BUGGIES - NEW YORK HAITI BENEFIT AUCTION - POST 4

Hope you enjoy the buggies.  I have one picture of a black and white horse-it was the only horse that color in all of the horses there.  My favorite shot is with all the horses and buggies-and a motor home sitting there.  That motor home seemed so out of place.

STARTING TUESDAY IS SUE ANN'S CANNING POSTS.  THEY WILL BE TUESDAY AND THURSDAY THROUGH JULY.  NOW IS THE TIME TO GET YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED.

OUTSIDE ITEMS AUCTIONED OFF-HAITI BENEFIT AUCTION-POST 4

Here are some of the items that were auctioned off outside the buildings.  There is one I am saving and that is the buggy.  That will take another post.

SUE ANN'S CANNING POSTS START JULY 1ST,  TUESDAY AND THURSDAY WILL BE CANNING DAYS THROUGH JULY,  KEEP THOSE QUESTIONS COMING IN.

JEAN'S BARBECUE SAUCES

HOT DOG SAUCE

1 lb. hamburger
1/3 c. chopped green pepper
1/3 c. onion
1 qt warm water
15 oz tomato sauce or 3 cans tomato paste
1 t chili powder
1 T red pepper
1 T paprika
1 T allspice
1 t oregano
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 t garlic salt
1 t onion salt

Saute vegetables and brown hamburger.  Add rest of ingredients.  Simmer for 2 hours.

BARBECUE SAUCE

1 c. molasses
1 c. mustard (prepared)
1 c. vinegar
1 t. marjoram
1 t oregano
1 t basil
1 t thyme
3/4 c catsup
3/4 c oil
6 T soy sauce
2 t Tabasco
freshly ground black pepper
crushed red pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in blender and blend until consistency is even.  Mixture keeps under refrigeration for months.

BBQ CHICKEN SAUCE

1 egg
1 c. cooking oil
3 T salt
1 t pepper
1 T poultry seasoning
2 c. cider vinegar (Don't use white)

Start by putting egg in the blender and beating thoroughly.  Continue to beat while slowly adding the oil to the egg.  This makes a thick mayonnaise-like mixture which is the key to success in keeping the oil uniformly suspended in the vinegar.  Continue to beat while adding 1/4 of the vinegar and then the salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning.  Finally add the remaining vinegar and mix thoroughly.  The sauce may have to be stirred occasionally during the barbequing.  Refrigerate the left over sauce in a covered container.  It will last indefinitely.

TARTAR SAUCE

1/2 c. mayonnaise
2-3 T finely chopped dill pickle
1 t minced onion

Mix all ingredients thoroughly.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Makes about 2/3 cup.  Tastes best when made ahead and allowed to develop flavor in the refrigerator.

Here are just a few sauce recipes I thought you might like to try this summer.

Be With God,
Jean

MEET HENRY - VICKIE'S NEWEST FAMILY MEMBER

Hello again! Our friend Marilyn has asked me to pop on here once more. This time to tell you about our latest arrival, Henry. =)

Henry is a tiny toy poodle. He is apricot in color. Henry is 3 1/2 years old. He weighs 4 lbs. He is so very sweet. We tease and say that Henry was born to cuddle. That is what he believes is his job in life! He is the definition of lap dog. ;) 

Mabel,our 4 year old, grey poodle, wasn't all that interested in Henry in the beginning. She has now accepted him though. You may have read the post I did here some months back about our Mabel. Mabel now has 6 slipped discs. She is on medications from the veterinarian to control the pain and help her live a good life. She cannot use steps. She does walk and she is happy. She tolerates Henry's constant cuddling. ;)

Due to Mabel's poor back condition, she is less active. Henry seems to understand this now. Every day I, my husband, or one of our three teens play with Henry. He is small, but oh so filled with energy. I think it is because he curls up on so many laps all day. Then he zips through the yard with the kids. He loves to have someone chase him. Then he turns and chases you! He also loves stuffed, squeaky toys.

We have had Henry for almost three months now. He is well loved here. Both our toy poodles bring us such joy. 

Thank you Marilyn for letting me share about Henry and Mabel here. For anyone who wants more, my blog site is: http://astitchersstory.blogspot.com/

KEVIN AND BRIDGET'S OKLAHOMA MISSION

Before I tell of the mission, I would like to thank David, Michael, Edward, my brothers, my Dad and all the other workers that built my tool section in the barn.  It was something I had drawn and thought I would have many years in the future, not when I got home.  It is not our way to thank people, but Eli Schwartz out did himself giving me the flat bed wagon.  It will be put it to good use-I have used it already.

