Busy Week and Papa's Pears

Well, just as soon as I talked myself into creating my own blog... I rush my husband to the emergency room at the hospital the same evening that I created my blog!  He not only was admitted to the hospital but after we were sent home... we had to go back for ANOTHER hospital stay at the end of the week.
So... no time to type anything here.  He had complications from MINOR surgery that he had to have.  (He kept saying, "This was supposed to be MINOR surgery!")  Thankfully, he is getting better...
My husband takes care of all the plants that we have in pots and since this is Georgia and the temps have been in the 90's since May, that means lots and lots of watering.  This takes  T - I  - M - E,  so much of it, I had no idea until I had to do it.  I can only hope that I can keep them alive until he gets better.

My Dad (who all the grandkids call "Papa" or as we pronounce it, "Paw-Paw", said rather quickly, not exactly like you are looking at  the front of a dog and saying  Paw...Paw....does that make sense?)
gave me a big bag of pears that we picked when I went to visit him last Sunday.  What to do with all those pears?  I typed in "how to freeze fresh pears" in a search engine and this is what I just did...

                              Pears for the Freezer:

                              8 cups of sliced pears
                              1 lemon  (I used an organic one, it was very juicy!)
                              1 1/2 cups sugar

I washed the pears.  Then, I peeled them and sliced them, being careful not to get that hard bit in the middle.   I squeezed the juice of half the lemon into a big bowl of water and put the sliced pears in as I was peeling and slicing. (Could this be why my knuckles are sore?)  Then, I drained it all in a collander and then squeezed the rest of the lemon over it.  Then, I poured the sugar over the pear slices and stirred it with a wooden spoon.  Now, you don't have to use a wooden spoon...but that is what I used, so it must be the right tool, yes?  I got out 4 quart size freezer bags and scooped the pear slices evenly into the bags. Squeeze the air out and flatten the bags as much as possible.  It makes them stack better in the freezer and also makes it easier for them to thaw later.  Enjoy them for up to one year.  I don't think mine will be in there for that long!  I tasted them before I put them in the bags and they are so good you wouldn't believe it!  Oh, and I think this could also work for other fruits too! 

Now, I am no cook and I don't think I will be putting too many recipes in on this here little blog, but something easy, and something that I can store and freeze that someone has given me?  Yes, that is the kind of thing that I will write about.

Here are the goodies that my Dad gave me last Sunday.  Just one little pear in the left corner there to represent all the others waiting in the bag for me to freeze!  Just look at that canned vegetable soup and green beans!  He canned over 200 jars this summer and in this Georgia heat!  He doesn't sell any of it, he just gives it away to family and friends.  Good ol' Georgia Boy!