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?

A Week of Celebrations!

The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate Oprah Winfrey


To say that I have had my hands full this past week would be a huge understatement.  In the short span of seven days, we celebrated Shrove Tuesday, Valentine's Day, Family Day, and a few other things in between! 

It all started with our pancake dinner party on Shrove Tuesday...

My nieces Emily and Chloe joined us for our pancake dinner, in pajamas, of course!

We had pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon for dinner!

For Valentine's day, I baked my first ever heart-shaped cheesecake...

with a cinnamon graham cracker crust.  I baked it in a water bath - a fool-proof method to prevent cracking and sinking.  I topped it with cherries. It looked so pretty and was so delicious! 

This is the gorgeous bouquet of flowers my husband surprised me with on Valentine's day!

And...he cooked a special dinner for us too...

Is there anything more romantic than a man who can cook?

Here's Anita, having a little fun...

One of the best things we celebrated this week, was my father-in-law's last day of chemo and radiation therapy.  We are all thrilled with his progress.  To see him doing so well after everything he has been through these past six weeks, is a blessing!  Our family got together on the weekend, as we do every weekend, and shared a delicious meal lovingly made my mother-in-law.  We are keeping our fingers and toes crossed for good news next month when he follows up with the doctor.  Please keep him in your thoughts.  

Yesterday, we celebrated Family Day - a statutory holiday celebrated in parts of Canada.  We went out for breakfast in the morning and spent the rest of the day indoors, tucked away from the cold.  We relaxed, watched TV, enjoyed a fire and made a yummy mixed seafood platter for dinner.

Crab, shrimp, squid, scallops and clams

before...

...and after

All in all, it was a joyous week filled with happy occasions and many reasons to celebrate.
 How was your week?  Was it busy for you too?  Did you celebrate anything?

Wishing you all a happy week with many little reasons to celebrate!  xoxo

The Perks to Being an Angler's Wife...

Many of you already know, but for those of you who don't, my husband, Nuno, is a devoted angler.  When he's not at work or spending time with family, it is safe to say that he's probably out fishing or doing something or other that pertains to the sport.   We live just a few minutes drive from Lake Simcoe.  Nuno takes his boat out to the lake and enjoys fishing in the spring, summer and fall months.  Come winter, the lake begins to freeze over, the boat is stored away, and he excitedly anticipates the start of ice fishing season.   

Nuno belongs to the Barrie Bassmasters club of Ontario and is sponsored by several organizations.  He has different roles and responsibilities for each one.  It's not always easy being the wife of an angler, you know.  I have to share him with the fish on many occasions, but I know that nothing makes him happier than a day out fishing.  So, of course, I support him!  And nothing makes me happier than when he brings home perch!  

Yellow perch are my favourite lake fish.  They are relatively small, in comparison to the larger bass, pike, and trout Nuno catches, and they are absolutely perfect for pan frying!  Last week, Nuno caught so many, we decided to host a fish fry at home!  

I did say there were perks to being an angler's wife, right?  Well, it means we can get free meals!  You definitely won't starve to death with a fisherman living at home!  And, I never have to "fix" the fish Nuno catches.  He always cleans and fillets them himself.  

  Here are all the perch, perfectly filleted by Nuno; free of any skin or bones.

The only thing I have to do, is prepare the fillets for frying...

Here they are; dredged in flour, egg, and cornmeal 

Hot and crispy pan fried perch fillets, layer upon layer

While Nuno fried the fish, I set the table; cooked some rice and put together a garden salad.  

The only thing missing were the guests...

There is nothing like gathering around a table to enjoy a good meal and each other's company...

Here they are...my father-in-law and mother-in-law are sitting in the back, along with cousin Peter, who also came to join us.  My girls, Anita and Annabel, are sitting on the left and Nuno is sitting on the right.  And me?   I'm behind the camera.  You can see my still-empty plate beside Nuno on the table.

If you look closely, on the table, is my mother-in-law's still-warm, homemade bread.  She made it especially for the fish fry.  The meal was delicious!  I am so thankful for my darling husband and my wonderful family.  The blessings at this table are abundant!  

Cheers to a Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all my friends and followers!  May 2013 fill your lives with an abundance of love, good health, and happy days!   I hope you all enjoyed a merry Christmas and a joyous holiday season!  I expect you spent precious time with friends and loved ones; opening presents around the Christmas tree; talking, laughing and reminiscing.  Did you share a delicious feast with all the trimmings?  Did you sleep in and stay in your pyjamas all day long?  Did you take a drive or hop on a plane to visit family or did family come to visit you?  Oh, aren't the holidays wonderful?!
 

Our Christmas tree

We at the Antunes residence have been keeping busy, hence, my blog absence for several weeks.  December was filled with many blessings.  We celebrated birthdays...four of them to be exact - my husband's, my father-in-law's, my sister's and mine!  We attended the school Christmas concert, exchanged gifts, spent precious time with family and friends, AND we still managed to get away for an overnight trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake to celebrate my birthday.

Singing happy birthday to Nuno at my in-laws' house

 

 

 

Annabel singing the Hawaiian Christmas Song

at the school concert 

A glimpse of early morning snow outside my kitchen window

Celebrating my birthday at

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

 named "The prettiest town in Canada" in 1996

Prince of Wales hotel, where we stayed ovenight

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A special birthday breakfast

 

 

 

 

Birthday morning horse and carriage ride through town

 
 

A little birthday video...

