Thankful!

Our house is about a 10-minute drive from the center of Toronto, but our family is blessed to live on a property that backs onto woodlands. Our backyard backs onto the ravine system that winds through the urban landscape. It is genuinely like living in the country in the city.

As summer turns to fall, I look forward to the spectacular colors of the trees. There is one majestic maple tree that stands above the rest and is in full view from my bedroom window. It is the first to start changing colors in the fall and is my gentle reminder that winter is fast approaching. It also reminds me to be thankful as it is always extra showy during the week leading up to our Canadian Thanksgiving, which is this week.

Our Thanksgiving celebration will take place on October 11th this year and the preparations have begun. For many of us, the day revolves around a big dinner of turkey and all the fixings. As for myself, our oven stopped working recently and as it will not be fixed in time to cook the turkey, I have been researching how to cook a turkey on a barbecue grill. Luckily, we have a large grill and I have found a lot of information online on the subject, including from the manufacturer of the grill and from the Butterball turkey folks.

I’m looking forward to cooking my turkey outside this year. Who knows? This could be the start of a new tradition. I was also chatting with a friend who swears by the slow cooker method for cooking the stuffing/dressing that usually goes inside the bird, so I will most definitely try this.

If you read my last issue, you will remember that I am not a talented baker. Last year I made pumpkin pie from scratch, and although it was surprisingly good, my daughter told me that she preferred the store-bought pumpkin pie (she can be brutally honest with me), so this year it’s back to the store-bought stuff.

To be honest, I am really looking forward to this Thanksgiving Day being less about the food and more about being present and giving thanks.  

“Be present in all things and thankful for all.” – Maya Angelou
 
Your HomeStay Mom,