The Amish Cook, March 13th, 2007
THE AMISH COOK
BY LOVINA EICHER
We had a crisp, cold eight degrees early this morning. Now, at 10:30 a.m., it is already up to 19 degrees. We also had single digit lows a few days ago and then a few more inches of snow. Winter doesn’t want to let go, even as we head into mid-March. The trees, though, looked so lovely with the snow sticking to all the branches.
I keep hoping it’ll warm up for at least a day or so. I need to wash curtains, quilts, rocking chair covers, and other extras that we usually wash when we do a thorough cleaning. We are now preparing for upcoming church services which have been set for our home a week from Sunday. It would also be nicer to clean the windows with warmer weather. God controls the weather ,though, and we need to be satisfied with what “He” sends us.
Yesterday sisters Verena and Susan helped me get the basement cleaned. We will hold the services in the basement of our new home. We still need to wash the windows down there. I also still have a lot of things to sort through that we carried over from the old house on Saturday. Jacob, Emma, and family and Verena and Susan were here on Saturday helping with all the things that need to be done before church can be held here. For instance, we carried all my canned food over from the old house and cleaned the jars. They tend to get dusty sitting on the shelves.
Jacob helped Joe clean the rest of the barn out. We now have a big pile of manure waiting to be hauled and spread in the fields. Joe keeps hoping for a few warmer days to haul it. Right now, though, it’s frozen from the cold weather. It’s surprising how quickly the manure adds up over winter. With the horses being in their stalls overnight, manure piles up much faster.
Morning chores are so much more pleasant with the barn all cleaned out now. The chicken coop looks a lot better, too. The eggs look a lot cleaner. We are getting anywhere from 8-12 eggs a day, depending on the weather. When it gets colder they don’t lay as much.
I still had some leftover white curtain material from the last time I made new curtains. I was surprised that there was enough to make seven new curtains. Sister Emma took the material home and is sewing them for me. She babysits for Loretta’s teacher during the day, a one year old girl and a two year old boy. She enjoys them and so does Emma’s four year old Benjamin. Emma can’t come over as easily to help but it really will assist me to have her sew the curtains. Emma, Verena, and Susan will also pitch in with baking loaves of white and wheat bread and cookies for church.
I want to thank all the readers who took time to send us a “welcome to your new house” card. I appreciate your thoughtfulness. A few readers have written asking for a good fried chicken recipe. Try this delicious one, you just put in a bag, shake, and fry.
SACK N SHAKE FRIED CHICKEN
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1/3 c. butter
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic salt
9 pieces chicken
Place oil and butter in a shallow cooking pan and place in 375 degree oven to melt butter, set aside. In a large paper sack combine dry ingredients. Roll the chicken pieces 3 at a time in butter and oil then drop into a sack and shake to cover. Place on a plate until all pieces are coated. Leave any excess butter and oil in pan. Place chicken in the pan skin side down or its just as good if you remove all the skin first. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes with spatula, turn chicken pieces over and bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until crust begins to bubble.
