There is a hint of spring in the air.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins, Weeknight Chicken and Pesto Pasta Bake

This week we had a taste of warmer weather and it was glorious. GLORIOUS!

I’m not even joking when I say that Seasonal Affective Disorder has hit me hard this year. My energy levels and moods have been quite low at times and I’m ready for some brighter days. We got a LOT of snow this winter (all at once it seems) and the days were so dark and dreary at times.

But man, when that sun came out a few days ago, it felt like light (literally!) at the end of a cold, dark, damp tunnel. The days keep getting longer and I know that warmer weather is just around the corner. I can do this! I keep telling myself, just a few more weeks of winter to go.

Even the ladies were excited and have been rewarding us with more eggs than we’ve seen since the fall.

Those temperature changes also mean that I can tap some trees and get the maple syrup season started. Yippee! I’m really looking forward to this season, now that I have a few under my belt, so that I can do things a bit differently this time around.

I made just enough last year to last me right up until now and I’m currently on my last two jars. I plan on collecting waaaaay more sap this season, if Mother Nature allows, to help me double my supply.

My daughter tells me that boiling weekend is one of her favourites around here. We stay up all night long, keeping the evaporator boiling steady and stoking the fire when needed. We get little spurts of company to pass the time, enjoy hot sweet sap drinks and sit outside under the stars until the job is pretty much done. It’s absolutely exhausting and so rewarding and such a fun thing to do as a family.

It’s another cool gift that this old property has given us, and one that I’m truly grateful for.

These are trees I tapped last year and there was no snow!

I was hoping to tap a few trees today but it has become bitterly cold and windy outside. One minute it’s sunny and the next is a complete white out. As the old proverb suggests, I guess winter is going to be making a fierce exit.

Buh-bye.

It’s supposed to warm up again in a few days and I’ll do it then. For now, I’m keeping the fire stoked inside and sitting near the window where the sun is peaking through the odd time.

We can do this guys. We can scrape our cars off for a few more days.

Have a great week friends,

Renee xo

Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins

We’re basically heading into lemon season now right? Spring is near and lemon flavoured things and bright colours will be popping up everywhere. These muffins have just a whisper of lemon along with bursts of fresh blueberries. It’s based off of a recipe from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe, a blogger that I love to follow. Instead of a cream cheese center, the cream cheese is creamed right in which gives a perfect cake like softness and crumb. Yum! Perfect for a spring brunch table or potluck too. Highly recommend!