My Week on Wednesday and Syrup Season

Hello, and welcome to another My Week on Wednesday. To tell you the truth, I wasn’t even sure there was going to be a My Week on Wednesday this week. My husband and I have both been enjoying this sort of cold-flu-bug thing… the kind of thing where walking downstairs is an aerobic activity, and putting in a load of laundry is unthinkably energetic.

Even updating my Facebook page has been quite a chore, and writing a post…every time I sat down, I needed another nap…

However, today I am feeling better. The sun is shining, and I am pleased to report, that if properly motivated by TEA, I can do this. 🙂

Besides, I decided to talk about Maple Syrup today.

What, you say, no cold and flu remedies? Ha. No. There are a ton of really fabulous posts out there about natural remedies, many of which I have employing lately, but I don’t have the energy to do them justice this week. Sorry. UPDATE: Natural Cold and Flu Remedies are done! It really was a great idea!)

So back to maple syrup. Depending on where you live, it’s a local sweetener, and it’s always a real food option instead of processed white sugar. It has nutrients in it, and it tastes wonderful! It’s delicious on pancakes, and makes a great sweetener for all sorts of other things. I often use it to sweeten my ice cream (or sometimes just pour it on my ice cream the way my grandma used to do!) and in some of my favorite coffee recipes.

But I’m not actually going to list any recipes using syrup — there are just too many and, obviously, they all sound wonderful! Instead, I am just going to the basic how-to’s of syrup-making from my friends over at the Homestead Bloggers Network, and some of my other favorite bloggers.

Everything You Need to Know About Making Syrup

Maple Trees Make Syrup from The Homestead Lady — This is a great review of the book Maple on Tap, an explanation as to why Homestead Lady isn’t making syrup this year, AND a giveaway of some syrup-making paraphernalia. Actually a bunch of these blogs are hosing the same giveaway. It’s almost syrup season, after all! 😉

How to Make Maple Syrup by Common Sense Homesteading — This is a great post with a ton of information, plus it explains how to substitute maple syrup for plain sugar!

How to Make Maple Syrup — Part I Choosing Trees and Getting Sap and Part II Boiling, Filtering, Canning, Color, and Flavor — by One Acre Farm

Making Maple Syrup in the City from ImaginAcres — Tapping trees is one homesteading thing that you can do in the city! You don’t need space, just a few trees!

If you’re looking for even more information, my brother, who makes all the maple syrup for our family,  recommends the book Backyard Sugarin’. 

What if I Don’t Have any Maple Trees?

Tapping for Syrup from The 104 Homestead — Sugar Maples are not your only option for making syrup! This post talks about all the different kinds of trees that will give syrup!

Tapping Black Walnut Trees from Homestead Honey

Birch Bark Syrup from Joybilee Farms

Hickory Bark Syrup from Yearning and Learning —  This one is a little different, because it’s made from the bark of the tree, rather than the sap. But it’s rumored to be fabulous on pancakes!

 What if I’m not Ready to Make My Own Syrup (Yet)?

Check your local Farmers’ Markets! — Lots of farmers tap their wood lots and sell syrup.

Get some here.

Why I Don’t Buy Grade A Maple Syrup from Eat Play Love… More — Short answer, Grade B Maple Syrup is way better for you.

How to Make Maple Sugar Candy

Easy Maple Sugar Snow Candy from Creekside Learning — Most of us remember Laura, in Little House in the Big Woods, talking about drizzling the maple syrup into pans of snow to make candy. This post gives a bit more detail!

For more maple syrup recipes, check out this Maple Syrup Cookbook that my sister-in-law likes! I can’t say that I have ever used the book — but I have tasted the results! Yum! 🙂

And now…

Quote of the Week

Approximately daily, I post quotes on my Facebook Page. The quote with the most likes, shares, and comments will become the Quote of the Week. Be sure to “like” my page so you don’t miss any, and so you can make your favorites known!

This quote, I have to say, might be the most popular quote EVER! It’s one of my favorites, too, so I am thrilled!

Thank you for joining me for My Week on Wednesday. Tell me, what did you do this week? I’d love to hear!

Also, if you haven’t already, be sure to come visit me on Facebook, hang out with me on Google+ and follow me on Pintrest and Twitter! 

And be sure to join us on Friday for the From the Farm Blog Hop!

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The photos in this post were edited with PicMonkey.

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This post was shared here: From the Farm Blog Hop, Awesome Life Friday. Natural Family Friday, Freedom Fridays, Old-Fashioned Friday. Real Food Wednesday, Homestead Blog Hop, the HomeAcre Hop, Simple Lives Thrusday.