HAPPY EASTER - ST. MICHAEL'S CATHOLIC CHURCH, NEWARK, NY

St. Michael's church was established in 1868.  The church is across the street from the Catholic School I had in Friday's post.  As you can see, St. Michael's is a beautiful church inside.  Picture seven is of their beautiful music organ. Picture nine is a picture of the grotto to Our Blessed Mother that is behind the rectory.  The last picture is of the rectory.  The rectory use to be the convent for the Sisters of Mercy who taught at the Catholic School.  In 1963 there was another building for the rectory, but they had to tear it down do to termites.  I remember us looking out the school window as they tore the rectory down.  When the Sisters left, they turned the convent into the rectory and church office.

Hope everyone has a Blessed and Happy Easter,
Marilyn
Jean and Family
Martha and Family
Elmer and Family

Below is the Easter Basket I got from my neighbor just a few minutes ago. I didn't think they would give me one this year as they did last year.  I had nothing to give them.  Next year, I will be ready.  The lady and her Granddaughter came to my door. I was so surprised.  They gave me a beautiful handmade pot holder, a baby chick, and goodies.

Marilyn

ANNA'S HAM AND BROCCOLI CASSEROLE

ANNA'S HAM AND BROCCOLI CASSEROLE

1 cup shredded cheese
2 10 1/2 oz cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup chopped onions
4 Tablespoon butter
4 cups diced ham
2 10 oz pkgs frozen chopped broccoli (or fresh broccoli cooked)
2 cups Minute Rice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Cook onion in butter.  Cook broccoli according to package or cook fresh broccoli; drain.  In very large bowl combine all ingredients.  Put in buttered casserole dish.  Bake 350 degrees uncovered for 40 to 50 minutes.

NOTE:  This is a dish you can make ahead and freeze.  When you need it, put it in the oven covered for 1 1/2 hours at 400 degrees.  Then remove cover for 30 minutes more.  Stir when you remove the cover. This is great for left over ham.  Anna

Conscience is God's presence in man.

ST, MICHAEL'S CATHOLIC SCHOOL - JEAN'S CHURCH WINDOW COOKIES

St. Michael's Catholic Elementary School opened in 1950.  I graduated from there in 1963 and went on to a Catholic High School.  St. Michael's School closed a couple of years ago.  There was rumor that it would be turned into apartments, and other options, but the decision was to tear it down.  Right now, it is still standing, but I had to take pictures.  I understand the high cost of Catholic Schools and there aren't enough children to fill them, but still it hurts to see my school close and get torn down.  I know it's not the building but the people, but deep down it still hurts.  Another thing were these two signs that still remain on the building.  I would like to get inside the school one last time to take pictures.  I thought Good Friday would be the day to put this on.  Marilyn

Marilyn kept saying chocolate recipe, chocolate recipe, chocolate recipe - well here it is.  Jean

JEAN'S CHURCH WINDOW COOKIES
            DO NOT BAKE THIS RECIPE

1/2 cup butter
1 pkg, (12 oz) chocolate bits
1 cup chopped nuts
1 pkg, (10 oz) colored marshmallows
1 pkg. (14 oz) flaked coconut

Melt butter and chocolate bits over low heat.  Allow to cool slightly.  Stir in nuts and marshmallows.  Spread coconut on wax paper.  Divide chocolate mixture into two rolls.  Roll in coconut.  Place in refrigerator for 24 hours.  Cut into 1/2 inch slices. Also could be put in a mold and set in frig.  Like this recipe as it can be easily doubled or cut in half - if I had to.

Each day is God's gift to you.
Make it blossom and
grown into a thing of beauty.

JEAN'S ASPARAGUS PARMESAN

JEAN'S ASPARAGUS PARMESAN

JEAN'S ASPARAGUS PARMESAN

24 asparagus tips
8 long, thin slices of prosclutto ham
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Cook asparagus in briskly-boiling water until tender, about 10 minutes.  Drain well.  Wrap 3 asparagus in each slice of meat and fasten with toothpick.  Place into greased baking dish; sprinkle with half of butter and cheese; bake for 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and pour on remaining butter and cheese.

God does not comfort us to
make us comfortable,
but to make us comforters.

JEAN'S LEMON SPONGE PIE

JEAN'S LEMON SPONGE PIE

1 unbaked 9 inch pie shell
3 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/4 cup sugar
4 eggs, separated
3 Tablespoons flour
dash of salt
1 1/4 cup milk
grated peel of 2 lemons
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

Preheat over to 375 degrees

In large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg yolks, flour, salt, milk, lemon peel and lemon juice.  In small bowl using clean beaters, beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry.Gently fold egg whites into large bowl mixture.  Pour into pie shell.  Bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes, reduce heat to 300 degrees and bake for 45 minutes or until top is golden.  Toothpick inserted should come out clean.  Cool on pie rack.

A happy home is not
one without problems,
but one that handles them
with understanding and love.