Bridget and I left for Oklahoma by bus with other Mennonites from our area.  We were allowed only one suit case per person on the bus.  On the bus, the men sat on one side and the ladies on the other.  People let Bridget and I each sit on an end so we would be across from each other.  The bus went straight through except for stops for meals, gas, and change of drivers.

The bus came into Oklahoma City where we got on a Mennonite Bus to take us to Moore.  Seating was the same as on the other bus.  At Moore, our headquarters was set up.  They had ladies quarters on one side, men on the other with the dining room and office in the center.  When you got off the bus, picked up your suit case, your checked in and given a brochure with all sorts of materials like bed assignment, meal times, prayer times, rules and regulations and more.  Bridget went to her side and I to the other to see our rooms.
There we found our beds and met the others that were already there that we would be working with the next two weeks.

When dinner came we prayed, had dinner and after were told the work of the area, people, etc,  After that the people from other churches that will be working came in and we introduced ourselves.  We told our name, religion and where we were from.  It was this time we realized that we were different religions, but yet all doing the work of the Lord here in Moore.  We spent the rest of the evening together singing, praying and talking.  Then they left and we went to bed.  I said good night to Bridget in the dining room as men are not allowed in the ladies section nor women allowed in the men's section.  Some of the married couples had gotten motel rooms at a place in Oklahoma City and were bused back and forth each day.  When we do this again, if motels room are available, we will do that.  This being our first mission together, we didn't think of it.

After breakfast in the morning, we went to our supervisor or boss who took us to where we would be working.  I can't explain what it was like seeing all those buildings destroyed.  It's a shock.  Our job was to clear the sites-mostly we did with bulldozers, but some areas by hand.  To think families had lived here, built their lives, maybe businesses and now it was all gone.  All I could think of is: The Lord gives and the Lord takes away.  Most of the time we found nothing that wasn't destroyed, but once in a while we found something that the owner had been looking for. We cleared house by house, street by street.

Bridget's job was to clean the men's and ladies rooms along with other ladies.  They cleaned the bathrooms, made the beds, washed the sheets every other day, etc.  They were only allowed in the men's area when all the men were out working.  The second week, she was on the kitchen detail which she liked better.  In the kitchen she helped setting the tables, serving the food, preparing the meals, clean up and more.  You have no choice what you job will be.  You do the job you are assigned.  Women usually do one job one week and then a different job the second week.

What really concerned all of us there were the air raids they had some nights meaning tornadoes were in the area. Two nights we all had to go to an underground place to sleep because they thought the area might be hit again.  It did near us.  Also, the other problem were looters.  People were coming during the night from other areas-some from other states-and stealing the metal and other items.  It is hard to believe that there are people in the world who would come and steal from people that have lost all their material things. I am not sure if they called the Police or the National Guard, but they did have guards at night, but still they couldn't cover every where at the same time.

Our two weeks done, we returned home on the bus.  As our bus was leaving, more were coming in with people that would be there the next two weeks.  This will go on and on until the buildings are back up again.
We were glad we went and could serve. My brother, Erin, and I were assigned to the same group, so we worked side by side most of the time.  We feel it is our duty to help others.

While we were gone, there were people home doing our jobs on our farm and my parents farm.  They plowed our fields, planted our crops, milked our cows, fed our animals, built my tool room and more..  When they go, we will be at their farm.

I know I did't write everything that happened, but I hope this gives you an idea of what we did.  Also, I am not bragging just stating fact.  We do not look at what we will gain on earth, but what we get in heaven.

Serve For God,
Kevin and Bridget

JEAN'S SPECIAL POST

I know I usually don't post on the Lord's Day, but I did not want to take away from Kevin's post tomorrow.

First David and I would like to apologize for kidding Marilyn about the outside planters.  He didn't realize she asked for New York State of Mind.  If this offended anyone, we apologize.

I love my Grandmother Olive and she would do just about anything for anyone - but she likes to be the boss and sometimes takes things the wrong way.  Anyway, to make a long story short, she  does not want to do the canning posts right now.  This is the second time she has done this.  I apologize for all those that asked questions.  Marilyn did get someone who graciously has accepted to do this post - her name is Sue Ann, who has commented on New York State of Mind and did the mushrooms post.  Sue Ann has been canning since she could remember with her Grandmother's Aunts, and her Mom.  Her first post will be on July 1st.  You can ask her questions on the comments now or on her post.  Marilyn will also send Sue Ann all the questions you folks sent her for Grandma Olive.  Sue Ann said she would answer the questions.  We thank Sue Ann, so much for taking this on for us.

