My family has been fortunate enough to find an ex-pat Canadian community here. Yesterday was spent in the home of some Canadian ‘family’, celebrating Thanksgiving. The wife of the couple seemed a little worn out and said ‘no more!’ - so perhaps I’ll be able to put it on next year. I love doing the big dinners, as evidenced by our annual Dope-The-Halls party in December.
What did you do for Thanksgiving? Did you travel or stay home? Do you do the cooking? What sort of traditions do you follow?
Happy Thanksgiving! I have had a delicious turkey sandwich for lunch.
We did the dinner yesterday. It was a very quiet day in the neighbourhood. I cooked the turkey, did stuffing and made the gravy. A turkey in the oven has got to be one of the very best smells in the world. Then we went over to my husband’s cousin’s house, bringing the fowl and attendant foodstuffs. She did mashed potatoes, foccacia bread, brocolli and cheese sauce, carrots, and Brussels sprouts. Before dinner, I took their little girls for a walk with our dog Clover. It was such a perfect autumn late afternoon, and we walked up to Government House, under oak and chesnut trees, the world all peaceful, with the rich, earthy, wet smells of autumn. There’s a funny little one-way winding street along the grounds that is like walking up the approach to a castle. We went into the grounds of Government House and smelled all the late-blooming roses and looked at the other unusual flowers still in bloom. The girls picked up petals and talked about everything, as little ones do. Then we’d earned an appetite for dinner, which was delicious. I was too full for pumpkin pie. Then Emma (6) and I went for another walk with the dog, and the moon was big and bright and shining, and it was also very good.
Today is warm and sunny–very nice for October. I have a huge pot on the stove with the turkey carcass bubbling away for soup. It’s going to be a pleasant domestic day, with dishes, laundry and such being done, all the while the house is re-scented with savoury turkey smells. I’m going to go out the back later and play with rocks and dirt, as I’m trying to do some landscaping back there. I hope I get some writing and guitar-playing in later, too.
Oh, holidays are nice.
That’s what I neglected to mention. I had the carcass given to me to make soup, so YAY turkey soup!
The wife and I just stayed home yesterday and did the usual Thanksgiving thing: Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and beans. With the leftovers we’re going to have some nice turkey sandwiches tonight. I loves me some turkey sandwiches.
We were both invited over to her parents’ place for the holiday, and they usually have a pretty good spread, but I’m just getting over a cold and the wife still has hers so we weren’t much in the mood to be going out to family functions. Or dysfunctions as often seems to be the case at those sort of gatherings. We sort of prefer our holidays quiet and intimate anyway. Except Christmas, which is always a family affair.
I wasn’t saying no more to no more Thanksgiving. It was no more to the total control the husband puts over the thing, where he makes the guest list in toto, and I may not add to it one whit (until AFTER the day has started, and he’s grateful for me for doing the cooking). If I suggest we include anyone he hasn’t invited, he freaks. I felt so lucky to have met you guys through him, and to also be friends with you, so there was someone at my Thanksgiving who I actually connect with, and who doesn’t sit in the other room and speak urdu while the husband hangs out with his work buddies, and I just cook.
Thank you for coming and for all the help and support. I’m sorry somkey the neighbor sucked. At least she wasn’t there for long.
And I was a bit worn out with the many non Thanksgiving related stuff that’s been going down lately.
That said, If you can convince the husband to give up his tradition of having all his work friends (and other approved by him guests), I’d happily come to a Thanksgiving hosted by you.
We’re a little atypical, I suppose, but we like it that way.
My wife and I have had a great long weekend. We’ve spent an evening seeing some friends, we found a great used bookstore, we’ve caught up with the gang at the local pub. We’re going to have a nice dinner tonight, just the two of us.
We really can’t have a family Thanksgiving–hers lives in the US, where it isn’t Thanksgiving anyway; and most of mine is in eastern Canada, a couple of thousand miles away. We’re fine with this; like Mindfield, we like quiet and intimate holidays anyway. And besides, between her business travel schedule and my studying, a long weekend at home for just the two of us is something to be very thankful for indeed.
