A luxury yacht cuts through the water, slowly moving up False Creek readying to dock at the marina.  I watch it out my window.  The rain hasn’t stopped since yesterday and it falls in that typical misty weeping we get in Autumn.  I wonder where they’re coming from; whale watching on Howe Sound?  Perhaps up the coast from foggy Seattle?. Maybe they’re returning from a week long journey from the Northern inside passage. The Pacific Northwest is a haven for the adventurous spirit.

It’s Thanksgiving Day for our friends to the South.  For me, it’s an ordinary day off although that doesn’t mean the food will be ordinary.  In honour of Thanksgiving I’ve got a nice piece of buttery turkey slow roasting in the oven.  I’ll slice it into chunks and add it to my Leek and Mushroom pie for dinner, a favourite dish on a grey day.  The recipe I follow is by chef Jamie Oliver and it’s quite simple: turkey, leeks, sage, creme fraiche.  I add mushrooms because they are in abundance at this time of year and I like their grounding flavour; like the mossy forest floor they’re born from.

Wedding gifts have been pouring in all week and the home feels like Christmas.  Today we received 3 deliveries and we’re enjoying clearing out some of the older plates and appliances we had for the new.  I did a little shopping this morning in the village then stopped in at Nook for takeaway spinach pizza and a salad loaded with chickpeas, radiccio, sundried tomatoes and arugula for a “light” lunch before the comfort food later.  Last weekend I installed fairy lights in the kitchen and found a shorter strand at the shops today and got them for the bar.  I love to dim the lights when the sun sets after 4pm, light candles and turn them on.  It’s very Hyggelig.

I found this version of Silent Night in Tanya Burr’s Christmas book and have added it to my repertoire of piano carols. I can’t sit still for very long so in between chores or while something is baking, I play.

This morning I made us a pot of porridge with fresh sliced apples, almond milk and cinnamon. Seth set himself up with blankets and pillows on the couch for a day long Football marathon.  I watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade which was streaming on Youtube and caught up on my Christmas Card writing.  I finished them all, sealed and stamped and ready to go.  I won’t send them out until December 1st.  Everyone always says mine is the first card they get each year.  But they know me and my love for the season.

Wishing all my friends in the United States a very happy blessed Thanksgiving.  The oven just beeped which means my turkey is ready.  I’ll run a warm bubble bath and soak for an hour before I start supper.  For the recipe to the turkey leek pie, I’ll leave you the link here.  This is a great one to make when you have leftovers.  You can even add a little leftover stuffing to it if you wish.

https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/turkey-recipes/turkey-and-sweet-leek-pie/#y0GS8JE6kyQj6xbo.32

Until next time.

Love,

Jennifer