Dessert

I am fairly certain that Thanksgiving is my most favourite family celebration of the year. Don’t get me wrong, I love celebrating all the other big events and they do hold a special place in my heart, but Thanksgiving is different.

At Thanksgiving, the expectations are, well, to be thankful. To be full of gratitude and focus on the blessings regardless of how big or small. There is no expectation of gift giving, 4 weeks of celebration and a full social calendar, secret admirers or a bunny hiding treasures for the kids. While I do enjoy those aspects of the other big occasions that our family celebrates, I like the easy breezy, be happy with what you’ve got of Thanksgiving. Oh, and while you are at it, be generous with others and empty your cupboards for the local food drive.

The big family meal around the table is pretty fantastic as well. As is our family tradition, we have a full Thanksgiving spread complete with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes & a variety of veggies. To end our meal, pumpkin pie with whipped cream is the tradition.

My favourite pumpkin pie in the whole wide world is my Mother-in-law’s treasured family recipe. I have to admit that I’ve only made it a time or two, because I am clever enough to leave it to the expert. I asked her if it would be okay to share it with you here and she graciously agreed. Wishing you and your loved ones a Thanksgiving full of the things that really matter – friends, family and a thankful heart.

Pumpkin Pie

 ½ Can Pumpkin Pie Filling
2 Eggs & 3/4 cup Milk (mix together)
½ cup Sugar
Pinch of Salt
Mix above and pour into unbaked pie shell
Sprinkle Cinnamon on top

Bake at 425° for 15 min.
Reduce heat to 350° for 30-40 min
(done when inserted knife comes out clean)

P.S. My pie rule is that for the first type of pie for the season, be it pumpkin, apple or rhubarb, everyone is entitled to double servings and enough pie is made to accommodate. After that, one serving of pie after a meal is plenty. Enjoy!

The leaves are turning beautiful hues of orange, red & yellow. The apple trees are bursting with goodness, and Thanksgiving is right around the corner. While pumpkin pie ranks pretty high on my favourite fall dessert, apple crisp is getting my attention at the moment.
Why not consider adding a little homemade apple crisp to your Thanksgiving menu? I’ll even let you in on a little secret. My recipe contains less sugar than a typical recipe and also has the goodness of flax & pecans. I have been known on occasion to eat this dish for breakfast paired with a little Greek yogurt.

Apple Crisp

First Layer

5 or 6 large apples, peeled & sliced
Sprinkle with cinnamon & a dash of nutmeg

Crisp Topping

3 c old fashioned oats
½ c maple syrup
1/3 c light spelt flour
1/3 c melted coconut oil
¼ c ground flax seed
¼ c pecan pieces
¼ tsp sea salt

Place apples in 8″x 8″ pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon & nutmeg. Combine crisp ingredients in a bowl and evenly spread over top of apples. Bake for 40 minutes at 375°F. Enjoy!

Wishing you and your family a blessed Thanksgiving. May both your hearts and bellies be full.

Happy Canada Day. Every year I am grateful for the country I live in. I am fully aware and mean no disrespect to those reeling from the recent residential school discoveries. As a country, we still have a long way to go in regards to reconciling both past and present atrocities against Indigenous peoples. This cannot be overlooked one second longer! We can and must do better. But this year more than ever, I am proud of us as Canadians for enduring one of the most challenging years we have had to collectively face in this century. I think we can agree that this past year has left us all feeling a little tattered and torn in at least one way or another. We miss our friends and family. We long to travel with ease. And, while those things are all on the horizon, I think it is important to find value and gratitude in the moment we currently find ourselves in.

It is with this in mind that I encourage you to find 3 things to be grateful for right here, right now. I’ll start.

My family – While there have been times this past year that I wanted to find a little unknown nook or cranny in my house to hide from everyone, I am so incredibly grateful for my family. We have stuck by each other, supported one another and driven each other a little crazy. By the way, there is no unknown nook or cranny in my house, trust me, I’ve thoroughly looked…a few times.

My friends – While I miss sipping tea together in my living room, or sharing a meal around my dining table, we have become really good at staying connected through backyard visits, sending surprises in the mail and online video chats. We have figured out how to play games where the delay of video chatting only added to the silliness of it all. These are good people and I am blessed to have them in my circle.

Strawberries – This may sound a little trite, but it is true. Good food is something to be absolutely grateful for. Strawberries are a definite highlight for me as we celebrate the deliciousness of the season. Years ago while working full-time in childcare, one of the children proudly exclaimed that strawberries are like the candy of fruit. I couldn’t agree more! As we prepare to celebrate Canada Day, why not celebrate with some fresh & local strawberries? While you are at it, throw in a handful or two of rhubarb!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

3 c strawberries, diced
3 c chopped rhubarb
1 tsp cinnamon
1 c old fashioned oats
1/3 c spelt flour
2 tbsp flax seed, ground
1/2 c raw cane sugar
1/3 c. melted coconut oil or butter

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9″ x 13″ pan with coconut oil or butter. Place fruit in bottom of pan & sprinkle with cinnamon – feel free to use more cinnamon if you wish! In a mixing bowl, combine oats, spelt flour, flax seed, sugar & melted oil or butter. Spread oat mixture on top of fruit. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Serve with a dollop of freshly whipped cream. Enjoy!