Hi, this is Lovina’s daughter Verena. I was just in one of those writing moods and heard Mom say she wished someone would write the column for her, so here I am.
Eight years ago today, my sister Susan married Mose. They had two children together. I moved in with Susan for two years after Mose died. It was very heartbreaking to see Susan struggle with her loss. I remember staying up with her most nights just talking because she couldn’t sleep. Susan married Ervin, who had three children and whose wife had died of cancer. Ervin and Susan were able to empathize and understand each other and that created a bond between them. I am thankful that God blessed us with Ervin and his three children, who we now consider family.
On July 19th, my friend Daniel and I decided to go camping with my nieces and nephews and his younger siblings. Five of his siblings were there: Andrew, 14, Anna, 12, Kenneth, 11, William, 7, and Alvin, 5. My sister Liz’s kids, Abigail, 7, TJ, 5, and Allison, 4. Also my sister Susan’s kids, Kaitlyn, 7, Jennifer, 6, Isaiah, 6, Ryan, 5, and Curtis, 4. My sister Liz and her husband Tim were kind enough to let us camp there. We set up two large tents and a small tent. Everyone brought snacks, hot dogs, and hot dog buns. I brought the drinks and everything that goes with the hot dogs. Two small pools were set up along with my inflatable slide pool. The evening started with a water balloon fight. We needed to dry off so we played kickball. It was pretty fun watching the 4-6 year olds learn the game. Ryan always ran when he was told, but never to the right base. By the end of the game, they had it figured out.
We ended the evening with campfire stories and s’mores. Tim and Liz eventually joined us with their two-year-old daughter Andrea. They helped tell the stories and made the evening much more interesting.
I always enjoy sitting around the campfire and eating campfire food. Hobo dinners over the campfire are one of my favorite meals, and Daniel and I made them for my family one night. On Saturday night, Daniel and I took dinner to Daniel’s parents’ house. We made hobos and put them on the campfire when we got there. That was the first time Daniel’s family had any. Thankfully, everyone enjoyed it. We had enough left over to put in a casserole dish and eat for lunch the next day. Daniel has seven brothers and two sisters; none of them are married yet.
I moved back home in January after three years. It feels so good to be back. I love that I have so many fewer responsibilities than when I was living on my own. Although I have definitely enjoyed the experience.
My sister Loretta and her husband live across the street from Mom and Dad. Every morning when Dustin goes to work, I get up at 3:50 am and go there to stay with Loretta and her two boys, Denzel (2) and Byron (who turns 1 on August 7).
Byron is awake most mornings when I get there. Loretta or I change his diaper and then put him back in his crib. The boys wake up around 8 or 9. Loretta and I don’t get up until they wake up. Our excuse is that we don’t want to get up before the boys or we might accidentally wake them up. Haha.
Loretta and I take care of the boys and make them meals. One of us washes the dishes while the other sweeps the floors. We like to mop the floors at least once a week. Unless the boys decide to destroy the house and make us mop more often than we’d like. Haha. And there’s always laundry to do, too. Dustin usually does it, but he doesn’t offer to fold it. Ha. Loretta and I both ride mobility scooters. We have limb-girdle dystrophy. I know a lot of people doubt our abilities, but when we work together, we get a lot done. Our disability doesn’t define us. We are blessed.
I will share the hobo dinner recipe with you and hope you all get a chance to try it. It is very delicious. This recipe is from my mother’s cookbook, “The Essential Amish Cookbook.” Take care everyone and God bless.
Hobo Dinner10 red potatoes, unpeeled and cut into chunks1/2 cup onion, diced1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced2 cups carrots, sliced1 cup celery, chopped1 (16 ounce) package Smoky Links, cut into chunks; or 1 pound smoked sausage, cut into chunksSalt and pepper to tasteCheese, slicedPreheat grill to medium-high heat. In a bowl, combine all ingredients except the cheese. Divide mixture into desired amount for each serving and place individual portions on aluminum foil. Fold foil over, wrap tightly, and place on grill for 10 minutes on each side.Open foil; when potatoes are tender, add a slice of cheese. (If the potatoes need more time to cook, close the bags and put them back on the grill before adding the cheese.) Wrap them again and grill for a few more minutes until the cheese is melted.Alternatively, they can be cooked in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then flipped and cooked for another 10 minutes. Check the doneness of the potatoes before adding cheese.
Lovina’s Amish Kitchen is written by Lovina Eicher, an Old Order Amish author, cook, wife and mother of eight children. Her three cookbooks, “The Cherished Table,” “The Essential Amish Cookbook” and “Amish Family Recipes,” are available wherever books are sold. Readers may write Eicher at Lovina’s Amish Kitchen, PO Box 234, Sturgis, MI 49091 (please enclose a stamped envelope for a reply); or email [email protected] and your message will be forwarded to her to read. She does not personally respond to emails.
