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BY DANIEL YODER

The Amish Cook

(Editor’s Note: Gloria’s husband, Daniel, is writing the column this week, Gloria will return next week.)

I just want to give each of you a little view of how a normal day goes for me. My alarm is set for 6 a.m., so when it goes off, I very rarely hit snooze, I love getting up in the morning, so I sit up, rub my eyes a little, and get dressed.

I grab the milk pail and head outside. These last couple of weeks, I can hear the wild turkeys gobbling in our surrounding woods, so I like to take some extra moments and listen.

As I enter the barn, Daisy, our goat, will greet me with some bleating. I feed her hay and grain and make sure she has nice clean water. She does not like if her water has any hay in it, so she holds very still as she is eating the grain. I take that time to milk her. I can say I enjoy that, she will give about one-quart morning and evening.

While I am in the barn, I make sure the quail have food and water before heading to the house. I may stop in by the garden to see how things are growing. I enter the house at 6:20, and by this time, a few of the children may be awake.

I like to have some devotional time in the morning, and occasionally I will have it before I do the chores. Most of the children are very happy in the morning and love to have some snuggle time on the couch, or sometimes I’ll say, “Hey, do we want to make breakfast?”

I would like to share my favorite omelet recipe, which I often had growing up. The children love helping stir something or help measure some ingredients out or help set the table.

At 7 o’clock, we have a devotional with the family, then breakfast, then sing a song together. Next, everyone helps to clear the table. I head to my woodworking shop about 7:45 and meet my brother John soon after. It is just the two of us working in the shop, so it is pretty low-key.

After a bit, Elijah shows up to get our water jug that has been filled the day before and takes it back to the house to fill it again. This makes him feel really important cause he is helping Daddy.

After a while, Gloria and the children join me in the shop. Some of my favorite times are when they all come out to the shop to play.

Our 10-month-old Joshua is in his glory land when he enters the shop. He loves when I give him a little attention, like hugging. The children like to sit next to me where I am working, ask questions about the furniture, and say they will also build furniture and drive forklifts when they grow up.

Gloria often likes to take these opportunities to do some practicing with the children, for example, she will have them line up, and pretend she is a guest and greet each one, and have them say their name and their age, it is so cute.

At 11 a.m., we have a 20-minute break in the shop for lunch, or sometimes Gloria and the children will bring lunch out to the shop where we all eat together.

You might ask how many pieces we can make in a week. We specialize in bedroom furniture and try to make about two bedroom sets a week. We quit at 3 p.m.

I enjoy coming to the house, catch up on the news, sit in the kitchen have a snack, and help Gloria with the children. I may have them help me do the quail chores or any other little nick-nacks that needs to be done, then before dinner I milk the goat again.

We really enjoy sitting around the dinner table discussing the day or whatever strikes the children to talk about. We often like to make special memories.

For example, Joshua only has one tooth at this moment, but the second one is almost showing. Whoever sees the second tooth first, is exempt from helping with the dishes the next meal.

In the summer, we normally go outdoors again after supper, play, or work in the garden. We start winding the children down for bed at 7:45 and have a Bible story for the children, we like to have the children to bed at 8:30 then Gloria and I may have a little chat and get cleaned up, then go to bed, and I normally am excited to get out the next morning again and do this all over. So for the recipe, here you go.

Daniel’s deluxe baked omelet

Ingredients:

1/4 pound bacon, cut into pieces

1/4 cup chopped onions (optional)

1/4 cup green or red peppers diced(optional)

6 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)

3 slices bread (cubed)

1/2 pound sausage, browned and crumbled

1 cup shredded cheese of your choice, divided

Brown bacon in a large skillet. Remove bacon and lightly sauté onions and peppers in bacon drippings. Whisk together all ingredients, saving 1/2 cup cheese. Pour everything into a greased 9-inch pan. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.