I understood Canadian Thanksgiving was coming up. I really did. There are pumpkins in the stores, turkeys in supermarket coolers and every time I look at a Pinterest board there's something made out of straw and burlap staring back at me.
Also, it's right there on the calendar. The problem is I didn't check the calendar. I just sort of based my knowledge of "thanksgiving is coming up" on the general idea that I feel stupid wearing shorts and flip flops into the grocery store, so it must be coming up soon.
What I didn't realize was it was coming up this weekend. I need to shove some bread crumbs up a turkey's ass and QUICK. I'm not really sure why we have turkey for Thanksgiving. I've never met anyone who really loves turkey. It's almost always dry, doesn't have a lot of flavour and takes all day to cook. It's like the fruitcake of the meat world.
But surround it with cranberry sauce, stuffing, mashed potatoes and an embarrassing amount of farting and waddling and there you have it. The annual Thanksgiving dinner.
Since I am the one who hosts my family's Thanksgiving dinner every year I need to get going on it. S.T.A.T.! (Start Thanksgiving Activities Todayish.)
The table is set. I have that much going for me. Well that and naturally curly hair. Huh. Now that I think of it, that's actually Frieda, the least popular character from the Charlie Brown cartoons.
This year I went with a rustic, dark, moody feeling. Warm and cozy. Like an autumn Thanksgiving should be.
The table has a rough burlap runner down the centre with a piece of hardwood on top of that. When dinner is served, the arrangement will get removed and all the dishes of food can go right on the board.
There's even more layering with cutting boards on top of the wood board. This one is my favourite from Cattails.
One of the things I'm most excited about is the fact that all of the food served will have been harvested from my garden. Everything. (aside from the poor Turkey) I'm serving a classic Thanksgiving dinner with side dishes that are slightly elevated. Just a little bit. For fun. Elevated as in "churched up". Not elevated as in levitating.
Ground cherries will be scattered on the table.
And there will be bowls and jars of my kosher dill pickles which turned out DELICIOUS. I've eaten 3 jars already myself. Which is all kinds of wrong but all kinds of right.
I'm expecting the black sea salt to be a hit. Mainly because it looks so good on the table. Weird little things like using black salt in a black dish are what bring the whole moody table together.
So if you're wondering about how to do your Thanksgiving table (either this weekend or next month) pick some sort of theme. It could be something as literal as classic American Thanksgiving, a crisp black and white theme, or something a bit more esoteric like a mood. If you aren't feeling all that imaginative, just open a magazine or look at a blog and copy it. That'll take all the guess work out and make it way easier. Which leaves more time for making more stuffing. You can never have enough stuffing. Ever.
Of course, if there are those out there who are frightened of black salt, there will also be white.
The dishes are round matte black dinner plates that I found at my local thrift store. I got the whole set including lunch plates and bowls for $9.
The salt dishes were on clearance at The Keeping Room, I bought the vintage cutlery (that I've been LOOKING FOR for ages) from a local reader! Thanks Cornelia!
Betty made the napkins, and half of the flowers in the arrangement are from my community garden plot. I planted the Amaranths in the spring specifically to use in my Thanksgiving arrangement. Normally I'd *think* about doing that and then promptly forget all about it. For some reason, I didn't. I suspect I forgot something much more important.
Well, like when Thanksgiving is, for instance.
This is one of two tables that will be set. The other one will be one room over, in my front hall, so the 12 or so people (it's up to 15 now) can fit comfortably. Plus the foyer is the perfect spot to sit people I don't really like. I'll tell them they're in the foyer because it's away from the mess of the kitchen and because they're my favourites I wanted to seat them there.
For your table to have an actual harvest feel, put food on it! Don't just put out pretty decorations and arrangements. And like I said, once the dinner is served the big arrangement in the centre will be moved away, and the food will make its way in on old, rustic stoneware and enamel platters.
