Adventures in Maple Syruping

My oldest daughter, who doesn't live at home, rightly said the above video was like Maple Zen...when I sent it to her. 

We tapped about 10 trees this year with new supplies we purchased from Tap My Trees (great resource for those of you who are looking to try this!) We did this on a very, very small scale years ago and couldn't wait to do it the right way! 

 

We had a few warm days and boy did it make the sap flow! We got over 20 gallons our very first day! The pups were very good helpers :) 

 It took me awhile to get the right set up. We have a really wonderful fire pit but boiling takes an insane amount of time... insane. To give you some perspective, the 20 gallons took almost 12 hours to boil down to 3 jars of syrup! 

 I invested in a candy thermometer to know when the syrup was ready and finished indoors. When it reached about 219 degrees, you usually have syrup. 

Aren't the little jars we got adorable? We are all excited to try to sell our syrup (and veggies, eggs and honey maybe one day?)

I also recommend these two very helpful books for those of you who want to give this a try. We are pretty hooked and looking into expanding and getting an evaporator and equipment one day. No matter if you want to do it once, as a backyard hobby or to make a small profit (to pay off the hobby!) both of these books are super helpful. 

What do you think about the name Maple Zen Farm for our backyard homestead? So sweet.

Logo 1 or 2? (my daughters want to know!) 

Beginner Crochet Five Week ECourse

Beginner Crochet with Instructor, Jennifer Tan

Only $34.95 for ALL 5 Weeks!

Learn how to crochet a variety of projects with one hook through a 5 week online course at Little Acorn Learning. Beginners and those who know a bit of crochet are welcome! Taught by fiber artist Jennifer Tan of Syrendell, this 5 week course includes step by step directions, tips and inspiration in words, pictures and video each week. 

Work at your own pace from home! 

What You Will Learn In This Course: 

1.  Basics of crochet, history, supplies, making a washcloth
2.  Three new stitches, making an afghan
4.  Basics of Tunisian crochet, history, supplies, making a scarf
5.  Two new Tunisian stitches, making a “knit-look” toy ball

Supplies You Will Need For Your Course:

1.     One size I or J or K crochet hook (we recommend wood for all hooks)
2.  One size L or M straight (no cable) Tunisian crochet hook
3.  6-10 skeins of yarn in different colors, worsted weight (or bulky weight if you want a chunkier look on any of the projects). Light to medium colors, only.  No multi-color skeins.  Wool is best, or a wool blend for 8 of the skeins.  If allergic to wool, alpaca, silk or acrylic blends are fine.  For the washcloth, 1-2 skeins of cotton yarn.  These skeins will get you started on the projects in the course.  

Jennifer Tan, MA is a fiber artist, professional flutist, aromatherapist and educational consultant who leads workshops for parents in the areas of Waldorf curriculum, homeschooling and handwork. Jennifer has 14 years of experience as a public school teacher, school principal and university professor. She has homeschooled her own three children in a Waldorf-inspired environment. Jennifer enjoys leading teleseminars, writing eBooks and sharing her love of yarn with others!  She may be reached through her website http://www.syrendell.com, blog www.syrendell.blogspot.com, or on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/syrendell.

Homemade Red Playdough for Valentine's Day

Homemade Red Playdough

Valentine's Day is this week and what a beautiful, simple and inexpensive way to celebrate with the children (and grown ups) in your life. This is our own favorite recipe that we have used for over 15 years. We hope you enjoy it. 

Supplies Needed:

2 Cups All Purpose Flour

4 Tablespoons Cream of Tartar (can get at grocery store)

2 Tablespoons Cooking Oil

1 Cup Salt

Few Drops of Red or Pink Food Coloring

2 Cups Boiling Water

Put all ingredients into large bowl except for boiling water.  Pour boiling water over the mixture and stir it up with a large spoon.  Sprinkle your surface with flour and lift warm dough out of your bowl and knead until texture is right.  Play dough can be stored in an air tight container.