December — the final month of 2021!

The Thanksgiving holiday has come and gone. We are mostly caught up with the leftover food from it. I made a stew with the turkey carcass from the turkey son-in-law Dustin made for us in his deep fryer. Everyone loved the stew, and it really is great way to get the most out of your turkey. I will share my recipe with this column.

Yesterday, I spent the day at sister Emma’s house as she hosted a Pampered Chef party so she could earn some free kitchen items. Emma served lunch to all the ladies and children that came.

Daughters Elizabeth, Susan and Verena and my grandchildren were there too. I got to spend the day with them as well. Granddaughter Abigail came there off the bus after school with Emma’s youngest son Steven. Steven is in eighth grade, so this will be his last year of school.

It is really quiet around here with everyone at work. My husband, Joe, at the metal shop, son Benjamin, 22, at the RV factory, son Joseph, 19, on his construction job, daughter Lovina, 17, at her job at McDonald’s, and son Kevin, 16, helping out this week at a butchering shop. It’s still hard for me to get used to the emptiness but that is a part of life.

Saturday, Joe and I plan to do some Christmas shopping. We will have our family Christmas on Dec. 18 (a year ago, son-in-law Mose’s funeral was on the 18th). We are having it a little earlier than usual as daughter Elizabeth, Tim and family will travel by charter bus to Florida over Christmas. Tim’s parents and some of his family will be with them, and they well attend Tim’s nephew’s wedding in Florida.

They will also travel to Kentucky with some of Tim’s family for a Christmas gathering at his sister’s house on Dec. 11. Elizabeth has been extra busy preparing for these upcoming trips.

Our family exchanged names for a gift exchange when we get together.

Daughter Verena spent Sunday evening here, while daughter Susan and children went to Mose’s sister’s house to spend the evening with his family.

I attended the Thanksgiving feast at Abigail’s school last week. It’s so different to go for a granddaughter than when I went for my children. It brought back memories of all the years our eight children attended that school. Abigail was excited to have her grandma, mother, siblings, aunts, cousins and Uncle Kevin come to eat with her. Nephew Steven also ate with us.

We had a nice day together on Thanksgiving Day at sister Emma’s house. They had the table set for all of us. Her sons-in-law prepared a trash can turkey, which is somehow cooked under a trash can with charcoal around it. It was very delicious.

Emma also baked a turkey in her oven so we had plenty of turkey. I had made some food to take along, and lo and behold I forgot to take the pumpkin roll. I thought I was forgetting something as I was loading up the food on the buggy but didn’t realize it until the dessert was being passed around.

I always think we need a pumpkin roll for Thanksgiving, but we did OK without it.

Let us thank God every day. We have so many blessings that we take for granted. God bless and stay safe and healthy.

Turkey Stew

Turkey carcass and mixed bones (your leftover holiday turkey)

1 medium onion, diced

6 stalks celery, diced

6 large carrots, dices

8 medium potatoes, diced

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup chicken soup base

seasonings to taste

Place carcass in large kettle and cover with water. Cook until meat removes from bones.

Cool off enough so all the bones can be taken out of water. Then add meat, vegetables, and seasonings back in water and cook until potatoes are soft.

Optional: Cabbage or other vegetables you prefer can be added.

We loved it!

Lovina Eicher is an Old Order Amish writer, cook, wife and mother of eight who lives in southeastern Michigan. Her cookbooks, “The Essential Amish Cookbook” and “Amish Family Recipes,” are available wherever books are sold. Readers can write to Eicher at P.O. Box 1689, South Holland, IL 60473 (include a self-addressed stamped envelope for a reply), or email LovinasAmish Kitchen@MennoMedia.org and your message will be passed on to her to read. She does not personally respond to emails.