Lily patted Ashley’s arm. “Thank you for what you did. You are a true friend.”
Ashley flipped her hair out of her eyes. “Don’t mention it. Anything for my homies.”
“Are we ‘homies’?” Dan asked.
“Yep.” She smiled and pulled her phone from her purse. “I have to show you something. Look, Bitsy. Our Amish food blog already has three followers. My mom, Griff’s dad, and somebody named Marvin from Florida. Isn’t that amazing?”
“I feel like a celebrity,” Aunt Bitsy said. She wasn’t smiling, but she wasn’t frowning either.
“We should go sit down,” Josiah said. “We’re the newlyweds.”
Rose and her sisters and their husbands sat at the head table with three new beehives as their backdrop. Aunt Bitsy had bought the hives as wedding presents, and Rose had finished painting them last week. Lily’s beehive featured the farm scene with a running horse and a pink barn door. Poppy’s beehive was a garden full of bright red tomatoes. Rose had saved her most cherished design for her own beehive. Was that selfish?
Nae. A painting of a butterfly garden meant more to her than it could to either of her sisters. They wouldn’t mind.
The day after they had gotten engaged, Josiah had brought her a whole box of paints with tubes of every imaginable color. She had scolded him for such an extravagant gift, but he had refused to take it back, saying that a boy wildly in love couldn’t be expected to do anything rational. Using Josiah’s paints, Rose had painted the hive with dozens of monarch butterflies flitting amongst a sea of purple flowers. The picture would always remind her of her unbounded happiness and the gentle boy who had taken her by the hand and given her wings.
Mammi Sarah had the food ready to go as soon as they sat down. The attendants passed the bowls and platters down each table, and people served themselves.
They served roasted chicken with celery stuffing, plus mashed potatoes, coleslaw, cooked celery, buttered noodles, and a Bienenstich cake because, Lord willing, life was going to be very sweet. Even the celery turned out just right. Ashley wasn’t as bad as Mammi had said.
After supper, the clouds dispersed and die youngie played volleyball and croquet while the old folks caught up with people they hadn’t seen for months. Rose and Josiah visited with friends and relatives and held hands under the table when no one was looking. Rose would have been perfectly content to never let go of Josiah’s hand again.
After games and visiting, Mammi Sarah had dinner ready. There was more eating, more visiting, and a little more secret handholding while Honey and the cats played at their feet.
When the sun set, Aunt Bitsy handed out pens. The blue pens had Luke and Poppy’s names on them. Lily and Dan’s were yellow, and Rose and Josiah’s were pink. Aunt Bitsy also gave everyone a little bag of M&M’s that said R&J, P&L, or L&D on each little M&M. Rose thought it was a shame to eat something so cute.
The big event was, of course, the fireworks. Luke’s brothers, Matthew and Mark, stood on the little wooden bridge that spanned the even smaller pond and lit every kind of firework imaginable. Aunt Bitsy’s Amish neighbors were sufficiently impressed, and Dan and Lily were sufficiently surprised.
Dan didn’t seem to mind them one little bit.
Immediately after the fireworks, Mammi and Dawdi came storming across the lawn to where Aunt Bitsy and Rose and her sisters were sitting. Rose groaned inwardly. She should have known Mammi and Dawdi would not approve of fireworks. She didn’t think she could stand one more lecture from either of her grandparents.
“Elizabeth,” Dawdi said. “Where did you get those fireworks?”
“The librarian helped me order them online.”
Mammi burst into a smile. “They were much better than the fireworks at Yost Shirk’s wedding.” She leaned closer to Aunt Bitsy. “No one should ever skimp on the fireworks. Cheap fireworks mean a cheap wedding, and no one wants to start out life like that.”
“Denki, Mamm,” Aunt Bitsy said. She seemed almost more pleased about Mammi’s praise than she had been about the weddings. Something so rare was that much more valuable.
Mammi hugged each of her granddaughters before she and Dawdi climbed into their buggy and drove away.
Luke’s brothers hung propane lanterns around the canopy for those who wanted to stay out even later. Soon most everyone else went home, and Rose and her sisters and their husbands, Aunt Bitsy, and the cats and Honey were almost the only ones left. They all sat together at a long table, too tired to move.
Rose rested her head on Josiah’s shoulder until she nearly fell asleep. He put his arm around her. “Cum, Rose Yoder. Let’s go home.”
