Farmer's Wife

Every summer I spend a little time playing FARMER'S WIFE.  My husband grew up on a farm and still has dirt running in his veins.  He often tells stories of the many days he spent helping his grandmother with all the chores that farm wives are expected to do....so to make him happy I put on Grandmama's apron and start to work.  No, I do NOT milk cows or churn butter but I am rather adept at getting veggies ready for the freezer. 

I do cheat....I buy them already shelled!  (Grandmama would never have done that.) 

Between 3:30pm and 7:30pm I put up 5 bushels of peas of various varieties and butterbeans.  Aren't they pretty?

DH usually helps but he was out of town so I was on my own.  I did something different this year, however.  I decided to "blanch" them in the microwave....and I will definitely do it again. 

I've read that blanching vegetables this way gives them better color, better taste, and more nutrition. 

It was definitely less messy and not nearly as hot as doing it on the stovetop.  Although it's a lot of work and probably more expensive than buying them already processed at the grocery store, there's just nothing like a pot of "fresh" peas or butterbeans with a pot roast...or southern fried chicken....or vension cubed steak....OK, I'm getting really hungry!

But the best part of all is knowing that I have made that FARMER-WANTA-BE that I'm married to one happy guy. He also thinks I look cute in that apron!