Maple Syrup - yum

Dear Mariangela - first, what a beautiful name you have! Several years go, when we lived in the mountains in Western Massachusetts, my husband and I tapped our own maple trees on our land, and for several years, boiled the sap down, evaporating the water out of it until we arrived at that wonderful syrup.

There is nothing like the smell of the hot wood stove evaporator - you get the combination of the wood smoke smell, with the sweet maple steam rising off the shallow pan.

It is one of the best smells and experiences we've had. It's lots of work, but also a couple of days of something different - always outdoors in the spring when the snow is just melting and slushy - warm enough to sit outside next to the fire with just a sweatshirt.

Our favorite and simplest way to use it is over a rich vanilla ice cream - nothing else. Also, there's the basics of using it on top of pancakes or French Toast for breakfasts.

I bet it wasn't cheap imported in Italy was it - because even in this country, homemade maple syrup runs about $45 dollars or more a gallon.

Enjoy it!