Oh! How Sweet it Is!

Ohio's abundance of Sugar Maple trees makes for a sweet "crop" of syrup come early Spring, Oh, how sweet it is!

Making maple syrup is labor intensive work; beginning with cutting down enough old trees and chopping wood to keep the fires in the syrup evaporators going. Next, trees are tapped, which means drilling holes for spigots to drain the sugar water that is rising in the trees and collecting it in buckets, pipes, or plastic bags. Long hours are spent boiling the sap down and bottling the syrup.

Sugar season is coming to an end because the trees are claiming the sap for their own use by leafing out. A leafing tree yields ucky syrup, so I imagine it is nature's way of preventing having the life drained right out of them, literally.

One of the things that I love best about March is going to Maple Syrup festivals and pancake breakfasts. We especially love the festivities at the Lutheran Memorial Camp in Fulton, Ohio. The pancake breakfast is a real fest; served family style and loaded with fruit, sausages, OJ or coffee, plenty of pancakes and, oh yeah....pure Ohio maple syrup!

There's always a live band filling the air with (mostly) old-timey music (with a few modern twists thrown in just for fun).



Outside horse drawn wagons take visitors into the woods to see the tapped trees and watch the sap being boiled down into syrup.

 

 

 

 

For a refreshing treat that helps warm up cold hands and chase away the chill air, hot, homemade Sassafras teas is made.

The end result is fresh syrup, ready for consumers to enjoy. For those who did not make it to a festival, no worries. Area farmers markets are getting set to open the first week of May, where one can purchase the fruits of the maple producers' labors. :)

 

 

Marcheta *Savoring the Sweet Things in Life

Snow Laughing Matter!

Ok, I admit it. I am ready for winter to take a bow and graciously welcome spring. I am totally flaked out by it's many encores. Yesterday's snowfall started out lazy, so I was OK with it. Liked it, even. Today? Not so much.

But before yesterday's lazy snow went to bed it had a surge of energy.

So did I. Even though I am weary of Jack Frost nipping at my nose, I bundled up and braved the cold to walk around our property to take pictures.  Numb fingers aside, I got a big kick from seeing this milkweed pod having a last laugh at Old Man Winter.

 

I don't think that the bees in this super were laughing, though....do you? I think that they were probably worn out from beating their wings for the past four months to keep their home warm. The bees in the other two supers did not make it through the harsh winter, and we've removed the supers from the bee yard.

 

And the fish? Well, who knows?

 

 

 

 

But of all, I think that these snowdrops were maybe happiest of all with their message that, hey..."spring is here.

It really is.

 

After all, we're bloomin', ain't us?"  :)

 

 

Marcheta *Hit the road, Jack.

Across the Pond

Here's Lumber Jack Jim, cutting away at

 a low branch near the small pine.

 March 9.
There's still a lot of snow on the ground because this winter simply does not want to end. The pond is still frozen (as seen as the "Big White Way" in this photo. 

The  sky is brilliant blue, the temperature is 40 F making the day feel extra warm. Funny how living Life Below Zero for the past while makes an otherwise 'cold' day feel downright balmy!

This warm weather means that Jim has to work quick today to cut firewood in the wooded area on the side of our small pond that is opposite the house and driveway while the ground is still somewhat frozen and he can drive his Kubota back to the house without flinging mud all over. ( LOVE run-on sentences! Where else but a blog can people get away with them? >grinz<)

Or, worse yet, getting stuck in the mud.

Like his wife did. 

In the driveway, where not so long ago we were getting our vehicles stuck in the snow, I had a "Close Encounter of the Muck Kind"  today. I returned home from morning errands just in time to fix lunch, before venturing out again. I did not want to park the car in the garage because I wanted it to sit in the sun so that I'd have a nice warm car for my afternoon running around, so I pulled up past the garage into what I *thought* was a gravel area. Silly me. When I opened the door I sank into mud about half-way up my ankle boots. :(

What an ordeal it was to not drag that mud into the kitchen,

Yep.

