ANNA'S MENU FOR A DAY

Someone asked for a daily menu at our house.  I thought it would be easy, but it's not as easy as it sounds.  First, Elmer and I had eight children so we had it that each child could pick breakfast every week or so.  Saturday was either Elmer or mine's choice and Sunday was the Lord's Day so we mostly ate and still do eat cereal that day for breakfast.  Seeing we only have one child still at home, for a short time, now anyone one of us can decide what we want for breakfast. If I don't hear any choices, I make what I want.  I also feel that breakfast is the most important meal.  How we start the day food wise helps the way our day will go both work wise and health wise.

So in the morning we usually have juice or fresh fruit depending on the season.  Elmer and John each like a small bowl of oat meal.  Then we might have pancakes or french toast, or waffles,  etc. with either ham, bacon or sausage.  Sometimes they would like soft boiled eggs or scrambled eggs then I will have homemade bread with homemade jelly in addition to the meat and home fried potatoes. Of course we have coffee.

In midmorning, we have a snack and coffee.  Many times John is over at his farm so it is just Elmer and myself.  I use to bake real fattening coffee cakes or donuts, etc. for this time, but being more health wise, we usually have a muffin or fruit and coffee.

I try to serve the main meal at lunch, but that doesn't always work out with John working at his place and Elmer here.  Sometimes one of the men will tell me what they would like for dinner the night before or I make something - they eat it.

It could be beef stew or chicken stew over noodles.  It could be baked chicken or fish or pot roast.  It could be ham stew over noodles or spaghetti or lots of things.  Sometimes, depending on the weather, Elmer will do burgers or steaks on the grill.  If we don't have noodles, then we have either baked, mash or fried potatoes.  Vegetables, salad, fresh homemade bread with jelly.  Also, we have chow chow or beet eggs or alike.  Elmer always wants desert at the main meal so I have cake or pie or cookies or alike for desert.

In the middle of the afternoon, we sometimes have another snack.  Again, it might be cookies or muffin or fruit and coffee.

If we had the big dinner at lunch, we have a lighter dinner.  Many times I make a salad like a Julian Salad or tuna noodle salad or alike. Then I try to have fruit or a fruit salad.  We usually have bread with jelly.  I do make whole wheat bread when I can, but sometimes the men would prefer white bread.  We may instead of bread have rolls, muffins or alike.  If we have the main meal in the evening that you just switch these two menus.

If it has been a hard day and we have been working or plowing or planting, we sometimes order a pizza or something to deliver.  Then I just add a salad for dinner.

In the evening, we also snack.  It could be popcorn or cookies or if I have left over desert.  We sometimes have cider or coco or tea to drink.  We drink coffee all day and sometimes we just like tea instead.

So that is pretty much what we eat.  I don't make fried foods very often although once in a while Elmer or John will ask me to fry chicken - and I usually do it.  We pay more attention to health than we did when we were children.  Of course views have changed since we were children.

Saturday is usually Elmer's breakfast day. We have juice or fruit, oatmeal, fried eggs, home fries, either bacon sausage or ham, homemade bread,jelly or muffins or rolls.  Elmer calls that his grease day - most everything fried.

As Elmer and John do less work and are less active in the winter than they are in the other three seasons, I try to watch what they eat.  I don't always get away with it, though.  Although Elmer has some jobs that people want done.  He and John are putting siding on another Amish man's house right now.  It was suppose to have been done two years ago, but the man thought he would do it.  Last year Elmer went and gave him a price.  Still the man thought he would so it.  A few weeks ago he called Elmer and asked him if he would do it for the same price he quoted last year.  Elmer stated he would.  The man's wife is a little upset that all you see when people drive by is insulation.  No siding.  The man thought he better get it done.  So he hired Elmer and John.

So here is usual menu.  It isn't perfect because they change every day.

Trust God's Wisdom,
Anna