What’s On Your Plate Blog Challenge – Thankful For The Harvest Edition

On By Widow BadassIn Adventures in Food, What's On Your Plate

Last month, we celebrated Thanksgiving at my little place – my first (and hopefully not the last) formal-ish dinner since I moved to this property. I was a little worried about people’s comfort – squeezing 5 people around a small round table, but it all worked out.

Thanksgiving for my family is not about the fairy story of the Natives helping the invaders colonizers white Europeans survive and sharing food with them and everyone co-existing happily ever after. I think that’s more of an American thing. I don’t know what the origins of Canadian Thanksgiving are. Maybe we saw what our neighbours were doing and thought: Hey, an autumn feast is a great idea but let’s move it up so it’s not so close to Christmas, OK? I dunno. For us it’s a simple celebration of the season’s bounty and feeling thankful for all that we have – food on the table, a warm house, friends and family.

The table set-up.

I had invited Donna and Richard to join Jemma, Kevin and I for dinner. Of course Bowser was there – and I had cooked the giblets from the turkey just for him!

But first, appetizers!

Bowser: Did someone say cheese? Photo by Donna
Close-up of appetizer tray I put together.

I’m so glad I invited Donna – not only because she is a great friend, but because she remembers to take photos!!! 🤣

And she brought her fabulous homemade cranberry sauce (pictured above with the gravy and the cut up turkey). I couldn’t steal find the recipe on her blog so you’ll have to ask her for it, if interested! Photo by Donna
The sides: Mashed potatoes made by Jemma and Kevin, stuffing flavoured with sage and onions from my garden, squash from my garden, and green and yellow pole beans from my garden. Celebrating the harvest in a very personal way! Photo by Donna
I didn’t make a trifle this time, but I did make a loaf of our favourite rustic bread.
Two desserts also graced the table: a gluten-free pumpkin pie (and the best I’ve ever tasted!) from Wild Poppy Bakery in Ladysmith, and gluten-free Oreo cheesecake bites (made by me from a recipe in Costco magazine – basically the same as Donna’s recipe here). Photo by Donna
And here’s proof we all fit around the table. Photo by Donna

Please check out Donna’s post here, where she blogs about another October celebration – Halloween!

And please feel free to join us, either in the Comments or by joining the Link Party, or both!

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Rock on,

The WB

20 thoughts on “What’s On Your Plate Blog Challenge – Thankful For The Harvest Edition”

  3. hilarymb

    Hi Deb – it does look very warm and cosy … with delicious looking food to accompany your very happy guests … and Bowser of course. Well done – and great you’ve got so many veggies from the garden – cheers Hilary

    Reply

  4. Hi, Deb – I absolutely adore this post. It is the reason that I first began blogging — to preserve memories that I hold dear.
    I believe that Canadian Thanksgiving originated in giving thanks for safe journeys, bountiful harvests, and peace. Being super nerdy (I know you would expect nothing less), English explorer Martin Frobisher is credited with the first Canadian Thanksgiving celebration in the late 1500s. After his fleet safely landed in Newfoundland, Frobisher and his men held a ceremony to give thanks to God for their deliverance. Like you, our family has always focused on gratitude for the plentitude in our lives, and the prayer for peace.
    Oh, and that apple-cranberry sauce recipe can be found here: https://www.spoonfulofflavor.com/apple-cranberry-sauce-recipe/

    Reply

  5. Canadian Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for the bountiful harvest. Which yours was, and isn’t it awesome to put your own food on the table? Did you grow Kombachi squash again? That one has such a rich, deep colour. Hmm,…pumpkin pie any way you serve it is amazing.

    Reply

    1. I did grow kabocha squash again. My first planting failed due to the long cold spring but I tried again and had better success. I only harvested them a couple of weeks ago and 🤞 they had enough time to mature. I’ll be trying one tonight. Thanks, Bernie 💕

      Reply

      1. I was certain I had spelled it wrong 🤣🙄. Enjoy. I just can’t grow anything in the squash family out here and yet our neighbour a couple of miles south of us just gave me a huge Butternut squash and 3 spaghetti squash.

        Reply
  8. debscarey

    How lovely Deb, that looks not only absolutely yummy, but also a proper bountiful harvest from your garden – nice work 🙂

    Reply

  9. Deb, I often wondered what your Canadian Thanksgiving stood for and I wish we could move ours up a bit. 🙂
    I love your beautiful feast; the table is perfect for a cozy group of friends and family. I’m not even a little surprised that Bowser also had a main course to enjoy. Lovely to have a friend like Donna who not only brings yummy things to eat, but has her camera at the ready.

    Reply

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