Farm Help

Well, it was a another busy weekend. I didn't get much done around the house (and I'll be paying for that today as I try to catch up). But what I did get done I am proud of. We have a larger garden this year, so we are getting more veggies (it's a miracle how that works). We want this garden to help feed us later on too, so we broke out my mom's canner this weekend. Bobby had picked a heaping extra large bowl of green beans and oh over 50 cucumbers the past few days, and he nicely asked me to can the green beans and make some pickles with the cucumbers. My first reaction was, "Sure, I'll whip that right up for you in my spare time." Then after my mom volunteered to remind me how it all works (last time I made pickles was 2004), I thought this weekend I will joyfully serve. And actually it was all quite easy. The canning didn't take long at all. And the pickles only take longer because they have to soak for two nights. I felt like such a little farm wife. I am very grateful for all the fresh veggies. And with as much as we are getting (even with sharing some), they'll go bad before we can eat them if I don't do something. So, I've got another large bowl of beans waiting for me in the fridge to can in the next few days. And Bobby tried to get me to do another batch of pickles. I graciously said he should just share the cucumbers with others because we've got plenty for ourselves to last a while. So, the score after this weekend is 4 jars of green beans and 11 jars of pickles (minus 2 jars that I gave my dad & mom). Oh the joys of a garden!!

These pickles are so yummy. We grew up on these. It was a given that there would be a bowl of pickles on the table at lunch & dinner when we ate with my grandparents (who had a huge garden and did a whole lot of canning & pickle making). It brings back many a memory.