GRANDMOTHER OLIVE TELLS CANNING POULTRY - CORN SALAD

When I am telling of canning poultry I am including poultry in general which includes chicken and turkey.  With poultry you can can with bones or without.  Cooking with bones in other meats are discouraged.  Dressed poultry should be chilled for 6 to 12 hours before canning.  If you would like to make a broth for canning a hot pack, put the bony pieces into cold water, bringing that to a boil and simmer until the meat on the bones is tender.  Remember to skim off all the fat.  You may want to strain the broth, removing the bones. Now you have broth that you can use to fill the jars after the meat has been put in.

Canning with bone in a 1 quart jar you should be able to get 3 1/2 to 4 1/4 pounds in the jar.  Canning without bone using a 1 quart jar, you should be table to fit about 5 1/2 to 6 1/4 pounds of meat in the jar. Again, I am using the dial-gauge pressure canner.  If yours is a different pressure canner time will  be different.  Also if you altitudes are different than mine, that will also change weight.

Hot Pack with bones
Remove bone from the breast.  Saw the drumsticks off short.  You may leave the bone in the other meaty pieces.  Also trim off large lumps of fat off.  If you don't do that excess fat can cause the rubber sealant of your jars lids to deteriorate.  Next, boil, steam or bake the meat until about two-thirds of the way done.  Pack the meat loosely into pint or quart jars, leaving 1 1/4 inches of room at the top.  When packing have the thighs and drumsticks with skin next to the glass.  Put the breasts in the center and surround by small pieces as needed.  Lastly fill jars to 1 1/4 inches from top with hot broth.

Hot Pack without bones
After cooking before packing remove bones-but do not remove the skin.

Raw Pack
Before packing remove bones, but not the skin from meaty pieces.  Then pack like hot pack.

Using the dial-gauge in our area hot and cold pack pints should be 75 minutes, quarts 90 minutes on 11 pounds of canning pressure.  If your pressure cooker or altitude is different so is process time.

Giblets and Poultry Stock
Use pint jars in canning gizzards, hearts, and livers.  You may put gizzards and hearts in the same jar, but livers must be in separate jars.  After cooking follow the process for hot-pack poultry without bones.

If you would like to make poultry stock, cover carcass bones with water, simmer 30 to 45 minutes until meat will easily come off of bones.  Then cool the broth, strip meat from bones, get rid of the fat and fill jars.  Using dial-gauge pressure canning hot pack pints should process time 20 minutes, quarts 25 minutes 11 pounds canning pressure.

I hope that I still have you all with me.  I am ending with this one, but if you would like canning on other meats, please leave a comment and I will see what I can do.

Follow God,
Olive

You are the first to get this recipe.  I thank Maureen Weidman from Cornell University Cooperative Extension.  The evening before, Maureen found she had to bring a recipe that we could sample for her program at the nutrition center I work at.  This is what she came up with.  Aside from her family, our Nutrition Center was the first to taste it.  We passed it with flying colors. I asked Maureen if I could put it on here, She was surprised, and said yes.  Aside from feeding your family, it would be great to bring to pot luck dinners, church suppers, dish to pass, etc.  Hope you agree, Marilyn

CORN SALAD

2 cups fresh or frozen whole kernel corn-cooked and drained
3/4 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup fat free Ranch dressing

In a bowl, combine vegetables.  Stir in dressings.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

If God is a reality, and the soul a reality, and you are an immoral being, what are you doing with your Bible shut?

ANNA WILL BE ON NEXT WEEK TELLING ABOUT CURING MEAT. SHE GAVE US RECIPES, BUT THIS WILL BE HER FIRST POST !!!

ELMER'S JOURNEY TO THE LORD - ANNA'S HAM AND APPLE CHERRY SAUCE

Someone asked about my journey with the Lord and I thought that seeing this is Holy Week, it would be a good time to tell.

First, you must understand that we Amish, and I know the Old Order Mennonite, believe that our children are a gift from God.  So, when I was born, even thought I am a dwarf, I was considered a gift from God.  I was considered, as many special children are, a special gift from God.  As my parents had already had a dwarf child pass on, I guess I was really special, to them.  As I said in a post a while back, my Mother treated me easier than my other brothers and sisters because she did not think I would be on this earth long.  On the other hand, after the doctors great bill of health, my Father said I should be treated like all their other sons.

From the minute you are born, Amish religion ways are present.  My Mother sang religious songs when rocking me, prayed while holding me, and as I got older read Bible stories to me.  I can remember her reading the story of how Joseph's brothers sold him to the Ishmeelitesin in Genesis.  My older brothers found that it scared me, so whenever I didn't do what they wanted, they threatened to sell me to the Ishmeelites and I thought they would.   Years later when my Mother was going to read that story to one of my children, I didn't let her.  When she asked why, I told of what happened when she read it to me.  She nor my Father knew that had happened, until that day.

We start attending church with our parents as soon as we can after we are born.  It is our way that we should try to live as close as we could to the way the Lord would want us to.  We believe that this is our way to heaven.  The Bible, the ordnung and The Martyrs Mirror are our way of life.  The Martyrs Mirror is  a book in most Amish homes that tells of the persecution that our forefathers suffered.

