Wednesday, October 1, 2008

The Things You Do For Love....

I don't like beets. I like pickled beets (and the smell!) even less. And yet, today I canned 6 quarts of beets and 14 pints of pickled beets (well, 15, but one broke in the canner). Scrubbing, boiling, peeling, chopping (they were monster huge beets!). Why? Because my husband loves beets and enjoys pickled beets quite a bit. And I love him.

From the time we first got married, I promised to can some pickled beets (beet balls). He probably didn't even remember that promise, but I did. And I had every intention of getting that promise done and out of the way early on in our marriage. Then I got pregnant. The only thing that made me nauseous was the smell of beet balls. Seriously. Ironic when you consider how much Luke loves beets and beet balls! Second summer...pregnant again. Third summer...toddler and infant. Fourth summer...two toddlers. Fifth summer...preschooler and toddler. Sixth summer...well, I was out of excuses. And did I mention I love my husband?

He thanked me with a big smile...then helped me by husking three crates of sweet corn and helped cut it off the cobs once it was done boiling -- 18 quarts of sweet corn in the freezer. And I washed clothes during all this, too. Eight loads...and they're all folded, too! Played with the kids. Did school work with them. Reviewed their Cubbie lesson and made sure they know their verse (God is truthful....John 3:33). Three dishwasher loads of dishes loaded, washed, and put away.

I was going to do a start-from-scratch supper...we settled for hamburger helper (and Susanna had 3 helpings, licking her plate clean each time!). I was going to make some kind of apple dessert. We finished the pumpkin cookies left from last Saturday's party instead.

I'm tired. I'm going to bed. That hubby I love so much is there...snoring away peacefully. But I'm reminded how much I love him, so maybe tonight I won't keep jabbing him in the ribs to get him to be quiet.

It was a good day. Thanks, God!

6 comments:

Karen said...

Oscar is especially facinated with the beautiful purple color of hard boiled eggs in pickled beets. that was something new for him to see and eat.

LindaSue said...

pizyep, that's something I've been "trained" to do...when the beets are gone, put hard boiled eggs in the brine! They do LOOK pretty!

Come visit, and I'll save him some :)

liz said...

Good for you! I like pickled beets but no one else does, so I have no promises to keep.

I also did not promise to cook only non-spicy food. But, like you, I love my husband...

Martha said...

And I love my husband, so we have gravy several times a week, and no pickled beets or spicy food.

Anonymous said...

And we love beets...just plain boiled. Forget the pickled kind. Wish I had a few of yours to put up for the winter. (And I love my husband, also. ) So we get plenty of corn in the freezer, jams and jellies, plus LESCO! That wonderful Hungarian mixture of peppers, onions, and a few tomatoes that you can add to baked beans, rice, scrambled eggs, etc. And better yet I can either freeze it or can it. Good thing I have some left from last year. Didn't have to do any this year...also didn't have enough peppers for it.
And I love my husband enough to can lots of pears from Gramps. and have still more to do!

GramS said...

I love my husband, too, and we both like pickled beets with ONIONS sliced right in with them. For us, this year's fresh beets from the Farmers' Market were just plain salted, and either hot or cold till they were gone.

Wish you had a farm closer to Ohio. We'd stock up with your goodies!

By the way, I made something for my wonderful husband one time, don't remember the year, but he said I could make it again in whatever would 15 years later. Now I'm not sure if that was a muted compliment or not, but none of us can remember what dish was made in the first place.

We love you and your husband, and all the commentors and their husbands. So glad you wrote.