I Stand Corrected

So in my Maple syrup education from my husband, I have failed. When we had purchased the syrup from Two Taps I had understood it to be a difference in Grades. Turns out Grade B is better suited for food flavorings, via my husband, and not for eating. I'm very sorry for the inaccuracy of it all, I feel somewhat dumbfounded as to how I did get it so wrong. I changed the previous post with the correct information...

Basically, I like the Light or medium but definetly NOT the dark amber. Although, I still think the kind you get at the store isn't anywhere near to the flavor I grew up having...even if it does say grade A dark amber.....

Thank you to the one who brought this enormous error to light...you did it very nicely.

Grade A tree blood= Liquid Gold

For years I have chosen the supermarket brand of fake maple syrup. I know, how could I? Before you stop reading in disgust, let me explain. Growing up, my Uncle Dick (AKA: Pa) would tap our maple trees and in return he'd give us syrup. My grandparents would make sugar on snow and various creations using the maple syrup. Fast forward to adult hood and every time I'd have "real" maple syrup, bought from the store, I'd recoil in disgust. My husband couldn't understand and I couldn't put my dislike into words, until recently.

Dave came home from work one night with a sample of maple syrup from a friend (from work) who has their own sugar house.

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Two Taps Sap House,

April & Stephen Colarusso

917 Route 129 Loudon, NH 03307

603-568-9868

Once I tasted it, I was almost giddy with excitement...all the memories of my childhood came rushing back and this was it!! This was the taste I had been missing all these years!!! We decided to order a gallon of it and I have been in Maple syrup bliss since.

So what was the difference? My answer would be similar to how I like my coffee. The light/medium has multiple flavors that are light and nutty. The Grade A dark has a bitterness to it that is harsh and "woodsie". I was so relieved that Dave could finally understand what I had been trying to explain all these years, lol!! I do prefer the light but by the time we got back to them to order they were making medium. But Medium is still acceptable...its still liquid gold. The Mayans may have their own liquid gold (Mojo de Ajo) but we Yankees have ours...and ours doesn't make your breath stink, it just rots your teeth....

yummmmmmm!

I have sitting next to me some ham and a biscuit. By themselves not so exciting of a combination. Add some maple syrup to it and it becomes a pure enjoyment with every bite. About a month ago I bought some small ham steaks for a $1.49 each. I've been slowly enjoying each one. The last time I made one, I added some grade A medium maple syrup to it along with a little water, let it reduce and then had some garlic mashed potatoes with it...yummmm! This morning for breakfast I did the same with the ham but added a warmed biscuit on the side. The ham has a wonderful sweetness and the biscuit is soaking up the maple syrup sauce....YUMMMM!!! If you will, imagine the saltiness of the ham mixed with the sweetness of the syrup along with the "comfortfoodness" of the biscuit.....I don't think I would add anything else to it-- no eggs, no hash browns, no-nothing....

its a pleasure eating you, you wonderful goodness of......goodness!

to be done is done...for now...

The cinnamon rolls are in a holding pattern above the oven... sitting on the stove...today's dough went very well, it was very moist and plyable, prolly b/c its a moist day...the fridge was washed along with a funeral service for all the fallen soldiers in the battle of leftovers. One battle won, many more to go before the war will make any real headway. Now as I peer into the fridge, the reflection of the white walls and cleanness overwhelms my corneas and inundates my optic nerve. Maybe I should hang a pair of sunglasses next to the fridge so no permanent damage is done...would Afflac insurance cover such a claim? {"and how did you temporarily lose you eyesight, Sir?" "My wife had just cleaned the inside of the fridge and when I opened the door, I had forgotten to put on my sunglasses. I was then blinded by the reflective properties of the walls and glass shelves. My doctor said once my cornea heals I should have full vision restored."} I wonder, Why are refrigerators white on the inside??? Is it so you can see all the spills and dust and smears?? Who knows, maybe that will be for a future post....?? Anyway, it feels good to have gotten some things done on my "to do" list...hopefully, if the cinnamon rolls come out of the oven nicely, it'll be even better....

