How to make chocolate cookies

This week already brings us to fall. This week always takes me back to 20 years ago when my dear mother passed away so suddenly. She died on September 17 but was in Blue Springs, Missouri at the time of her death. The funeral did not take place until September 23. My mother wrote this column for 11 years, and after her death I started writing. Joe and I had six children at the time and Joseph was 8 weeks old. Where have all the years gone? Time does not stop. I have many precious memories of my sweet mother. She far surpassed me in cooking and baking.

Yesterday we did laundry and I had everything hanging outside, then I heard thunder in the distance. I gradually took off the clothes as they dried, but the storm was getting closer and closer. I hung what was suitable from the ropes on the porch, then brought the rest in baskets inside. We didn’t have too much thunder and lightning, but a little rain. After it was over, I hung what was wet outside again. I could have left it outside in the rain, but the towels were half dry, and even though it was more physical work, I decided to take them off until after the rain. All laundry was dry and could be folded and put away overnight.

I really hope I can one day get these clotheslines that you can put on your porch ceilings and fold up when you’re done using them. On rainy days, when you don’t have a heater in the house, it would be so nice to hang the laundry there. We have a large wraparound porch which would be ideal for this.

Daughter Loretta and baby Denzel came here for the day. She brought their tomatoes and I had several five gallon buckets from my garden that my son Joseph had picked the day before. We canned 30 liters of tomato juice for Dustin and Loretta of All Tomatoes. Loretta started washing and cutting the tomatoes while we did the laundry. She was happy when Dustin came home from work and helped her. It will be a good supply for them this winter.

My hot pepper plants are busy again, so I’m going to have my son Kevin pick the peppers this week and put them in jars. Raised beds make it easier for Kevin to help pick vegetables.

Church services were held at niece Emma and Menno’s house on Sunday, which was also a council meeting. Everyone comes to lunch two tables at a time, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. or until everyone is fed. The religious services were held under a tent. Lunch was served in their pole barn. They had a nice lunch of chicken noodle soup, homemade wheat and white bread, ham, cheese, peanut butter spread, pickles, red beets, hot peppers, butter , strawberry jam, a variety of cookies, coffee and iced tea.

Services ended around 2:30 p.m. and everyone left for home. Our family stayed and Emma cooked supper for us. Cornhole was played while supper was prepared. Nephew Jacob, 22, also suffers from muscular dystrophy, and cornhole games are something he does to earn money.

We are working on organizing a fundraising dinner at our community center for young people on October 7th. We will be serving a barbecue chicken and pulled pork meal from 4-8 p.m. I wrote scraps of paper with pies, potato salad, etc. to the ladies who want to help bring the food. The perk is to help Dustin and Loretta with ongoing hospital and medical bills. Dustin is raising pigs for this winter to put them down, so they’ll roast one for profit. There is a lot of work to be done, but there are a lot of people ready to help. Lots of hands do lighter work!

Loretta will have an ultrasound in mid-October on both legs to see what’s causing the clots. We pray it’s something simple that can be fixed.

Denzel is 10 and a half weeks old and got a lot of attention at church when he decided to laugh out loud. Loretta was making funny faces at him and he was just laughing and giggling. He is so cute!

I will share the cookie recipe her daughter Lovina tried and everyone loved. I hope you will enjoy them too. God’s blessings to all!

Lovina’s Amish Kitchen is written by Lovina Eicher, Old Order Amish writer, cook, wife, and mother of eight. Her latest cookbook, Amish Family Recipes, is available wherever books are sold. Readers may 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 [email protected] and your message will be forwarded to them for reading. She does not personally respond to emails.

Chewy Chocolate Cookies

1 1/4 cup butter, softened

2 cups of sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2 cups (1 12-ounce package) peanut butter chips or chocolate chips

butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt, then stir into the creamed mixture. Stir in fries. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-9 minutes (do not overbake). The cookies will be soft. They will puff up when cooked and flatten as they cool.

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