Thanksgiving.
Or how some people like to phrase it, Canadian Thanksgiving, was celebrated across the country this weekend!
It was the first time in years that we enjoyed a family holiday with my Sis and her family. It was amazing! I have my fingers crossed that one of these days we will have Ninja’s Bro, Sis, my Bro, and Sis, Ninja’s parents, my Dad and all my nieces and nephew will be able to join us to celebrate the holidays! I don’t think that has ever happened. Not even for our wedding! I have faith though and I believe it will, someday.
Until then I will be thankful for what I have 💛 I have so much to be grateful for.
Having my Sis, my brother-in-law, and my 2 nieces here is a total game changer! The past month has been difficult and my Sis has been my rock. Even though I know that the difficult times aren’t over, I know she is here and just knowing that, makes me feel stronger 💛. Just doing simple things like babysitting the Girls, going to a charcuterie workshop, a hike up Munson mountain, lunch and a movie, or a phone call in the same time zone has been ridiculously incredible. Having my Sister/best friend here is something that I am very very grateful for.
Ninja has been enjoying getting to know our BIL so much more as well! I mean, he’s a fantastic guy so we have always gotten along with him but it’s always been at a distance. A total of 10 days a year so you don’t really get to know each other as well as you would like. Not anymore! Listening to them laugh together tickles me pink!
Don’t even get me started on the Girls! SBean and SweetPea are best friends. Like inseparable Besties! SPea came over Friday to be babysat while my Sis and BIL went out for her birthday dinner… she didn’t leave until Monday afternoon! NOT that we are complaining 💕. Not only did SBean cry when SPea had to go home but they didn’t fight once! They are like 2 peas in a pod. They go together like peanut butter and jelly 🤣. Even CabbagePatch and HBear are tight! The 4 year old looks up to the 12 year old so much and they have a great time reading, playing, and having sleepovers too!
On Sunday as I tossed the carrots and Brussel sprouts and Ninja basted the turkey I let all the sounds of the evening wash over me. 4 Girls running through the living room on the way downstairs all giggling uproariously, my MIL and FIL were telling travel stories to my BIL while my Dad and his GF chatted with my Sis. It was a weekend that I had been dreaming about for so long and this Thanksgiving, it finally became a reality!
I am very thankful. I hope you all had as wonderful of a Thanksgiving as I did 💛.
Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Episode #245: The Answer is Turkey HERE! This week it’s (Canadian) Thanksgiving! Topics: men, Indian food, Facebook, bloody nose, vacuum fire, house warming gift, round-about parking, Thanksgiving, SOW, music for everyone & being 12.
I was going to share my Thanksgiving recipes with you but I was too tipsy to remember to take pictures! 😂 Ninja wanted to make a Thanksgiving cocktail with our afternoon appetizers of crackers, dips, and bubbly brie cheese! This cocktail was delicious! I’m not normally a bourbon drinker but he made me a believer! To make a great cocktail takes a few steps. Now that Ninja makes us a cocktail every week for our podcast, he has become great at making his own delicious simple syrups, they add so much to a great craft cocktail! The night before dinner Ninja whipped up a batch of cinnamon simple syrup and the morning of our Thanksgiving dinner he sugared the cranberries for a garnish! When you add them all together you get a delicious Cinnamon Cranberry Bourbon Smash! Enjoy!
1 cup water
1/2 (12 ounce) bag fresh cranberries, washed
Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Do not boil. Stir in cranberries and stir to coat all cranberries.
Let cranberries dry for 1 hour. After one hour, roll cranberries in remaining sugar until completely coated.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Cinnamon Simple Syrup
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup water
1 cinnamon stick
pinch of ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Heat the sugar, water, cinnamon stick and cinnamon in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a simmer and then turn off the heat. Let it cool completely then stir in the vanilla extract. You can make this a day or two ahead of time and store it in the fridge!
Cinnamon Cranberry Bourbon Smash
crushed ice for your glass
1 to 2 ounces cinnamon simple syrup (see above)
3 to 4 ounces cranberry juice
1 to 2 ounces bourbon
1 to 2 ounces soda water
cinnamon sticks for garnish
sugared cranberries for garnish (see above)
To make the drink, fill a glass with crushed ice. Stir together the syrup, cranberry and bourbon. Pour it over the ice.
Top the drink the soda water and garnish with a cinnamon stick and sugared cranberries.
This week we received the most thoughtful and amazing housewarming gift from my CharleswoodBesty! She reminded us of our roots with beautifully framed art work with maps of the neighbourhoods that Ninja and I grew up in! St. James and Lindenwoods will always be in our hearts and NOW they are also in our office 💛. This weekend the Girls joined me every day for the BESTEST morning cuddles and I went grocery shopping the day before Thanksgiving. NEVER AGAIN 😂. The Girls played LOL dress up, and made turkey cupcakes!
Wishing you ALL a very Happy Thanksgiving and many blessing for the holiday season.
