Tag Archives: Tradition

Sugarhouse, Maple Syrup, Vermont Maple, Vermont, Northern Vermont Maple, Tradition

Sugarhouses of Northern Vermont

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This past weekend, The Vermont Maple Festival was held in St. Albans, Vermont. Vermont is well-known for producing maple syrup (aka liquid gold) and the tradition runs generations deep. Growing up, it’s one of the things that I remember with fond memories.  Collecting sap and sitting in sugarhouses socializing and embracing what helps to make Vermont, Vermont. In the spring, a sugarhouse is main point of connecting with others, catching up while working and there is nothing in this world like the smell of the sweetness in the air and tasting hot, fresh syrup.

Last year, I went home during sugaring season. This is when the sap is running, the syrup is boiling and the fresh made gloriousness that is maple syrup is sitting in barrels waiting to be sold. It had been quite a while since I had been home during maple season and was lucky enough to have my dad bring me around to some of Vermont’s sugarhouses. He is the World Famous Tim after all.

If you’re unfamiliar with sugaring, here is a quick explanation:

Each spring, when the world begins to thaw from the previously, frigid winter, the sap begins to run from the maple trees. Think of the sap like a sweet, sugar water. The sap is collected and boiled in evaporators using heat generated from wood or oil fires. (If simplified, think of a giant, rectangle pot boiling.) The purpose is to boil out the water to a certain extent and the remainder is maple syrup. Rule of thumb, it takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup. Maple syrup also had more calcium than milk and is a natural sugar – so it’s good for you! All of this is done in sugarhouses.

So in honor of sugaring season coming to an end and all the hard-working folks out there getting ready to clean their equipment, attend maple shows,  sell their products and wanting a break, I wanted to feature a few sugarhouses that I saw on my last spring trip home. They come in all shapes and sizes, traditions old and new. One thing is for certain – we all can’t get enough of the liquid gold!

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Do you have a tradition in your home state? 

I’m strongly convinced that maple syrup and/or cheese can be put on any kind of food. I’ve yet to be proven wrong.

For a great recipe – check out my recipe for Maple Peanut Butter Pie!

Maple Peanut Butter Pie 002

Just a Girl and Her Christmas Tree

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Christmas time is the best time. I love it. One of my favorite things is decorating the Christmas tree. Growing up, we would always have a real tree. We would either go out back onto our land and cut one down or my dad and/or brother would find one elsewhere.

Christmas 2013Down here in Texas, things are a little different. Christmas tree farms are scarce. I actually have no idea where there is a Christmas tree farm. My “Texas Christmas Tree Farm” – well, I refer to it as Lowe’s. My experience is a little different.

My selection are those which are already pre-cut…

Christmas 2013I pick the lucky tree and place it on my “Texas Sleigh”….

Christmas 2013A nice employee bounds my tree and loads it into my car (just another reason why I love my Subaru)…

Christmas 2013I arrive home. Lug this tree up the stairs (this girl has muscles), attempts to put the tree into the tree stand only to find the bottom branches need to be trimmed. Good thing I’m a country girl and have a hand saw handy. Took care of that!

Christmas 2013Finally, tree is decorated, my apartment smells BEYOND fantastic and Christmas is officially here! And as far as ornaments go, I’m a random, throw everything on there kind of decorator. Each ornament represents something so it’s really nice to be able to reminisce on the years and events past!

Christmas 2013What’s your preference? Real or fake?