Hope everyone is enjoying their Thanksgiving, no matter how you like to spend it!
If we could come up with a holiday for Mexico and its seven southern neighbors to celebrate, today, we could shut down every bank in North America.
As long as the gravy is right, then Thanksgiving is good. I don’t know about you Canadians, but here in Amurrka, if the gravy’s not right then might as well throw everything out. I say we come clean and call the day what it really is, Gravy Day.
Happy Thanksgiving Canadian Dopers!
The gravy was excellent. 
The first time I made gravy, I had no idea what I was doing, so I did what I’d seen my mother do: put the roasting pan on top of the stove, turn the burner on. Add a bit of water and start boiling away, stirring up all the bits stuck to the bottom. Put some flour and water and salt and pepper (fresh ground for me) into a jar and shake vigorously. Dribble into pan, whilst stirring. Stir and taste, stir and taste. If it’s too thick and intense, add water.
So that’s what I do. Sure, it’s got some lumps in it, but they’re little lumps and they’re tasty!
My sister and I did the Thanksgiving thing yesterday…but instead of turkey we ordered Thai food. We spent the rest of the evening watching tv. (such exciting lives!)
Beautiful day today, so I went outside and did some yard work.
<<burp>>
Wishing a safe and happy holiday to our friends in the north.
I’m glad to see so many people not wasting the turkey carcass. I’m in the USA, and each November, at our Thanksgiving, my family saves the bones and stuff too. Brown 'em in the oven a bit, throw 'em in a pot with water and some more onion and celery, then set to slow simmer for a long time. Strain the broth, let it chill, pull off the fat, and voila! Some of the best broth around!
Indeed, the gravy is absolutely vital. My wife’s parent’s tend to make a rather thin, tasteless gravy, and while we’ll occasionally do Thanksgiving there as a matter of politics, I look forward only to the turkey leftovers, which make excellent sandwiches. The gravy might as well not be there.
On the other hand I made some very tasty gravy for the bird this weekend if I do say so myself. And that’s really what it’s all about because let’s face it, thanksgiving dinner without buckets of good gravy all over the meat, potatoes and stuffing just ain’t thanksgiving dinner.
I did not know about browning the bones in the oven. Hm. I will try that next time.
What’s your best tip for pulling off the fat?
The easiest way to get rid of the fat is to place the entire pot in the refrigerator overnight, then scoop off the fat after it solidifies.
Yep, that’s what I do. Although, there usually isn’t too much fat on the bird.
Ah, then I’ve been doing it right. The whole stock gets jellied when chilled, but there is the much whiter layer at the very top. I take that off with a spoon, and leave the darker, jellied stock alone.
So the stock’s pretty much done–it’s been bubbling and simmering all day. Trouble is, my stock pot won’t fit in the fridge, and putting it outside means an open invitation to the many and varied critters in the neighbourhood and woods. So once again, I am going to end up putting the stock pot on the passenger seat of my car overnight. It’s going to be a clear and cold night. Well, cold for Victoria.
Except I just realised since I have to go back to work tomorrow, I can’t leave the stock pot in my car. For one thing, it will warm up during the day, and for the other, my car will smell like turkey soup. I guess I’ll put it into smaller containers in the fridge until tomorrow night, which will be soup-making night.
I should have planned this stuff for a weekend, but I didn’t want the turkey carcass taking up a bunch of room in the fridge.
I want a bigger, nicer fridge.
The human body was not meant to eat 3 Thanksgiving meals in 3 days. I need to go to the gym tomorrow for at least 2 hours, just to feel normal again.
Ugh.
It was a very special day for me and my family… our FIRST Canadian Thanksgiving!
We were invited over to a neighbours house -along with another family- and 12 of us sat down for a large meal. It was nice.
I tried to ignore the fact I was in pain from the accident and loopy from pain killers, but it was a good night.
Sadly, I’ll miss out on leftovers and my yearly curry rice turkey soup. However, my wife said she’d get a turkey on sale and cook it next week. Making the soup is always my favourite thanksgiving time event.