NOW WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE?

     There are few things in life that get me riled up than something negative about children! Sure, many years ago, I would have picked a fight, argued or simply demeaned anyone who disagreed with me or looked at me cross-eyed. But as I get older, I have learned to keep my anger in check, and this keeps my stress level(ultimately keeping my blood pressure on an even keel)down without fear of shortening my life.

     I have been blessed with an immune system that astonishes me every day.(For example, ALL cuts, bruises and even colds and the flue are gone in 1 or, at the most, 2 days). It is eerie actually.
I have never had any sustained medical issues, for my body truly has "healed thyself".

     I have also been able to dodge diabetes, which is frighteningly gathering steam in today's world and it isn't too difficult to figure out why.

For example, go to the pancake syrup of your grocery store and take a look at your choices.

     You have 1 choice of flavor.....MAPLE!!! Sticky maple. Don't get me wrong, I adore the taste of maple,  but we have more different kinds of salts on the shelves of our supermarkets!!!! Crazy? Of course!

     Now take a look at all the maple ingredients and nutritional boxes of each. If they are regular syrups, the very first two ingredients are sugar or corn syrup. I have also seen a couple with the first THREE ingredients being SUGAR, CORN SYRUP and HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP!!!

REALLY!?!?!?!

     And if it is diet syrup, I don't even want to give the time of day to what the processed, GMO or "scientifically altered" ingredients are.

     THIS is the world we live in and there is enough blame to go around as to why our children are suffering from a host of man-made self-inflictions! It is either processed or loaded with sugar!(Even as I am typing this, I can feel my ire elevating because there are so many steps we can take to help curb life-long illnesses....IF WE WANTED TOO!)

    We have gotten away from food that is tasty. I blame the rise of this to a number of factors. From celebrity chefs, Robert Irvine to name one,(who actually PROMOTES the use of salt by using it before, during and after preparing a dish) to manufacturer's who use sugar and corn syrup as the primary ingredients in anything sweet simply because it is cheap! This too, is insane. But this insanity pales in comparison to what I see and now have experienced first hand.

     This monetary  "bottom  line" has such a strangle hold that it clouds judgment and health. I constantly read and hear that people and businesses are striving to feed our children a more balanced and healthy diet, be it in restaurants, fast food or schools. I see some attempts being made but these fruitless attempts have ceased because of the cost. I truly do understand this as a factor, don't get me wrong.  But there are 2 things that I don't understand.

The label from our apple cider syrup...compare to ANY other syrup!

1. Why can't someone use some intelligence in order to prepare meals that are healthy for our children, don't cost any more money and if needed, worked into recipes, meals and preparations so that students have no idea that they are eating healthy? 

   What am I talking about? Take gravy for example. See my recipe at the end of this post for a super simple gravy that is tremendously flavorful, costs the same as the fat-laden brands offered in our schools and is by far the healthiest gravy one can make. This is just one example! I could spend 1 week, yes ONE WEEK, sitting at a desk and completely transform a school breakfast or lunch menu into something that would be tremendously flavorful, nutritious, healthy and abide by ALL restrictions that are in place for school cafeterias.

2. "It costs too much money." It costs too much money! Let that sink in for a minute. While you are thinking about it, ask yourself another question. If you had a choice of spending $1-$2 dollars more per GALLON of pancake syrup that had NO SUGAR in it for school breakfasts, would you? I am not talking about adding boat loads of aspartame or other fake sugars, but just a pinch of natural stevia if needed, with most of the sweetness coming from the fruit and berry juices of the real fruit and berries in the syrup. That equals 3 cents more per 2-ounce pc of syrup per child...TOPS!

     On top of it all, I am constantly hearing the desire of most people in the industry that they want to do something about our children's health. But the slow-paced, often dismissive, nature of the feed-back I have encountered, along with the very first question "How much?" that precedes these apathetic, disinterested and rhetorical "airs" leads me to believe that these same people WANT others to think they are interested in our children's health for the praise they receive from their peers and media, but do not put their money where their mouths are. Which is a shame because it is the youngsters mouths that we should be paying attention to!

     I will not stop trying to convince school departments everywhere to, at the very least, try something new that is healthy! Give our children a taste of something that HAS taste, rather than sugar. Give my, for example, syrups a try. If the children don't like them, then at least they tried . I don't care one way or the other what the children decide. Offering them a choice is what matters to me!