Now that I've gotten the fridge washed out, I can take the next step in keeping it organized....like actually eating all the leftovers, not just the meal kind but even that lonely container of beets that usually gets forgotten and dismissed.

do most things go as planned?

Yesterday I had "planned" to make the cinnamon rolls and the chicken n dumplings....didn't happen. We got home late from our appointment, everyone was hungry. In my haste, I made the gravy too thick...which meant I had to add more liquid, which meant that if I dropped the biscuits into the pan, I'd have an overflowing mess. So the biscuits were baked separately and I didn't make the cinnamon rolls. I had previously made pumpkin cake earlier in the day so in the back of my mind, I knew we had a "special" dessert. The pumpkin cake is a long story....but the short of it is, things didn't go as planned. When my husband had gotten home he asked about the cinnamon rolls b/c he does read my blogs. Which does put me at a certain disadvantage b/c I am immediately accountable to him in what I write! When he found out all his hopes of enjoying the rolls were destroyed he made a very nice request that I make them today. So...I will endeavor to make them TODAY! Even if it means I turn my back on all my other duties and responsibilities, the cinnamon rolls WILL BE MADE!!!

p.s.....

I have begun the fridge organization....

so shall that be....

a thorn in my side.....

easy suppers....

Easy suppers seem to becoming more and more common around here!!! Last night was dinosaur chicken tenders, barbecue baked beans and chips. Although, the dino chickens are made with whole wheat and flaxseed meal....that should make me feel better about eating them, right?? Tonight is the end of the easy supper marathon...I plan to make a chicken and dumpling meal, baked in a cast iron skillet. It'll be more of a comfort foodnight...along with some of my own special cinnamon rolls. The cinnamon rolls came about b/c I decided to experiment, yet again. Some very good things can come from experimenting, as well as some very bad things. Like the time I put way too much brown sugar in a batch of chili and it was disgustingly sweet...lesson learned. But the cinnamon rolls are made with a pie crust (Jiffy crust to be exact, don't knock Jiffy...I get many compliments on my "home-made" crust) thats rolled out into a rectangle, I spread some kind of "lard" (I use a non-dairy, organic spread) "sprinkle" --more like dumped and squished and dumped with more--brown sugar/cinnamon mixture, rolled and then cut and then baked in the oven. Today is a busy day so I look forward to some good comfort food tonight!

Contents of the fridge....

Leftovers always seem to have good intentions. Intending to be eaten but instead taking up valuable space in the fridge. Sometimes the space is a high comodity. Have you ever heard leftovers fighting b/c a pancake was poking a container of chicken teriyaki? If you have, I will have complete sympathy for you....however, if your leftovers ever get to the point where they're passing out contractual agreements to each other, its time to close your refrigerator doors and never open them again...or at least voluntarily admit yourself to the physche ward of your local hospital. I do eat leftovers for my lunches, the times that we do have them. But what happens to those few beets that get shoved to the back of the fridge b/c you have three bottles of juice to squeeze into the jumbled mess of potential future meals to consume?
What about that jar of jelly or the bottle of barbeque sauce, how do we fill up our fridges to the point where we have trouble stuffing stuff into it and then can't find the very things we've stuffed in there??? Why do I allow such chaos!!!!????!!! So as summer strives to come closer to me and I strive for me to come closer to it, I will set out upon a most daunting mission....to have an organized fridge, not just once every week when its time to go grocery shopping but every day!

expert opinions...

Based on some advice I decided to take my coffee out of the fridge...this morning, after smelling the rancid sharp odor I decided to put it back into the fridge. I'm sure for some, this is exactly what they're looking for in their coffee...however, I am not. So to you out there who gave me the advice, thank you for giving it but I think I'm happy with the fridge method for my own tastes...that leads me to the main subject. Expert opinions. Expert opinions are for the most part reliable but there is a bit of subjection. Its all a matter of "taste". That's prolly why there are so many restaurants out there that have the same thing on the menu but taste different.

