That Acer again!

It is so beautiful....

just gorgeous

I really don't remember such a beautiful autumn in my 23 years up here!

worth remembering then ~ take lots and lots of photos
we are having lounge extended a little bit, i fancy having a photo of autumn as a picture on the wall ~ colours should work ~ lounge looks out on garden so predominantly green but some yellow/orange/gold would be good.

Wow, it's so red, beautiful.....Well done Karensusan63 :)

Thanks Louis!

Sticki, that sounds lovely. I don't use my lounge very much in the summer, but I have autumn colours in there as they make it so warm in the winter.....lovely!

yes, i agree, warm colours for autumn should work. i dont use my lounge much at all at the moment ~ hoping it will be nicer when building work done ~ its too dark

I bet it will be lovely and you will be much happier when it is lighter :))

i hope so

mine was the same karen went so red, but today i noticed quite alot of leaves had fallen, ;o(

Take as many pics as you like because its worth it. And hello Louis :-))

There are a few under mine too San. Thanks Ann....I will.

I am not certain that our back garden will be big enough to accommodate an acer like yours, Karensue....I do hope so. They give a beautiful splash of colour and yours is so pretty.

Keep it in a pot Wlass ...that will deter it's growth and then you'll have no problem! This one was in a pot for years, but I never got colour like this before. Of course they take some shade and that's probably why...I had it in too much shade to get the colour.

Yes, a good idea, Karensue....pots will be plentiful with all the patio space we will have. I'll keep that in mind :)

That is beautiful.
Colours like that make autumn a bit more bearable!
Even driving to work seeing the trees really vivid oranges and yellows lifts my mood.

Yes Donna, I agree. I hope we will have another week of colour at least......

that is just stunning,

So vibrant, love Acers.

I'm impressed by your garden Karen...it is looking wonderful. My acer has dropped it's leaves..not much of a change in leaf colour (very deep red) and there are buds!!! yay! Your acer looks wonderfully healthy and happy where it sits...I hope I can maintain mine with the move in mid winter. It needs a greenhouse. (my first project?)

Are you moving to new build Lori? I guess you are from your latest comments....if so that will mean a garden from scratch!! Yay!!

Oops, sorry, thanks very much DD and Yorks!

No we are moving to an existing house on a very large lot. lots of forest. There is room to attach a sunroom or porch. and plenty of room to dream up whatever I have the energy to try. I'd like to expand my orchid collection, and plan a garden that doesn't required a great deal of care as it will be huge and I'm not getting any younger!~

Fantastic Acer. Mine has caught the frost, so have had to move it closer to the house and hope that works. Yours really looks good and the colout is amazing.

That sounds wonderful Lori..lots more trees!!

a real beauty :-))

I'm hoping they are all hard maple! next spring Yummm..maple syrup.

Gosh! Seriously, could they be maple syrup trees?

Karen I remember Maple Syrup pancakes somewhere in Broughty Ferry lol, now that is a few years ago. Proper scottish pancakes, yum yum yum. Stop talking food now.

I'm afraid i've never really taken to them to be honest. I still prefer a nice crepe! Scottish pancakes are just too cakey for me....not that I would say no to a nice bit of cake...got a nice bit of apple cake downstairs begging to be eaten.....bye!

Oh you canna been a good BANNOCK Karen :)

No, this is true, a bannock is a treat...and very similar to what we call 'plum bread' in Lincs! I do like a Bannock! But if you want a scots treat that you cannot beat it has to be the famous Dundee....'Fudge Doughnut'...now that's a real fattener! And my other favourite...the Empire/Belgian Biscuit!

LOL!...yes Karen, it's an Acer too. Acer saccharum or sugar maple. I have also heard of tapping Birch trees too. When I was a child I used to help my Mom and Dad tap the trees. For years we made it the frontier way... on open fires in a large iron pot...then strain and filter..it was so delicious. Funny how the taste of present day maple syrup just doesn't match my memories!

The Scots who came to the far northern parts of Ontario brought the bannock to the native population..they prepare it on long sticks arranged above an open fire...it has a "taste" all it's own.. quite delicious.

Lori, I was doing some reading online last night about maple syrup and it seems now they've come up with a system of small tubes that can be used to harvest the sap from the trees...much less invasive than the older method of tapping the tree.

I've only ever seen the retrieval of sap in photos but it does sound like a fun activity the way you describe your childhood memories.

And I love maple syrup (from Canada) of course! :)

Its fascinating isn't it WLass...hard to believe that such a sweet treat comes from a tree. Great to hear of Lori's memories of filtering it outdoors....I bet it tasted absolutely wonderful! Perhaps Lori could provide us with some Canadian recipes for Maple Syrup!?

I'm sure I'd have some recipes in my cookbooks using Maple Syrup....I'll have to have a root about and see....all of my cookbooks I brought with me from Canada so there's bound to be some.

I make Johnnycake (cornbread) and serve it warmed with maple syrup poured over....delicious!! yum, yum :)

Lori is in the right part of Canada for maple syrup....B.C. doesn't have the climate for it...we'll see how she responds...

Yours too Wlass! Cornbread and maple syrup sounds very very gooey!! I expect it can be used as a sugar substitute in some cakes if you get the moisture content right...that would be the tricky bit....I made an apple cake last week using dark brown soft sugar and it was delish! I was thinking that would be lovely with maple syrup...and custard of course!! :))) Oaty things are also great with maple syrup of course....

