What to do with leftover peanut butter and jam jars?
Don’t throw away your peanut butter and jelly jars just yet. Here are two recipes you can try.
problem solved
It is 5:15 a.m. and the house is very quiet as my husband Joe and my sons Benjamin and Joseph have already left for their daily work.
Daughter Verena left at around 4 a.m. to help her daughter Loretta across the street while Dustin was at work. The two little boys (Denzel, 2, and Byron, 1) are quite a challenge and keep Verena and Loretta very busy. Loretta and Dustin are trying out a new bed for them, a bigger crib. The boys always slept separately before, so they decided to let them sleep together. The little boys were excited about their new bed and wanted to go to bed extra early.
The first night, after everyone went to bed, Loretta heard these two little boys start calling each other names. Dustin was already asleep, so Loretta told them to be quiet and go to sleep. Byron thought it was a game and responded with his mouth every time. Byron is a little chatterbox and the boys think the new bed is for playing. Gradually (maybe) the two get used to the new bed and actually sleep in it for a while. Haha!
I’m sure this is just the beginning of the many adventures these two will have. While we walked Byron from one of us to the next to get him walking, Denzel stood there and watched. Pretty soon, Denzel came over to us, wobbly, as if he was about to start walking too. They are really cute little creatures to have around.
Son Kevin is the only one here at home with me. He’s still sleeping, so all is quiet. My plan for today is to sew dresses for son Joseph and Grace’s wedding. (Oops… no, I didn’t get everything done last week.) I have to wash the dishes before I start, but I thought I’d write this column first and then maybe take a nap before I sit down at the sewing machine.
I need to get someone to check my sewing machine. It needs servicing. I think my least favorite part of sewing is making buttonholes, especially when the machine is having problems. I know if I take my time I should find the problem, but I don’t have that time at the moment as I have a deadline for the clothes to be sewn by.
A shopping trip with a big and welcome surprise
Last Friday I went into town to go to the bank and buy groceries. I hadn’t been there in a few weeks. As I was coming out of the store I saw three little boys wearing straw hats, all about the same height. They had their backs to me, but I knew immediately who these three little boys were: Isaiah, Ryan and Curtis. Then I spotted daughter Susan along with Kaitlyn and Jennifer. Son-in-law Ervin didn’t have to work that day, so they decided to take the whole family into town to buy groceries.
I had to take a few minutes to hug them and hold 9-month-old Ervin Jr. When Ervin and Susan go anywhere, they are often asked if they have multiple sets of twins, since their children are very close in age in their blended family. I left just as they started shopping, so I left the kids candy in their stroller for their 12-mile ride home. Susan said they were so excited and it kept them busy on the way home.
Daughter Elizabeth was not at church on Sunday as she had yet another bad headache. It really looks like a migraine. Allison, 4, came to church with her daddy Tim. She is a sweet little girl with blue eyes and blonde hair and definitely likes her daddy. She sat next to me during the service. I quietly asked her why her mom wasn’t there. I asked if TJ was sick. She misunderstood me and said, “No, TJ is 5” and raised her hand to show five fingers. Haha! She was excited to tell me they brought their pony Cody and their “new” pony buggy. It’s not new, but new to them; they bought her sister Emma’s pony buggy.
On August 22nd, Sister Verena celebrated her 58th birthday. She has had many lonely days. Last week she was ill, but now she is much better. We wish her all the best for the coming year.
I will share a recipe for peach zucchini jam with you. God bless!
Peach-zucchini jam
2 cups peeled and chopped peaches
2 cups grated zucchini
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 cups granulated sugar
1 (3-ounce) package fruit pectin
Place peaches, zucchini, and lemon juice in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the mixture begins to simmer. Gradually stir in the sugar, one cup at a time, making sure each addition is dissolved before adding the next.
Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Once it’s boiling, add the fruit pectin and stir well to combine. Cook the jam for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent it from burning. Remove the pan from the heat and let it stand for a few minutes, skimming off any foam that forms on the surface.
Pour the hot jam into jars, leaving ¼ inch headroom. Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp paper towel. Replace the lids and process the jam in a canning pot. For information on canning times, contact your local extension center or visit the National Center for Home Food Preservation website.
Lovina’s Amish Kitchen is written by Lovina Eicher, an Old Order Amish author, cook, wife and mother of eight children. Her three cookbooks, “The Cherished Table,” “The Essential Amish Cookbook” and “Amish Family Recipes,” are available wherever books are sold. Readers may write Eicher at Lovina’s Amish Kitchen, PO Box 234, Sturgis, MI 49091 (please enclose a stamped envelope for a response); or email [email protected] and your message will be forwarded to her to read. She does not personally respond to emails.
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