I was watching Gourmet's diary of a foodie (one of my favorite shows) and there was a chef who had studied in France and Italy who came to the conclusion that fancy isn't necessarily better. He made the comment of "you make the food you like and you make it the way you like it." He was basically defending the fact that he makes rustic food b/c that's what he likes...he doesn't like "fancy" food that elevates a chef's ego or allows a cook to impress his colleagues. That impressed upon me the fact that even if you don't make every recipe out of Julia Child's cookbook and you're cooking everyday meals that makes you and your family happy, then be happy about what your eating and cooking! Use the expert opinions but also use your own "expert" opinion. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying just go to the freezer section and pick up every Lean Cuisine b/c you like it! Of course you need to think about what you're eating and KNOW what your eating....I think cooking and eating can be simplified. Simple ingredients and simple techniques all make for a happy belly!

lunch....???

ok, so this picture is not my lunch....its a picture of my arm during a surgery I had a few years ago...sorry if it grosses you out. I think its rather fitting since it looks like there's a fork in my arm....anyway back to the subject....Lunch. Lunch can be somewhat frustrating...most of the time I have leftovers from the night before. But most of the time, we don't have any leftovers. Then I find myself scrounging or having yet another salad or just cereal for lunch. Today, however, its chimichangas. Its important, for me, that if you're gonna eat something, no matter what it is...presentation is where its at. If it looks good, most likely you'll enjoy it more. Since its all about presentation, I cut both chimichangas in half at slight angle, stood them all up on their ends, placed them in a small casserole dish, baked it and then covered it with salsa verde and some taco sauce....it looks very yummy, actually...to think, a chimichanga could be dressed up so well...

cast iron

I've been slowly converting my cookware to cast iron. Cast Iron is lumped into the "reinventing the wheel" category. Why would anyone use anything else? Because its too heavy?? Come on now, lets put some effort into our cooking and stop being so lazy! True, if you mistreat your cast iron it will mistreat you...so some care and TLC needs to be considered. But you can take a 100 yr old cast iron pan and bring it back to life like it was brand new! Cast iron conducts and holds the heat better than any other metal, in my humble opinion. Nothing crisps, "non-sticks", browns and bakes better than Cast Iron. Although, I do like my glass pie pans b/c you can see the bottom when its cooking. You can even throw it into a whole in the ground,throw the lid on, bury it in ashes and it will come out fine! And its cheap, if its not coated in a ceramic finish, in comparison with other pans. So why all the fuss over cookware?? B/c your cooking depends on it!!! Its like driving in a Nascar race with a 1985 Renault LeCar. You can go around the race track but you're not gonna be able keep up with the other cars. Basically, you'll get it done but it won't be as good as it could be. I've enjoyed cooking so much more now that I know I can rely on my cookware. So if you've wondered about cast iron, give it a shot :)

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photos...

gardening

In order to really love your food, its good to KNOW where it came from. If you're wondering who's handled it, where it came from, if there's a pig farm upstream from the spinach crop you can't truly appreciate what your eating. Thats one reason why I love to have a garden. Not only do I know whats in the soil but I know what's been applied to the soil and the plants.

Organic fertilizer, in my opinion, is the only way to go along with compost. Our compost pile is going on two years now and it has produced better plants from throw away seeds than our own garden. Our garden is 32x40. This will be the first season where we don't have to rip up any sod or turn "fresh" soil. I look forward to a hot summer day, while mowing our field, when I can hop off the tractor and grab a fresh pea, tomatoe or green bean!!

oddball photos...

Turkeys that came to visit....

A picture of our field....and my feet...

Here's a drawing I did quite a few years ago...it was one of those drawings that just "happened" and when I was done with it, I really liked it.

some photos taken while on vacation...

Saturdays...

Saturdays can be very productive days or they can be the laziest day of all...this Saturday has been pretty productive. I reorganized our dresser drawers, managed two sick kids, cleaned the bunny's room, took a nap and as a bonus, my husband was making pancakes for breakfast when I woke up this morning...which is always a treat.

Tonight we will be making english muffin pizzas. The kids requested "crazy" toppings like green peppers and bacon. I'm ok with those things being in their "crazy" category. I was worried that they might request sardines or kidney beans. Along with it we'll be having banana shakes (made with Silk chocolate milk) and french fries.

