Preparations for Benjamin and Joanna’s wedding have filled the past week with travel plans, family gatherings and kitchen work. With more than four bushels of tomatoes to can and pickles underway, the days are moving quickly as the wedding approaches.
According to the family, Benjamin and Joanna plan to leave for Ohio by Greyhound bus on Tuesday afternoon. They will attend the Thursday wedding of her cousin, where Joanna will serve as a table waiter. In their community, both a boy and a girl typically serve guests at the tables. In the Ohio community they are visiting, only girls serve. Customs vary by community. Some choose only the bride’s aunts as cooks, while in their area all aunts from both sides help. The family appreciates including the groom’s aunts because it brings relatives together, especially when they are from different communities. The couple decides their own approach, and the family emphasizes making the day memorable with faith at the center.
Benjamin and Joanna’s wedding plans and family visits
Midweek brought a large household gathering when five daughters and all 16 grandchildren spent the day together. Breakfast casserole was prepared ahead so it was ready when they arrived. Several grandchildren met infant Jayden for the first time, and he drew plenty of attention. Lunch featured ham and hot dog sandwiches along with leftover casserole.
One daughter contributed eggs and mini chocolate muffins, another brought fresh milk from their cow for chocolate milk and venison snack sticks, and another supplied jars of pickles and ice cream. The children played hard ahead of the new school term, which will see 10 grandchildren heading back to class.
After the visitors left, two chocolate pies were baked for a church picnic held at the bishop’s property at 5:30 p.m. A neighbor again handled deep-fried fish from his recent trips, and the meal also included baked beans, four varieties of potato casseroles and a selection of desserts with coffee, cold coffee, lemonade and water.
The picnic took place by the pond, where the children swam and played volleyball. Adults joined a towel volleyball game, using towels in pairs to toss water balloons over the net. Joe’s work schedule meant brief stops at home between appointments, and the couple left the picnic early so he could rest before the next day.
Community milestones and a birthday surprise
On Friday, three sisters helped surprise a neighbor named Susan for her 65th birthday. Several of Susan’s daughters and a few daughters-in-law attended a brunch. Family connections run deep, as Susan’s mother, Melinda, and the writer’s father are first cousins.
Susan’s newest grandchild, Ashley Nicole, born to her youngest daughter Beth and Mervin Dean, shares a July 29 birthday with baby Jayden. Susan’s grandchildren now number in the 40s.
Recipe: church pickles
For canning, Palace King cucumbers are preferred because they stay firm after processing. If the dill heads are large, use one per quart.
- 6 to 8 medium cucumbers, sliced about 1/4 inch or slightly thicker
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 3 cups sugar
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 4 garlic cloves per quart
- 2 dill heads per quart
- Pinch of alum per quart
Pack sliced cucumbers, dill heads, garlic and a pinch of alum into jars. Heat vinegar, sugar, water and salt until the sugar dissolves, then pour the hot liquid over the cucumbers. Repeat until all jars are filled. Process the jars in a boiling-water canner.
For current canning times, consult your county extension office or the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Lovina Eicher is an Old Order Amish writer, cook, wife and mother of eight. Readers may write to her at PO Box 234, Sturgis, MI 49091, including a self-addressed stamped envelope for a reply, or email Questionsforlovina@gmail.com to have a message forwarded.
For more on how local events help connect agriculture and the public, see coverage of the Wisconsin State Fair.