Old Order Mennonite Memoirs

"The Surprise"

"When I see a snowdrop,

I just have to stop and gaze.

This miracle that happens

In the worst of winter's days

Always takes my breath away.

I can't believe it's true.

It looks so frail and beautiful,

So fresh and white and new.

It steals into the world

Before you realize it's there.

When the skies are bleak and bitter

And the trees are bare,

Secretly the snowdrop

Comes to ring her fairy bell

Like some shy soft-footed stranger

With good news to tell.

In this poem by Patience Strong, the snowdrop is a flower. My sister and I "stopped and gazed at this miracle that happens" when we were walking on my brick garden path on Sunday afternoon. Except for pushing daffodil leaves, my sleeping garden didn't have much else to show, but the sun was shining after a week of gray days. It was toasty warm in my little greenhouse but there wasn't much to see there either, for my six lady friends, so we walked back to the house where the rest of our families were.

To get ready for our anticipated company, I baked dinner rolls in the beginning of the week and put them safely in the freezer. As Land O' Lakes dairy producers, butter is always in our house and the jelly was already made. Ground beef to make poor man's steak came from my freezer and the peas came from my garden last summer, as did the potatoes for mashing. I put the gravy in the crock pot in the morning before we left for Piney Creek church and we cooked noodles when we came home. Browned butter for them, looked like garnish but tasted even better.

The lettuce salad, (with my own carrots and cabbage) arranged in Tupperware pie-takers, took the most of my time in preparation but the red beet eggs were easy. There were crackers stuffed with cheese slices and salad dressing, too.

Making pumpkin pudding was quick as was the stirring together of fruit to eat with the chiffon cake that I smothered with pale yellow seven-minute frosting. Coffee or tea in little china tea cups, if you will. The candy was purple-wrapped dark chocolate Hershey kisses and lemon drops mixed with little unwrapped peppermint patties.

Everyone was so graciously thankful for the meal I served and the ladies made quick work of all the dishes, even as we chattered away.

Chattering ladies was also part of my day on Thursday when some friends came to help knot comforters. They brought covered dishes to share in a delicious meal and left a stack of comforters ready for me to bind. Except for two, however, they are still waiting, because my windows got a polishing instead.

Here's the poor man's steak recipe that I used: 2 pounds ground beef, 1 cup cracker crumbs, 1 tablespoon chopped onion, 1 cup milk, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix ingredients well. Spread onto a cookie sheet, 3/4 inch thick. Cut into portion-sized pieces. Use a metal pancake turner to pick up the pieces. Dip them in flour. Fry in butter until lightly browned on both sides. Place in a baking dish and cover with this sauce: 4 tablespoons butter, 4 tablespoons flour, 2 cups milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 6 ounces cheese, 2 tablespoons mushrooms, chopped. Optional seasonings for sauce: (just a few shakes of each or to taste) celery salt, seasoned salt, onion powder, parsley. Melt butter. Blend in flour. Slowly whisk in milk. Add seasonings, cheese and mushrooms. Cook and stir till smooth and boiling. Bake at 300 degrees F. for 30 minutes.