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Son Benjamin and Joanna are back from their honeymoon, and we are getting settled down to a regular schedule.
They will live with us for now until they find a place to live. Our four upstairs bedrooms do not have anyone else sleeping up there. Son Kevin can't get up there anymore until we can get something figured out like a platform lift or an elevator. We have a bathroom up there as well. Joanna and I wash our laundry together and help each other instead of both washing it separately. She is easy to work with, and the work seems to go faster when we help each other out.
They had a lovely wedding with many friends and family attending to share in their joy on their special day. It was an absolutely beautiful morning as we arrived at the Community Youth Center where their wedding took place. The sunrise was amazing. Most of Joanna's church from Ohio attended, plus our local church, relatives and friends. Close to 400 guests gathered for the wedding. Due to the tragic accident of my great-nephew Amos, we had family that couldn't attend (more on that later). Benjamin and Joanna appreciated everyone who took time to come in honor of their wedding day.
Two hundred and fifty pounds of boneless chicken thighs were grilled early that morning by sons-in-law Dustin, Daniel and son Joseph. They had the grills going early to get everything grilled so they could attend the wedding. The cooks peeled and cooked 200 pounds of potatoes. Eight kettles (8-quart size) of gravy were also made. There were 68 pounds of corn. Twenty loaves of bread were put into dressing. Forty loaves of cinnamon bread were baked earlier that week by Luella, Joanna's mother. Cinnamon butter, cupcakes, ice cream and a fruit mixture of watermelon, cantaloupe and grapes were also on the menu. And then the highlight for the little children is when the traditional candy bars are passed around to each guest at the end of the meal.
The head cooks, who were my sisters Liz and Emma, arrived right after we did. Soon the cooks started arriving and the kitchen was filled with chatter as potatoes were peeled and dressing was mixed. Guests began to arrive and sons-in-law Tim and Ervin had the job of seating them. The wedding service started at 9. Joanna's mother, Luella, her grandmother, my daughters and daughter-in-law, and the sweet little Day Brighteners went in to sit around 9:30.
The bride wore an olive color dress with a white cape and apron. Their witnesses were Daniel Ray and daughter Verena and son Kevin and Susan (a great-niece of mine). Verena and Susan wore sage green dresses with a white cape and apron. Mothers of the bride and groom wore the color blush. Benjamin's sisters and sister-in-law wore light green. The table waiter girls (servers) wore Ancient Scroll while the table waiter boys wore white shirts with black pants and vests. The cooks wore the color dill, dishwashers wore wheat, and the coffee/water servers wore lotus. Special helpers who were Joanna's youngest sister, Lori and Benjamin's nieces and nephews, Kaitlyn, Abigail, Jennifer, Timothy (TJ), Isaiah, Ryan and Curtis, wore the color icy morn.
Day Brighteners, who were Benjamin's nephews and nieces Allison, Andrea, Denzel, Byron, Ervin Jr., Kylie, Sharlene, Brooklyn and Jayden, wore veiled pink.
Benjamin and Joanna were united in holy matrimony by her father, Joni. Scripture was read by her grandfather, and the first sermon was given by Robert, a minister from our home church. After 27 years of Benjamin being at home with us, I felt happy to see him marry the love of his life!
Shortly after 10, the cooks, tablewaiters, dishwashers, coffee/ water servers and special helpers were ready to eat. After they ate, they all filed in to come watch the couple join hands in marriage, which was at 11:30. After the couple was married, they all went back out of the service to get ready for all the guests. Water glasses were filled with ice cold water, and the two serving stations were stocked with big pots of dressing, potatoes and gravy. There were 22 serving bowls so that each table waiter had two servings to send around at one time. The chicken was kept in coolers to keep hot.
Meanwhile, in the service, Das 122.Lied, or Song 122, was sung from the Ausbund (our German songbook) to conclude the wedding. It was led by nephew Benjamin. The other songs earlier were led by Tim, Ervin, Daniel Ray, niece Emma's husband Menno and nephew Marvin. When it ended, the bride and groom and their witnesses walked out with the family following. Joanna went to go replace her black covering with a white covering. She will no longer wear the black covering for church and only wear white. In our community, the unmarried girls wear a black covering to church. After they are married, they wear white coverings, so that is the last time they wear the black covering. The unmarried boys do not have a beard until they are published, and then they let it start growing. After all these years, it seems different to see Benjamin with a beard.
Next week I will share Part 2 of this wedding story.
I am sharing the recipe for the dressing that was served at the wedding. God bless!
Wedding Dressing
Ingredients:
10 loaves of bread (16 ounce) cut into small pieces
48 eggs
1 quart onions, chopped
3 quarts potatoes, shredded
1 quart carrots, shredded
1 quart celery, diced
1 3/4 cup chicken soup base
4 teaspoons seasoning salt
8 teaspoons black pepper
8 teaspoons Montreal chicken seasoning
2 cups melted butter
6 quarts chicken broth with chicken pieces
Directions:
Beat eggs and add everything in a big tub, mixing well. If it is too dry, more water can be added. This batch makes four roasters, three quarters full. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour or until set and/ or potatoes are soft. Grease pans/ roasters before pouring dressing in.
*Note: We did not toast the bread but you can if you want. It will take more liquid if you do. My mother never toasted her bread for dressing and she always had the best dressing. She also never added milk.
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.