Beets Me...

This week, we harvested all of our beets.
A first time growing season for me.

 Did you know that beets are really really good for you?
They're a great recovery food after a hard workout, and they're super delish cooked, juiced, or pickled.  At least Kev and I love them.  The boys -not so much.

But, they do however, love puttering in the garden with me; and they're always up for showing off their "brute" strength in pulling things out of the ground with the greatest of ease...and in getting dirty...and in playing hide and seek in the corn.

 I find gardening to be such a funny thing now that I'm older.

When I was young, it used to be the bane of my existence.  My dad planted these behemoth gardens, and the boys' and my summer jobs was to keep that thing weeded.

 Every.  single.  summer.  I said that I would never. ever. EVER voluntarily choose to pull my own weeds when I grew up.  I would never. ever. EVER grow my own garden...

Dad especially, finds my own behemoth gardens each year quite amusing...

And I do too, really.
I'm surprised at how much I love it.

Gardening soothes me.  It brings me peace.
And in a weird way, it brings me closer to my Creator. 

I am still - every single year - in awe when I see sprigs of life poking up out of that ground.
I am still - every single year - amazed and impressed at what growth comes from one little seed.  And I am still - every single year - so thankful and happy at what grows...in spite of me.

 And I love providing for my family.
I love feeling like my Mama.

I love that we've come full cycle.  I used to weed and pick and watch her can things.
Now my boys help me weed and pick and watch me can things.

I also love that garden season is almost over.

Just sayin'...

Here's an easy sneezy - although epic-lly messy - recipe for pickled beets:

Pick, wash, and cut off beet stems down to one inch.

Cook them in boiling water until fork tender.

Peel.  (The peelings will rub right off).

Cut into bite sized chunks.

Know that if you have to go out into public in the next few days, your hands will make you look like you just murdered someone.  Those beets - they stain.

In a pot, take 4 cups apple cider vinegar, 4 cups of the beet juice water they were cooked in, 4 cups sugar (I used significantly less), and 2 tablespoons cloves tied up in cheesecloth.

Put into a pot and heat to boiling.

Have your jars and lids hot and ready.

Cut your beets into bitesized chunks, take out hot jar, fill it up with the boiling sauce, seal.

Done.  Listen for the "pop-popping" of the lids.

Easy.  Messy.  Delish.
Although, mine may taste just a wee bit too clove-y.  This was my first time making pickled beets, and I think I would take the little baggies of cheesecloth out a bit earlier next time.  And maybe not cook them quite so long.  It was a bit of a learning curve for me this year.

Ah well.  Still yummy, and oh so pretty.
The mess - not so much...

Miss Scarlet did it in the kitchen, with the meat cleaver.....