Saturday, November 29, 2014

A Canadian American Thanksgiving!

This past Thursday, we celebrated an American Thanksgiving at our house!  I started this tradition a couple of years ago because I had yet to cook a Thanksgiving meal for my family. Every year, my mother roasts the turkey and hosts our Canadian Thanksgiving at her house. Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving in October. It's tradition and we wouldn't have it any other way!  She has been cooking our Thanksgiving meal ever since I can remember.  She prepares the turkey, stuffing and potatoes in a typical Portuguese fashion and boy, oh boy, is it ever delicious! 

Sooo, a couple of years ago, I decided to have a go at roasting my very own turkey.  I also made  traditional fixings like sweet potatoes, sage stuffing, and homemade cranberry sauce.  Well, it was such a hit, we now look forward to sharing the holiday with our American neighbors every year.  

Do you know what this means?  It means we get to celebrate Thanksgiving twice!  Two Thanksgivings?!  Yes, please!  


Here are a few highlights (and a couple of recipes) from our Thanksgiving dinner...



Thanksgiving Table


I set the table while listening to the Macy's Day Parade on T.V.  I was too busy with preparations to watch it all, so I recorded it to watch the following day!  



I absolutely love these brass alphabet napkin rings I bought from Indigo bookstore!  We each had our own initial!  The striped napkins I bought (brand new in their package) at a garage sale over the summer, as well as the crystal wine glasses!  :)



Sage Stuffing


Drying the loaf bread in the oven...




Sauteeing onions and celery in butter...





Sage stuffing is ready for the oven!




Homemade Cranberry Sauce


Ingredients

3 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup water


Directions

Wash cranberries.  Mix sugar and water in a saucepan over medium high heat. Boil for 5 minutes (stirring once in a while). Add cranberries and simmer for another 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.  As the cranberry sauce cools, it will thicken.  Serve warm or refrigerate until ready to serve.



Marshmallow-stuffed Sweet Potato Balls


These sweet potato balls were inspired by a recipe from the mother of a dear friend of mine, Nancy Sussan.  I made them for the first time two years ago following her recipe exactly and used an entire large marshmallow in the center. This time, I cut the large marshmallows in half and in turn, it rendered smaller sweet potato balls.  These are very easy to make and they're so delicious! 

Ingredients

4 large sweet potatoes
6 large marshmallows (cut in half) 
cinnamon
2-3 cupscorn flake crumbs 

Directions

Roast sweet potatoes on a foil-lined cookie sheet in a 400 degree F oven for approximately 50 minutes to 1 hour (or until tender).  Allow them to cool.  

Peel and mash the sweet potatoes.  You can add butter, brown sugar, etc and season them to your liking.  I find that sweet potatoes are sweet enough on their own, so I simply add cinnamon.  

Next, take half a marshmallow and form a ball around it with the mashed sweet potatoes.  Roll the balls in the corn flake crumbs. 

Place the sweet potato balls in an oven-safe pan or dish and bake for approximately 20 minutes in a 350 degree F oven.  Careful not to over-bake them, or the marshmallows will pop!

Tips:

Wash your hands after you roll each ball.  They will get sticky!

It's more affordable to buy Corn Flakes cereal and crush the flakes yourself, than to buy the pre-crushed flakes. 


Let's Eat!!!









My world is sitting right here at this table!  I have so much to be thankful for!



And of course, we saved room for dessert...


Pumpkin Pie!


I made mini pumpkin pies - one for each of us!  We were absolutely stuffed!  

I hope my American girlfriends (you know who you are) had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!  I'm so thankful that I could share this special day with you!  Now it's time to prepare for Christmas!  Can you believe it's almost December?  Where did November go?










Saturday, November 22, 2014

Christmas Cards Have Arrived!

Hello friends!

I am excited to share with you the release of my first ever Christmas greeting card - Snowberries!  The image on the front is a photograph that was taken by me.  Some of you may even recognize it!  The cards have been professionally printed on high quality, heavy, glossy card stock and bear my personalized digital signature on the front.  They arrived from the printer just yesterday!  


Front 

4.5 x 7 inches (includes plain white envelope)



Inside



These Christmas cards are now available for sale in my Etsy shop for only $2.25 CAD each! Click on the link here...LaVieEnRosinda   If you are interested in purchasing any, please be sure to order soon, as Christmas is fast approaching!

If you are unfamiliar with Etsy, and would still like to make a purchase, please contact me directly. 

As always, your thoughts and comments are welcome and appreciated.  Have a wonderful weekend!   

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Farewell Fall, Hello Winter!

Hello friends!  Happy November!  I've missed you!   It's bitterly cold here today.  The wind gusts are fierce; blowing snow around and causing it to look and feel more like winter than autumn! 

Indeed, fall is a fleeting season.  Its duration brief and short-lived.  The calendar claims fall will be here for at least another month, but one peek outside my window will tell you that the season is far behind us now.  

Our first substantial snowfall arrived this past Friday.  Outside, everything was covered in white - the cars, streets, rooftops, lawns and trees.  



Farewell October!



Goodbye pretty pumpkins...




Cheerio, glorious foliage...







So long, late blooming roses!




Welcome November....



Hello, bare branches and trees...



Hi-ya, Mr. Snowman...



Greetings snow-covered crabapples! 



 The seasons change just as they always have and always will.  Fall has turned to winter.  It's snowing fast and heavy outside.  We are expecting 20 cm of snow overnight!  The fire in our wood burning stove is keeping us warm on this stormy "winter" eve.  It just might be a snow day tomorrow!   I hope that no matter you are, you are smiling and you are warm and cozy!

Goodnight! 





"November comes and November goes, 
with the last red berries and the first white snows.

With night coming early, and dawn coming late, 
and ice in the bucket and frost by the gate.

The fires burn and the kettles sing, 
and earth sinks to rest until next spring."

- Clyde Watson -