Running Around (and Such) (31 page)
Read Running Around (and Such) Online
Authors: Linda Byler
“Do you have extra?”
“Sure!”
Lizzie took a long drink of the refreshing soda until her eyes watered, her nose burned, and she burped.
“You mean you still can’t drink soda like a lady?” Marvin teased.
Lizzie hiccuped, smiled, and ruefully shook her head. “Nope, Marvin. You know I’m not used to drinking soda.”
They sat in companionable silence, watching the little wavelets slapping themselves to nothing on the pebbly shoreline. The weeping willows danced gracefully above them, the sky full of puffy clouds as white as cottonballs against the blue sky. Out on the lake, two people pulled on oars, pushing their streamlined orange canoe against the little waves. It was all so peaceful that the perfect spring scene here by the lake brought a lump to Lizzie’s throat. If she hadn’t had these troubling thoughts about Amos, Stephen, and Ruthie, the day would have been wonderfully perfect.
“Marvin, do you think Amos likes Ruthie?” she asked, nervously toying with her Pepsi can.
Marvin looked at Lizzie, noticing the anxiety in her eyes. “Why should you care?” he asked bluntly.
“I don’t,” Lizzie said forcefully.
“You do!”
“I
don’t
.”
“Then why do you ask?”
That was as far as the conversation went before Amos came walking over to the buggy. There was a light in his eye and a real spring in his step as he approached them.
“Hey, this guy told me we can take his canoe out. Wanna go, Marvin?”
“Why don’t you ask Lizzie?” Marvin asked. “I’m busy eating chips.”
Lizzie looked at Marvin and then at Amos, becoming flustered immediately. “Well, I…”
“I can ask Ruthie,” Amos said.
“No! I’ll go. I just didn’t want to go unless you wanted me to. I mean, you didn’t ask me. Marvin just said I could go. If you’d rather ask Ruthie, please do. It’s not like you have to ask me to go along.” Lizzie stopped, noticing the strange look Marvin was giving her. His eyebrows were drawn down, and his eyes seemed to plead with her to be quiet. Why couldn’t I just be quiet? Lizzie thought miserably.
The canoe looked awfully long and narrow. But after she was seated, she wasn’t frightened because there was much more room than she first thought. Amos clambered in. He held onto the oars and tried not to rock too much before he found his seat, facing Lizzie.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Mm-hmm,” Lizzie said, clamping her teeth down hard to keep her voice from shaking. She certainly hoped he had rowed a canoe before.
He lifted the smooth wooden oars into the oarlocks, set them evenly on each side, and pulled. The muscles in his strong, brown arms bulged as he heaved on both oars.
Lizzie’s nervousness evaporated easily, and she laughed out loud at the thrill of gliding so swiftly through the clear blue water. Amos was adept at handling the oars, which propelled them along at a surprising rate. Lizzie put her hand over the side and found the water to be alarmingly cold. She quickly put her hand in her lap.
“Is it cold?”
“It’s icy cold!”
“Can you swim?” Amos asked.
“Oh, yes!” Lizzie answered, hoping with all her heart that she had impressed him even more than when she drove his horse.
“Really? Come on! You can’t!”
“Of course, I can swim.”
Amos stopped rowing and they sat quietly, the canoe rocking gently from side to side. It was the single most blissful moment Lizzie had ever experienced. Here she was in the middle of a beautiful lake on this extraordinary day. With Amos. She had to admit to herself, too, that it was especially sweet because he was with her and not Ruthie. The only thing that bothered her was the fact that Marvin told Amos to take her canoeing. Amos had not actually asked her on his own.
When they got back to the lake’s edge, Amos hopped out and held the canoe so Lizzie could step safely onto the grass. She felt warm and a little confused. And almost rapturous. She drifted off to catch her breath under a long-armed willow tree.
A moment later, she heard a step behind her and turned to find Stephen approaching her. How could he have crept up on her like that? He must be part Indian.
“What are you doing here by yourself?” he asked.
“I didn’t realize I was by myself. I guess I just walked over here to look at the weeping willow branches hanging in the water. Aren’t they the prettiest things you’ve ever seen?”
“No.”
Lizzie looked at him, puzzled at his curt answer. She found Stephen’s blue eyes looking intently into hers without a trace of laughter.
“You are,” he said.
Lizzie was shocked. She was so surprised that she could say absolutely nothing. In fact, she couldn’t look at him so she looked at her shoes, which felt much safer. And her shoes were really quite interesting. She tried desperately to think of a fitting comeback, even a joking one, but she was absolutely tongue-tied. When she looked up, he was gone.
She turned to walk back to the others, putting her hands up to her warm cheeks to cool them. Oh, mercy! Now Stephen had said that, and she liked Amos. How complicated was this whole husband thing going to become? She didn’t know Stephen liked her. Well, maybe he didn’t. Maybe he just thought she was pretty, and it was very nice of him to say that. He did intrigue her, but … there was Amos.
Amos had taken her to the middle of the lake alone. Was that, she worried, so indescribably special mostly because Ruthie had to watch?
She would ask Emma to give her honest opinion about whether, when you sit in a canoe with a boy and feel absolutely joyful, you are in real love. And did Emma think she should learn to know the mysterious Stephen better? Who was he really and how could she find out?
Lizzie would have to relate this whole wonderful day, bit by bit, to Emma and Mandy. Thank God for sisters. And for interesting boys. Including Uncle Marvin, who may or may not be helpful.
