Oh How Sweet It Is

Oh! Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble goes the pan,
Furnish sweeter music for the season if you can,
See the golden billows, watch their ebb and flow.
Sweetest joys indeed, we sugar makers know

(Chorus of "Maple Sweet" an early nineteenth century New England folk song -- sung by the musicians at one of the sugarhouses I went to this weekend.)

Well, I'm happy to report that the 27th Annual Maine Maple Sunday/Weekend was sweeter than ever.

On Saturday a.m., I grabbed my rubber boots (and my down jacket!), my littlest child (her first Maine Maple Weekend!) and one of my closest friends and went to my "usual" hang out for sugar house festivities--Goransan's Farm in Dresden.

The yummy smells of breakfast cooking and Hope Hoffman's fiddle music lured us in from the cold into the greenhouse where we dined on the farm's to-die-for pancake breakfast complete with local sausage, potatoes (from their garden), local apple cider and organic coffee. Oh, and pancakes with fresh maple syrup, of course!

(On a side note, a few years ago the farm's barn burned down and a barn raising fundraiser was held. The pancakes served at this fundraiser were made by neighbors -- and they were such a hit that the mix was then packaged and sold. In fear they may stop making it, we have a stash of the mix in our freezer.)

With full tummies and some socializing under our belt, we then poked around in the sugarhouse for a bit. Every year I am so pleasantly reminded of how wonderful these sugarhouses are -- they boast a steamy sweet and woody smell that is just so soothing. It occurred to me that some clever marketer (hmm) might start offering the "Maine Maple Spa Retreat"as a high-end spa treatment -- it is just THAT good.

On Sunday (I know, I know, one would think one day of this would be enough, eh?), I dragged some of my extended family to two sugarhouses in Gorham, Maine. At each of these sugarhouses we checked out their syrup-making techniques and sampled the goods...syrup over ice cream. YUM. And, of course, we stocked up on many maple treats, including maple syrup, maple sugar, maple coated almonds -- even maple smoked cheese. The highlight of the day? It is hard to choose, but I THINK it was watching my mom who had been ever-so-reluctant to go along on this adventure...and somehow has never been to a Maine Maple Sunday (is she really my mother!?!), step out of the car and immediately get into the spirit. With pockets full of her maple purchases she said with a big smile, "another sugarhouse?"

As I'm coming down from this great sugar high, I must say the real treat in this whole weekend is to remember how lucky we are to have people who carry on the syrup-making tradition. It takes a whole lot of work to make just a little bit of syrup. (Honestly, I could devote several blog entries to the syrup making process, including all the interesting factoids such as the fact that it takes a cord of wood to make 30 gallons of syrup.)

Trust me, despite the high cost of the good stuff, no one is getting rich making syrup. But, our world is richer for it without a doubt.

A Sweet Weekend on Tap for Me

I've been a bit out of touch the last few days...busy with my family and anticipating my favorite holiday -- Maine Maple Sunday.

Okay, I know, it isn't really a holiday. But, it SHOULD be.

Maine Maple Sunday, the fourth Sunday of March each year, is the day when sugarhouses around the state open their doors to let everyone join in this annual rite of spring--maple syrup making. As you drive around the state, you'll see steam rising from the sugar houses and have the opportunity to partake in all sorts of maple infused festivities from pancake breakfasts to maple syrup sundaes. The farms will be busy with visitors all decked out in their mud boots and great big smiles. It is a very happy and very sweet day.

I'll report back on my Maine Maple Sunday (which has turned into Maine Maple Weekend in my book) adventures in a couple of days.

In the meantime, check out some of the happenings around the state...and sweet dreams.

Crafternoons with Maine-ly Home

I betcha didn't know that March is National Craft Month (who declared this, I'm not sure...)! Well, it is! And, in the spirit of this, I am going to start having "crafternoons"--an afternoon spent making something. (By the way, I can't take credit for this very clever name--but, I sure do love it!) Don't get too excited, it's not like I'm a craft maven who is going to rock your world with the most exciting crafts, but I hope to occasionally inspire you to craft. Stay tuned.

