ON THE BRIGHT SIDE
SATURDAY, MARCH 5TH, 2016
14 DAYS UNTIL SPRING
Sunrise: 6:57 am
Sunset: 6:25 pm
Life is a Special Occasion!
Hallmark
Around the beginning of March every year we celebrate Maple Syrup Days! Maple syrup is a distinctly North American product. Canada, the largest supplier of maple syrup, produces over 5 million gallons of it each year!
Native Americans were the first to harvest and boil the sap of the maple tree into a thick syrup. It’s a process that was documented and adopted by early settlers in the 1600s. Tapping a maple tree does no permanent damage to the tree and only 10% of the sap that is produced in a year is actually collected. Many maple trees have been tapped for 150 years or more! Did you know that it takes 30 to 50 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup? Maple syrup can also be boiled down to produce maple cream, maple sugar, and maple sugar candy.
Whether you like your maple syrup as a topping on pancakes, waffles, or vanilla ice cream, enjoy some today in honor of Maple Syrup Days!
If you can't see the Bright Side, polish the dull side
THOUGHT FOR TODAY
Maple Syrup is a sweet creation
As winter makes the slow transition to spring, days become warmer and nights remain freezing. The constant change in weather produces pressure beneath the sugar maple’s bark. As the sugar maple goes through the repetitive cycle of freezing and thawing from these weather changes, sap is being pushed throughout the tree.
By boiling the sap, some of the water will be evaporated, leaving a product that is at a sweeter water to sugar ratio. For maple syrup, that typically means about 34% water and 66% sugar. The sap can be boiled down further to create maple flavoring and maple sugar. There are many Maple Syrup festivals going on this time of year where you can see them making it and also buy some.
One of my favorite uses for Maple Syrup other than putting it on pancakes is putting it on vanilla ice cream. It’s a delicious topping.
Whether it’s lunch, dinner, or a snack, you’d be surprised just how many foods outside breakfast time taste even better with a little maple syrup. Here are a few quick ideas
Sweeten homemade applesauce
Use maple syrup to sweeten plain yogurt
Mix into coffee, tea
Drizzle over oatmeal
Use as a glaze over ham, turkey, chicken, salmon
Add to icing or whipped cream
I also found a recipe for baked acorn squash that uses maple syrup
2 whole Acorn Squash
Kosher Salt To Taste
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
Pure Maple Syrup
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Halve each squash, then scrape out the seeds and stringy membranes. Place the halves, flesh side up, on a baking sheet and sprinkle each half with salt.
Next add a generous tablespoon of butter to the center of each squash followed by 2 to 3 heaping tablespoons of brown sugar. Next drizzle squash with maple syrup.
Pour 2 cups water in the bottom of the baking pan.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 30-45 minutes, or until squash is golden brown.
In the last 5 minutes of baking, turn on the broiler and allow tops to get a little more brown and the butter and sugar mixture to bubble.
You can scrape out the flesh and juice of each half and put the whole mixture into a casserole dish. mashing it up slightly. Then, just warm it up in the oven when you’re ready to serve. Or you can serve the halves on a platter.
I hope you all have a SUPER Saturday !
COUNTING MY GIFTS
Gentle Spring's around the corner,
Waiting just to show her face
And to bring us flowers and sunshine;
Winter's almost run his race!
Be not, then, my friends, discouraged
That there's cold and ice and sleet;
For Springtime soon will be with us,
And the flowers we will greet:
Daffodils, so bright and yellow,
Hyacinths of varied hues,
As they nod their heads, in gladness,
Telling us they bring good news…
Gertrude Tooley Buckingham
Counting at least 3 things every day that I'm thankful for. There is truly is always something to be thankful for.
3649. for maple syrup, good and good for you too
3650. for acorn squash, delicious
3651. for lingering winter days, soon to be a thing of the past
Enter into His courts with thanksgiving — and in His presence is fullness of Joy!
PRAYER FOR OUR TROOPS
Please pray for God's protection of
our troops and HIS wisdom for their
commanders.
Almighty and eternal God,
Protect our military
as they discharge their duties
with the shield of your strength,
may the power of your love
enable them to return home in safety
that with all who love them
they may ever praise you for your loving care.
AND bless our Police Officers, Firefighters
and Paramedics and EMT’s
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen
GOD BLESS YOU ALL !
ADVICE FOR TODAY
No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.
Hal Borland
A little smile, a word of cheer,
A bit of love from someone dear…
Love,
ma
2 comments:
I wouldn't have thought of putting maple syrup on ice cream, but I bet it is tasty. That recipe too looks delicious :)
betty
That's an interesting process how the syrup we enjoy comes to be!
I'd like to try your suggestions about putting a little in my coffee + drizzle it across salmon. There's already so many artificial additives out there; it's refreshing to hear about something so pure.
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