Maple Banana Muffins

A few Sunday's ago, while i began gathering my ingredients to put together my mother's banana muffins, i decided to forgo the usual route.

You see, we are maple farmers, my husband & I.  We make syrup in late winter, early spring.  This task of splitting wood to fuel our boiler, of tapping, collecting, boiling & bottling is so very much a part of our family.  Maple syrup is surely a treat, but it is also a natural resource for us.  A pure sugar that we have at the ready, at all times.  After the spring rush of our regular & wholesale buyers, we almost always make sure we have enough to get us through the year.  

Yet i still find myself buying white sugar.  And every single time i ask myself why am i doing it?  

In my mind, i have wanted to make the switch for awhile now.  Over the past few years i have begun compiling recipes that use honey & syrup.  I have thinned the 'usual' cookbooks and switched them out for new & refreshing recipes.  To my great relief, some of my really well worn cookbooks from the early 19th century, already use syrup & honey, once again making me love them that much more.  

I can see us using maple syrup and honey more than white sugar.  However, i am by no means a purest, so i do realize that there will be the need, now & again, for some old fashioned chocolate chip cookies :)  

My goal is to feed our family a balanced diet.  One of mostly local & homegrown foods.

On that wonderfully warm Sunday morning, i started the switch.  

Maple Banana Muffins

1 stick of butter

1 cup of maple syrup (i usually use grade A, dark amber or B for baking to enhance the maple flavor)

2 fresh eggs

3 mashed bananas

scant over 2 cups of flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking power

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Cream butter and syrup.  Add eggs & bananas.  Sift all dry ingredients into wet mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. 

Enjoy.

Garden Prep

A few weekends ago we brought in some fresh local manure, some topsoil and some fence posts.  It was wonderful to be outside, getting ready for the season ahead with my husband.

More updates to come very soon!

Baby Fever.

What comes with being a parent?  What will change about our life now?  How great will the challenges be? Will we change as people, when we become parents?  I don't want to lose "us."  Will i be a good dad?  Can we afford a child?  How do we raise our child to be a good person?

These are all honest questions my husband has.  I feel that these questions relate to most men, when they are thinking of becoming a parent.  This is a huge, huge life changing moment.  A moment that i have been waiting for since i was about 3.  I'm not kidding.

For me, i have less questions and more excitement and hope when thinking of becoming a mama.  I look at my sister-in-law and her delicate, caring and beautiful relationship she has with each one of her kids.  I look at my own journey that i have had with my mom by my side.  It all seems so special and beautiful to me.  That is just me though, I tend to look at all the positives about a decision, rather than the challenges that will come.

We balance each other out when we have these discussions.  When we talk about being parents.  Yes, i do realize that our life will change, that we will never sleep in again, that we will always worry about if our child is in good hands.  I realize that and accept it.

When i look at hubs, as he cares for and plays with charlie, I know he will be a great dad.  He doesn't realize yet all the love he will have for that precious baby when he or she is put into his arms.  I've heard from many, that the woman has the connection instantly with the fetus, yet its harder for the husband to connect until the baby comes, which totally makes sense.  Knowing my husband, as soon as the baby is placed in his arms, his whole world will look different.  Nothing will matter but that baby.  I know this because that is how he is with me.  He honors every one of my wishes, and wants nothing more than for me to be happy & safe.

Yes, it will be life changing.  It will come with challenges.  But it will be the single best thing we have ever done. Nothing quite compares to being a parent.  I have heard it time and time again.

Hubs & i work well together.  We see most things on the same page.  We have great conversation.  We listen to each other's wants and needs, and respect them.  We love time alone together (we really could live in a cabin in the woods and not have outside human contact for awhile.  Crazy, i know.  But we would be happy).  We are best friends.  He is down to earth & enjoys simple pleasures, as do i.  No one could make me happier than to come home to him.  Every time we talk of parenting, we agree on everything.  Yes, i'm serious.

That is how i know we are going to be great parents.  We will do it together.  I will help lessen his fears, as we get ready to become parents, and he will help lessen my fears when our new baby is at home.  He is calm and thoughtful.  He will be a great balance when the baby comes and i worry about every little thing.  Because that's just how i am & that's just how he is.

Here are some books i am reading / are on my reading list:







Here are some blogs i love to follow about their parenting methods, techniques and tips:

www.prebabyblog.com
****If you go over to their blog over the next few days, there are some awesome giveaways going on: a 4mom's Clearwater tub & a Boba carrier!!!

www.lifeontheterrace.blogspot.com

www.soulemama.com

www.growningalemon.blogspot.com

www.enjoyingthesmallthings.com

Here are some baby-friendly items i am interested in:


Britax cowmooflage carseat & Chicco adventure infant seat.

Kelty backpack & Boba Carrier

Seventh generation diapers are quick to dispose and gentle on the babies skin.  Hubs loves these, he read all about them :)  and bonus... they are even cheaper than pampers at the grocery store.  Although, i hope to do cloth a majority of the time!  Pictured above are the bum-genus, which i've heard to be the best.


 Babies in overalls...my weakness......


Zutano has the best infant / baby clothes, a bit pricey though!


Love this snowsuit!

So to say i have baby fever would be a start.  I may be jumping the gun with this post, as we aren't even pregnant yet, but i don't care.  I have always known deep inside that being a mother would be the greatest joy of my life.  Knowing that i married a man that carries inside his heart the same morels and values, i know having children will enhance our lives that much more.

I am beyond ready to be a mama & have my cubs by my side.

Coming Soon!

Preparations are underway....

for our soon-to-be arrivals to settle in.

Welcome to our pig house :)

I just can't wait for my first animal-farming experience to begin.

Hubs has lots of experience, which will be key.

This summer we will begin our farming journey together.

Around Earth Day

Breathe in all that is spring

Around Earth day : :

we planted Christmas trees & re-located a few saplings
i found many, many Trillium's around our brook.
Along with fiddle-heads

Such beauty comes when the earth warms and rain falls.