We have had things come up on Edward and Katie's adoptions.  Someone who is a relative to one of the children read about the Old Order Mennonite in Winnipeg, Canada accused of beating their children with whips, cattle prods, and straps.  Because we are Old Order Mennonite's they feel we do such things, which we do not.  We have never done anything to our children-natural or adopted.  This is going to court.  As we do not believe in suing, we did not want an attorney-but we were appointed one.  We are trying to do as they ask.   We are not the only Old Order Mennonite that are going through this right now,

All of our children, natural and adopted had to be checked by the doctor for scars,etc. for the lawyer.  The only one that has scars is Michael which were done by his natural parents-Social Services had pictures of the scars before he came to us.  It did not help that Edward fell down the basement stairs and broke his ankle the day before the children were suppose to go to the doctor.

Even Martha and Joseph had to have their children checked by the doctor and at present, they don't have any foster children at their home.  Sarah that did a post on Amish Stories a while back, had the same problem.

Right now the attorney said we shouldn't have any problems.  Of course attorney fees are making it a little tight on us.  This is planting season not harvest season.  All the children offered their money from the savings accounts we have for them.  But we aren't going that far-yet,

I will try to do posts, but right now, I am not sure what is coming up.  If I can't make them, I wanted you to know that Martha would be taking over for me.  I hope you understand.

Be With God,
Jean

FROM MARILYN

If you get Guideposts Magazine, July, 2013 has a story in there called Sustained.  It is on page 34.  The article is by Pauline Weaver, a Mennonite, in Penn Yan, New York.   I have read the article and I think others would enjoy it.

Marilyn

FOOD TIME-NEW YORK HAITI BENEFIT AUCTION-POST 3

Above is our breakfast.  You paid by donation-there was no set price. Also there was a bakery:

All the money from the breakfast and bake food sale went to Haiti.  Amish and Mennonite ladies donated baked goods for this bake sale, Jean included. 

JEAN WILL HAVE A SPECIAL POST ON TOMORROW !!!!

LAUNDRY DAY AT AMISH AND MENNONITE HOMES

Took all these pictures except one while I was driving around the same day I got the pictures for the previous Spring in Old Order Mennonite Area post.  The top picture I took a while ago while driving around the Lyons,NY Amish and Mennonite area.  I wish we still had it so I could hang my clothes up outside to let them dry. There's something about that fresh smell and soft feel that a dryer just can't give you.

ANOTHER HAITI BENEFIT POST ON TOMORROW.

KEVIN ON ABOUT OKLAHOMA ON MONDAY.

LEAVE QUESTIONS FOR OLIVE REGARDING CANNING ON ANY OF THE POSTS.

NEW YORK HAITI BENEFIT AUCTION - POST 2

This is the second auction building and some of the items that were up for auction.

DON'T FORGET GRANDMOTHER OLIVE'S CANNING WEEK STARTS JULY 8TH.  POST YOUR QUESTIONS NOW, SO SHE CAN ANSWER THEM IN THE POST.

JEAN'S SUMMER SPINACH SALAD

JEAN'S SUMMER SPINACH SALAD

1 pkg (3 oz) lemon gelatin
1 c. hot water
1/2 c cold water
1 c mayonnaise
1/4 t salt
dash of pepper
1 c raw spinach (washed thoroughly and finely cut with scissors)
3/4 c cottage cheese
1/3 c celery, diced
1 T onion, grated

Dissolve gelatin in hot water.  Add cold water, mayonnaise, salt and pepper and blend in blender.  Refrigerate until firm around the edges, but soft in center.  Blend again, fold in spinach, cottage cheese, celery and onion. Pour in 1 quart mold and chill until set.

With vegetable season coming, I hope you will enjoy some of the my recipes.

Be With God,
Jean

STARTING JULY 8 TH , JEAN'S GRANDMOTHER WILL HAVE A POST ON CANNING.  SHE WILL HAVE CANNING FRUIT, VEGETABLES, MEATS, JAMS, JELLIES AND MORE.  SHE HAS AS MANY DAYS THAT WEEK SHE NEEDS, SO START ASKING YOUR QUESTIONS NOW, SO WE CAN GET YOUR ANSWERS IN THE POST.

NEW YORK STATE HAITI BENEFIT AUCTION - POST 1

This is the first auction building and I am showing just some of the items that were up for auction.  David, Jean, Edward and Michael all made or grew items for these auctions. I really liked the dog house at the bottom, but Pierre would never fit in there-they didn't make this item someone else did.

Marilyn