Kippenhahn Kitchen

This building is also made from the local brick. It was erected in 1869. The main communal purpose for the building was as a kitchen. It was also used as a residence.

I have discussed many aspects of the communal kitchens on other pages. I also promised to disclose the weekly menu for the communal kitchens. This is as close as I could come to a complete schedule. I would, again, like to thank my oma for all of her input. She actually worked in a communal the old communal kitchens. I'm grateful that she was patient and willing to assist me as much as she did!

The week began with Sunday, even though most of us consider Monday the beginning now. I will start with Sunday and continue full circle. I believe that this is a pretty universal menu. All of the kitchens in all of the colonies followed this schedule, or a very close approximation of it. Breakfast was served at 6:00 AM. Lunch time was basically a snack. There were two "lunches", one at 8:30 AM and one between 2:30 PM and 3:00. Dinner was served at 11:00 AM. Supper was at 6:00 PM.

Sunday:

• Breakfast: Coffee cake, bread with syrup, and coffee.
• Dinner: Boiling beef, cooked horseradish, spinach, fried potatoes, red beets, radish salad, coffee cake, and coffee.
• Supper: Sausage, boiled potatoes, eggs, lettuce salad, and tea (sometimes with honey!)

Monday:

• Breakfast: Fried potatoes, bread with syrup, and coffee.
• Dinner: Roast beef or pork, various garden vegetables (often cooked carrots), cotton soup, boiled potatoes, and coffee.
• Supper: Bacon, potatoes (boiled or fried), endive, and tea.

Tuesday:

• Breakfast: Pancakes, syrup, and coffee.
• Dinner: Rice pudding, cole slaw, pork mit spaetzle, havaglas or kartoffleglas (both are rolls or paddies, first dough and second potato), and fruit pie.
• Supper: Liver sausage, salad (usually potato), beans, and tea.

Wednesday:

• Breakfast: Potatoes, bread, and coffee.
• Dinner: Boiling beef, fried potatoes, spinach, bread pudding, boiled cabbage, and coffee.
• Supper: Loose hamburger, green beans, mashed potatoes, and tea.

Thursday:

• Breakfast: Oatmeal, bread, syrup, and coffee.
• Dinner: Mostly the same as Tuesday with the exception of having filled noodles (like ravioli) and applesauce occasionally. Filled noodles were a lot of work!
• Supper: Roast pork, boiled potatoes, red cabbage, and tea.

Friday:

• Breakfast: Fried potatoes, bread, and coffee.
• Dinner: Pork or spare ribs, sauerkraut, potatoes, soup, starch pudding, and coffee.
• Supper: Beef or pork stew, potatoes, fresh garden vegetables (radish or tomato), and tea.

Saturday:

• Breakfast: Fried potatoes, bread with syrup, and coffee.
• Dinner: Meatballs, filsel, or ham, green potatoes, sauerkraut, coffee cake, and coffee.
• Supper: Boiled potatoes, cottage cheese, schmear kasse (spreading cheese), and tea.

I failed to put in the "lunches" because they remained pretty much the same. They usually consisted of bread and jelly, cheese in the mornings and coffee cake, pie, and other sweeter things in the afternoon, and coffee. There were no breaks of these sorts on Sundays. Many of the people still take these breaks. I know my family does.

Things like milk, bread, and meat were delivered on a weekly basis. Milk came once or twice a day from the local herd of shorthorns. These animals served a dual purpose of milking and meat. The milk was delivered to milchbuchs, or platforms near the kitchens. Bread came every day but Sundays and was delivered once a day. Meat came about three times a week from the meat market. I go into detail of the butcher count per week at the meat market page.

Picture courtesy of the Amana Heritage Society.