It’s already 10:30 p.m. Monday. We had a late night, but we accomplished a lot. Daniel Ray and Verena are moved into their new living quarters. Sons-in-law Dustin, Daniel and Daniel Ray, Alvin (Daniel Ray’s father), and two of Daniel Ray’s brothers were helped build the walls in part of the pole barn. They made a bedroom, and it already has a bathroom. The living room, dining room and kitchen will be an open concept. Not everything is done, but they have moved enough in to make it livable for now.  

The wedding was nice and worth all the work to get everything set up. We couldn’t have done it alone. Many hands make light work. They had around 50 cooks, 28 table waiters (servers) and many special helpers — Daniel Ray’s brothers and sisters and Verena’s older nieces and nephews. They did odd and end jobs like passing out guest books and little gifts for everyone, etc. 

The wedding services started at 9 a.m., and we had 400 pounds of chicken here that needed to be grilled for both meals. So, we got up at 4 a.m. and soon after, the men were starting their grills. Our sons-in-law, son Joseph, nephew Ben and brother-in-law Levi did the grilling. They all did a great job. 

My sisters Liz and Emma were the head cooks and did a great job organizing everything and keeping everyone on their jobs. Our menu was barbequed chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, buttered noodles (30 pounds of them), dressing (made from 36 loaves of bread), mixed vegetables, dinner rolls, garlic butter and overnight salad. Overnight salad can be made the night before, so it was easy to have those prepared.

Dessert was strawberry and peanut butter pies, fresh fruit (a combination of blueberries, watermelon, musk melons and grapes), cupcakes (chocolate and white), ice cream and, of course, the traditional candy bars. No Amish wedding seems complete without the candy bars served last to everyone. 

In Amish weddings, after the wedding services start, the bride and groom have a short meeting with the ministry. While they are absent, singing is done.

These songs are all sung from the Ausbund and in German. Close family members are asked to lead these songs. 

Before the ministry comes back, the mothers of the bride and groom, grandmothers, sisters, etc., all go in to sit close to the wedding party. Around 11:15 a.m., the table waiters, special helpers and cooks all come sit in the wedding services so they can witness the marriage. At 11:30 a.m. the bishop marries the couple. Afterward, the table waiters, special helpers and cooks leave again to get back to their jobs. The table waiters start filling the water glasses at their tables and get prepared to serve. 

When the services are over, the people head over to the building the tables are set in. Daniel Ray and Verena were married in daughter Loretta and Dustin’s pole barn across the road. Family is seated first closest to the “Eck” (the corner where the bride and the groom and their witnesses sit). Once everyone is seated, the bishop of the bride will announce that everyone is silent for prayer. A song is placed by every plate and is sung while the table waiters collect all the bowls of food they need to serve their tables. 

I will try to keep explaining more about the wedding next week. Until then God Bless.

For wedding pictures, visit Lovina’s Amish Kitchen on Facebook.

PEANUT BUTTER PIE

Ingredients:

8 cups milk

2 cups white sugar

1 1/3 cups flour 

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 eggs beaten 

4 (9-inch) baked pie shells

Whipped Topping 

Crumbs

9 cups powdered sugar 

3 cups peanut butter

Directions:

Heat milk to scalding. In a separate bowl, mix sugar, flour, salt and eggs. 

Add mixture to hot milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat. 

Make crumbs: stir together the powdered sugar and peanut butter until it’s a crumbly texture. Place 3/4 cup of this crumb mixture into the bottom of each baked pie shell. Reserve the remaining crumbs for topping.

Divide cooked mixture among the pie shells. Let cool then refrigerate. When ready to serve, top with whipped topping and sprinkle the remaining crumbs evenly over the pies. Makes 4 (9-inch) pies.

Lovina’s Amish Kitchen is written by Lovina Eicher, Old Order Amish writer, cook, wife and mother of eight. Her three cookbooks, The Cherished Table, The Essential Amish Cookbook and Amish Family Recipes, are available wherever books are sold. Readers can write to Eicher at Lovina’s Amish Kitchen, PO Box 234, Sturgis, MI 49091 (please include a self-addressed stamped envelope for a reply); or email questionsforlovina@gmail.com and your message will be passed on to her to read. She does not personally respond to emails.