Mud. The True Sign of Spring :)

Marcheta *Mud pies for dessert, anyone?

Signs of Change

 

As in last post, do not click on double underlined links. I did not insert them. I do have links to information, and they are regular-looking links. This problem is one of the reasons will be leaving Blogger soon. Sorry for any inconvenience or confusion.

 

 

 

 

Last week I saw this American Robin sitting on the outside ledge of my sewing room window. It was extremely cold outside, but the sun was out in full force and warming up the south side of the house.

People think of spotting robins as the first sign of Spring. Although these red-breasted birds are a welcome sight, actually they hang around all year. A robins diet is bugs, worms and fruit. In the winter they do not visit bird feeders, they are busy foraging for fruit in hedgerows. In January a flock completely stripped the berries from my Hawthorn tree, which not only provided nutrition for the robins, but also supplied me with welcome entertainment. How hardy are robins? They even live in Alaska!  So, no. Robins are not harbingers of Spring.

A few days later I saw a true spring-bringing bird; a Red-winged Blackbird at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge on Lake Erie. Yep. It was another cold day and the bird might have been thinking it had been duped by the lengthening daylight which brought it "up North", but seeing it was a thrill for my friend and me.

Then, just yesterday, I saw a Turkey Buzzard gliding over a snowy field, looking for something dead to feast upon. Year-round residents in southern Ohio, buzzards are another sign of spring where I live. Legend has it that they return to Hinckley, Ohio, every spring on March 15. Jim told me that my buzzard had ignored protocol by daring to show up early. I think that the buzzard is as hungry for spring as we are.

Even though I am looking forward to spring, I am a *little bit* sad to see winter, with all of its challenges, go. Why? Well, I had a ton of projects that did not get done (as usual) and would relish a bit more time to work on them before outdoor work takes over my days.

But the biggest, most exciting change for me is moving.

No, not moving locations; moving forward with said projects. Growth is a good thing. I've decided to move my online presences to one location. Blogger has been a great tool, but I need a bigger space to hold all of my blab and big ideas.

To reach this goal, I am meeting with JoAnn Snell, of Jo's Graphic Design today to work on a new website; to build a home big enough for OCJ and The World According to Marcheta. Everything tucked into one URL.  Won't that be tweet sweet?

Marcheta *bob-bob-bobbing along

Grumpy Bird

First off: ignore any links that show up in this post. I did not put them in, and every time I open this post there are different links. I *think* this may be from Blogger/Google (paid ads).

Soon I will be working on moving OCJ and my other blog, The World According to Marcheta, to WordPress. Thanks.

Now for our regular scheduled post:


Everyone seems to be tired of this cold weather, including the birds that share our property with us.
During extreme weather, I like to keep our birds well fed. This year, to insure that our avian amigos are never without food even if they are "clean platers" before Jim or I can re-fill the feeder, I put out extra suet feeders. Usually I only hang two of the cage-type of feeders, one with a regular mix and another with a peanut mix. This year I have three of each kind.

Even with giving extra rations in the feeder and having six suet cages, some birds are not amused.  I think that this tufted titmouse should change its name to tufted ticked-off mouse. What do you think?

I have several more pictures of Grumpy Bird to share. Sure, he's no rival for Grumpy Cat, but hey...misery attracts misery as they say, so move over Grumpy Cat, this bird's horning in on your territory (of grumpiness) "weather" you like it or not! :)

If anyone has a caption for Grumpy Bird, share it in the comment section and I'll post it under his picture :)

Marcheta *bird is the word

'Sno Fun :(

Every few years *this* happens:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, we manage to get our plow truck stuck here at home, usually in the lane where we get nasty drifts by the barn. This year's Fun Event took place in the new driveway, graded and graveled last fall for the garage we had built on the south side of the house.

