Which syrup for you?

Much disagreement in this household about which is better: true maple syrup or the corn-syrup based "pancake syrup." Perhaps I've already shown which side of the argument I'm on, simply from the way I've written that sentence.

From the January, 2009, issue of Cook's Illustrated (sorry, you have to be a subscriber to read the article - but if you're a food geek, it's well worth it):

Although maple syrup has been poured since Native Americans first discovered the sweetness of maple sap, pancake syrup is a modern invention. The first brand, Log Cabin, concocted in 1887 as a cheaper alternative, originally contained 45 percent maple syrup supplemented by inexpensive corn syrup. As more brands came along, the real maple content shrank; Aunt Jemima, for instance, made its debut in 1966 with just 15 percent maple syrup. By the 1970s, most brands—claiming customers didn’t mind—had eliminated maple syrup from their products, replacing it with a slew of artificial flavorings and additives.

As soon as we tabulated the results of our tastings, it became clear that the pancake syrups would not do: Whether tasted on waffles or baked in Maple-Pecan Pie, they got the thumbs-down. Not only did most of these products not taste like maple, tasters complained of overpowering butterscotch, vanilla, or caramel notes and an artificial butter flavor that gave the pancake syrups a cloying, “candylike” taste. Most also had an “unnaturally” thick, viscous texture that tasters disliked.

As for the maple syrups, in a tasting a decade ago, we preferred dark syrups with intense maple flavor to the delicate flavor of pricey Grade A Light Amber syrup. Over the years, we have confirmed this preference and do not recommend paying top dollar for the highest-grade syrup. In this tasting, four of the five syrups we sampled were Grade A Dark Amber, meaning each should have had a similar, moderately deep flavor—but some lost points for having less maple flavor than others. Overly intense flavor didn’t win the day, either: Our former winner, a dark Grade B syrup, ranked second overall (though it won the pie tasting—Grade B is often called “cooking syrup” for good reason).

(and I agree, Grade A Dark is my favorite!)

Any number of environmental factors, including changes in soil, weather, and growing conditions, can account for variations in maple flavor. But why are some maple syrups sweeter than others, when all must fall within a few percentage points of federal standards for sugar density? Density reflects the percentage of all dissolved solids in the syrup; these are mainly sugars, but also include trace amounts of minerals. Experts told us that minute differences in manufacturing—such as boiling the syrup too long, not long enough, or at too high a temperature—can affect the amount of sugar in the final product. The sugar content only needed to vary by a percentage point or two for our tasters to notice the difference.

There it is. Science is on the side of the Sollingers who prefer the real thing. (No fair deleting this entry, if you're on the side of corn syrup! Ahem!)

The winner of the Cook's Illustrated test? Maple Grove Farms Pure Maple Syrup

P.S.: Yes, I am at the computer to work on the weekly grocery list. I'm hoping cooksillustrated.com will help to inspire me for our Sunday Dinner!

Happy Boxing Day!

The most successful Christmas game?

Back to Back Game

Two people sit back to back. One person is given an object,e.g. a kitchen whisk or a small ornament, and the other given paper and pencil. Without revealing what the object is, the person with the object has to decribe to the person drawing it what they have to draw. i.e. draw an oblong at the top left hand corner. Now draw a straight line diagonally across the page etc etc

What the final picture ends up like will depend entirely on how well the person describes and how the other person interprets the instructions! Often hilarious results,however!

The winning team? Steve and Lydia. So, obviously fun for all ages.

Most endearing Christmas present? John gave me a coupon, offering to watch Clare any time that I need to get something done. We have a tradition of giving each other coupons for such favors. One presents the coupon with the number of boxes to be crossed out, each time the favor is redeemed. For example, if Emily promises to do Madeleine's evening job for five times, she'll write that on the coupon, along with five boxes for each time she does this. Get it?

So, John's coupon came with one box for me to fill in, for the time when I ask him to watch his sister. But, you don't have to look too closely to see that he had originally made the coupon with two boxes, but ended up erasing one of the boxes before giving it to me as a gift. Ha ha ha ha! Very cute. And something I'll tease him about, once he's older and more able to appreciate the humor of the situation.

Since I started writing this entry, it's been thundering! Thunder! In December!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to one and all! Family and friends, both far and near, will be in our thoughts and prayers.

Some of us are happy to have dodged the bad-weather bullet. 47 degrees and rainy reminds me of our Christmases in Norfolk, and that's fine with me! One of us, however, is vowing to attend the University of Alaska, so that she can experience proper cold weather. Hmmmm.

And, just for Christmas, here is a link to an article about one of my favorite Christmas songs. Written by Cardinal George Pell, in Australia, it's a concise but interesting history of "Silent Night." There are some interesting tidbits I'd not known.

This is a link to something I've just discovered. It's one of my favorite Christmas poems, "A Christmas Carol" by GK Chesterton, set to music.

I'm also searching through this website for ideas for games to play on Christmas. I need to get a good mix of things that will be interesting for all ages of children! Lydia and John tend to rebel if things get too challenging.

Kind of a boring post. Sorry! I'm trying to get a bunch of things done at one time.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Outside Fun

Eating mud?

Who, me?

I was not, and there's no way you can prove it!

What color is your bus?

This is news that will only be appreciated by native Chicagoans.

I've been hoping to get a photo of the newly painted buses here. But, that's kind of hit or miss, so I found an illustration from the newspaper:




The Greater Dayton RTA now has a green limousine!!!!

Although I suppose some of the humor gets lost, as now "green" also pertains to all things ecological. Thus, any mass transit could be affectionately called "green limousine." But, some of us will remember the original green limousine. And I'm pleased to be able to use the term again, whenever I see one of these buses.

Weather Overview

Which of the following seems the best temperature?

Dayton: 36°F
Chicago: 15°F
Minot: -16°F
Charlottesville: 64°F
Downham Market: 40°F

Since the opinion of "The Mom" isn't the same as every family member, I'll keep my thoughts to myself and let the temperatures speak for themselves.

First Sunday of Advent

Exspectantes Beatam Spes -- Waiting in joyful hope

Happy Advent!

So, what are we doing this year? "A Yearbook of Seasons and Celebrations," by Joanna Bogle, is a good source for various activities for Advent. (And, well, the rest of the year, too, as it is a yearbook.) Find it here or here. Personally, I enjoy reading about the British customs, learned whilst we were living there. I still haven't tackled the Christmas pudding recipe. Maybe this year?