Seth and I were married last Saturday in the snowy mountain village of Whistler BC.  This was where we took our first weekend trip as a new couple almost 5 years ago.  I could never go to Whistler in the Summer though. For me it holds all the warm memories of the scenic drive along the Sea to Sky Highway, the inlet a deep navy and whited capped;  islands jutting from the icy waters and arriving at the Four Seasons with it’s signature cedar wood-fire scent and spiced apple cider at check in.

At Christmastime it’s especially festive with company sponsored trees lining the hallways and jazzy tunes in the lounge.

We arrived at 3pm on the Thursday before the wedding, singing along to Michael Buble’s Christmas album along the way. After a little unpacking in the room we headed down for a late lunch and wine tasting held at 4pm daily in the SideCut lounge.  I was in the mood for comfort food after our drive and had a delicious French Onion soup, a recipe I’ve been meaning to perfect being it is by far one of my favourites.  We love oysters too so we started with that and an amaretto sour for me and bourbon sour for Seth.

Some of our family and friends had begun to arrive in the Village later that day so we made a date to meet them for drinks and dinner. It was a cold walk over to the restaurant , the Christmas lights and snow on the ground transformed Whistler into a Who-Ville like magical place.

As the big day drew near-er, Friday was filled with activities; our wedding rehearsal followed by dinner with the entire immediate family – all 46 of us.  We gathered at the Pizzeria Antico for an Italian inspired feast, a throw back to our dream trip last Summer.  Saturday morning we awoke at 9am. As soon as we saw the snow gently falling outside our window, we knew the day was going to be perfect, and perfect it was.  We kissed our last boyfriend and girlfriend kiss and Seth headed over to his brother and best man’s place to get ready only to meet again after my father walked me down the aisle. Everything went off without a glitch and a week later we’re still getting notes and comments from family and guests about how much fun they had.

Sunday was a lazy morning for us.  We took a walk in the village as the snow fell and found a cute Italian bistro for lunch.  Monday we grabbed a warm holiday Starbucks drink and made the 2 hour drive back home. By the time we got to Squamish however, the snow had disappeared and the rain fell as we neared the coast.

Every December 1st Seth and I have the tradition of going out to buy our tree.  We come home and put on some Christmas music, pop open a bottle of prosecco or bailey’s and decorate the house.  On this day we usually gift each other an ornament for the tree. This year we read each other’s minds it seems and got each other an ornament to commemorate the date.

So I’m a married woman now.  What do married women do?  Today, nothing! After the wedding we still had family from out of town who wanted to spend time with us so the dinners and parties didn’t end until yesterday – one week after the wedding.  We ended all the festivities with an ugly Christmas sweater party.  Originally a British tradition, we’ve adopted happily and people everywhere don their tackiest sweaters and head out to a local pub or house party to enjoy a good glass of eggnog and last night, my cinammon-y goodness apple pie.

Jenn’s Caramel Apple Pie Filling

I doubled up on my recipe because I was making 2 pies for the party but ended up with enough filling to vacuum seal a batch for another pie.

You Will Need:

6 medium apples peeled, cored and chopped into cubes

1 cup of dark brown sugar

2 Tblsp of flour

1 tsp of powdered cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp salt

1 Tblsp vanilla extract

1/2 a stick of butter

1/4 cup of water

1/2 lemon

2-4  frozen pie shells

To Make:

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees

If you’re using frozen pie shells,  pull them out of the freezer and let thaw on the counter for 15 minutes at least before using.

Peel, chop and core the apples and place in a large bowl.  Squeeze lemon over top and mix to avoid oxidizing.  It also gives the apples an extra tart flavour.

In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt then set aside.

On medium high heat, place a medium pot then melt the stick of butter.  Add the sugar and cinnamon etc. and mix to melt.  Add the water and vanilla extract and stir.  Bring to a low bubble then remove from heat.

Save 1/4 cup of the mixture to brush over the top of the pie.  Pour the rest of the mixture over the apples and mix.

Add the apples to the pie shell.  Cover the top with another shell and cut an X into the top to help release steam.   Brush the top of the pie with the caramel mixture and pop in the oven for 10 minutes.   After 10 minutes lower the heat to 350 and back for 50 minutes.

Wish I had a slice right now!

The afternoon is winding down, I’ve lit all the fairy lights and candles.  Tonight it’s tacos for dinner dressed with avocado, grated cheese and sour cream and maybe a Winter inspired movie.  I’m going to put on The Adventure of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, cozy under a blanket and dream of Christmas.

Thanks for joining me today.

Stay warm,

Jennifer