I was a very good child, believed as my parents, did of their ways until my rumspringa.  When I became a teenager, I questioned if this was what life was all about.  Was farming, raising cows, getting married, having children all that life was? Being a dwarf was I any different from others? Is there really a God? If there is a God, would all this get me to heaven?

I didn't give up on religion.  What I wanted to know was - was it real?  Are the Bible, the ordnung  true?  Did our Martyrs suffer for a real, true religion or were we going to burn in hell, at the end?  I wasn't wondering alone.  My best friend Eli, was wondering the same.

People would call Eli and I the double E as we were usually together a lot.  If you saw one, the other was near by.  We went to school together, chores together, spent our spare time together and got into trouble together.  Also, we wondered about our religion together, although Eli accepted that there was a God, but were we following as we should.

Through this time, we went to some other churches: Mennonite, Protestant, Catholic and others.  It seems like we were going to a different one every week.  Of course, we were also going to movies,  watching television at our new Englisher friends home, doing things and going places in the English world.  That was also when my Father took me in the barn and turned me over his knee as I mentioned in a previous post.

About this time one of our new Englisher friends started talking about being "born again".  We were against that.  How can you be born again?  One evening, when Eli wasn't there, this friend took me through the bible showing me where Jesus died for our sins.  That farming, milking cows, getting married or staying single, what clothes I wore, with electric or without and more - made no difference.  He also explained that the Lord created us and then sent his son, Jesus, to die for us.  I remember the quote: "No greater love, than a man who would lay down his for His friend,"  Still I didn't go along with this.  I was afraid that if I took this new religious way, I would have to leave the Amish, leave my family and friends - and I couldn't do that.

Finally, I got Eli and took him to hear this friend.  I can still see Eli sitting there listening to this religious way.  He didn't say a word.  When our friend got done and asked Eli, if he would say a prayer to the Lord giving his life to the Jesus - Eli did.  I still didn't.

But I noticed the change in Eli.  Things that use to bother him, didn't both him as much anymore.   He gave up our rumspringa ways.  His life seemed to change and I wanted this, too.  So one night, I told Eli, I want what you have.  So we sat down together and Eli went through the Bible quotes to me.  The way Jesus died for our sins.  This time I understood.  When Eli came to ask me to give my life to Jesus, I couldn't wait and did.  Things didn't change over night, but it started with my having a clearer understanding of my reading of the Bible.  What before sounded like a story, came true to me.  Slowly my life changed.  I left my rumspringa ways. Did all my problems end?  Of course not.  Are there things in the Bible, I still don't understand?  Of course.  But, I slowly went from the sorry for me dwarf to the man I am today.  My outlook on life is different.  I read other things throughout the year, but the Bible is my most important and I read it several times a year.  Yes, I comply with the ordnung - but the Bible is my most important.

But one thing came up.  How do I explain this all to Anna?  We were courting at the time.  I asked Eli to pray for me, the night I was taking Anna out and going to try to explain my new religious ways.  Would this end our relationship?  I picked Anna up and we went for a ride.  I was afraid and she knew something was wrong.  When she asked what was wrong, I started in on how to be born again-when she stopped me.  I thought this was the end.  She then told me she already knew as she had accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior.

Today, of course, Anna and I are married.  Eli  is married, has a family and is the Bishop of our church.  The Englisher that first introduced me to the Lord and led Eli to the Lord is now married, has a family and is a minister.

We all learned that farming, milking cows, the ladies washing clothes, cooking, cleaning, etc. is not going to get us to heaven.  Only accepting Jesus as my our personal Savior is going to get us there.  Should we stop farming, washing clothes, cooking, etc.  Of course not, but they aren't going to get us into heaven.

Some of you may not approve of what I said, but I was asked and am telling.  This is the way Anna, Eli, and most of family live by.  Do all the Amish? No, most believe that they must earn their way to heaven.

I know someone asked me more questions about my way with the Lord, but I will leave that for my next post. Please remember that like Christmas, Easter is the same: "Jesus is the reason for the season." Anna, myself and our family wish you a very Happy and Religious Easter.

 I just noticed that at the top, right next to my Journey to the Lord is Anna's Ham.  Is Anna trying to tell me, I am a ham?  Well, I guess I am.

Trust God's Wisdom,
Elmer

ANNA'S HAM WITH APPLE CHERRY SAUCE

1 3 pound ham
3/4 cup apple juice, divided
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup chopped apples
1/2 cup cherry or currant jelly

Bake ham.  Combine 1/4 cup apple juice and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir until smooth.  Set aside.  Place apples, jelly and remaining 1/2 cup apple juice in a large saucepan.  Heat over medium-high heat.  Cook 5 minutes.  Add cornstarch mixture; cook and stir for 1 minute until thickened.  Serve over sliced ham.

The little things we sometimes do,
For others day by day;
Return quite unexpectedly,
In some peculiar way.