Today is our son Benjamin’s 26th birthday. He is going out to eat with his friends, so I didn’t make a cake for him for supper. I am trying to decide what to make for supper with only Joe and me being here. Kevin went along, too.
Last Thursday, July 10, we went to our daughter Loretta and Dustin’s house for supper for Denzel’s third birthday. Denzel and Byron were both so excited when we sang “Happy Birthday.” It was so cute to see him blow out the candle. Loretta and Verena made cupcakes and a small cake for him. On the menu for supper was pizza, hot wings, cottage cheese, dill pickles and chips.
Daughter Susan and Ervin are selling the place Susan and Mose had bought after their marriage. Daughter Lovina and Daniel had been renting it since they were married. Now, Daniel and Lovina moved into part of Dustin and Loretta’s pole barn. They made living quarters in half of the pole barn. It is nice to have all three girls this close to home.
This is just temporary until they find a property that suits them. They have a nice setup in there. The men have been putting in a lot of extra hours to get everything ready. Daniel and Lovina slept in their “new home” for the first time Saturday night. With Dustin and Loretta, Daniel Ray and Verena, and Daniel and Lovina all close by, there is a lot of activity in our neighborhood. I fried chicken one night, and they all came here to eat with us.
Yesterday, church services were held at daughter Elizabeth and Tim’s house. They will host them again in two weeks, Lord willing. The church was held under a tent, so it was nice to get some breeze with the sides open. Lunch consisted of homemade wheat and white bread, egg salad, cheese, peanut butter spread, pickles, pickled red beets, hot peppers, butter, grape jelly, a variety of cookies, coffee and iced tea.
The iced tea was made from their own spearmint and peppermint tea patch. It was a thirst quencher on a hot day. Elizabeth decided to wait until the next church services to invite everyone back for supper, so we all came home in the afternoon. Joe and I were the only ones here for supper, so I fried us hamburgers, and we had peppers, lettuce, tomatoes and sweet onions to go on our sandwiches. Yummy!
The annual Coblentz reunion was held Saturday in Berne, Indiana. I really do hope it will work for us to go next year. With the weddings here the last two years, it wasn’t possible to go. This reunion would be my dad’s family. I have a lot of great memories about these reunions in my younger years. They are an ornery bunch, so there is never a dull moment.
I meant to mention when I wrote about daughter Verena and Daniel Ray’s wedding that we had guests here from 10 different states: Minnesota, Iowa, Colorado, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Illinois and Michigan. It is amazing how many people traveled to partake in the union of this couple.
July 19 is sister Emma’s 52nd birthday. It has been almost four years now since she lost her dear husband, Jacob. Jacob is so very missed. Rest in peace, dear brother-in-law. Wishing you many more happy, healthy years, dear sister.
My mother’s birthday was July 18, and she would be 89 if she were still with us. God had other plans, and she died at 66. She is still missed. She was my mother and my best friend. May we meet again someday, dear mother.
Joe brought in some garden goodies now. I want to see what I can make for our supper. Daniel Ray came back from Elizabeth and Tim’s house with zucchini. She sent some since our plants died. Daniel Ray helped Tim take the tent down where the church was held yesterday.
I will share my egg salad recipe.
God’s blessings to all!
Lovina will have a book signing from 8 to 11 a.m. Aug. 2 at the South Bend Farmers Market, 1105 Northside Blvd. in Indiana. She will have books available for purchase.
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Egg Salad
3 pounds hot dogs (may substitute ham), chopped
2½ dozen eggs, cooked, peeled and chopped
2 cups whipped salad dressing (I use Miracle Whip)
2 cups mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste (I use seasoning salt)
Grind the hot dogs in a grinder. Place ground hot dogs in a large bowl and stir in the hard-cooked eggs, whipped salad dressing and mayonnaise until well combined. Season with salt and pepper or your choice of seasoning.
• Lovina’s Amish Kitchen is written by Lovina Eicher, an 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, P.O. 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.