“Only if you stay with me forever.”
“I promise,” he said. He smiled and kissed her tenderly on the lips.
“It’s time for us to go too,” Lily said.
“We’ll help you put out the lanterns,” Dan said.
Aunt Bitsy waved away his suggestion. “You go. I don’t mind putting it all away.”
Buddy’s mom, with Buddy in tow, marched across the lawn. They hadn’t come to the wedding, but Aunt Bitsy had invited them for fireworks. Rose was surprised that they had lingered. Buddy’s mom carried an oversized purse, and Buddy carried an equally large canvas bag.
“Bitsy,” Buddy’s mom said, “we know it’s late and we’ve overstayed our welcome, but Buddy wants to thank you for how kind you’ve been to him.”
She cleared her throat, which sounded more like a threat than a prompt, and Buddy stepped forward. “I want to thank you for how kind you’ve been to me,” he said, glancing at his mom to make sure he got it right.
“And he has a present for you,” his mom said.
Aunt Bitsy made a face. “I don’t need a present. I just want Buddy to stay out of trouble. Gotte tends to give troublemakers all sorts of dread diseases.” She looked up at the sky. “Or at least that’s what should happen.”
“All the same,” his mom said, “we wanted to give you something.”
With his mom’s prodding, Buddy reached into his canvas bag and pulled out a light and dark brown striped cat with caramel-colored eyes. “I know you like cats,” he said. “My mom and me got this one at the pet store. It’s a girl.”
“Ach, du lieva,” Rose said, already formulating a plan to convince Aunt Bitsy to keep her. She reached out and took the cat from Buddy. “Look how pretty she is, Aunt Bitsy. And what a wonderful-gute playmate for Leonard Nimoy.”
“Baby sister, don’t even try,” Aunt Bitsy said, with a look that would have peeled the paint off their bright red barn door. “I will not take another stray cat, no matter how cute you think she is.”
Lily reached down and lifted Leonard Nimoy onto the table. Rose put the new cat next to her. The two cats sniffed at each other, and then Leonard Nimoy lifted her paws and nudged them against the new cat. The new cat, in turn, lifted her paws, and the two cats seemed to be playing patty-cake.
“Look, Aunt B,” Lily said. “They like each other.”
Josiah winked at Rose. “Leonard Nimoy really does need a friend. Farrah Fawcett completely ignores her, and Billy Idol is a bad influence.”
Rose heard a soft growl come from deep within Aunt Bitsy’s throat. She sat in silence staring at that cat like someone who wanted to stop the sunset but didn’t know how. After a few seconds of silence, she leaned her elbows on the table, scrunched her lips together, and massaged her temples as if a very bad headache was starting. “It’s time to put me in a home,” she said.
Luke chuckled. “We’ll bring them to visit every day.”
Aunt Bitsy lifted her head and gave Luke the stink eye. “Because of you, Luke Bontrager, I am now the town’s eccentric cat lady.”
“Does that mean we can keep her?” Rose said.
“Fine,” Aunt Bitsy said through gritted teeth. “But only because I don’t have the energy to fight about it tonight.”
“What are you going to name her, B?”
Aunt Bitsy raised an eyebr
ow. “Everyone can see she’s the spitting image of Sigourney Weaver. I loved her in Aliens.”
Recipes
Blender Whole-Wheat Pancakes
Note from Rose: I got this recipe from an Englisch friend who makes these pancakes in a blender. That way, you don’t have to grind the wheat separately. Since we Amish don’t use electricity, I have included the blender recipe first and the non-electric recipe second.
INGREDIENTS
1½ cups buttermilk
1 cup whole-wheat kernels OR if you aren’t using
a blender, 1½ cups whole-wheat flour
3 Tablespoons cornmeal
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon Rumford baking powder (This
brand makes a difference. Without it, add
another Tablespoon of cornmeal.)
IN THE BLENDER
Step 1: Have a hot griddle greased and ready.
Step 2: Put the buttermilk in the blender and turn the blender to the highest speed. Slowly pour the whole-wheat kernels into the blender. It will sound like popcorn popping. Blend until the popping sound is gone. Add cornmeal, eggs, honey, and salt.
Step 3: After mixing well, add baking soda and baking powder and blend for 20 seconds. The batter will rise fast!
BY HAND
Step 1: Have a hot griddle greased and ready.