 

But along with all the joy and celebration of the season, our family have been struggling with some difficult news.  Early last month, we learned that my dear father-in-law had a brain tumor. He has since had surgery to remove most of it.  The surgery went well.  He won that battle, but the war is not over.  We as a family are here for him and each other, as we realize there are tough days ahead of us.  We are strong and united.  The love, hope, and courage we share are going to help us get through this trying time.

One might think that this news put a damper on our holidays .  One may say that we couldn't possibly celebrate the joys of the season with this revelation looming over our heads.  But, then I might say, I guess you don't know my father-in-law.  He is a strong, happy, courageous man.  He celebrated his birthday, Christmas, and new year's eve in the same manner he has celebrated in previous years.  If anything, this Christmas was even more special than those of years passed.  We celebrated with every inch of our being.  We enjoyed each other's company and did not take for granted, not for one second, that we were all here, together, today, right now! 

This is how I want to begin this new year - feeling thankful for all of life's blessings, each and every day.  I don't want to take anyone or anything for granted.  Each morning, I am going to say THANK YOU!    Thank you for another day, another sunrise, another chance. 

 

 

Cheers!  To a fabulous new year!  Here's hoping all of our dreams come true!

 

 

 

Celebrating March Break With Mom & Daughters

It's Friday, the last day of March Break.  The girls and I have had an awesome week filled with sunshine, fun and adventures.  If you're a regular reader of my blog, you probably already know that my Mother came to spend the March Break with us.  She has been staying with us every March Break since we left Toronto and moved to Barrie; four consecutive years now.  She left for home, early this morning, back to her daily life waiting for her in Toronto. 

As usual, we loved having my Mom stay with us for a few days.  How I treasure these special times we spend together.  However, the day she leaves is always a melancholy day for both of us.   It's just so difficult to say goodbye.  It would be so much easier to stay in bed and let her leave without saying goodbye, but how could I not bid her farewell?  I choose to face it straight on and think of all the good times we shared, because those memories supersede the sad goodbyes.

These are my mother's hands; the giving hands of my dear Mom.

And here she is, Rosa, my Mom.  Every time she comes to visit, she gladly mends our clothing items that need fixing.  She is responsible for most of the mending and sewing of buttons at our house.  I am spoiled, and because of this, I am plain useless with a needle and thread.

  This photo of the girls and my Mom was taken on Tuesday.  We went thrift shop browsing that afternoon and then we went for a walk by Lake Simcoe, in downtown Barrie.  If you look closely, you can see the lake behind the trees.

We were blessed with a wonderful weather week.  Temperatures were mild and Spring-like and most of our days were filled with sunshine and blue skies! 

 

Annabel wearing her newly mended top and new tutu!

A brisk, early morning walk to our local coffee shop.  And guess what?  We heard robins chirping!

Last night, the girls made a special card for my Mom to take home with her today. 


I found this sweet poem about Mothers and Daughters.  I loved it and I thought you would enjoy reading it also...

Moms and Daughters

by Anonymous

You can see it in their eyes, in tender hugs and long good-byes, a love that only moms and daughters know. You can see it in their smiles, through passing years and changing styles, a friendship that continually seems to grow. You can see it in their lives, the joy each one of them derives, in just knowing that the other one is there... To care and to understand, lend an ear or hold a hand, and to celebrate the memories they share.



Stay tuned for my next post.  I'll be sharing this week's visit to the Maple Syrup Farm!  It was way too much for just one post. 

Although it already feels like Spring here, I am looking forward to its official arrival in just four days!  Isn't that exciting?  Enjoy the beautiful weekend and count your blessings!  xoxo

 

Family Day Weekend FUN!

Photos from our Family Day long weekend...

Early morning drive up north to Foot's Bay, Lake Joseph.

One advantage to leaving early in the morning is seeing the beautiful sun rise!

Packing our gear (fishing rods, tent, minnows, picnic, thermos, folding chairs) for the long walk across the ice

 Walking on water, frozen water, that is!  Here you can see Nuno, the girls, and some other Bass members who also came along, looking to find the perfect fishing spot.

Time for hot chocolate!

The girls making snow angels.

My snow angel figure! 

The first catch of the day is Nuno's!  He caught a nice lake trout.

Anita was next.  She caught another lake trout! 

And last, but not least, was Annabel!  Daddy helped her catch this smaller

lake trout.  She was so happy she caught a fish too!

It was a great day on the ice!  Sun, fun, family and fish!

This is a photo of an inukshuk (a stone landmark built by the Inuit or other people of the Arctic region of North America).  We saw many of these inukshuks on our drive to and from Lake Joseph, as the area consists of several Native Indian reserves.

This morning, I made a pancake breakfast, complete with crispy bacon and freshly-squeezed orange juice, with Nuno's help.  I thought it would be nice to celebrate today in lieu of tomorrow's Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras).  Tomorrow is a work/school day, so it made sense to have our pancakes on family day instead!  I refrigerated the leftover batter for the girls, so they can have pancakes again in the morning! 

Happy Mardi-Gras everyone!   I hope you all enjoy some pancakes on Fat Tuesday!  If you're too busy in the morning, you can have them for dinner instead!  It'll be fun - breakfast for dinner!