     I even heard one school official tell me(along with a couple retail outlets) that they weren't interested because nobody has asked for flavored syrups before, therefore there is no interest.

THIS IS INSANE!!

     Nobody has asked for them because it isn't being offered. Looks as if the dumbing down can be rightfully attributed to some adults.

     Am I writing this simply to get people to buy my products and am I self-promoting? Of course not! Try other syrups and food items that are healthy. I just don't care one way or the other! I have products that are truly healthy and delicious and try to offer them at a price that EVERYONE can afford because I want as many children to taste them as possible. I tell this to ALL the stores that carry my products, along with the promise that they will NEVER be sold for more than $5 a jar. I will eat the profit myself if that is what it takes!!!!

     To wrap this up(yes, nothing gets me going more than a complete and utter lack of our children's health by those who make decisions that directly AFFECT our children's health)let me just say that those of you who are in charge of determining what is best for our children in the lunch room and are trying to think of any and all reasons NOT to help our children eat healthier, SHAME ON YOU!

     Those of you who are saying what you think others want to hear, but don't back it up with action...SHAME ON YOU!

     Those of you who determine what is best for our children but are unwilling to take a little time to offer healthy yet great tasting alternatives in schools simply because a minute increase in cost....SHAME ON YOU!

It's Just That Simple!™

Amazing Gravy  

1(15-ounce)can low sodium, fat free beef or chicken broth*
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables of your choice, thawed see NOTE
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Warm up the broth in the microwave or stove top until hot, but not scalding. Place in a food processor or blender with the last 2 ingredients and puree, on high, until you can no longer see even small bits of vegetables, about 30 seconds.
You can either strain the bulk from the vegetables from the liquid or leave as is. There will not be more than a teaspoon, if any.
Place mixture in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring almost constantly. Once boiling, remove from heat and serve.

* If you are using bouillon, use enough to flavor 2 cups water.

NOTE: Use 1 cup vegetable broth instead, but increase the cornstarch to 1 1/2 tablespoons.

More Than Maple Syrup

I, as every single other Yankee, grew up having one syrup and one syrup only with our pancakes, French toast and waffles. Some of us have even poured it over a sandwich or two as a child. There simply is no other syrup to use for these breakfast items and never has been. Our bodies, minds, spirits and blood run solemnly and slowly with the maple syrup of today and all the yesterdays since we began our journey here in the rocky barrens of New England.




Outrageously great tasting

Then came a day when I was judge of a local festival and was looking for sponsors as part of a gift basket to go along with cookbooks, kitchenware, gift certificates and money. I happened upon Maine Man Flavahs, who had the most extraordinary hot sauce, made with Maine wild blueberries, I had ever tasted. Then came a package from Bar Harbor Jam Co. that had the best wild blueberry syrup in the world. And I am not exaggerating on either account. In fact, my children would NOT eat pancakes or waffles now without blueberry syrup. I began to think (of what I would have already thought)a syrup that screamed New England other than blueberries. Can you think of one other fruit or berry that is simply a moniker that means New England? Oooohhh, I can.....apples!



There MUST be an apple syrup somewhere around. For the entire summer I searched high and low for a perfect apple syrup but I could not find even one syrup whose main(or #1)ingredient was anything other than corn syrup until I took a look on the shelves of my favorite apple orchard anywhere in New England.



Not only is Treworgy's Family Orchard the entire reason for penning my third cookbook(seen on the right of this post) but as I was gleaning the shelves in their store for anything that remotely resembled pancake syrup, one little bottle caught my eye. The green Made in Maine label was enticing enough for me to dig for my glasses. On they went and I grabbed the "cider jug" looking glass bottle and what do you know! APPLE SYRUP!!!! I didn't get my hopes up much because right next to it was another bottle of apple syrup without the green Made in Maine tag. Being a scrutinizing kinda feller I am, I turned each over, just hoping the first word in the ingredient list was NOT going to be corn syrup.



Sure enough, the first bottle was corn syrup. I looked at the bottle in my right hand. Squinted, moved the green tag and read "FRESH McIntosh apple juice, sugar, cinnamon, allspice and cloves..." I immediately turned the bottle around to see the name of this syrup. Spiced Apple Syrup from McIntosh Farm, in Madison, Maine.



