Belmore Maple Syrup Festival

48th Annual Maple Syrup Festival

Sometime the best way to start a Saturday is to not have a plan at all.  That is exactly how we started with coffee and a desire to go for a drive.  We heard about the 48th Belmore Maple Syrup Festival over the radio and off we went, we had our destination.  

In the photograph above children are learning to tap trees.  They drilled the hole, tapped in the spial and hang a pail and just a few feet away and under very close supervision there was an evaporator steaming on top of a fueled firbox.

A pancake breakfast with sausages and plenty of maple syrup was the big draw of the day.  We were fascinated with the pancake production line equipped with it's own conveyor belt.  Six large hot plates with three on each side kept the line of hungry visitors from having to wait too long.

There were also many artisans selling their crafts, as well as the mandatory bake sale table which by 10:30 am was well on the way to being sold out.

It was a wonderful day at the Belmore Maple Syrup Festival 

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Cauliflower Soup

Foodie Friday 

After a weekend of eating rich Easter foods soup seems in order and what did our fridge hold?

There was a head of cauliflower that did not make it onto the Easter dinner table, 4 shallots, 1 sweet potatoe, and celery.  We had the basic ingredients for a rich flavour full cauliflower soup. 

Ingredients:

• 4 shallots minced
• 3 large garlic cloves minced
• 3 stalks of celery chopped
• 1 large sweet potatoe chopped
• 8 cups of vegetable stock
• 1 head of cauliflower cut into medium size pieces
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley minced
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Sauté the garlic, shallots and celery for about 10 minutes
2. Add all of the ingredients and spices to the vegetable stock
3. Cook until the vegetables are tender
4. Puree in the soup pot.  Here you get to decide if you like a smooth or chucky soup
5. Put into soup top with parsley or your favourite cheese

From our table to yours

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Purple Chrysanthemum

Study in Purple Chrysanthemums

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

I Can't Do Math!

This statement was all but screamed at us by our youngest granddaughter in response to a request to count how many forks were needed on the dinner table. 

What could we say or do in response to this declaration?  More importantly how did this intelligent 7 year old form this opinion about herself?  How can and entire lifetime of using math daily be defined in grade 2?

Three things will have occurred in order for Ruth to know she "can't do math":

1.      An adult who Ruth believes understands her ability in math has formed the opinion that Ruth "can't do math" - has diagnosed Ruth's math abilities or lack thereof.

2.     This same adult has communicated their opinion to other adults in front of Ruth on more than one occasion as an explanation for Ruth's poor math outcomes.

3.     This same adult holds only one expectation for Ruth when it comes to math "Ruth can't do math".

So at the advanced age of 7 with an extensive educational career behind her (second grade) Ruth knows with every part of her being that she cannot do math and so does this influential adult.

Ruth loves puzzles, is willing to spend 30 minutes struggling through both flat and three dimensional puzzles.

Ruth loves to cook and intuited fractions on her own in the process of preparing her favourite cookies.

Ruth can't do math because she is 7 years old and in grade 2 where she is learning about math.

What needs to happen for Ruth to change her inner story:

1.      Her math teacher must hold an optimistic and curious opinion towards Ruth's abilities in math

2.     Her math teacher must communicate this to other adults often in front of Ruth

3.     Her math teacher must teach expecting Ruth to be successful

Ruth is not bad in math

Ruth is learning about math

Grandma Snyder 

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Knitting the Temperature

March 2015

We need to be totally honest with everyone in March we drove south to Myrtle Beach South Carolina and so the very cold day (dark magenta) followed by a day that was just below freezing (dark blue) and so on.  The weather was great in Myrtle Beach because there was no snow the temperature was secondary really.  

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.  Charles Dickens

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Happy Easter

 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. (John 20:17 KJV)

In ascending to his Father Jesus rendered the death shroud redundant and so it has remained folded and set aside for all of human history.  

To paraphrase C.S. Lewis 

God sent his son to became human and died a human death so that humanity will live forever the beloved sons and daughters of God.

Happy Easter Weekend

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls