It's Maple Syrup And It's REAL!

It's called the Pancake Town! I call it Heaven away from home! You can officially find it on the map under Burton, Ohio. I use to live in Cleveland, Ohio and since I'm not a city girl in any way, shape, or form, back then, in order for my life to feel some measure of what I like to feel when I am at home, I would make Glade drive me out to Burton.

When we first moved to Cleveland I thought I was never going to stop crying. At first, everything in my soul hated living in a big city.  The first few weeks in my new place, I burned off oodles of extra calories running to the window every five minutes to see who was pulling in my driveway.  Every time I heard a car, I ran to the window. I forgot I now lived on a busy street in a ginormous city. All those cars were driving past my house all day, they weren't coming to see me at all.

I think it was six months before I opened the front door when someone rang my bell. I thought only criminals lived in the big city and therefore if I opened my door to a stranger, I was sure I would be held at gunpoint, robbed and raped. I know, don't go there.

We moved to Cleveland in late August of 1980. Seth was born in November. When he finally learned to talk, his first sentence was, "Mom, it's a ranger at the door!" He couldn't say any word with an S so the letter R made a good replacement. How sad, I immediately passed my stranger phobias onto my children. I was afraid of everyone and everything in a big city. Then finally one Saturday the Tillman's invited us to go out to Burton with them. That was it. One trip to this little piece of Heaven and I knew God still loved me.

We took a trip back to Cleveland not long ago. I discovered when we arrived, Burton was having their fall festival and the sugar camp would be harvesting the maple syrup. Hot diggidy dog! I pitched a fit and made everyone consign to go. The day soon came and despite the war to get everyone in the car and excited, not to mention my sour face once we finally pulled in, (just getting there was a real battle I'll have you know) still the best day ever on my Cleveland trip and I look back on it often with great pleasure.

Now I have a new tradition. Every year I order a 1/2 gallon of REAL maple syrup from Burton. I like to get it just before Thanksgiving, but since I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off (trying to get ready for a wedding) I was a little late this year. Today the gold landed on my front porch! Better late than never! I will crack it open for Christmas. It is absolutely the finest maple syrup I've ever tasted!

This is what a real farm looks like!

It is an Amish farm.

We passed so many on our way.

I loved seeing all their clothes hanging out on the line.

I finally made Glade pull over for a picture.
I was sad no clothes dotted the horizon but I figured I better grab a picture while I could.

The Sugar Camp ---

It takes between 40 to 75 gallons of raw sap to make one gallon of delicious syrup!
You have to cook it for eons.
This is why real maple syrup is pricey.
You can tap a maple tree with up to three taps.
One tree produces about 20 gallons of sap.

I've decided anything that tastes divine takes lots of work, lots of time, and lots of money!

Here we are enjoying the festival.

You know Burton has to be an awesome place 

if the water tank sits right in the middle of town square!
Reminded me of my roots. I miss the old blue water tower!

This is a sappy looking picture,

but this is what the finished product looks like.

Too bad you can't come over and taste it!

Sorry!

Check out this link if you'd like to order some.
You won't be sorry.

Burton Sugar Camp Syrup

Yes, it's to die for!!!
And it makes the holidays just that much better!