Ron and I decided that after the summer of too much great food and alcohol we were going to tackle the Whole 30 diet plan. It really is a change of eating habits that prohibits complex carbohydrate consumption for 30 days, get it Whole 30. Now mind you, I have done it before (because our daughter Megan and her husband Kyle talked so much about it) but Ron has never wanted to get on board with me (he's a sweet-aholic! he grew up with sweets always around, his mom loved to bake) and giving that up is daunting (he did discover date nuggets in Florida with his sister Lori). Even though throughout our married life (30 years) I never did much baking (I grew up with sweets on birthdays and holidays, my mom hated baking!) he still ate his fair share of desserts (he never turned it down BTW!). Ron started out with the mindset that he was going to see it all the way thru (even though he called it the 30 days of h..., lol!.) Doing it together was much easier than by myself in a house with 2 menus (he made it by the way, even with the long weekend in Orlando with his sister!!!! I'm so proud of him!!!). If you have not tried a complex carbohydrate restricted diet it is worth it, 30 days of h... aside, you do feel better. More energy, better focus, fewer aches and pains, and easier digestion make the time a worthwhile journey. You don't have to continue on it forever but  as you return to eating the restricted foods it will tell you if they are a problem for you. 

We missed cheese the most! I am the cheese-aholic in our family (no kidding, really, the only cheese I don't care for is goat and I'm sure I will develop a taste for it eventually,) and our children were raised with the belief that cheese is its own food group, lol (we had a strange food pyramid)! We are starting with that first which is awesome (he found dates, I figure I can learn to make many different kinds of bars for him....blueberry….tart cherry....mango...to keep him away from cookies because we are not going back to refined sugar….., nothing, but NOTHING replaces cheese!!!!) After this, Whole 30 I am moving on to the Keto diet for 30 days. I've been told you feel even better and I am curious if that is true! (I'll keep you posted. NO Ron will not join me on this journey and I am not pushing because like the 30 he may come along the next time (if there is one, who knows...)??? Back to the cheese....it's a key ingredient in Keto for the fat content which is what the Keto diet concentrates on (and Ron loves cheese almost as much as me. I figure it's the same as the Whole 30. I can do anything for 30 days ( and really, so can you) life is all about better energy and focus (especially at my age!) So here is to you, if Ron can do it so can you!!!!! Give it a try, you might feel better too!

This is Ron’s favorite time of year! After a summer of working in the heat he loves the cooler weather, me not so much. I am a 70 degree and above girl! Just because I am not a fan of cold weather doesn’t mean I dislike the season changes. I love the trees changing color, the colors of fall are my favorite, warm and inviting. I also love the flavors of fall, the spices that are cinnamon, nutmeg, clove.......you know pumpkin pie, pumpkin bars and (pumpkin cheesecake anyone)?! It’s a little too early for that but I am ready to be in the kitchen preparing things close to that. This week I have Cinnamon, White Chocolate, Cranberry Bars....reminiscent of the age old 7 layer bars of my youth. Decadent and full of those flavors that I love sooo much! You can check my FB page for a photo!

With Easter past it is now time to look forward to spring and summer is on  it's way. I love this time of year, the dead look of winter is officially behind us and now comes the blossoms and leaves of spring! The casseroles are behind me and here comes the grill! Ron and I used to use a propane grill exclusiviely, and believe me we still have one, but I convinced Ron to get us a Webber Kettle Grill and both of us couldn't be happier. Using cowboy charcoal (wood) makes our food taste totally wonderful, smoky and crispy all at the same time! We are carrying a new cut of meat this year that is meant for the grill, it's called the "Flanken Style" short rib and boy is it a great cut for quick grilling! It's from the short rib section (which I certainly love to slow cook in the winter) on the cow however it is cut across the bone instead of with it. They're fairly thin so they are quick cooking, but the cut makes them tender. All they need is to be marinated then slap them on the grill for a quick sear and you are off to your dinner plate. We carry "Cherryaki Marinade" that is a perfect blend of cherries and spices to make the meat sing in your mouth! Or........ we carry Grampa G's Horseradish Ranch that is the tastiest combination dipping meat, and he makes it without any chemicals!

 
Well that was interesting! This year was the earliest start to maple syrup season in my memory and with all the warm weather, and occasional freeze up, we finished making syrup last week. The mild winter brought the initial sap sugar content down, so the amount of boiling per gallon of syrup went up. All in all we had a average syrup production season with a lot of darker syrup due to the extra boiling time.
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​The high wind storm provided us with a lot of extra firewood (that we needed) for burning in the syrup arch. The ash trees burn fast and hot, which makes syrup faster. If only it fall to the ground in 16" pieces. lol. The clean-up from the wind storm continues and will provide plenty of wood for the next season. The large tree in the picture is a 3' diameter maple tree, an unfortunate victim of the storm, no more maple sap from this one :-(

We will have plenty of maple syrup available throughout the year and a variety of maple goodies. Maple sugar candy is almost always available, besides that we will have maple caramel crispy treats, maple glazed pecans, maple bbq sauce, maple almond fudge, maple cinnamon rolls, and more new things to come.