THE AMISH COOK-Sheet Pan Fajitas

THE AMISH COOK

BY GLORIA YODER

As mentioned last week, school is out for the summer. Yay! That means more time as a family.

As you may recall, summer looked like a mountain with having the sole responsibility of navigating the assignment of keeping a houseful of children occupied with valuable endeavors.

God in His mercy is providing in amazing ways. As we step into the fifth summer minus Daddy, God is giving much joy that no set of circumstances could generate on their own. There is no doubt that no one can just fix all that life has brought, yet the One who knows it all has a way of providing and coming closer than ever.

The goals for this summer are unlike other years. In fact, it is so basic, it doesn’t sound like much. It does not include doing anything grand or accomplishing any major projects. The picture that comes back to my mind when I think of summer 2026 is simply living a day at a time, using each one to achieve our goals of learning to flow in our relationships and life in general. Whether it’s stopping our work or play to learn a life lesson or simply getting into the groove of taking personal responsibility for our actions or even putting away one’s toys and clothes.

Now that there are no morning deadlines, I let the younger children sleep later than they used to, to give me time with the Lord or whatever needs to be tackled in the stillness of the morning (or sleep in at times!).

Everyone’s morning jobs are simple, with the greater goal of learning to work well with others. I divided the children into groups of two with the same job each morning. I have been amazed many times over how much children thrive on routine and being needed, especially to think how difficult it can be to get them into that groove. Saturday and Sunday are always a welcome break for all of us from the norm and help get our batteries charged to dig in the next week.

Hosanna and Austin are the team to keep us in baked goods or whatever extras we need in the kitchen. Last week I was tickled to have them make homemade mayo and salad dressings. I gave an extra heads-up of this dressing being super greasy and it is taking more to clean up afterward. Well, after I had returned back from the shop to check on one of the boys, I found a youngster on his knees cleaning up pools of dressing from the floor and inside the fridge.

Someone with the greatest intentions had offered to place it in the fridge, and lo and behold, it toppled back out with a good amount of it landing in pools. Another set of hands willingly took the container and proceeded to wash it off at the sink when the lid again popped off with the bulk of the remains dumping right into the sink. I assured them it’s okay and told’m told ’em it’s all cleanable. Memories are in the making, that day we got more memories than dressing.

To a boy of 11 it can be a stretch to be assigned to kitchen work, but I remind him that in order for us to reach our goal of having each child be able to run a household until they’re 14, we’re going to have to dig in and learn. Besides that, my mom used to say it makes good men when boys learn to work in the house throughout their growing up years. From experience I can readily say it is a true blessing if boys were taught to not be skittish about housework. It is no shame for boys to be found in the kitchen. And who eats the most cookies, anyhow?! I love watching them eat and grow up.

Last week one night as the children were getting ready for bed Austin apologetically told me he’s hungry again. Bedtime snacks don’t happen every night at our house, but to me it is important to keep plenty in growing boys. I assured him it’s fine. While I tucked the younger ones to bed, he made himself an egg sandwich and went to bed feeling better. Besides learning to do household chores well, it is of great importance to me to see the boys spend an ample amount of time on outdoor activities and guy jobs.

Elijah and Joshua are my laundry boys. After breakfast they scramble for the dirty wash and fill the washers for me. Little feet can save lots of effort and many steps for Mom!

Jesse and Julia are my ‘tidy team’. Each morning, they go through the main floor of the house to tidy up where needed. Sometimes I wonder why we need to do it every day. Should it be needful if we all were to put everything in its proper place every time? If you were to pop in the middle of the day you could see that our home is where we live and make the most of the memories, some things just get messy in the meantime!

After each set of children has completed their morning task, they get some play time. If we’re having a sunny day, we often end up outdoors for an hour or two before lunch time to do mowing, haul manure, or work with the chestnut trees. Now that school is out the children enjoy interaction with church families and neighbors. Last Saturday night we were invited to join Cousin Josh’s family for a fajita supper. Mmm. It was a smashing hit for all of us. Be sure to try it, it is made in the oven and is a simpler version. Enjoy!

EDITOR’S NOTE:  After thirty years of writing about Amish life, Kevin Williams — The Amish Cook’s editor  — has finally written a book readers have been asking for. Not So Simple: My Adventures Among the Amish, Mennonites, Shakers and Other Plain People is the story behind the stories — funny, self-deprecating, and raw. Order on Amazon at amish365.com/notsosimple ($23.99), or mail a check to Oasis Newsfeatures, PO BOX 157 Middletown, Ohio 45327.  Allow two weeks for delivery.