I'm not sure why Saturdays can be so different....maybe its b/c sometimes you don't have to do anything and then it easier to be lazy or really productive...?

I hear the oven warming up with its groans and oans and creaks and teeks and eeks....if I don't want my stomach repeating those sounds I should get back to my productive Saturday and get to those "crazy" pizza toppings!

cookie experiment

Since I can't have any dairy, cookies are something that are hard to come by. Today I am trying to make some....with cannelini beans. I found the recipe online from Rocco D. I have the oven heating now...

1 can of cannelini beans

4 T of cocoa powder

1/3C flaxseed meal

1/3 C oatbran

3 eggs

1/3 C sugar

I will report back as to how they come out...

love for linguini?

Linguini. There's something about it thats fantastic...its like a hybrid of a short noodle and spaghetti. Last night I made some breaded chicken with linguini and garlic pasta sauce. Every bite was a little bit of chicken, some sauce and linguini....now the day after, I still want more and I'm saddened that there aren't any left overs....sigh.....

This morning I did make some scrambled eggs and ham....making sure to get enough air when whipping the eggs and lifting them when scraping them off the pan. The ham was seared and then maple syrup poured on top, I let it reduce and then a little water was added to make a nice maple syrup sauce. I love to eat....mmmmm.....

Time to get my second cup of coffee.

second cup of coffee

For many coffee drinkers, the first cup of coffee has slowly become a necessity. As a way to begin the day. Without it, the day feels like there's something missing. But why do we feel a second cup should be drunk. My guess is its comfort that it brings. Could that be what coffee is to most people? A grown up security blanket or an adult sized binky? The first sip is a calming wave that starts at your mouth and ends at your toes....then all seems well in the world.

For me, I don't like many coffees. I don't like Starbucks, or Dunkin' Donuts or McDonalds or Folgers or Maxwell house....why is that?? Why do some people prefer those flavors and I'm forced into a world of pursuing the perfect cup??? To me, franchised coffees taste burnt and bitter. That's why I like my own brew. I know exactly how much water to grounds should be mixed together, and how long a brew should be the grounds aren't burned...

I was recently given a french press by my husband. Who, in his love for me and despite his hatred for coffee, has supplied me with many coffee tools. So off I went to the store to buy coffee beans and grind them to use in my "best way to make coffee" french press. After the 5th batch of bitter and somewhat rancid coffee it occurred to me the beans were not fresh. How could they be?? How many people actually buy whole coffee beans at the store? and how many times do they change the beans?? I BET NOT OFTEN ENOUGH!! So now, my quest is to purchase coffee beans that are green and learn to roast my very own...

So will blogging prohibit the internal dialogue I have with myself or the enhance my inner thoughts? I'm not sure, I don't even know if anyone will read this....we shall see...

day 2

...so far, this morning, I've had one cup of coffee....

Last night for dinner we had canned chili on tortilla chips with salsa. I don't normally make canned chili but I was in need of an easy supper night. We had some watermelon and canteloup with some green olives on the side. Yes, thats a strange combination but it did the job. My pantry is stocked with "easy suppers". I experimented yesterday with my lunch. I grilled a pork chop and placed it in a foil pack with sliced potatoes and apple sauce. Unfortunately, I didn't cook the potatoes long enough. Maybe next time I'll cook it longer and can enjoy it a little more.

New post

I thought I'd dive into the blogging world and see what happens. Maybe nothing, maybe something...Many times I have a lot to say and not enough time to say it. Then my conversations become this garbled mess of me talking too much and not making any sense.

I guess a blog is a place to write about what makes you, you. One thing that is a part of me is food. I love to eat and I love to cook. The simpleness and the complexities of flavor that can come from just two ingredients added to one. Seeing people truly enjoy a dish...me, truly enjoying a meal.

Pictures are apart of me as well. Whether its through photography, drawing, sketch or painting. I love to capture the quietness and beauty in a solitary moment. As if no one else is there and that moment has been saved.

So I guess my main goal for my blog is to put out there my love for cooking and pictures. What will come of it? We shall see....see u next time.