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Sam, good of you to modify your recipe, but dont you just love these skinny people who worry about dieting?? >:( LOL

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Marcia and Paul welcome to TV. Soon all of us will be there. The fun is just waiting for you, us and many others to arrive.

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Hey, Jan :cop: really busted us on the Restaurant thread. Jan, Peeps just want to have fun.
Mike G seems fine with it. We didn't diss him. We were just being our normal ;) irreverent selves. Actually, it's all Susan's fault. Susan...you are bad girl!!!

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Sam your South Beach Diet desserts sound fantastic. Hope you make some when we come down. I looked at the recipes and noticed you use real maple syrup. Is that the light or dark?

I am also bringing my new 2008 Mah Jongg card.

I will have to look at the new South Beach Diet book. I know they revised it. I was able to stick to that diet but now I can't.

HB

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Samhass,
Are sure it was Susan's fault...sounds like you have some culpability.

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Oh nooooooooooooo, Mr Big..Sam always gooood girl. Susan be naughty.

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HB, when we are home in Pa, we tap the maples and make lots of syrup. I favor the lighter color. It gets darker as you near the end of sugaring season.
It takes about 50 gallons of sap to make a gallon of syrup. We gather the sap and spend several days cooking it down. When the Granddaughter goes with me to collect sap, she holds her little mouth under the tap and drinks the sap right from the tree. She also likes glasses of the sap. It's delicious and so pure with just a taste of maple in it. Oooo, I'm waxing nostalgic. I might have to head back up in Feb 09 just to sugar!

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Glass of sap? I think I'll have wine.

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Actually, when you are sugaring and cooking sap, drinking beer with friends lessens the tediousness of the job. You get beer and sit outside in the cool, crisp air and watch the sap boil. Hey, we know how to have a good time in Pa.

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So when the sap boils, you drink it? That's would be too hot for me. I'd rather have wine, or one of those great PA beers: "Rolling Rock".

I guess that watching sap boil and drinking beer could be of fun. I'm more into sports. But, being from PA you probably wouldn't understand that.

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Hi Sam, we get our maple syrup from the Amish.

I have seen how maple syrup is made, it is a long hot process. I am impressed you make it.

HB

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No Big, when the sap boils down to syrup, you strain it through a special felt filter then pour it in canning jars. I put it in the freezer for future use.
As for beer, Yeungling is my favorite.
Sports? Hey Eagles fans boo Santa. We have great sports teams. They break our hearts with regularity.

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HB, We do it outside so it's not a hot process at all. If you cooked the sap down inside, you'd have sugar coating all over the kitchen. I finish some off in the kitchen. You have to get it just right or you end up with maple candy. Been there, done that with a batch. I'm a quick study. It only happened once. :)

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Hi Sam, glad to hear you are a quick learner. I have seen a vat of maple candy, was supposed to be maple syrup.

Love the aroma of maple syrup boiling.

HB

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Sam

I've drunk from the tapped maple tree...it's a very light, watery tasting liquid with just a little hint of maple...and I mean...just a little hint.

However, after the boiling down process...it transforms into the most wonderful tasting syrup. I have half a gallon sitting in the fridge right now.

It intrigues me the science that goes into tapping...the measurements that one needs to follow to put in a new tap from the old tap. The science of "reading" the "perfect" temperature to be sure it gets cold enough at night and warm enough during the day.

Wish I had maple trees...I'd tap for sure!