The total cost of the arrangement was $27 for the ornamental cabbages and miniature red snapdragons. The lime green trailing flowers and the tall burgundy flowers are from my garden.
Every year I do this and every year it's the same. I think I can keep it together. I think that things will go smoothly. It will be a restful, warm and inviting Thanksgiving with my family close. We'll all enjoy the food, the kitchen will not become a disaster and the night will end with us crowding around the fireplace singing Frank Sinatra.
Instead, someone's fingernails will catch on fire, one of the kids will barf, my mother will forget her camera, everyone will get a stain on their shirt and the night will end not with song, but with us measuring the size of each others heads.
Happy Thanksgiving my fellow Canadians. I have my fingers crossed that your Thanksgiving will NOT be like the pleasant, fancifully perfect, imaginary version of mine.
Because the real thing is way more fun.
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cbblue
Beautiful and creative, but we all expect that. You are not answering any questions about the tree on the wall. I hope that means it will be in a future post. I'd try that here but my husband already thinks I've traveled off the deep end. I won't be celebrating Thanksgiving for another month but Karen I am thankful for you! Thank you for a bright spot in my day.
Kat
Everything looks absolutely stunning Karen. Your photography lessons are paying off!!! Now where did you get that little tree on the wall? Did you yank it out of the ground when you found a spot to build your cob oven or landscaping your plot at the community garden? Every photo of the table I kept staring at the tree thinking "brilliant" .
Traci
God that veggie centerpiece is gorgeous!
On the turkey front, you need an old-fashioned cast aluminum roaster with lid like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Guardian-Service-Heavy-Cast-Aluminum-Pan-Roaster-w-Domed-Lid-Large-Platter-/131311895214?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e92cc82ae
We had one growing up and the few times we hosted thanksgiving the turkey was amazing. I actually loved it! It cuts the cooking time and the shape of the lid seems to self-baste the turkey. Delicious!
Rebecca
I love those matte black plates! Actually, I love the entire arrangment. I think ending the night measuring each others' heads is better than you ending up on the floor of your kitchen (crying?)...didn't that happen one Thanksgiving? (sorry to bring up sour memories)
Angela
Your table is gorgeous. Please share your stuffing recipe!
Miriam
Please invite me to your house for Thanksgiving. That's it.
Karen
LOL! I would but I believe at this point every seat is taken, including the little small one with the broken leg and wobbly back. :) I keep inviting people and they keep accepting. ~ karen!
Caroline
Happy Thanksgiving Karen! I am also doing an elevated turkey dinner (my pancetta and hazelnut stuffing is to die for!) new this year - a sage and walnut pesto and goat cheese crumble on roasted squash - because I was soooo tired of the same old meal! I really wanted to do a rabbit stew with herbed dumplings but my family got ugly - I thought I might get shanked :)
I have a new dining room table and I love the idea of a wood plank in the middle (and I have a burlap runner!) so I now have one more thing to do before Sunday - thanks!
Seriously though, it being the season of thankfulness, I would like to say thank you for entertaining me, inspiring me and sharing your chicken stories with me - even the gross ones!
Karen
Thanks Caroline. :) Your sage and walnut pesto with goat cheese on roasted squash sounds GREAT! I'd love that! One year I really changed things up and you're right. People got ornery. ~ karen!
maggie van sickle
Everything looks great Karen and I do not like turkey much either unless it is sliced thin with brie and cranberry sauce all on a marvelous hot panini or pannini or however you spell it. Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy your family cause really that is what is is really all about.
Karen
Thanks Maggie! You too. :) ~ karen
Lori Hall
It is all beautiful Karen! You planned it well. The tree on the wall - LOVE IT! Really catches the eye. How did you hang it??
Heather
So this is what you come up with last minute? WOW! I love the idea of the board along the whole table for setting serving dishes on. It looks wonderful.
