Grasshopper and the Ant

You know that fable/ story The Grasshopper and the Ants, where the grasshopper fritters away the whole summer while the ants work hard trying to store up against the winter.


Well, today my kids, all of them, were little ants.


We had a counter full of zucchini waiting for us to cut up or shred to freeze for zucchini bread or casseroles. Been long overdue to put them up. We FINALLY got our new freezer and have room.


Plus we had a box (left of three) of beans that Keith picked up on friday for us to can.


I challenged the kids to get them all done before Keith came home from work. I divided them up into 3 groups of 2 people. One group cut up beans, one group started making zucchini bread and then moved to just shredding zucchini, the last group diced zucchini. We took a couple popsicle breaks and a lunch break and rotated jobs. We got all the zucchini done and put in bags. 53 quart bags of diced zucchini for casseroles and 4 shredded zucchini for bread. The beans were also finished, 14 quarts (for a total of 42 quarts).


I was pleased. Everyone worked so hard! Even Elijah and Ryah helped some and when they weren't working they even entertained themselves.

Some random pictures

Ryah eating a cucumber (that is our next big project... anyone for pickles?!?!)

Caleb shredding zucchini for bread

Anastasia demonstrating some the best $80 we ever spent. Keith bought this for fries and we have used it some. Not as much as I like, but Keith is allergic to potatoes, so what did he expect?!?!?! He came up with the bright idea to use it to dice zucchini (for casseroles). We have a system now: wash the zucchini, cut it into 1/2 inch rounds and pop it into this thing and viola, diced zucchini in 1/4 the time.

A basket of zucchini bags waiting to be put into the freezer.

The mad beaner. Can't sleep at night now, can you?

Caleb makes a mean bean, too!

Alina shredding zucchini.... she started getting dangerous with the knives so she was banned from them. Poke in the leg, cut finger, throwing it ect.

Anastasia filled a jar!!!

Bean cutting and zucchini shredding station. The floor was awful, but, hey, whose complaining with all that work done.

Miriam shows off our "garbage bucket" ready to be composted.

Kristina does too.

Some of the beans.
Ryah and Elijah playing with her "happy birthday baby."