Tuesday, October 11, 2011

The Gift of Thanksgiving Tradition

From our house to yours...


This past weekend, Canadians celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday .  Our country has been celebrating Thanksgiving yearly, since 1879.  It used to be held in November, but in 1957, it was proclaimed that Thanksgiving would occur every second Monday in October.  And so it has been...

On Thursday, January 31, 1957, the Canadian Parliament proclaimed:

"A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed – to be observed on the 2nd Monday in October."

I am the daughter of immigrant parents.  I came to Canada, from Portugal, with my parents, in 1978.  I was a little over one year old.  My parents came to this country in search of a better life for themselves and to give me the opportunities that they never had.  One of the first "gifts" they gave me, was the gift of "Thanksgiving". Although it is not a holiday celebrated in Portugal, my parents took on their new role as "Canadians" and celebrated by making Thanksgiving day special.  Every year, my Mom cooked a turkey lunch or dinner for us.  This soon became our tradition.  When I started dated Nuno, back in 1992, he too, became part of the tradition, and every year since, we have been celebrating Thanksgiving at my parents' home.  That's 20 turkeys, since we met! 

This year, of course, was no exception!  When Fall arrives, we begin to anticipate the coming of Thanksgiving and the delicious turkey feast.  My mom is always the chef that day.  She makes the turkey, potatoes, and stuffing.  I am the pie baker.  I bring along the whipped cream and pumpkin pie!



I made a pumpkin pie on Saturday evening.  It was the first time I made a crimped edge with the pie dough.  I was quite pleased with the way it turned out.



On the morning of our Thanksgiving feast, I made popovers...

So simple to make these.  Only four ingredients - eggs, flour, milk and salt!



And 30 minutes later, Ta-da! 



Pumpkin pie and popovers!



While I was making popovers, our 20 lb turkey was already cooking in my Mom's oven, since 7:30 that morning!  Lunch was for 1 pm.  We got ourselves dressed and ready for the one hour drive to Toronto.  



And this is what we saw on our drive to my parents' house.  This photo was taken by me, while driving along the highway.  The fall colors are stunning!  And I forgot to add how beautiful the weather was.  It was so warm, people were wearing shorts and flip flops.  It was quite an unusual weather weekend for October!  I don't remember ever celebrating Thanksgiving in such summer-like weather! 



And here it is...the moment we had all been waiting for...



...the star of the show - the 20 pound turkey!



Here is my plate - sliced turkey breast, stuffing, potatoes, gravy, and a popover to dip in the gravy!



This year, we were happy to welcome a new face to our table, a friend of my Mom's who hadn't any family or friends to celebrate with.  We all ate, enjoyed, laughed, talked, and felt thankful and blessed to be gathered here together, another year.  We let our stomachs settle a bit before we had dessert.  



A slice of pumpkin pie, with whipped cream on top - the perfect end to a delicious Thanksgiving feast!



It was a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I give thanks for my family (parents, grandparents, in-laws, nieces, cousins, aunts, uncles) my friends, my husband, my daughters, all of the special people in my life.  I live in a world, full of life, beauty, and wonder.  I am thankful to wake up to it each morning and celebrate it with YOU!  

I thank the universe for all the blessings it has bestowed upon me.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  

I hope all my Canadian friends had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Our American neighbours will soon be celebrating theirs!  And I know one of my English friends will be celebrating a special Thanksgiving in America this year.  Not everyone celebrates  "Thanksgiving" as a holiday.  We don't need it to be thankful.  It is a wonderful reminder, however, to be thankful, always.  

Have a wonderful week everyone!  Thank you for stopping by.  If you enjoy reading my posts, please follow my blog!  It would mean so very much to me.  xoxo

10 comments:

  1. Happy Thanksgiving!

    Your feast looks amazing -- and so does your fall foliage! Lovely!

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  2. Oh, thank you for sharing your story and all the yummy looking pictures. The turkey is so beautiful and I like the idea of potatoes roasting with it. Your pie is perfection and know it must have tasted so good. The fall colors are magnificent. Great post that is making me hungry very hungry for turkey and pumpkin pie.:0)

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  3. O Rosinda--what a lovely post! Everything is beautiful! Popovers! What a rare treat. The scenery, the baking, the family and friends-perfect! And know that down here south of the border, I am thankful for you! xx

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  4. We have so very much to be thankful for!!! Your Thanksgiving dinner looks so delicious! I so appreciate your taking the time to photograph it all to share with us...I find it difficult to have men wait while a photo of food is taken! Ha! And, my word, that fall foliage is spectacular this year!!!! Lots of grateful hugs for you!...Sherry xxxx

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  5. Hello sweet Rosinda - thanks so much for this peek into your wonderful tradition...I so love the idea of Thanksgiving and am so happy that I AM the English friend who will be celebrating Stateside this year (snow permitting - ahem!!) The turkey , pumpkin pie & those popovers (we call them yorkshire puddings!) all look amazing. And so lovely to welcome a visitor into your home for the feast - we have done that many times at Christmas, and it makes it even more special to share the joy! Love you darling - and, as Sherry says - grateful to have you in my life! xoxo Rachel

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  6. Beautiful job Rosinda! I will do it again and again until God lets me. I love you all XOXOXO

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  7. Oh Rosinda everything looks wonderful but most wonderful of all is YOU and your sweet and loving heart. You do have a lot to be thankful for but those in your life are most thankful for having you.

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  8. Everything is beautiful, Rosinda, and I second what Nancy said. To be grateful for your blessings and to be a blessing to others is a wonderful thing, and that's you! xoxo

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  9. I third and fourth all that is above...what a beautiful post from a wonderful woman I call my friend....she and her family has come into my heart and the hearts of all of us who follow and read and LOVE your blog....and the way you simply and lovingly care for your family....and to Rachel....we're ALL praying for wonderful weather to carry you to MV for a wonderful American Thanksgiving...those mashed potatoes should be extraordinary!!!
    xo
    Joann

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  10. Happy, belated, Thanksgiving, Rosinda!

    A long-time friend of my parents taught my mom to make Portuguese bread~I recently asked her for the recipe, to make for my family! :)

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