We usually do a deep friend capon rather than turkey. The capon is always lovely and moist & don't knock deep fried turkey til you tried it. The intense heat of the oil totally seals in all the juices. This year we are doing a pork loin roast (Canadian Living recipe - fingers crossed) - the kids will have their turkey when they go to their significant others' parents the next day.
Happy Thanksgiving, Karen. It really is the prettiest time of year in Ontario.
Karen
Thanks Heather. Hope you have a great Thanksgiving! ~ karen (p.s. we did fried turkey one year. Tasted great but it was a bit of a shitshot, lol. If I remember correctly we ran out of oil and there may have been a smallish fire.)
Janet
I'm allergic to turkey, but I serve turkey at Thanksgiving anyway, because only one of my kids is also allergic. We'll roast a chicken for the two of us.
I LOVE those little "sel" and "salt" dishes. The table looks fantastic. I'm curious about the table in the foyer. Do you make another huge arrangement for that one?
Happy Thanksgiving, Karen. I love your advice to expect that things will go awry, but to enjoy the day anyway!
Karen
Hi Janet! Well, so far the table you're looking at right now has already had 2 extensions added to it, lol. I keep inviting more people. The table in the front hall you can see in this post. It's the metal round table. 4 chairs will fit around it. I'll do a smaller arrangement in the middle and then set the table pretty much the same as the main one. :) ~ karen!
Janet
That's such a cute table! Actually, I enjoyed the whole post, especially the part about chipmunk cheeks and the inside "pee" joke. :D
Kim C.
Gorgeous! The cinnamon carrots sound delicious. Happy Thanksgiving Karen.
marilyn
i love turkey..dark meat and thanksgiving ..my fave holiday! try brining your turkey ..makes a huge difference
Karen
I brine it every year. And you're right it makes a HUGE difference. I actually brine it in my crisper! It's the only thing big enough to fit the turkey, brine AND still fit in the fridge. :) ~ karen
Karol
Very nice, Karen. Brilliant idea using the wood plank to place the food. Happy Thanksgiving.
Su
Happy Thanksgiving - I think that you Canadians have it right! Having Thanksgiving at the actual harvest time is brilliant AND you don't have the insane frenzy from the end of November to Christmas rush I don't have enough time to get all this crap done that we down here in America do.... plus you have it on a weekend so working folks can actually prepare for the big day.... that being said me and the guy have opted out for years from Thanksgiving and we go Mexico and eat turkey on the beach. Its one holiday we miss all the family drama....And for that opportunity we are truly thankful....
Tigersmom
Gorgeous. I need to know more about this tree on the wall with its roots, please. And are those new drapes? I don't remember them from other pics, but they are the perfect juxtaposition to the modern/rustic aesthetic you have going on. They add just the right amount of femininity and softness.
And I can't even talk about the fact that all of the feast is coming from things you grew (except the turkey, but we know you could do that, too, if you wanted. You have chickens, after all. Not that you would ever, ever, in a million years....well, you know) because it is so far from anything I could do. Impressive and inspirational, as always.
jainegayer
I love the table, beautiful! Enjoy!!
Jody
Happy happy Thanksgiving. I think I prefer Th'giving over Christmas since it is still about family and food but without the self imposed insanity
IRS
I forgot to add that your lemon salad dressing sounds yummy. Any chance you would share the recipe? Pleeeeeease? *whines annoyingly*
Louise
Yeah, pleeeeease! It does sound good!
Karen
Hi IRS. Just google "Kale Salad True food cookbook". You'll find it. :) ~ karen!
Suanne
Ahhhh...the days of only 15 people at Thanksgiving! With our kids, their kids and a few boyfriends/girlfriends and spouses.....we have over 45 that we squeeze into the family room. Its loud and rambunctious and nerve wracking....but its family and I wouldn't want it any other way. Love Thanksgiving, love family......and LOVE your table. Just makes me wanna come sit down on your sheepskins and have a pickle! Thanks for sharing.