This is my granddaughter Abigail writing which makes the fourth generation since my mother Elizabeth Coblentz started penning the column (then called “The Amish Cook”) in 1991.
Hi, this is Abigail Elizabeth. My age is 9. My sisters Allison and Andrea are nice, and Timothy is the only boy. I have three siblings. I have one dog, three horses and two ponies. Today, we are butchering pigs, and Aunt Rena (Verena) and Daniel Ray are over here and Grandma. They are cutting up lard and sausage, and Aunt Rena did the dishes. Uncle Ben and Joanna will be coming later. TJ is helping with the sausage. I was helping but I’m taking a break.
I drive our pony Prancer around the yard. Me and Daddy hitch him to the pony cruiser. When it snows daddy hitches up our pony, Cody, then we go on the sled, then we go really fast, and we fall off. We have fun, but we come in after we are done. Mom makes us hot chocolate and it helps make us warm again.
When it’s time for bed, we brush our teeth and say our prayers before we go to bed.
Mom reads “The Boxcar Children.” Then we go to sleep and we hope that we can do that again. We have the first two books of “The Boxcar Children.” I keep begging Mom for her to get the third one. She said maybe she will find one at a garage sale one time.
I have to dump the trash bag into the dumpster every day. TJ has to do the chicken chores every day. Another thing I have to do for chores is washing dishes. Mom said I’m her little dishwasher. Before we eat, we have to say our prayers. And after we eat, we say prayers again. Andrea thinks it’s funny to be silly when we say prayers. She makes funny faces and then Mom and Daddy have to make her stop.
I like to do crafts. I like to put beads together and make little keychains and I like cutting out paper and making things with it. Sometimes my Mom uses her Cricut (Cricut Expression) and she makes us things with it. Andrea is our funny girl in our house. Allison and Andrea like to play with stuffed animals and they have fun doing that. I like playing with my Barbies. Allison and Andrea like to play with me. People think Allison and Andrea are twins, but they’re not. They don’t even look alike. Their size is the same. They weigh the same. Andrea’s hair is brown. Allison’s hair is blonde. Allison is 6and Andrea is 3. TJ’s hair is brown and he is 7. He likes doing things with Daddy. He goes everywhere with Daddy. Sometimes us girls do too. TJ has to help me sometimes do housework. Mom said it’s good for him to learn how to help in the house. He can run fast and climb good. I like to help him collect eggs in the chicken house. Daddy got us new chickens. They are all brown and not colorful like our old hens. Mom likes the colorful ones, but they don’t lay as many eggs as the brown ones.
Mom sewed Amish clothes for my Barbies. It’s so cute. I want to learn how to sew. I can sew a little bit. Mom can sew fast and make it pretty. My sewing is still messy. Mom also made little dresses and stuff for Allison and Andrea’s dolls. She also makes our clothes.
My Daddy taught me how to hunt deer. I like it. Mom does not like to go hunting. She said it’s boring. Me and Daddy take books with us to read if we get bored. I like to watch the birds and squirrels. Mom makes meat that she puts in a jar that we like. Sometimes we put BBQ sauce on it. Daddy makes good burgers on the grill. I am in 3rd grade at school. I like math best. My favorite time of school is recess. I like playing with my friends. I love to help my mom bake so I am sharing a recipe for brownies that I can make all by myself. Bye now!
BASIC BROWNIES
1 1/2 C. flour
2 C. sugar
1/2 C. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 t. salt
1 C. vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 t. vanilla extract
1/2 C. chopped walnuts (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch-by-13-inch pan.
In a large bowl combine all the ingredients. Stir vigorously for about three minutes until the batter is well blended and creamy. Pour into the pan and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean — about 30 minutes. Store brownies in a sealed container. Stays fresh for three to four days.