March Redwork Snowman

March is "the last hurrah of winter and the first whisper of spring," says Sarah Ban Breathnach.  It was the first month in the ancient Roman calendar.  March gets its name from Mars, the Roman god of war.  It is one of the seven months that is 31 days long.  March starts on the same day of the week as November every year and February in non-leap years.  It ends on the same day of the week as June every year.  The March full moon is known as the Crow Moon or the Sap Moon.   

March

 

A blue day,

a blue jay

and a good beginning.

One crow, melting snow -

spring's winning.

         

        Elizabeth Coatsworth

Sugaring Time

When winter’s thaw

Has just begun,

Then maple sap

Begins to run.

Up the tree

And out the spout

Into a bucket

The sap drips out.

Two horses haul it

From the grove

To where it’s boiled

On a stove.

Then from a faucet

To a kettle.

The syrup quickly

Heats the metal.

But when it cools,

After a while,

You pour it on

Your pancake pile.

The work is done.

It’s time to eat.

Sugaring time

Is surely sweet.

                            Douglas Florian

Here's a delicious recipe that contains maple syrup:

Honey Ribs and Rice

2 pounds country style ribs

1 can (10-1/2 ounces) beef consommé

½ cup water

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons barbecue sauce

½ teaspoon dry mustard

1.  If ribs are fatty, broil them for 15 to 20 minutes to remove some of the fat.  (I do not usually have to do this.)

2.  Place ribs in slow cooker.

3.  Combine remaining ingredients and pour over ribs.

4.  Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

5.  Serve over brown rice. 

Creates delicious cooking smells while you are quilting away in another room!

(The piece of crocheting that you see in the upper right corner of the snowman block is part of a crocheted snowflake that I appliqued to different parts of the quilt after it was completed.) To view my completed Redwork Snowmen Calendar Quilt, click here:

http://starwoodquilter.blogspot.com/2012/12/redwork-snowmen-calendar-quilt.html

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post:

http://www.starwoodquilter.blogspot.com/2013/03/quilters-book-club-march-selection.html