Lizzie’s Favorite Recipes
Makes about 4 dozen whoopie pies
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
2 eggs
4½ cups flour
1 cup dry cocoa powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup sour milk
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup hot water
2 tsp. baking soda
FILLING:
4 cups confectioners sugar,
divided
2 egg whites, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1½ cups vegetable shortening
1. To make pies, cream sugar, oil and eggs together thoroughly in a large mixing bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
3. Add these dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with sour milk.
4. Stir in vanilla.
5. In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water.
6. Stir into batter until smooth.
7. Drop batter by rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheets.
8. Bake 8-10 minutes at 400°.
9. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
10. While pie tops/bottoms are cooling, make Filling.
11. In a medium bowl fold 2 cups confectioners sugar into beaten egg whites.
12. Stir in 1 tsp. vanilla.
13. Beat in shortening until smooth.
14. Beat in remaining 2 cups confectioners sugar until smooth.
15. Assemble pies by spreading a dab of filling over a cooled bottom and topping it with a second cookie.
Makes about 2½ dozen doughnuts
PASTRY:
1 cup milk
1 cup warm water
2 pkgs. yeast
½ cup vegetable shortening
²⁄³ cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. salt
6 cups flour
vegetable oil for deep-frying
FILLING:
3 tsp. flour
1 cup milk
1 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2½ cups confectioners sugar
TOPPING:
1 cup brown sugar
half a stick (4 Tbsp.) butter
¹⁄³cup milk
½ cup vegetable shortening
2 cups confectioners sugar
1. To make pastry, begin by scalding 1 cup milk. Allow to cool to room temperature.
2. In a separate bowl, dissolve two packages yeast in one cup warm water.
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream ½ cup shortening with ²⁄³cup sugar, 2 beaten eggs, and 1 tsp. salt.
4. Combine cooled milk and dissolved yeast with creamed mixture.
5. Add flour 2-3 cups at a time (for a total of about 6 cups), and mix until you get a soft dough.
6. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size.
7. Roll out on a floured surface.
8. Cut dough into rectangular strips, approximately 4 inches by 1 inch. Place on baking sheets about 1 inch apart.
9. Cover and allow to rise again in a warm place until almost double in size.
10. Deep fry in vegetable oil.
11. Cool and cut slits in top.
12. While pastry is cooling, make filling.
13. Make a paste by combining 3 tsp. flour and 1 cup milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
14. Stir continuously until mixture boils and becomes smooth.
15. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
16. Combine 1 cup shortening, 1 cup sugar, and 1 Tbsp. vanilla in a large mixing bowl.
17. When smooth, mix with flour and milk mixture until well blended.
18. Stir in 2½ cups confectioners sugar.
19. Force filling into creamsticks with a cake decorator or cookie press.
20. Make topping by combining 1 cup brown sugar, 4 Tbsp. butter, and ¹⁄³ cup milk in a medium saucepan.
21. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.
22. Cool.
23. Blend in ½ cup shortening and 2 cups confectioners sugar.
24. Spread topping over filled creamsticks.
Makes 7-8 dozen cookies
3 sticks (1½ cups) butter, softened
2½ cups brown sugar
3 eggs
1 cup Bre’r Rabbit molasses
7 cups flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. ginger
1 Tbsp. baking soda
granulated sugar
1. In a large bowl cream butter and brown sugar together.
2. Add eggs and molasses.
3. Stir in flour, cinnamon, ginger, and baking soda to form a firm dough.
4. Pinch off about 1 rounded tsp. dough and roll into a ball.
5. Roll each ball in granulated sugar.
6. Place on cookie sheet and flatten a little to make a cookie shape.
7. Continue until all batter is used.
8. Bake 10 to 12 minutes at 350°.
Makes 1 pie
FILLING:
1½ cups water
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. butter
2 to 3 cups grated apples
9” unbaked pie shell
CRUMB TOPPING:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup dry old-fashioned, or quick, oatmeal
½ cup flour
3 Tbsp. butter, softened
1. Combine water, 1 cup brown sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon in a large saucepan.
2. Heat over low heat to dissolve sugar and cornstarch. Stir frequently to prevent sticking.
3. Add 1 Tbsp. butter and grated apples.
4. Remove from heat.
5. Spoon filling mixture into pie shell.
6. Combine brown sugar, dry oatmeal, and flour in a good-sized bowl.
7. Cut butter into dry ingredients to create crumbs, none larger than pea-sized.
8. Sprinkle crumb topping uniformly over apple filling.
9. Bake at 350° for 45 to 60 minutes, or until well browned.
Makes 6-8 servings
3 cups cooked chicken, deboned and cut in chunks
1 qt. chicken broth
2 tsp. granular chicken bouillon
2 cups potatoes, cubed
2 cups peas
2 Tbsp. onion, chopped
2 cups sliced carrots
1 Tbsp. parsley
1 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
flour
water
1 box buttermilk baking mix
1. Put first 10 ingredients into an 8-qt. kettle.
2. Cover and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat. Simmer until vegetables are soft.
4. Thicken or thin with water and/or flour as desired.
5. Make dumplings according to buttermilk baking mix box.
6. Drop dumplings on top of cooked stew.
7. Simmer until dumplings are cooked through.
Makes 4-6 servings
2 cups cooked macaroni
half a stick (4 Tbsp.) butter
3 Tbsp. flour
2 cups milk
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
½ cup white American cheese, shredded
½ tsp. salt
dash of pepper
3 Tbsp. butter
¾ cup bread crumbs
1. In a large saucepan melt half a stick butter.
2. Over low heat, stir in flour until sauce is smooth.
3. Gradually add milk. Continuing over low heat, cook and stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes, or until sauce bubbles and thickens.
4. Stir in cheese. Continue heating until cheese melts and sauce is smooth.
5. Stir in salt and pepper.
6. Place cooked macaroni in a greased 9 × 13 baking dish.