There are as many recipes as you like! from meat glazes to cocktails! Maple is such a unique taste...so light and tantalizing. Like wine it can vary from year to year in it's colour and amount of sugar. Acid rain (from polluted air) has been a problem with the sugar maples in recent years and as if that wasn't enough there is a maple borer which came to Canada in wood from shipping crates made in China. It's doing a number on the maple trees and there is another boring insect called the Emerald Ash Borer that's killing off the Ash. about fifty years back there was another epidemic of a fungus which was spread by insects that killed off most of the towering Elms. It has not been a good century for the tall trees in Ontario!
Yes I've made cornbread and maple syrup too... but my favourite way to have M-syrup is on blueberry pancakes!
If the sap is boiled continuously without stirring it produces a very sticky chewy toffee... If you stir the sugar as it boils it will granulate and produce maple sugar. It takes about 45 gallons of tree sap to produce one gallon of syrup, so you can see why it's so expensive. My cousin in Muskoka has just bought an evaporator. He and his son's will be setting up a "sugar camp" which will be in production by the spring after next.
I think I'd like to try Creme Brulee with maple sugar~
mmmm... mouth watering!

Lori....the maple syrup made into maple sugar is very sweet as I remember. You may be in line for some maple syrup from your cousin....I hope they are successful with their enterprise. I didn't know about the maple borer or the problem with acid rain.

Creme Brulee with maple sugar does sound very tasty...and I wouldn't say no to a plate of blueberry pancakes and maple syrup....yum. :)

Ham glazed with maple syrup....donuts with maple icing (from Tim Hortons of course)....Harvest grain and nut pancakes with maple syrup (IHOP)....Salmon with maple syrup.....Pork and apple with maple syrup.....maple syrup pie.....Yummmmmmm.....I'm getting fat just thinking about it. :oD

maple walnut ice cream

Oh Lori.....maple walnut ice cream...after a long search I finally discovered some in Morrison's grocery store in a local town last year. I was so happy...it wasn't quite the same as I remembered it from Canada but it was pretty darn tasty!

I've done the ham with glazed maple syrup...never heard of maple syrup pie, Gilli....have you a recipe?

Gilli...I have to admit I've got the 'fat' already...never mind just thinking about all these delicious maple syrup recipes. Oh dear....Tim Horton's....torture when I can't get those over here! I rest my case.

Talking about all this maple syrup makes me think I should stand at attention and sing "Oh Canada, our home and native land....we stand on guard for thee" or something really patriotic! lol

I love Salmon and will definitely try glazing it with Maple syrup! Carrots glazed with it too...and parsnips! actually my favourite way of eating it is on a Saturday morning...late...with good smoked bacon and crepes...that is the absolutel bees knees of a breakfast!

"Oh Canada!
My home and native land,
True patriot love ...in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see the rise
The true north strong and free
And stand on guard,
Oh Canada,
We stand on guard for thee..."

Not bad for an old croc's memory...haven't sung that since public school. The politically correct nitwits are trying to change some of the lyrics from the ditty I learned fifty-six years ago but it's still a lovely anthem. My favourite was
"The Maple Leaf Forever" ...or the Acer saccharum Forever!
"In days of yore,
From England's shore
Wolffe, the dauntless hero came,
And planted firm Britannia's flag
On Canada's fair domain.
Here may it wave
Our boast, our pride
And joined in love, forever
The thistle, shamrock, rose entwine
The Maple Leaf Forever!"

OK, you can delete me now! :P hehehhe

Here you go Whist.....

Maple Syrup Pie

½ cup cold water
¼ cup all purpose flour
1 cup Pure maple syrup
1 egg lightly beaten
2 tbsp butter
1 - 9” pie shell – baked

Whisk water with flour until smooth; Stir into syrup in a small heavy saucepan. Stir in the egg and cook over medium – low heat, stirring until thickened (about 7 minutes). Stir in the butter until melted. Pour into pie shell and let cool.
I usually add about 1/2 cup of pecans too.

Oh, Gilli....that sounds very, very moreish :) As I read the recipe I thought....oh it just needs some pecans....and there it was at the end!

I'll make a note of that and give it a try. It will be an expensive pie with 1 cup maple syrup so I'll make it for a special occasion. Real maple syrup over here is about £6 the last time I bought it and it wouldn't be much over 1 cup in volume I don't think.

Thanks too, Lori....for the anthem....I was mentally singing it in my head as I read it (I never learned more than the one verse but I believe there is a second verse...I think I heard it sung at the Winter Olympics at Whistler).

I can only recall a little bit of the tune "The Maple Leaf Forever" and I think that must have been something I learned in elementary school....and that was a l-o-n-g
time ago!!!

Wow! That is expensive syrup. Mind you, its not that much cheaper here either.

You can get cheaper maple syrup but it doesn't taste "right", thin and no rich flavour....so I prefer to pay the price and get some nice maple syrup.

Our daughter buys a large-ish jug of maple syrup at Costco and she swears it's every bit as good as what I buy....I have not found it to be so! lol Have to admit we used her syrup when I did a pancake brunch for one of her children's birthdays a couple of weeks ago. Saving the good stuff for your recipe, I guess! :)

LOL Whist....The Costco maple syrup is what I usually use too. Having to feed 5 kids has made me think of cost first. Now they're mostly all gone I'll have to start buying the good stuff.

I must treat myself to some of the 'real' stuff and see if I can tell the difference!

http://www.ontariomaple.com/
Check out Ontario or Quebec maple syrup producers...you may be able to order some online. Real maple syrup is a taste that is impossible to imitate. There are grades of syrup too.

Mmmmm! Nice!

Great colour - very nice tree indeed

Thanks Paul. Noting left on the tree now...sigh...is it nearly spring yet Mum? lol ;)