I love real maple syrup. I grew up on some sort of fake stuff that my mom cooked up on the stove (some maple flavoring, sugar, water) and on margarine. Once upon a time the dairy lobby was strong enough that margarine came in completely white sticks—like sticks of crisco—along with little dye packets. You had to mix them together to get something that looked vaguely like butter. This was before my time, but my parents told me about it.

Anyway, now I'm all about the real maple syrup and butter. And now I want pancakes.

I love butter unreservedly, but living in Florida, I've never worked up the nerve to get a butter bell and leave it on the counter, even with our central air. It's just too terrifying. So I always keep some margarine on hand to spread on toast or use for making grilled cheese. Also keep a box of butter too, for baking, because nothing else will do.

I will say, though, I at least broke the habit early of sticking the opened bags of potato chips in the fridge. Cold potato chips are fundamentally wrong.

With maple syrup, I love the Grade B- make the nommiest glaze for salmon with syrup, lemon juice, butter, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Only tastes right on Pacific salmon though, because the fish is strong enough to support it.

This morning, there will be Belgian waffles, as part of Nate's geography assignment. After the coffee kicks in.

we are going to attempt ice skating. My ankles can only take a few rounds on the rink, so we will see how mac does. I am sure I will be mostly just walking slowly holding him.

then church and then Ethiopian food, possibly a stop by a paint store for samples.

We buy our maple syrup anually in Canada from the syrup guy down the road from our cabin. He also sells us firewood.

I have two kinds of butter in the fridge at all times - Vermont Cheese Company European style for spreading on toast, and cheapo store brand unsalted for baking.

This morning I used both butter and maple syrup - I made French toast. Fried in butter, syrup on top. Nom nom nom.

I for sure wish I could use real butter, because it does taste better and is a much better fat for you, too. As it is, I mostly use Olivio, which is at least low in transfats and has a light taste.

I've never been a fan of maple syrup -- I'd rather just have butter on my pancakes. However, I'd walk through broken glass for maple sugar candy, which I have to dole out in incredibly small bits to make last....

Gronk. It is far to early on a Sunday morning to be sitting in an airport.

Timelies all!

Trying to figure out how I got a bug bite on my ankle, considering that a)It's November and b)I don't go around barefoot.

I always had the fake stuff growing up. I don't know that I've ever had the real thing. I've seen it in the store, but I wonder if spending $8 versus 2 is really worth it, especially since I use it so rarely. Although now I totally want pancakes and syrup. I was going to make scones, but now . . .

Trader Joes has some amazing Grade B syrup that comes in a wine shaped bottle for a pretty reasonable price.

I could drink that stuff straight out of the bottle. Oy.

Hmm, pancakes. I wish I had bread because I could murder some french toast right now.

living in Florida, I've never worked up the nerve to get a butter bell and leave it on the counter, even with our central air.

Our kitchen is so cold in the winter (old house, really bad insulation) that we can leave the butter out and it's *still* not spreadable.