AMISH COOK
BY LOVINA EICHER
This is Friday, July 8 and we have started our long journey home to Michigan after spending almost a week in Florida. Here is a recap of our trip:
We left home June 30th around 3:30 p.m. with my editor, Kevin Williams, driving a 15 passenger van.
On the way south, we stopped in Berne, Indiana to attend the viewing of Joe’s cousin Susan, age 41. How heart-breaking to see her husband and 12 children grieving the loss of a dear mother and wife. Our heart aches for the grief they must be experiencing. May God be their comfort through this sorrowful time and always. We saw a lot of relatives at the viewing.
We then headed for Middletown, Ohio where we spent the night at Kevin’s parents, Jim and Rita’s house. They were so kind to open their home to us and give us a place to spend the night. The next morning we headed out, bound for Florida. Kevin again drove the van and his wife Rachel joined us all as well. We drove all day and finally settled down to spend the night in Macon, Georgia. The next day we reached our destination at Siesta Key in Florida. Lots of driving!
Our highlight of the trip was seeing the Gulf of Mexico. One can only imagine how the ocean looks but seeing is believing. What a scenic creation God has made. We enjoyed a lot of time at the beach. The children spent as much time as they could in the water. It was the first time any of us had seen or been to the ocean. We were going to Florida to do several book-signings in celebration of the column's 20th anniversary this year. My husband Joe and I were happy to meet so many of our wonderful readers in Florida!
Kevin also took us to Myakka River State Park where we walked the “canopy walk” a swinging walkway that goes through the tree-tops and climbed the 76 foot tower which overlooked the surrounding swamps. We also took an airboat ride and got to see the alligators. Joe ordered the “gator stew” for lunch which he said was good but I passed on that.
Another highlight was taking a boat tour out on the ocean and getting to see dolphins. We even got to see one jump up all the way out of the water.
On July 4 we saw a fireworks display from the beach.
Loretta had her 11th birthday on July 1 while we were traveling. Kevin and Rachel presented her with a hamburger-shaped cake which said “Happy Birthday Loretta” one evening while we were in Florida.
We also got to tour the Pinecraft Amish church house in Sarasota. A few of the children asked where they put all their horses and buggies in town. (Editor's Note: Pinecraft can't be found on most maps, it is actually a subdivision of Sarasota, Florida. The small enclave is a winter haven for "Amish snowbirds" escaping the cold, but Pinecraft has a year-round plain presence. Visitamishcookonline.com this week for photos and information about Pinecraft)
While we were gone Jacob, Emma and family took over doing our chores around the house. We sure do appreciate that they are taking the time to do that for us. Daughter Susan drove our miniature pony, Tiger, over to their place the day before we left home. She is eager to get back home and continue her training with him.
Soon after we entered Florida, son Kevin, 5, saw a small pond. He yelled out “I see the ocean!” It gave us all a laugh. Reading, writing, playing games, singing all took place on this long journey. We also kept track of how many license plates we saw from different states. Our total count of different license plates was 40. On Friday evening we started back and got as far as Chattanooga, Tennessee. Saturday morning we started for home and had the bad luck of getting delayed by an overturned semi-trailer on I-75. There was a detour route which also had an accident so we took a scenic mountain road detouring all around this, which added another 4 hours onto our travels.
It is now 8:35 p.m. and we hope to be home in Michigan by 11 or 11:30 p.m. This has been a long journey from Michigan to Florida and back but we had an enjoyable trip. Kevin did a great job of doing all the tiresome driving.
Citrus trees grow in an abundance in the yards of Pinecraft: grapefruits,limes and oranges. Try this recipe that many enjoy for "grapefruit pie"
GRAPEFRUIT PIE
3//4 cup sugar, adjust to you r taste
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 3 /4 cup water
Pinch of salt
1 3-ounce box strawberry gelatin
3 or 4 medium sized grapefruits
In a medium saucepan, cook sugars, cornstarch, water, and salt over medium heat until clear.
Add gelatin and stir until the mixture slightly thickens.
Peel and cut away all tissue from the grapefruits and then drain in a strainer and cut into small pieces.
Do not use the juice in this recipe.
Add grapefruit into the gelatin mixture.
Stir well and then pour into a baked 9 -inch pie shell and place until refrigerator until set.
Top with whipped cream. Published with permission from Oasis Newsfeatures. Richard from Amish Stories.
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| Dont miss Martha's post on Friday folks! The story of a woman who joined the old order Mennonite church from the outside. |
