Growing a huge garden was second nature to me. So I thought. My dad always had a huge vegetable garden. We all participated in the planting, harvesting, and giving tons of its contents to friends and family. Back then, my mom wasn’t one to preserve food. She wasn’t one to can, and big family freezers were just becoming popular.

I picked strawberries, corn, and tomatoes. I saw so much given away, and thought it rather odd that my parents didn’t feel it important to preserve and conserve.

When I married Mr. Moo Cow, I was excited about planting my own garden. I wanted to learn how to do all types of culinary preservation…but how?

That’s when my neighbors came to the rescue.

My neighbor Willy(Wilma),is dear to my heart. We’ve been friends for 44 years and been through a lot together. My man and her late husband were close friends.

When her husband passed 40 years ago, due to a farm accident, we supported her. She returned the love 2 years later, and supported me as I recovered from post-partum depression.

As a novice and a young, country wife, Willy and her sister-in-law Clara took me under their wings.

I learned to can green beans and tomatoes. The days of canning applesauce were filled with fun and laughter. At the end of 3 days, we had enough applesauce and country(Clean) gossip to last a year.

We learned so much from each other. They taught me a lot about Amish Culture, cooking and Dutch phrases. I gave them many German, Catholic hints, as well. Trust me friends, our Jesus has no denomination.

Clara and I would sit for hours shelling peas, as we learned from each other. It was a Big Hallelujah when she took me to a farmer that had a pea sheller! Willy and Clara introduced me to growing broccoli, brussel sprouts, kohlrabi….and….Crack’n Onions. What? I thought they were the ones that were cracked! LOL!

I’d planted and harvested green onions, when I was young. However, I’d never heard a harvesting story told in this fashion.

Clara gave me the following scenario. “SuZQ, you need to thin out the onions(Yummy). Once they mature, you have to pop off the seed tops. Then you crack the tops over. This will help the onions to enlarge. Thus, you’ll have a great harvest.

Then she sort of referred to a biblical venue.

Just as God removes the wheat from the chaff, sometimes He thins us out, refines us, and prepares us for a greater harvest.

I was a fast learner. Since I followed directions, we had a nice crop.

LOL!! I didn’t realize that crack’n onions was such a spiritual experience.

Love you, Willy. Miss you, Clara

Love ,

Granny SuZQ