The Amish Cook's Day

A Typical Day In The Amish Cook’s Household

Posted 2007-01-24

By Lovina Eicher

This is an account of our day, just a regular day around here, on Tuesday, Jan. 18:

3:15 a.m. Time to get up. I pack my husband Joe’s lunch (usually a sandwich and snack) while he gets ready for work. Another short night! Joe isn’t hungry for breakfast since it’s still early. Usually he waits to eat until his first break at the factory.

3:45 a.m. Joe leaves for work and I go back to bed to get a little more sleep.

5:30 a.m. I get up and wash up for the day. I then wake up the schoolchildren to get them ready for school.

6:30 a.m. Everyone eats a breakfast of scrambled eggs, cheese, toast, milk and juice. All the children are up and awake now. Four-year-old Joseph thinks he should be all dressed before the bus comes even though he doesn’t go to school yet. (Editor’s note: Many Amish children attend public schools. Those who do will often ride a bus to school. Often their only way of finding out about a "public school snow day" is when the bus doesn’t come by.)

7 a.m. Elizabeth, Susan, Verena, Benjamin and Loretta leave for school. Joseph, Lovina and Kevin finish up their breakfast. I sit down and eat a little something myself. After a rushed morning it is nice to sit down a while and relax before starting another day’s work. Sixteen-month-old Kevin is getting better at eating by himself. He usually ends up holding the spoon and using his hands to eat.

7:45 a.m. I go out and do the barn chores. Then add coal to both stoves, the one at the new house and the one here. It’s a cold morning at 18 degrees; after a late start winter has finally arrived. Our trees are still loaded with ice. A lot of branches and trees are down from the recent ice storm we had. The trees have been sparkling in the sun, like crystal. It is such a beautiful scene created by our Master Artist.

8:15 a.m. I start washing dishes. Dishes accumulate in a hurry in this household!

9:45 a.m. I’m finally done with dishes and ready to sweep the floors. Kevin likes to put everything in his mouth so it makes me keep my floors swept.

10:45 a.m. I gather laundry and start washing clothes. I hang some clothes on the rack by the stove and the rest in the basement of the new house.

Noon. I’m not quite done with the laundry but stop and get the children some lunch. While they eat I hang the rest of the laundry..

1 p.m. I rock Kevin and get him sleeping. Then I rock 2-year-old Lovina but decide to give up after she doesn’t seem to want a nap. I even caught a little nap myself while rocking them.

2 p.m. I empty a few drawers and move the contents over to the new house.

3:20 p.m. Everyone is back home again. The children do their homework. Then we change the bed sheets and clean up here and there. Jacob, Emma, and their children and Verena and Susan are coming for supper and to spend the night. Tomorrow we will cut up 1,100 pounds of beef. We and Jacob’s family will each take a half. So we have a full day’s work tomorrow. Jacob doesn’t have to work and that’ll help.

5:30 We start supper. We’ll have creamed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, peppers, and steak. Should be a good meal to conclude our day.

9:30 p.m. We finally get the school-age children to go to sleep. After getting the younger ones to bed we all go to sleep. It’s been a long day and another one is in store for tomorrow. Good night and God’s blessings.

Try this recipe for a good start:
Coffeecake That Tastes Like Coffee
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 Tablespoon baking powder
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup hot coffee, strong or weak as you prefer

Mix all ingredients except hot coffee. Add hot coffee and beat slowly. Mixture will be thin. Pour into greased 9-by-9-inch square pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes

Lovina is a mid-western Amishwoman who took over the column The Amish Cook from her mother. She posts regularly on http://www.dnronline.com/flavor_archive.php?sub=Amish%20Cook