Food and Gratitude

Traditionally, this is the time of year that we all start thinking about pie, turkey, side dishes, family, and friends. Many people I know love Thanksgiving not just for the food, but for the social gatherings it inspires. I have been lucky enough to spend past Thanksgivings with my given family, surrounded by multiple generations, traditional recipes, and those same stories that Grandpa always told again and again. I have also been lucky enough to spend past Thanksgivings with my chosen family, the friends that feel like your family no matter what. Living ten years in Alaska, far away from family, forged bonds that are stronger than ever. My favorite Thanksgiving was one Kelly and I hosted in Fairbanks - an eclectic collection of friends from all aspects of life. We had almost 20 people jammed into our log home. It was 25 degrees below zero (it is always well below zero on Thanksgiving in Fairbanks), yet it was so hot in our crowded house that I opened a window! The table was a serpentine collection of card tables and mismatched chairs. There were lots of introductions that day and it must have been the right group of people because I also remember how loud it was in our small home. When the food and the people were gone, all that was left was our good friend, curled up on the couch, fast asleep.

The best way to start a day is always with French toast and pure Justamere Maple Syrup.

Thoughts of Food

In the last newsletter, I confessed that I think a lot about food this time of year. I am more a main course gal, but the Washington Post had a slew of desserts recipes this weekend, many that include maple syrup as an ingredient. The headline, “How do pancakes and maple syrup get more exciting? Turn them into a cake” caught my eye. So I made their Sour Cream Maple Cake today. I tweaked the recipe a bit. I substituted maple sugar for granulated sugar and I used Marian’s Maple Cream Frosting, instead of the buttercream frosting from the recipe. I honestly think the only thing better than our maple cream is that frosting. There were some other recipes that caught my eye. Every Thanksgiving my Mom makes at least three pies; apple, pumpkin, and pecan. I am not a pecan pie fan. But, I might be if it was a Bourbon Pecan Pie. It has two of my favorite ingredients – maple and bourbon. No pressure, Mom. I am also seriously giving the Maple and Pumpkin Custard a go too! Of course, if you need maple for any of these recipes, well, you know…

Oh, that Justamere adapted Sour Cream Maple Cake with Maple Cream Frosting was out of this world!

Thoughts of Gratitude

This Thanksgiving will be different for most of us. I wonder if 10 or 20 years from now, we will be the ones at the table telling the story of Thanksgiving 2020 (again and again) to our family and friends. How we shared our dinner virtually with loved ones around the country; how we didn’t make the pie this year because it was only the two of us; or how we decided to skip the turkey. There is no doubt 2020 has been a rough year. But this Thanksgiving is no different for me in that I will be reflecting on all the things I have to be grateful for this year. When I look at my day, my year, my life with gratitude, I am overwhelmed with how lucky I am. I am so grateful to have met JP and Marian and to have become one of the new owners of the farm. I am also grateful to all of you who have stayed with Justamere Tree Farm through the change. Kim and Kelly share this gratitude. We have had a wonderful season and enjoyed meeting many of you at the markets. Thank you all for your continued support. We wish you and your loved ones a happy and safe Thanksgiving.