 

Here's how it happened:

 

Instead of the Big Snow that was predicted for overnight, we got rain. And that rain froze. And then it snowed on top of the ice. Jim's truck simply slid off the gravel and onto icy, mucky, land.

 

But we've had it worse.

 

Much worse:

 

One year when Jim got his plow truck stuck by the barn, we also had TWO "rescue" trucks stuck in the deep snow behind our truck. The trucks were lined up like sitting ducks and didn't go anywhere fast. I took pictures but have no idea where they are (good old film days and shoe boxes filled with miscellaneous pictures!)

 

 

Eventually, all of those trucks were pulled out.

 

 

 

 

Today was lucky for us, no extra aid was needed. After some digging around the truck with the Kubota tractor and salting the area,  under this brilliant blue sky we were able to drive the truck out of its quagmire.  And at only 15 degrees F, un-stucking this truck was truly  'sno fun :)

 

 

All is well...but it sure left a mess!

 

Marcheta *you get the drift...



What's on Your Bucket List?

2015 has arrived!
 
Hey, how about instead of making resolutions to change how (and who) we are, why not make a "2015 Bucket List"?

Sounds like more fun (and obtainable!) to me. :)
 
Happy New Year!
 
May it be filled with wonderful colors and fantastic adventures, and all of your Bucket List desires come true.
 
Marcheta *Making her list, checking it twice

Favorite Things: Homemade Cookbooks

I love handmade books. For me, they are much more than recordings  of stories, thoughts, or recipes. They are full of the love and dedication that was put into producing them. I came across these two beauties (circa late 1970's) at the Friends of the Galion Public Library's used book sale.

 

 

The darling hand-painted covers drew me right in. On closer inspection, I discovered that the covers were made by Connie Eichhorn, a full-time country woman who lived on a grain farm, had an in-home ceramic studio, and helped her husband run a saw mill business. 

 

*WHEW* That makes me tired just typing it!  

 

Connie had many talents, not only as a visual artist, but also musically. She was the Jr. Choir director at our church, teaching very young children to sing. My children were all in Connie's choir and my daughter, Meghan, went on to become a music teacher.

 

 

Connie was a member of a hospital "Twig", volunteer organizations that worked on fundraisers for the hospital as well as donating their labor in places like manning the hospital's front desk or working in the gift shop and cafeteria. My guess is that Connie and her Twig members made these books as one of their fundraisers. 

What is extra special about these books is that they are extremely low-tech by today's standards.

 

Can you imagine the time that these women put into producing their books? The covers appear to be coated wallpaper. I can picture Connie drawing and painting each one by hand.

 

 

And then, there was the "inside jobs".

 

 

 

 Each page was typed on old-fashioned ribbon typewriters on a special two-part carbon paper. The carbon part fit on a machine called a mimeograph to make copies.

 

mimeograph machine

Then, each page was cut and put in order and stapled to the covers. 

 

 

This post is dedicated to those who volunteer to make our communities better places to live, like Connie. Connie is in ill health these days. By sharing her talents as an artist and musician, her legacy keeps her in the hearts of those she touched.

 

Marcheta *touched by an angel

 



'Tis the Season....for SQUASH!

Noel is back with us today, sharing her methods for cooking butternut squash. Butternut and acorn squash, as well as pumpkin, are among my favorite cold weather foods.



Butternut squash is quite possibly the most popular variety of winter squash, and for good reason. As its name suggests, this veggie is buttery and sweet. And, even better, it’s a nutrient powerhouse thanks to its high fiber and vitamin content, and its low calorie count.

Before you read Noel's post, here's my little trick....I add pureed pumpkin to many recipes, especially soups (even chili). The mild flavor does not alter the recipe's overall taste while packing in a good punch of extra nutrition. I also add pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling!) to casseroles and even meat loaf/meat balls. :)

I am glad that Noel chose butternut squash to share today, as I have two nice ones from the last farmers' market ready to be cooked and served. Although I never met a potato that I didn't love, I am looking forward to some orange eating today. :)

Marcheta *Orange is the New Spud (well, not really....)




