MESSY MONDAYS.

In continuing with our Messy Mondays series, here is our set-up for cooking down maple sap into maple syrup from last week......and here's what happened when we went for a walk and the oven mitt caught on fire.Good thing we didn't try this INSIDE the house!

THIS & THAT.

Some random photos from the past week.Our neighbor Liberty has started delivering a weekly newspaper. It is the best. TRULY local maple syrup.Sugar Ann Snap Peas....we are hoping they germinate before the voles get them! Pruning a neighbors apple tree (in exchange for future apples!) Wanda will find a way to get every last bit of honeysuckle.We love these tiny Instagram books we got for our market table (by Social Print Studio).

MAPLE-ING.

It's tree tapping weather around here! Jesse and I have been experimenting with our own maple sap - turning it into wine, drinking it as a warm tea, using it as a sweetener in chocolate mousse - but we aren't that ambitious about making syrup. It takes a LOT of sap and a LOT of cooking to get a TINY bit of syrup.Luckily, the Smith's aren't as daunted by this challenge and spent a long day last week cooking down sap. It was nice to visit with them outside by the roaring fire, sipping on a warm cup of maple sap as the snow fell.I think they started with near 75 gallons of sap, and ended with about a gallon and a half of syrup. There is a reason that stuff is expensive!- Hannah.