Step 2: In a medium mixing bowl, mix the buttermilk and whole-wheat flour. Add cornmeal, eggs, honey, and salt.
Step 3: After mixing well, add baking soda and baking powder and mix for 20 seconds. The batter will rise fast!
Makes about twelve pancakes.
Pineapple Coconut Cake
Note from Rose: You can use an electric beater if you’re not Amish. We use a hand beater. It is good exercise. You can toast the coconut for the topping if you want. Josiah likes it toasted and it looks beautiful on the cake, but it is also easy to burn. Aunt Bitsy does not like the smell of burned coconut.
CAKE
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
1¼ cups coconut milk
1½ teaspoons coconut extract
5 egg whites
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Place the butter in a separate mixing bowl and beat with a hand beater or on medium speed with an electric mixer for 1 minute. Add sugar and beat for another minute. Add coconut milk and coconut extract to butter mixture and mix well. While beating, gradually add flour mixture into the butter mixture and beat for 2 minutes.
In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the batter and stir to mix well.
Grease and line two 8-inch cake pans and divide batter evenly between them. Bake at 350 degrees for 23–28 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the pans from the oven and place on a cooling rack for 5–10 minutes to cool before removing cake from the pans.
PINEAPPLE FILLING
(Make the filling while the cake is baking so they both have time to cool.)
1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple
⅔ cup sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
In a saucepan combine all ingredients over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently until mixture gets a glossy look (about 5 to 7 minutes). Cool.
FROSTING
4 oz. of cream cheese, softened
1 Tablespoon coconut milk
1 cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon coconut extract
1 12-ounce container whipped topping
Beat cream cheese in a bowl until smooth. Add coconut milk, powdered sugar, and coconut extract. Mix well and then fold the whipped topping into the mixture.
To assemble, cut both cakes open, making four 8-inch rounds. This is a little tricky, so use a sharp bread knife and cut carefully! On top of one, place half the pineapple filling and top with a cake layer. Next add a layer of frosting, then a cake layer. Place remaining pineapple mixture on the cake and top with the last cake layer. Frost the sides and top of the cake. Sprinkle with coconut.
This is best when refrigerated for at least 4 hours.
TO TOAST COCONUT
Place about ¼ cup of coconut flakes in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the flakes are mostly golden brown. If the coconut is sweetened it tends to brown faster so, it will take less time.
Peach Crumble
Note from Rose: This recipe is also delicious with apples. Same directions but you might need to cook it about 5 minutes longer to make sure the apples are tender. Can’t be beat served with ice cream.
INGREDIENTS
4 or 5 medium peaches
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1½ cups quick oatmeal
1½ cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
1 cup butter, softened
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel, pit, and slice peaches. Place peaches evenly in 9” x 13” ungreased baking dish. In a separate bowl, combine cinnamon, oatmeal, brown sugar, salt, and flour. Cut in the butter. Sprinkle the oatmeal mixture over the peaches. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes until peaches are tender. Makes 10 servings.
Honey Lozenges
Note from Rose: This recipe basically uses honey and herbal tea. You can use just about any kind of herbal tea you want. Some of my favorites are Echinacea—immune system, eucalyptus, or camphor—relieve congestion, and licorice—chest and throat soother. I made Josiah peppermint-honey lozenges. Peppermint is an expectorant and a decongestant.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups water
5 herbal tea bags
Honey
Powdered sugar
Steep the tea bags in boiling water for 15 minutes.
Pour powdered sugar into a pie tin and smooth evenly with your hand. Make evenly spaced indentations in the powdered sugar with your thumb or a teaspoon. Set aside.
Add honey to the herbal tea using the following ratio: 1 part tea to 1¼ parts honey. In other words, if you have 1 cup of tea, add 1¼ cups of honey. 2 cups of tea, 2½ cups of honey, and so on.
Using a candy thermometer, heat the honey and tea mixture in a saucepan over medium high heat. Stir until honey is completely combined with the tea. Bring to a boil and DO NOT STIR AGAIN. Wash away crystals from the side of your pan with a damp brush or cloth. Once candy reaches 300 degrees, remove from heat.
Pour the liquid into the pie tin in the indentations made in the powdered sugar. Allow the lozenges to harden completely. If it’s rainy or humid out this may take longer. You can put it in the fridge to speed the process.
Like a Bee to Honey Page 28