"SUGARING-OFF" TIME- HOOKED RUG Maud Lewis Design


Its that time of year again here in Québec and much of the east coast I imagine.We will be taking  the grandchildren on their first SUGING OFF- CABAN a SUCRE- in a few days!I will not tell them of the time their Nana and Papi made maple syrup themselves!. . . ..
There in the woods beside our little farm house  was a beautiful quaint sugar shack . . .all ready to go . . .
Some friends from the city had acquired  the property and they invited us to help them that first year do this maple syrup thing . . . . . . .
Now, being  in love with cooking and believing that my twins could eat maple syrup all year instead of sugar . . . .(well it was  natural right?) . . . .
I jumped at the chance and a day in the woods  with the smells . . . .
Not having a clue what I was doing I directed everyone to gather the syrup and fill the bins and the wood fire was  going full STEAM . . . .. . of course I suppose I was talking toooo much as usual . . . .. trying to do 3-4 things at once  . . .keeping the children from getting into the syrup bins . . .and low and behold . . .I burnt the syrup! . .
.BUT SAVED IT JUST IN TIME! . . .
The pans were  more or less ruined . . .I dont remember but amazingly enough it was the VERY BEST MAPLE SYRUP WE HAD EVER HAD-slightly caramelized -a good dark BROWN  - none of this light see through stuff for me from then on!
I go to my neighbours and she makes it to order every year- to the colour I want and love!!!
This mat by the way, is a MAUD Lewis  pattern of one of her paintings-

patterns available from  ANNE and DOUG RANKIN . . .
www.hookarug.com or the  Art Museum in HALIFAX Nova Scotia.

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