Maple News
Maple events are back! Usually held in the spring, and cancelled along with all-that-was-normal in early 2020, maple associations across the United States have rallied to put on fall events this year. Events like Vermont’s “The Maple 100,” and the Maine Maple Producer’s Weekend have gotten some press coverage, but fall maple celebrations aren’t limited to the northeast. Check out North American Maple Tour to see if there is an event in your area as plans develop.
We don’t usually comment on pancake recipes, because: boring. But these fall-inspired flavors sounded so intriguing, we just had to pass them along: Apple Cinnamon Sour Cream, Sweet Spice and Buckwheat, and Baked Apple. Right?
New in the “healthy” maple sack category: Vegan Maple Flax Cookies, EatingWell Energy Balls, Justin’s Plant Based Protein Bars, and Safe-to-Eat-Raw Plant-Based Maple Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. New in the “probably-actually-healthy” maple category: Herby Tomato Salad with Maple-Tamarind Dressing.
On the beverage beat: Maple Milk is now on the market and looking to beat out pumpkin spice whatevers as the drink of fall. That is, unless Coconut-Cinnamon-Maple-Coffee Frappe doesn’t get there first. Yikes! That’s a lot of flavor.
Backyard News
This just in! The spectacular, annual celebration of rural living that is The Common Ground Country Fair is in all of our backyards this year! This time-honored event is going remote, will last all fall, and, thanks to generous sponsors (us proudly included) is 100% free. It will be chock-a-block full of fellowship, information and vendors for all of you enthusiasts no matter what you do in your backyards. We highly recommend you bookmark the webpage, calendar September 25-27 (the fair’s live-streaming portion), and get ready to be impressed; these people never, ever disappoint!
For your backyard-wildlife file: someone went and made a bar with seven nut varieties on tap for squirrels, and the sunflower industry can’t keep up with demand for birdseed. But it’s not as silly as it sounds! The solace we derive in our backyards these days is starting to become evident in our art, from photography to fiber arts to this lovely memoir about a little, backyard bench.
But will backyard peace and relaxation survive the backyard office craze? (Americans Turn Backyard Sheds into Home Offices as Pandemic Rages On, Not Your Average Telecommute: These Backyard Office Pods and Workstations Raise the Bar on Remote Work, or simply The Office is Dead: Get Yourself a Backyard Shed). We certainly hope so. We need all the peace we can get these days. Be well, and enjoy the backyard!