Nothing Like A Grilled Cheese

Wit and Wisdom 

What a day! I spent most of it with my ninety-three year old mom. She was always a bit of a spitfire and the years have worn away only some of the spark. It is a new experience watching the aging process, but this independent, retired fifty hour a week worker still has her wit and wisdom so let me share a bit with you.

" Mom, do you have any regrets looking back on your life?"
" Yes. I wish I had become a nun."
" But then you would not have had me or the rest of your children?"
" That's true. I wish I had become a nun."


" Mom, I remember you saying when you were seventy that you were old. Do you wish you had not thought that then because you must think that is young now?"
" No."


" Mom,  can you give me some advice about getting older?"
"Don't."


" But mom, you always said that age is meaningless.  That you are as young as you feel."
" And you believed that?"

" Okay, mom , but you are so lucky. You look great. You feel good. You keep up with what's happening in the world. And you have your family around you. What else could you ask for?"
" Can I have a grilled cheese for lunch?"

She is the best!

Maple Toffee

The farm

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind.  We've been in New York, the Berkshires, Boston, San Francisco, Santa Fe, and back to San Francisco.  The highlight for me was finally being in CT for the sap season again.  I think the last time was back in 2006.  I know we talk about maple syrup quite a bit on this blog but it's just so much fun.  I love the family camaraderie of standing around the evaporator, everyone checking on the sap as it boils down, and sampling the most recent draw-off of syrup.  Neighbors also stop by, ostensibly to help out but mostly to chat with my dad.   I like to walk around the property and check out the early signs of spring.  The best were the snowdrops, which are these beautiful and delicate looking white flowers that poke through the snow.  

After a few days of rain and snow, we decided to lift our cabin fever by baking a cake and celebrating Rainier's 5-month birthday.

This maple toffee recipe is easy to make and highly addictive.  I usually just eat it plain, but you can also chop it finely and put it on ice cream.

Maple Toffee

2 sticks of butter

1/2 cup of dark brown sugar

1/2 cup of Mead's maple syrup

Coarse sea salt

Dark chocolate chips (optional)

Chopped almonds (optional)

1. Lightly coat an 8x8 or 9x9 casserole dish with butter.  

2. Melt the butter, sugar, maple syrup, and a pinch of sea salt in a pan over medium high heat.  Stir frequently with a wooden spoon.

3. Check the temperature with a candy thermometer.  The toffee is finished when it reaches 290-300 degrees.  You can also eyeball it, however.  When the toffee pulls away from the sides of the pan and begins to darken, it is finished.  If you pull it off too soon, it's still delicious, just softer and less crunchy.

4.  Pour the toffee into the casserole dish.  Wait 2-3 minutes and then top with chocolate chips, almonds, or coarse sea salt.  When I use chocolate chips, I let them melt on the toffee for about 3 minutes and then spread them around with the spatula.

Would you believe my Nana is a great-great grandmother!

maple syrup video

Dear Friends,

We are in the thick of maple season and processing our delicious golden syrup like mad sappers. Check this video out on us making maple syrup. It is a bit rough around the edges but I learned so much by trial and error, lots of error. This is only the beginning of a new format for our blog. We are updating. It has been one year and loads of fun. Meghan is branching out to include some insights and delights on raising baby and being a parent. I am going to put my education and experience to use by including tips on the life of  homesteading, living wellness as a lifestyle, and nurturing the creative side. All this and food too because as we know good food is at the center of the universe.  We also want to be able to answer your questions so there will be an easy Q&A section for your submissions. Hopefully it will be completed in the next month, just in time for warmer weather.We are excited and look forward to another good year together.

Much love and did you remember to  eat your maple syrup today?

jude

"Erin Go Bragh."

UGGGGG!!!!!!!! My second flub.

SUCCESS

Dear Friends,

They say when things come, they usually come in sets of three. I heard three pieces of news this past week. The good, the bad, and the ugly. The good news is that the maple sap is running like a broken faucet left on high and we should produce lots of maple syrup. The bad news is that my daughter and grandson are moving 2000 miles away from me and I will miss them very much. And the ugly news, well I tried making Irish Soda Bread, one of the easiest recipes in my half Irish world, and it failed each time. That is until I tried this recipe. I recalled seeing it in the Fine Cooking magazine months ago and remember the article saying something like, " the no fail Irish Soda Bread". It was right. This bread came out tasty, light, and cooked to a goldenness that tempted me to eat half the warm loaf smothered in butter before it even touched the dinner table. I enhanced the bread by adding 2 TBS caraway seeds and a handful of golden raisins. Give it a try and have a Happy St Patrick's Day.

Irish Soda Bread

    "May your thoughts be as glad as the shamrocks. May your heart be as light as a song. May each day bring you bright, happy hours. That stay with you all the year long."

Sláinte
jude

PS    Take my advise and make two loafs. One for you and one for the rest of the family.