Today I had coffee in the March Minnesota woods. In between the prickly ash and the beaver-chewed birch I listened to the return of the Sandhill Cranes. Three crows gave their throaty call from the top of my favorite oak while a squirrel balanced atop a basswood beam. Nothing particularly striking about today. Nothing I would note in a journal, nothing that will highlight the day in my memories. Drab grasses swaying, green shoots still weeks away. The ice over the pond decaying, rotting away with every 50 degree day. A day so typical of March. Birds and squirrels and trees that I see everyday. No hoar frost to to enhance it, no dogwood blossoms to admire just a beautiful, mundane, March, Minnesota day.

This part of Spring is often cursed for its volatile weather and copious amounts of mud. It is thought of as a placeholder between the end of ice fishing and the boats maiden voyage on opening day. But if given the chance, it can still showcase so much beauty in the mundane.

I enjoy cooking - and when food is pretty I think it’s even more fun! This love lead me to Closet Cooking’s Instagram page years ago. He always posts pictures of mouth watering dishes I expect to have over the top, hard to follow instructions. But when I look up a recipe they are simple, to the point and still delicious. It was only recently I learned he does all his cooking in a tiny closet-sized kitchen. He only has 18 total inches of counter space. Closet Cooking is a great reminder that extravagant doesn’t always mean better. Today I made his Mongolian Beef recipe and it was perfect over a bed of leafy greens. Follow the link below to check out Closet Cooking’s website and his top ten recipes.

This week brought lots of time spent in the Minnesota woods! My great aunt and uncle are brought us with while tapping maple trees for making maple syrup. It takes 40 gallons of maple sap to make 1 gallon of maple syrup. If you have never tried real maple syrup, I highly suggest it. You will soon see why we go through all the effort to make it!