Spring has officially begun. Signs of spring are everywhere and an almost 70-degree warm, sunny day shows us most of winter is behind us.

Today (March 23), I spent most of my day at daughter Susan’s house. A group of church ladies gathered at her house for coffee break. Now to me this “coffee break” is like brunch. A breakfast casserole, ham and cheese sandwiches, carrots and dip, and so many different desserts, coffee and tea made a full menu.

I took our horse Midnight and our buggy. It was a beautiful morning for a ride. It’s been a while since I drove alone in the buggy. Time alone can be peaceful and time to think.

Life surely has changed for us. So often we think, “Why God? Why us?” Then we correct ourselves because God doesn’t make mistakes. Time will lessen the heartaches.

Daughter Loretta, 20, is washing our supper dishes as I write this. Daughter Lovina, 16, left before supper to go spend the night with sister Verena. I fried chicken for supper, so Lovina took some along for their supper.

Daughter Verena, 23, is still staying with daughter Susan most of the time.

Sunday evening, Joe and I were home alone so we decided to walk down to sister Verena’s for a while. She had been home alone since after church. Those hours can be long if you are alone.

Son Kevin and nephew Steven spent the night at sister Verena’s house on Saturday night. Jacob and Emma picked them up to go to church Sunday morning. This week I’ll share a recipe for coffee cake. Hope you will enjoy it.

God’s blessings to all.

Coffee Cake

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

4 cups flour

2 cups sour milk

Crumb topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup butter

Filling:

3 teaspoons flour

1 cup milk

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar (more if preferred)

Sift or whisk dry ingredients together and set aside. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs. Then alternate adding dry ingredients and sour milk, ending with dry ingredients. Divide batter into four pie pans. For the crumb topping, pinch together brown sugar, flour and butter until it forms crumbs, and sprinkle over the batter in each pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until cake springs back in the middle to your touch. Let cakes cool and remove from pans.

For the filling, cook flour in milk until thick. Set aside until cool. Cream shortening and sugar. Then add in the cooled flour mixture and powdered sugar, beating until fluffy. Cut each cake in half horizontally to form two layers and spread filling between the two layers.

Lovina Eicher is an Old Order Amish writer, wife and mother of eight. She, her husband, Joe, and their family live in Michigan.

LovinasAmishKitchen@

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