I placed the other bottle back on the shelf and did something I have NEVER done before in my life. Paid for something without looking at the price tag. It just didn't matter, I had the real deal. And when I explain the syrup itself below, it may seem like I am taking poetic license, being paid for this review and am getting a life time supply but you could not be further from the truth. This syrup is so good, authentic, aromatic and perfect, it is going to be in every single food column I write for print around the country.



McIntosh Farms nailed it! And I mean drove a spike through anybody else who may think their apple syrup outshines this one. It just isn't going to happen. Once you open this bottle, make sure nobody else is looking and close your eyes, Take a smell and tell me what instantly comes to mind. To me, it was Grammies kitchen. It was the most desirable apple pie being baked in an old time oven. It was the best, most vibrant apple cinnamon candle you could buy. It was the smell of apples and spices simmering on your stove all day long, and into the night.



I could go on and on, but it was much more than just apples and cinnamon. As the label says, a deeply aromatic blend of spices that were just as true in flavor as in aroma.



Now my children and I have another syrup to chose from instead of maple syrup. Don't get me wrong! I adore maple and the essence of maple drifting from room to room first thing in the morning. But when you combine that sweetness that you crave with pancakes with a fruity flavor of Maine mac's, there is absolutely nothing more I can add to this bottle, even in words. I highly urge you to seek out this company and buy a bottle of this syrup. ....NO! Buy 2 bottles! Keep one at home and sneak one as a gift to a family member or friend.



I was floored, and you will be too. The search is over now. Take a look for yourself on Facebook here or on their website here.

　

Jammin'

My last post was all about how a local company has nailed the flavor of Maine blueberries into products that outshines other businesses that use blueberries, Maine Man Flavah's. I have tasted dozens of other products, many from as far away as Oregon, claiming to use Maine blueberries in syrups, jellies, jams, preserves, muffin mixes and vinaigrettes. I will dare say that most used blueberry essence, extract or flavoring. How can you tell? Because you can smell sweet blueberry the second you open it....and I mean sweet, almost like perfume. That is the main indication of a fake blueberry addition.

And yes, I mean fake. Even though the extract or essence may come from blueberries in some form, when you scientifically alter pure wild blueberries, it is FAKE!

Not so with both Maine Man Flavah and Bar Harbor Jam Company. If I remember correctly, these guys have been around since the mid-80's and are truly local, buying and preparing right here at home.

Now they don't need me to give them a plug, one look at their product and it won't take long for you to place an order. One taste of their product and it won't take long for you to reorder. One look at there distribution list, and it won't take long for you to share with friends and family not in this great state.

From Maine to California, stopping at North Dakota, Ohio, Massachusetts, Maryland, Rhode Island, Montana, Tennessee, New Hampshire and Vermont for our friends who want to see what true Yankee blueberry ingenuity is all about.

I really am trying NOT to sound like an advertisement or paid spokesman, because I am not! When you are a New Englander, when you taste a product using Maine blueberries(for example), you stick with it and you tell everyone about it. This is exactly what I am doing.

For example, I recently tried Bar Harbor Jam Company's Wild Blueberry Syrup. Here is an image and even though it looks blue, the picture does it no justice. The syrup is not only bluer then it appears in the image, it is PERFECT! Outstanding doesn't begin to describe it.

I also have a bottle of their WILD Blueberry Vinaigrette 2 days ago. GONE!!!

Keep an eye out for the recipes I used it in. Just outstanding, AGAIN!

Take a peak at their website here and tell me it isn't some kinda temptin'.(Hey, it's the way I talk, get over it, hahaha.)

For anyone who seeks organic products, take a look. Chocolate covered blueberries AND cranberries, take a look. Frozen and dried blueberries, take a look. Breads and muffins, using wild Maine blueberries, take a look. Want a topping for your summer ice cream sundae's, take a look. And finally, for the best Blueberry Soda, take a look. Betcha never heard of Old Soaker Blueberry Soda before. Betcha never will drink another brand after this either! I could go on and on, but just take a look for yourself at the tremendous variety at Bar Harbor Jam Co..



Again, Maine continues to amaze me with its Yankee ingenuity, hard work, perseverance and above all, sticking with the world's best crop with no other artificial blueberry additives needed. You guys really are Jammin'.