A Sweet Saturday

There is nothing quite like the scent of maple in the air outside, followed by the final boil and lovely scent inside! Our three little trees gave us one quart of syrup this season. Not too bad considering those unseasonably warm days we had mixed in there, too. We're actually thinking that we may tap every other year instead of every year in the hopes that we would be able to make more than one quart of syrup during the season. xo

Sugaring Season Begins!

When Dave and the girls arrived home from ski practice on Saturday we gathered our lovely new sugar supplies (thanks family for the lovely Christmas gift!) and tapped the trees! We decided that between the glorious weather, that day, seeing the sap buckets up when we were at Drumlin Farm earlier in the week and hearing that Natick Community Organic Farm was getting ready to tap their trees too that all signs were pointing to it "being time". And clearly it was, as we tapped the trees in the evening and by the time we were getting ready to leave for church the next morning we already had two very full buckets of sap! The third tap (which is new this year) is running much more slowly than the other two. Here's to hoping for a wonderful and bountiful sugar season! xo

Our Very Own Maple Syrup

After all the collecting and all the boiling we finally finished our maple syrup Easter Sunday night! It was glorious to watch the process from start to finish. It was glorious to add yet another family project into the mix. We were in awe as it went from a thin liquid to a thick syrup (and to have it be such a gorgeous maple color and just the best maple flavor ever, too)! We surely learned a lot along the way (the turkey fryer really is the way to ) and we will definitely be making this part of our family's seasonal rhythm for years and years to come. When all was said and done we gathered 25 gallons of sap which turned into the quart and six jam jars that you see above. Not a bad haul for our first sugar season (especially since we didn't even tap the trees at the very beginning of it).

Thank you to Emma for asking a simple question which opened a whole new world to us, and to Sarah for her guidance and wisdom and answering each and every one of the many questions we had along the way. What a lovely (and sweet) way to end the winter and welcome the spring. xo

A Saturday Of Sap And Snow

Fifteen gallons of sap boiled and two snowmen built make for a lovely last Saturday of March! 

We still have about five gallons to go but that will have to wait until tomorrow as both the daylight and propane are waning. We've loved every step of this process and cannot wait to see it fully become maple syrup. What a wonderfully sweet way to end winter and welcome spring! xo

On Tap

Last Thursday we stopped by my dear friend Sarah's house to pick up a few things she had for us. Sarah and I got to chatting while Grace and Emma waited in the car, and when I returned, Emma said: "Mama, what is Sarah doing?" I explained that she was out boiling maple sap to make into syrup. Emma thought about this for a moment and then asked: "If I shovel a path to our maple trees do you think Sarah would boil our sap, too?" Paths were created as soon as we arrived home that afternoon and the next morning brought a lesson in tapping trees and collecting sap. 

And just like, our born and raised New England girls seemed even more New Englandy to me. From that very fist day, and each day since, they have happily taken it upon themselves to keep a very close eye on the taps, transferring the sap to their blue buckets each time the jug is full (which is about two or three times a day). We have yet to start our first boil, but I have a feeling that from the moment David lights the fire to begin that process, that the girls will be there every step of the way carefully watching and helping and learning more about this seasonal ritual that seems to be part of their souls already. xo

{This Moment} In The Sugar House

{This Moment} - A Soule Mama Friday ritual. A single photo- no words- capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you are inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments section for all to find and see. We wish you a sweet weekend!