Canadian Thanksgiving!

[LPBeier]

I know my American friends here are anxiously awaiting your "Turkey Day" next month. However, my Canadian counterparts and I are getting ready for this weekend. Our Thanksgiving is the second Monday in October, as in this Monday, the 11th!

We celebrated with my sister last weekend, in combination with my birthday); however, we are having DH's parents over on Sunday.

Since everyone is more of a ham fan than turkey, I am going to do a shank coated in a mixture of brown sugar, cloves and dry mustard. I am going to do scalloped potatoes, peas and glazed carrots. My MIL is bringing a salad and buns. Dessert is going to be a banana split ice cream pie!

Any other Canucks out there with holiday plans?

 

[Andy M.]

Happy Thanksgiving!

Your dinner sounds delicious.

 

[4meandthem]

Happy Thanksgiving!
A meal like that is almost worth putting up with your MIL! J/K!

 

[LPBeier]

Happy Thanksgiving!
A meal like that is almost worth putting up with your MIL! J/K!

I actually get along really well with mine....at least since she finally forgave me for eloping with her son! (I still don't think she really believes it was HIS idea!).

 

[Selkie]

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Are there any traditional pies associated with Canadian Thanksgiving?

 

[4meandthem]

I actually get along really well with mine....at least since she finally forgave me for eloping with her son! (I still don't think she really believes it was HIS idea!).

I do too! I got the better deal in the In-Laws dept.

 

[LPBeier]

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Are there any traditional pies associated with Canadian Thanksgiving?

What, you don't think banana split ice cream pie is traditional enough?

Pumpkin and apple pies are quite standard this time of year. As is the turkey (or ham), stuffing, all the trimmings, just like south of our border.

Are there any other Canadians out there? Alix? Ella?

 

[Selkie]

My family, from the upper midwest, never has been drawn in to the "traditional" Thanksgiving fare. For more than one hundred years now, family gatherings are marked by oyster dressing, scalloped corn and gooseberry pie. This year I'm modifying it and baking a combined sour cherry and gooseberry pie, a recipe I found from about 1920.

Yes, it's tart, but in a good way with a lattice top and nice, sweet syrup made from stevia (0 carbs, 0 calories, 0 sugars).

So, I was just wondering whether your family looked forward to something "less traditional" but traditional for your particular family?

 

[Barbara L]

...Dessert is going to be a banana split ice cream pie!...

You couldn't mention this a little earlier? We're going to have to drive like maniacs now!

...Are there any other Canadians out there? Alix? Ella?

They're busy shopping for Thanksgiving dinner!

Barbara

 

[LPBeier]

My family has always gone for ham or roast beef at Thanksgiving rather than turkey. Turkey is reserved for Christmas and sometimes Easter. My mother used to have a trio of desserts spanning the family heritage - apple pie, pumpkin pie and trifle (not a Thanksgiving tradition anywhere I know)

My DH's family, with a German background, have turkey, but add wonderful items such as purple sauerkraut with bacon and plum kuchen for dessert.

I love the sound of your sour cherry and gooseberry pie!

 

[Selkie]

Oh, Plum Kruchen, what a wonderful dessert!

I really prefer unusual desserts to the typical chocolate cake or sundae.

 

[Alix]

Sorry! I was busy getting a haircut and doing "friend stuff" today as it was my only day off this week!

Our dinner will be Sunday night and we will be having:
turkey (brined and stuffed with boring old bread stuffing)
potatoes (mashed if I am lazy or roasted if I feel inspired)
proscuitto wrapped asparagus
zucchini (maybe)
spaghetti squash (baked and tossed with EVOO and oregano and tomatoes)
Salad (either coleslaw or green)
pumpkin pie (MIL is providing this as it makes me gag)
apple pie, chocolate tart or chocolate peanut butter pie..not sure which yet

Oh and did I mention wine? Mmmmmmm!

 

[buckytom]

happy thanksgiving to my favourite 2 canucks, alix and lp!!! and of course all of the rest of you hockey loving nuts.

i'm curious, what are the origins of canadian thanksgiving? is it simply a spin off of our more southern american tradition, or is it based on it's own holiday/traditions?

 

[Alix]

It is not at all related. It is a harvest tradition and I believe it was based on a similar tradition in England, but I could be mistaken about that.

Edit: Thank BT! Its going to be fun!

 

[buckytom]

ok, from a little reasearch, it seems canadian thanksgiving is based on a few different events that are truely seperate, but in practice, interestingly similar to ours in the u.s..

initially, it was modeled after a feast that was given by martin frobisher, an english explorer who gave thanks to god for having survived a long journey trying to find a northern passage to the orient, eventually creating a successful settlement in newfoundland.

next, the french explorers who made it to canada also had a feast of thanks for having survived the trip, and they shared their bounty with the native tribes they associated with.

when the seven years war ended, the residents of halifax had a feast of thanksgiving, presumably to celebrate a peaceful future.

during the american revolution, the cowards still loyal to england who tucked tail and ran to canada brought the u.s. tradition of a feast of thanksgiving along with them. i guess they were thankful for not getting their butts whooped, lol.

finally, somewhere between 1879 and 1931, all of these traditions were combined into one feast of thanksgiving for having a bountiful harvest, and creating the great sport known as hockey.

ok, i added that last bit.

go devils!!!!

 

[LPBeier]

Thanks, BuckyT for reminding me of my Grade 10 History class! And also for the heartfelt wishes.

Now I have to go check to see if my Canucks jersey is ready for tomorrow's game. Just hope they have decided on a captain by game time!

 

[Claire]

What is it with Canuks and ham? Don't get me wrong, I love ham. But my father's family are very close to their French-Canadian roots (in his family, everyone older than him was born in small towns in Quebec province) and I swear, they'd all rather eat ham than anything else. Oh, I think I get it. Their home town was, I think, Ham Nord. But, really, you want to make Daddy or any of his siblings truly happy, even cheap ham from a can or chopped ham sandwich meat will do it. Boil it with potatoes, onions, carrots, parsnips, and turnips and you'll send them all to heaven.

 

[lyndalou]

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you living in Canada, and ex-pats, too. We lived in Northern New York for most of our lives and loved visiting your beautiful country.

I think Thanksgiving dinner should be whatever you love and your heritage dictates. We will do a traditional American Thanksgiving next month, at our daughter's in Ithaca New York. Thanksgiving Day is her 50th birthday this year, so we will have a great time.

Christmas Eve, (coming too soon. Tempus fugit) I will make Canadian meat pie and a wonderful potato salad. Anything goes on Christmas Day.

Have a great weekend.

Lyndalou

 

[GB]

Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you all have a great time.

 

[Zhizara]

Happy Thanksgiving to all you Canadians.

Since so many of you prefer other meats on your Thanksgiving, maybe you could give some thought to having a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner. We have so many wonderful traditional dishes for this feast, I wouldn't want you to miss out. I realize our Thanksgiving day is on a work day for you, but perhaps the following weekend. So many of our dishes are made with fall harvest vegetables.