This week on Jean: "The freezer"

Jean is old order Mennonite from New York State.Jean and her husband David and family live on a dairy farm, and travel their community using horse and buggy. She tells her story exclusively on Amish Stories.

First Michael would thank to thank everyone for the many Happy Birthday's he received from Amish Stories. They were so kind and he really appreciates them. He couldn't believe that they came from people not only in the United States, but other countries too. Right now he is wishing for cold weather with snow so he can use some of the items he got for his birthday. We tell him to wait-in Upstate New York he will get his wishes.




Last Tuesday evening I sent Michael down to get something out of the freezer and he came back up and told me the freezer wasn't working.  The freezer was old and you couldn't get her to keep things cold especially when you opened it to get something out.  I went down to the cellar, checked the fuses and light switches and everything seemed all right-so I called David to go down and take a look. He came back up and said the motor was gone but he could put in a new one.  The freezer had belonged to either my parents or David's parents-we can't remember whose.  When they got a new one they gave us the old one.  The motor in it was the second new motor.                 
  
  


Also it was a long freezer and if we ever got a new one I wanted an upright one-like a refrigerator. My arms are short and if I want something in the bottom of the long freezer I had to get David or Michael to get it for me as I couldn't reach inside. After a great discussion David and I decided it was time to get a new freezer-well I decided-David finally went along with me. David said it looks like he wouldn't be able to get me the Christmas present he wanted. I told him the new freezer could be my Christmas present.


On Wednesday Susan had to go to school, but the public schools that Michael went to were closed. Martha's Father agreed to take us to look for a  freezers so Michael went to Martha's house to help them do some jobs and play. We told Michael he had to be home when Susan came home. David and I took Baby David and off we went. We went in a couple of places but the upright refrigerators were too small. Finally Martha's Dad said we were going to Sears. I found the freezer in Sears. David kept trying to talk me into a smaller one, but we need a big one with all of us in our family. While there he also had me to  look at the washers and dryers too. I had the feeling he was going to buy me a dryer for Christmas. He wanted to know if I was going to buy a set-which would I buy. I showed him what I would like, but of course, he didn't buy it. We bought the freezer, but Sears couldn't deliver it as their trucks were out and they were booked up for deliveries until next week.



We got home at lunch time, Michael was there so I made lunch for everyone. David got on the phone and called people he knew that had a truck to see if they could get the freezer for us. One friend offered to go get it in their horse trailer-but I was hoping David would find someone else. Finally one of the firemen he knew said he would see if his boss would lend him the company truck that had an hydraulic lift on it. The boss agreed so he came over to the house, picked David and I up with Baby David and off we went. Michael agreed to stay home and take of Susan when she came home from school. He said it was his first babysitting job. I also told him we had some relatives coming for Thanksgiving if they got there before we came back (which they did) who went in what bedroom.





Off we went to get the freezer. By the time we came back it was supper time so we stopped at Kentucky Fried Chicken and got chicken, potatoes, and Cole slaw for dinner. When we got home, two of my aunts and uncles were at our house. The men got the new freezer in the basement, but you are not suppose to put food in the new freezer until it has been running 12 hours. After 5 hours I transferred the food from the old freezer to the new one and the men took the old freezer out. David offered to pay the man whose truck we had and the fireman that drove it, but none of them would take money.




Thanksgiving morning the new freezer was up and running just fine. All the food was frozen solid even though I couldn't wait 12 hours before putting it in. I did lose a few freezer items from the old freezer as they defrosted before I could put them in the new freezer. We went to David's parents for Thanksgiving Dinner and spent most of the day having a great meal and time together. During conversation my parents asked Michael if he had any problems talking care of Susan. He said she started to cry when she found out we weren't home, but he took into the basement to play basketball with him. Susan said she wasn't suppose to go into the basement and he told her when you parents are away you sometimes do things you can't do when you parents are there.



 What we told Susan  was not to go down in the basement alone as David has paint, grease, oil, etc. down there. And we don't want Susan and her and friends going  down there-our reason being so Michael and his friends have a place to play without a six year old in the way. Michael needs time to play with young folks his age. We did tell Michael  that he could take her down there as long as he kept an eye on her, which he did. Susan couldn't get a ball in the basket so finally Michael put the ball her hands, lifted her up and let her drop it in. He said Susan was thrilled.




Our company left at 6:30 AM this morning when the van driver came. It is nice to have company. Now we are doing laundry which I will hang up outside. Someone asked if I have an electric washer and yes I do. I hang the clothes outside, but we were thinking of getting a dryer for me to use on rainy days or in the winter. With the cost of the new freezer, it looks like I will have to wait for that dryer.



I promised the recipe for Haystack Supper. I have a couple recipes, but they are all about the same.

Haystack Supper




1 3/4 cup-saltines, crushed

2 cups-cooked rice

3 lbs-hamburger

1 lg-onion, chopped

1 1/2 cups-tomato juice

3/4 cup-water

3 tbsp-taco seasoning mix

seasoned salt-salt and pepper to taste

4 cups - shredded lettuce

3 med-tomatoes diced

1/2 cup-butter

1/2 cup-all purpose flour

4 cups milk

1 lb-American cheese cubed

3 cups-shredded cheddar cheese

1 jar-stuffed olives, drained and sliced

1 bag-Doritos



Divide crackers between un-greased 9X13 baking dishes. Top with rice. In a skillet cook beef and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add tomato juice, water and seasonings. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Spoon over rice. Sprinkle with lettuce and tomatoes. In a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to boil, cook and sir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat; stir in American cheese until melted. Pour over tomatoes. Top with cheddar cheese and olives. Serve with chips.



Be With God,


Jean




Please stop by this Friday for my post along with lots of image's from the town of Lititz in Lancaster Pennsylvania. This historic small slice  of Americana has become one of my favorite  small towns in Lancaster county.  Richard