A Taste of Tree

It has only been within the past decade or so that I realized that there is a major, significant difference between pure maple syrup straight from the tree and syrups like Aunt Jemima and  Mrs. Butterworth's which are filled with hydrogenated corn syrup and all kinds of processed, artificial ingredients. So, today, my kids are spoiled on the real thing. And, since I'm already splurging on pure maple syrup, I try to avoid the artifices of plastic as well, so I only buy maple syrups sold in glass jars. For cost-effective measures, I make discount stores like TJ Maxx and Home Goods part of my usual shopping/hunting routine, and if I find any pure maple syrup in glass jars, I clean out the store. While I'm at it, I also keep my gourmand eyes open for any kind of decadent oil by La Tourangelle (avocado, grape seed, walnut) and good balsamic vinegars---if I spy what I like, I buy every bottle on the rack. It is so worth it and really makes a difference to our cooking sensibilities and taste buds. Bobo's (see video above) is one of our favorites...I am so appreciative of the 50-plus gallons of sap that make up each bottle of syrup; and I am so grateful for the human effort that goes into tapping, collecting, and boiling down the sap-cum-syrup that ends up on our kids' pancakes, waffles, and egg breakfasts.