Earlier today one of my cousins called and asked if it would be alright if he and his younger brother would drop by for a short visit. I was happy that they were coming and invited them to stay for supper. Spending time with cousins has been a very rare occurance since we left the Amish and having a meal together even more rare. I was very happy when they accepted the offer.
I spent a little time planning the menu and then spent time cooking and baking the afternoon. I think I have everything under control and ready to put the finishing touches on our meal once it's closer to supper time.
Cooking for my Amish cousins made me think about the meals Mom and I used to cook when ever we invited company. The basic company meal would consist of fresh baked bread, home made butter and jam, potatoes, gravy, meat, salad, a vegetable, and noodles. For dessert there would be cake and fruit and several kinds of pies. If our company was someone we didn't see very often or extra important we would cook a full company meal. The table would be set with our very best dishes. After a silent prayer Daddy would reach for the platter filled with fresh bread and pass it around the table, there was butter, jam, sliced cheese and ham to eat with the bread. After everyone had bread the main course would officially start. It consisted of potatoes, gravy, chicken, some kind of beef, two kinds of salad, and two kinds of vegetables. With such a large first course it was hard to save enough room for dessert but we always tried. Dessert would start off with fruit, cake, bars, and cookies. Next a big bowl full of pudding made it's journey around the table. Finally it was time to pass the pie. With two kinds of fruit pie and two kinds of other pie it used to be hard to decide which pie to eat.
One of my favorite things about big company meals like that were the left overs we could enjoy later.
Since we have left the Amish I hardly ever cook like that. First course tonight will be a basic Amish company meal minus the pasta. Dessert will be a lot more simple. A warm peach cobbler and ice cream to finish off our meal will be just fine and a lot less work.
Company is always fun. The Amish really put out a spread. My mom used to do that we always said she was cooking for an army. lol Hope you enjoy your evening!
ReplyDeleteuntil next time... nel
Wow! Those are really some meals. Mom and us girls enjoy cooking, but I don't think we ever put together a 'meal' that large!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy reading your blog. It is wonderful hearing what it was really like to be Amish from a truely Amish view. God bless you!
I just can't imagine cooking that much food and then eating all of the different things. Sounds like a great feast though!
ReplyDeleteHope you had a wonderful time with your cousins! Are they still in the Amish faith?
Have a Great Weekend!
Angela
Wow, that's a lot of food! That's like my family's Thanksgiving meal times 10! How long did it take you to cook all of that? Did you have to start the day or two before?
ReplyDeleteHow nice that you had the opportunity to have a meal with your cousins. There is something special about sitting down to a meal together!
Yummmm! Can I come?
ReplyDeleteWhat a treat to have Amish people VISITING YOU! In the thirty years since I've left I've never had that. Congratulations!
Love your post... it makes my mouth water.
Saloma
salomafurlong.com
aboutamish.blogspot.com
It makes me wonder who else out there has a rating system in place in their head for which pie to choose? Yes, I've got a strategy.
ReplyDeleteLOL @ Monica ~ but of course that makes perfect sense! MaryAnn - how funny that the meals became more "plain" when you left the plain lifestyle. :) I can almost smell all of that cooking and imagine the fun of everyone around the table talking at once and wanting more! ♥
ReplyDeleteI think for the most such huge meals in Holmes County are history, although I sure remember them from 40-45 years ago. It has been scaled down to potatoes, one meat, one salad, one vegetable, pie and icecream. And they are still overweigh more than ever...
ReplyDeletebecause I am so into reading my Amish books and loving every second of them, I was taken back to your childhood memory with your recolection of your family meals. How wonderful they sounded.
ReplyDeleteYour dinner for family sounds very warm and inviting and your cousins I'm sure enjoyed themselves very, very much.
Hugs, karen
Wow, the Amish company meal sounds like it would leave the table groaning under the weight!
ReplyDeleteOne dessert seems like enough. I hope you had a wonderful time visiting with your cousins.
Well, I'm stuffed just thinking of a traditional company Amish meal!! I've been trying to catch up with all of your older posts and have been really enjoying myself. I'm up to January 9th of this year. Thank you so much for visiting my blog and leaving a kind comment.
ReplyDeleteOk now I'm officially hungry! It all sounds so delicious - especially dessert haha.
ReplyDeleteWow what a meal...I don't know how you could cook all of that let alone eat all of that. I would be stuffed! I bet they were wonderful times with family and friends though. Good times around the table.
ReplyDeleteThank you are your visit today with me and discovering some of my imperfections. Take care and come by again.