom (my sister Liz) also came to Michigan with Rosa for the party. Daughter Elizabeth came through here and picked us up to go to the party. Five out of us six sisters were there, as sister Emma came as well. So sister Leah was the only one not there. The party was a big success, and Verena earned lots of free items.

All the ladies and girls helped prepare lunch using the Pampered Chef pans and utensils. It was fun, and there was lots of laughter while everyone did their job. While the food was in the oven we played a game and were introduced to the various products. I already have quite a few Pampered Chef items in my kitchen and love them.

After everyone enjoyed the lunch, they all left for home. My sisters and I, as well as our daughters who were able to attend, visited for awhile. When my daughters watch us sisters visit, they always say that everyone is talking and no one is listening. (I don’t think it’s quite that bad!) Daughter Lovina went home with Elizabeth after the party.

Son Benjamin bought a part coon, part Australian Shepherd puppy from our neighbors. It is a brother to the puppy Timothy and Elizabeth have. The boys want to train it to hunt raccoons. I have not been too enthused about little “Buster.” He seems to think my flower beds are his playground. Mose bought flowers and replanted some of the flowers in my flower beds because they were made for full sun and were getting too much shade. Mose takes after his mother and is a pro with flowers. I, on the other hand, do better with vegetables in the garden. Needless to say, Mose has my flower beds looking very nice!

I will share with you one of the recipes that I helped to make at the party: Taco Ring. It was delicious! God’s blessings to all!

Taco Ring

4 cups ground beef, browned and drained
1 (1.25-ounce) package taco seasoning
1 cup (4 ounces) cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons water
2 (8-ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
1 medium green bell pepper
1 cup salsa
3 cups lettuce, shredded
1 medium tomato
1/4 cup onion
1/2 cup pitted olives
sour cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine browned and drained ground beef, taco seasoning, cheese, and water. Unroll crescent rolls and separate into triangles in a circle on large round pan, with wide ends overlapping in center and points toward the outside. There should be a 5-inch diameter opening. With a medium scoop, scoop meat mixture onto widest end of each triangle. Bring points of triangles up and tuck under wide ends of dough at center of ring. Bake 20–25 minutes or until golden brown. Cut off top of bell pepper, discard top membranes and seeds and fill pepper with salsa. Garnish dough with sour cream and then decorate with lettuce, tomato, onions and olives. Place pepper in the middle of the ring. Slice and serve.

Lovina Eicher is an Old Order Amish writer, cook, wife and mother of eight. Formerly writing as The Amish Cook, Eicher inherited that column from her mother, Elizabeth Coblentz, who wrote from 1991 to 2002. Readers can contact Eicher at PO Box 1689, South Holland, IL 60473 (please include a self-addressed stamped envelope for a reply) or at LovinasAmishKitchen@MennoMedia.org.