It was a beautiful day for a hike, sunny and not too cold, temperature about 50 degrees. We were treated to two wildlife sightings, a small herd of white tail deer and a Pileated Woodpecker. Pileated Woodpeckers are one of the largest woodpeckers and very exotic looking with a large, red tufted crown on their head.
Some of the trails were very wet and muddy but not enough to cause us to alter our route. There were lines of tubing strung from the sugar maples for sap collection as well as taps and buckets. We visited the sugar shack and spoke to a Moose Hill employee who was boiling the sap down to make maple sugar. It takes about 50 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrop.
We also visited Moose Hill Farm and saw Galloway Belted Cattle grazing in
the fields. These cattle are known for their gentle natures, long lives and
having no horns. They can also make do with poor pasture conditions so are easy to feed.
After the hike, we enjoyed lunches, snacks, and homemade cookies at the
picnic tables.
Stephanie Olbrych
By popular demand, Stephanie is sharing her Ocean Spray cookie recipe:
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Yield: Approximately 21/2 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
1 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 6-ounce package dried cranberries, craisins, or cherries
2/3 cup white chocolate chunks or chips<>
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Using an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks.
Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
