Amanda Miller
Columnist
Lettuce Eat Local

It’s there on the calendar, but it’s there everywhere I look outside as well: Spring is here this week. 

Green things are popping up all over the place, and colors sprout extra brightly in contrast to winter’s shades of brown. Daffodils started with their leaves pushing through the soil a while ago, and they’ve already exploded into gently enthusiastic yellow flowers. The tight buds on our row of lilacs are forming, soon to also burst into simultaneously pale yet strong shades of purple; close by, our two old stock-tanks established with mint and strawberries are getting their headstart on the growing season, too. 

Benson and I trenched in some asparagus crowns a few weeks ago (okay fine, we threw some dirt around — Brian did the actual work), and while they haven’t peeked up yet, the fruit tree nearby is fluffy with blossoms. I can’t remember if it’s a cherry or a pear, but Benson’s fairly certain each of the burgeoning lamb’s-quarters scattered around the area are going to grow oranges. He’s wrong…but I’m in love with the excitement brimming out of him at seeing plants and potential springing out of the ground. 

He’s even in love with the ground itself, apparently; the other day after our meander around the farm pointing out all the colors everywhere, he flopped down in the cushion of greening grass, “watching the clouds and the moon.” I so appreciate Benson’s vivacity for the Creator’s gift of Spring and new life sprouting. 

And with all this sprouting going on outside, it’s only appropriate for us to have some going on inside. We don’t often eat sprouts, but we recently got a couple boxes of alfalfa and clover sprouts. For some reason it’s a little odd to me if I think too much about eating so many teeny tiny baby plants at one time, but I love their flavor and nutrition. 

Sprouts always remind me of a certain comedian’s quip, originally about rice but so applicable here as well: “[It’s] great if you’re really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something.” And clean up two thousand of something, as it’s nearly impossible to pick up a clump of sprouts without dropping some. Benson would randomly decide to stuff handfuls in his mouth, so even though I definitely consumed the most, I’ll blame him for the little seeds I kept finding everywhere.

Sprouts also always remind me of my parents talking about peanut butter sprout sandwiches. They grew the alfalfa sprouts, made the whole-wheat oat bread, and sandwiched it together with a spread of crunchy peanut butter. It sounds so hippie — to be fair, it was the 70s. 

And to be fair, it does also sound exactly like something I would do. (Because I do.) And it is really a moreish combination: the nutty, fresh sprouts complement the nutty, rich peanut butter, particularly when sandwiched between hearty bread. I of course had to elaborate on the theme a bit for my version, but as much as I want to poke at my mom and dad’s hippiness, I can’t help but just enjoy the meal. 

Spring is here! Sprouts are everywhere, outside and inside, and we are happy. 

Groovy Sprouts Sandwich

Mom says peanut butter sprout sandwiches were a common thing, and I did find some proof to back her up; perhaps you can also attest their popularity in a certain era. I can only assume they’ll start to be in vogue again then anytime, so I might as well get ahead of the curve and get one of my versions out in the sphere. All the elements just play so well together. I don’t know how to describe the texture of sprouts (plant-y?), but whatever it is calls out for the smoothness of avocado, peanut butter, and cream cheese, and the crispness of toasted bread. 

Prep tips: you can get as “hippie” as you want and bake the bread (even grow and mill the wheat), sprout the sprouts, make the cream cheese, grind the peanut butter…or you can just put them all together. 

2 slices hearty bread, toasted

a schmear of whipped cream cheese

a spoon of peanut butter (I uncharacteristically prefer creamy for this)

½ an avocado, sliced

a good sprinkle of coarse salt

a handful of alfalfa/clover sprouts

optional: a drizzle of local honey

Layer all ingredients in the order given, of course beginning and ending with bread. Enjoy, preferably in the sunshine. 

Lovina’s Amish Kitchen
Lovina Eitcher,
Old Order Amish
Cook, Wife &
Mother of Eight 

This is Monday evening here at the Eicher homestead. Everyone is getting showered and ready for bed. Supper was easy tonight—son Joseph brought supper home. On the menu was pizza, wings, and subs. What a treat for daughter Lovina and me to not have to get supper.

Joe and I had left after he was home from work and showered. We attended the viewing/visitation of son-in-law Tim’s Aunt Sylvia, age 64. She passed away suddenly on Friday. Her husband found her lying down in the house—life had fled. Our sympathy to her husband and family left to mourn. Sylvia was in the same church district as we were for quite a few years. She always had a smile, and when I went to their general store and greenhouse she always asked how we were doing. She will be greatly missed! Her husband Mervin will have many lonely days ahead. Their four children are all married, and he lives alone now. 

I had to help take a dish in for supper tonight. I made a Cherry Delight. Tomorrow morning, I plan to attend the funeral, Lord willing, with sisters Verena and Emma.

Joe plans to go to work. He was off several days last week because of sickness. Now this week they won’t work a full week. It’s bad timing when building a new pole barn. We aren’t getting any younger, and the bills still have to be paid. We take one day at a time and trust in God. He knows the future, and we need to trust in him.

Church services will be held at daughter Susan and Ervin’s on Sunday, Lord willing. They have quite a lot to do yet. Those helping them with their work on Saturday were Joe and I, sons Benjamin, Joseph, and Kevin, daughter Lovina and her special friend Daniel, daughter Loretta, Dustin, and sons, daughter Elizabeth, Tim, and children. A lot was accomplished!

Ervin’s dad is still in the hospital and is showing some improvement. He will need to go to a rehab center after he’s dismissed from the hospital. He still can’t walk yet. Hopefully this will only be short-term. Susan was unable to go with Ervin on Sunday to visit him due to having several children sick with the flu. Ervin and sons Ryan and Curtis went to visit Perry. We are hoping and praying Perry will have a complete and full recovery!

Today was a nice but windy laundry day. The towels are so soft when blown dry in the wind. It was a little chilly hanging out the clothes.

Daughter Verena left tonight with her special friend Daniel Ray to also attend the viewing/visitation of Sylvia. Daniel Ray’s dad Alvin is a pallbearer at the funeral tomorrow. They were neighbors with Sylvia and Mervin for many years. Verena and Daniel Ray will also attend the funeral tomorrow and so will daughter Elizabeth and Tim. Sylvia has many brothers and sisters and lots of nieces and nephews as well, so I am sure it will be a big funeral. Sylvia will be buried in the graveyard just down the road from us. We have three loved ones buried there beside only one other person in this newer graveyard. How this brings back sad memories of losing our loved ones three years ago. God makes no mistakes, we know! God bless you all! 

I will share the coffee cake recipe that daughter Susan had made for Saturday. It was delicious!

Coffee Cake

4 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup water

1 (13.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix

1 (3.4-ounce) box instant butterscotch pudding mix

1 (3.4-ounce) box instant vanilla pudding mix

Topping:

1 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Mix eggs, oil, and water together. Add dry pudding mix and cake mix and beat well. Pour half of the batter into a 9 x 13-inch pan. Sprinkle half of topping on top. Repeat. Bake at 325°F for about 1 hour. 

Variation: Pour batter onto a cookie sheet and sprinkle on topping. Bake at 325°F for about 30 minutes. Also, 2 boxes of vanilla pudding mix can be used if you don’t have butterscotch pudding mix.  

Lovina’s Amish Kitchen is written by Lovina Eicher, Old Order Amish writer, cook, wife, and mother of eight. Her two cookbooks, The Essential Amish Cookbook and Amish Family Recipes, are available wherever books are sold. Readers can 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 passed on to her to read. She does not personally respond to emails.