Noel Lizotte, Apron Free Cooking

My grandfather was a tremendous gardener. He was typical old time New England, in that he wanted to be as self sufficient as possible. Therefore, his garden took on near epic proportions as the years passed.




I remember walking through his garden and being amazed at the many types of squash growing in the Vermont soil. Acorn, Butternut, and Hubbard are just a few of the names I remember.
These “winter squash” are so named because they ripen in the late summer and fall, then can be stored “down cellar” through much of the winter. My grandparents cellar was a place of wonder, full of bushel baskets of squash, quarts jars of canned vegetables and garden tools waiting for spring.



Thanksgiving dinner with my family usually features squash of some sort. As our proper New England heritage dictates, we drizzle a bit of maple syrup over our serving.
The crock pot method of preparing squash makes it easy to add to the Thanksgiving dinner without taking up valuable oven space.
For serving, you can place the squash, skin and all on a serving platter and allow guests to scoop their portion directly from the skin. Or you can scoop the squash from the skin and place in a serving bowl. Either presentation is pretty, especially when you use Grandma’s dishes!
 
 
 

Print

Butternut Squash

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Yield: 8 servings

Serving Size: 1 cup

Calories per serving: 63

Fat per serving: 0

Ingredients

• 1 Butternut Squash
• 2 TB Cinnamon
• 2 TB Brown Sugar
• 2 TB Butter

Instructions

• Traditional Method
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop the seeds and dispose of them. Sprinkle 1 TB each of cinnamon and brown sugar over each half of the squash. Place 1 TB of butter in the hollow of each half. Please in a baking dish and add an inch of water to the bottom of the pan. Cover with aluminum foil and seal tightly. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. 

 

• Crock Pot Method
• Slice and prepare the squash with spices as in the traditional method. Place in slow cooker or crock pot. You may stack the halves of squash on top of each other if there is only room for one half in the bottom of the crock pot. Carefully add water to the bottom of the crock pot; don't splash onto the squash. Bake on low heat 8-10 hours or high for 6-8 hours.

Notes

Approximate Nutrition Information: Servings Per Recipe: 8, Amount Per Serving: Calories: 63, Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 6g, Total Carbs: 16g, Protein: 1g.

Make it a Meal: Serve with your Thanksgiving dinner. A great side dish to ham.

Variations: You can use this preparation with any winter squash.

2.6

http://www.apronfreecooking.com/recipes/butternut-squash/

Copyright: www.ApronFreeCooking.com

A Flakey Situation

 

We're finally building a garage.

 

So, naturally, it snowed on the start day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lucky for the builders, the snow was not too aggressive until later, when the sun had gone down and outside work was done for the day.

I am so impressed with our contractor, Tom Clevenger, and his crew. Even though it is only 27F today, they are back on the job.


I don't even know how to act this winter, being able to keep our vehicles out of the weather and not have to scrape off windshields as we've been doing the past 20+ years. :)


The top photo shows the location of the garage, a bigger-than-most building because Jim wants to be able to park his plow truck in it with plow and salter attached. Also, there will be a nice sized bonus room in front. This space is for the orchard harvest and also for me to finally have a studio outside of the house.  You can see one of our orchards in the background. Here's the thing: I am happy to have this building, but very sad at the same time because it will block that wonderful view when I step out my back door.

Yes.

I lost the argument of where to locate the building. My idea was in front of the orchard, Jim's was up next to the house.

You can see who has more power around here. :)

But.

I plan to get my way with the interior.  My vision for it is "Happy Fifty's Kitchen". A bright, sunshiny place to work and to have craft parties with my family and friends. Ahhh...I get the warm-fuzzies just thinking of all the possibilities!

Again, I don't know how to act, not having clutter of fruit and craft supplies spewing out of every corner of my house. :)   But I have a feeling that in both instances, I'll adjust just fine.

Just fine!

Marcheta *fine by me