ODE TO GOOD OLD SOUTHERN SUMMERS/A DOLLHOUSE DELIGHT...

 ...Three posts in one day - I'm trying to catch up here!  Could be a diversion to deep cleaning my sewing room.  I'm sending up specific prayers for the motivation to stop procrastinating on getting it done.  Additional prayers welcomed!

I haven't done a Dollhouse Delight post in quite some time so I decided to share a kitchen related project that I worked on this morning.  Yesterday I was gifted me a 8 pound bag of pre-shelled fresh baby lima beans (quite costly), some fresh okra and a couple of fresh tomatoes.  Can I tell you how much I heart fresh green veggies.  It's one of the best things about summer in the south.

In case you're interested, is was the process.  How did I learn this - by watching my Granny years ago.   We use to pick vegetables, peaches (for our own use only),  and cotton in the scorching hot fields during the summers.   No, I wasn't a slave (lol).  I'd like to say that we worked soooo hard to buy our own school clothes, but that wouldn't be the truth.  We actually worked for play money to buy 4th of July outfits of our choice, flip flops, and to defray the cost of the county fair each year.  Junk money.  Although I don't pick vegetables any more (praise God) I do enjoy preserving some of summer's bounty.   My process is from the memory of how my Granny did things, but it always turned out just fine.

Thoroughly wash beans three times in cool water to remove garden trash and any sand.  Baby limas use to cost about $15.00 per bushel.  I shutter to think how much these cost now and didn't even ask!  Pre-shelled always cost more anyway - got to increase the cost to cover the labor.

Plunge into a large pot of already boiling water to blanch (extends freezer life I think).

Boil for exactly three minutes then drain and rinse in cool water.

An already waiting large bowl of iced water.

Blanched beans plunged into a shocking ice bath for three minutes.  Drain afterwards.

I use this really large spoon to fill my bags.  2 and 1/2 scoops then seal the bags.

Now for the okra.  Thoroughly wash, then carefully cut the tops off at an angle to keep the okra from ozzing all it's goodness out.  I know for many okra is an accrued taste but not for me - we were raised eating it.  I use to eat it right out of the garden raw with salt and pepper - didn't even wash it before eating.  You did notice I said use to.  My grand-children even love it fried and will quite often request it.  My grand-children are a little different than most children in that they LOVE green veggies thank God.

Blanched in hot water for 3 minutes.

Drained and towel blotted.

The results of my mornings work:  12 small bags of baby limas and 4 bags of okra.

The 16 bags placed in a black bag for identifications purposes (so I won't have to search for them later).  All tucked nicely in my little chest freezer.  There's nothing like being able to pull a bag or two out to cook for a Sunday winter comfort meal.

These arrived this afternoon.  Banana peppers and a few more tomatoes.  Got my kitchen smelling rather hot!  I'm not big on peppers, but I don't plan on letting them go to waste.

So that's whats going on in my hot summer world today.  What's it like in yours...