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Ron MacLean

  • Spring Forward

    In the Northeast, usually Spring is a renaissance after a long, cold, snowy season. This past winter, however, never really arrived. On February 2, 2012, the day Punxsutawney Phil predicted 6 more weeks of winter, there was little or no snow cover in much of the Northeast. Spring arrives in March followed by her sisters,…

  • A Memoir: The Milk Must Get Through

      One morning when I was about 9 years old, I woke to a snowstorm that crept in during the night.  When that happened, in the Central New York winter months, during the late 1940’s, the first thing families did was to turn the radio on to hear if school was cancelled.  Yes, this day…

  • Switchel – A Time Tested Thirst Quenching Favorite

    My Dad used to tell about working on his aunt and uncle’s farm in the summer.  Doing some rapid math, that may have been in the early 1930’s.  He didn’t tell many farm stories but a brief one that stands out involved working during haying season.  He emphasized the extremely hard work — the heat,…

  • Summer Vacations to the Farm

    During the late 1940’s and early 1950’s my family, like many others, spent vacation time visiting relatives in the summer. The nation had just endured a war and money was scarce so family visits were a good match. My mother’s cousin, her husband and three daughters were part of a three-family owned dairy farm in…

  • Brussels Sprouts: the Tasty, Tiny Morsels on the Stalk

    Brussels Sprouts with Bacon Ingredients: 1/2 lb. Prosciutto or bacon, diced 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1 Tablespoon butter 1clove garlic, minced 1 small onion, minced ½ cup of Balsamic vinegar 2 cups of chicken stock 1 ½ lbs. Brussels Sprouts Salt and pepper to taste   Instructions: Fry bacon (or Prosciutto) in a large deep…

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