Grow-Your-Own Easter Grass

A few years ago, I started (with the help of my daughter) to grow my own Easter grass. I haven't totally abandoned the commercial Easter grass in its oh-so-fun colors (though I only buy paper grass, not plastic), but I've begun to grow my own grass in festive containers to use as centerpieces. Someday I hope to be organized enough to grow the grass IN the girls Easter baskets and even possibly in some baskets to deliver to others. But, for now, I'm sticking with a few festive containers sprinkled around the house. It's an incredibly easy project -- and a great project to embark on with kids of any ages. Here's the scoop:

What You Need

• Potting soil (and a small shovel unless you want to use your hands)
• Containers (Get creative -- pots, buckets, baskets, Easter baskets, egg shells, etc. Note: If you choose to use a basket or something that doesn't hold water, you'll need to line with plastic or cellophane.
• Grass seed (I use either rye or wheat grass seed/berries which you can typically buy in packets at a good garden supply store.)
• A spray bottle
• A sunny spot

How-to

• Prepare your containers (e.g. if you use a basket or another container not designed for water, line with cellophane or plastic).
• Fill your container(s) with soil.
• Top soil with seeds. Add another 1/4 inch of soil on top of seed layer.
• Use a spray bottle to moisten the soil.
• Place in a sunny spot.
• Over the next few days, keep an eye on your containers, misting soil as needed in order to keep it moist. 
• In a week(ish), you'll have a container of grass. These containers of grass make a simple and beautiful centerpiece all on their own--but also look cute decorated with eggs, chicks, ribbons, etc.

Forcing Spring Update

Today is the official day of Spring. Where I am standing, however, Mama Earth seems to have forgotten.

In anticipation of needing Spring before it comes into full bloom, I have been attempting to "force" or rather "invite" Spring into my home with some forced blossoms.

The blooms are SO close, but not in time for the first day of Spring. Boo.

Do-Over-Dinners

We love to cook and we love to sit down to dinner as a family. Given this, we are especially lucky (I used to try to claim credit to this, but in recent years I've decided it is never wise to claim credit for any parenting-related thing...it always seems to come back to haunt you!) to have one daughter (we've yet to see how number two daughter will feel...) who shares our interest in cooking, entertaining and eating. We rarely cook what I would call "kid food", we simply expect our daughter to eat whatever we're eating. And, she does. Every once in a while, however, she sighs and says, "Can't we just have macaroni and cheese?" After a few times of hearing this, I decided that we ought to give her some choice...or at least create a democracy around dinner. So, now after a meal we vote on whether a dinner is a "do over" or not. It has been a huge success--and I'll take total credit for this! In the spirit of this, Maine-ly Home will regularly feature meals that win the "do over" status in our home.  What "do-over-dinners" does your family have? 

This week's "do-over-dinner" is as basic and simple as can be--but it wins "do-over" status every time.

Lentils and Rice

Ingredients

•  6 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large white onion, sliced
• 1 1/3 cup uncooked lentils (pick over and rinse before using)
• 3/4 cup long-grain white rice
• salt and pepper to taste
• plain yogurt (we like Greek-style)
• 1 lemon
• 1-2 cups of your favorite tomato sauce

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and saute onions until browned (about 8-10 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside. (If you don't like onions, this can easily be omitted.)
2. Place lentils in a medium sized saucepan. Cover with water (with a dash of salt). Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes or until beginning to become tender. (I suggest keeping an eye on this as the water can quickly disappear.)
3. Add rice to pot. Add enough water to cover both the rice and lentils. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until rice and lentils are tender.
4. Add onions to the cooked lentils and rice. Serve. We serve in a bowl with a choice of condiments -- lemon slices, plain yogurt and tomato sauce.

(Time Saving Hint: If this sounds good to you, but you don't have the desire to cook lentils, look for cooked lentils in the refrigerated section of Trader Joes and serve with your choice of rice and condiments.)

Eggs-axctly What I Was Looking For

I know, I know, it's that egg theme again. :) Crazy egg-obsessed woman.

This time, however, it's all about Easter eggs.

We love decorating Easter eggs. We are not, however, crazy about all those creepy dyes that seem to stay on your hands for weeks. Imagine my delight when I discovered via one of my favorite blogs Soulemama that a new eco- and kid-friendly egg dyeing product has hit the market.

This new product, Eco-Eggs, is an Easter egg coloring kit that uses natural ingredients (e.g. purple sweet potato, paprika, red cabbage and blueberries) to color eggs. The kit also includes soy-crayons for decorating. As if this wasn't exciting enough, I have learned that the kit comes from a Maine company called Eco-Kids

Needless to say, I have ordered the product and I am happy to report it is on its way. Stay tuned for our 2010 egg dyeing adventures...