HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO OUR US NEIGHBORS

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to our US neighbors. I hope you have a wonderful celebration with friends and family. It's a day with many traditions and celebrations and a start to the Holiday season. There are many traditional foods and treats, and I especially like Turkey dinner. Our Canadian Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday in October. However, most people prepare their feast and celebrations on Sunday, enjoying the leftovers on Monday. My most vivid memories of Thanksgiving are of my dad making the Turkey while my mom made all the sides. Dad would remove the crispy pieces of turkey skin when it came out of the oven and we would each get a piece. It was so delicious. He always used a roasting bag, and the turkey was always moist and delicious. He made the stuffing, which was not the traditional stuffing that most people are accustomed to; he made a ground beef stuffing. It was very well seasoned, and after he stuffed his original stuffing recipe in each available cavity of the turkey, He would ask my mom for a large-eyed darning needle with a piece of twine, and he would sew the meat-stuffed cavities closed. He made sure that none of his delicious meat stuffing would fall out. My mom made mashed potatoes, which were so delicious. She would boil the potatoes, put them through a ricer, and then add the milk she had heated with butter. She would whisk the riced potatoes with the melted butter and heated milk until they were silky smooth. I remember my parents invited a neighbor for a special occasion dinner. He immigrated from Scotland and, in his very heavy Scottish accent, said, where are the lumps in the mashed potatoes? I like lumps in my mashed potatoes. We had no relatives living in Canada, so we always had Mom and Dad's friends, who we referred to as Tante and Uncle, German for aunt and uncle. There was always live music from our dad who played accordion after supper was served. My mom who believed in the dishes can wait would serve homemade cakes and coffee. She would serve the coffee in the special coffee set with matching coffee decanter, creamer, sugar pot, and cups. Lots of great memories. When we had the restaurant for 24 years I always prepared a meal for the staff for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. Our restaurant was located in a resort area so holidays were always busy and it was all hands on deck. I would cook for the 20 staff and pack up a meal for each so that they could take it home and enjoy after a busy day. It was fun for me to make and the staff always enjoyed eating the homemade meal. . If I am on a ship for Thanksgiving, I always like to make Turkey dinner with all the sides. The crew often asks for the dark meat. I think there is a misconception that the white meat is dry, but I don't encourage them to try the white meat of the turkeys I roast because I know there are so many things that I can do with the beautifully cooked moist turkey breast meat. Like my father, I roast my turkeys in a roasting bag. I recently received a message from someone thanking me for recommending the roasting bags. They said it was the best turkey they had ever cooked and also mentioned how much they liked their new KIWI knives, which I shared that I like to use. I enjoy sharing tips and gadgets that I have discovered over time. Things that make cooking easier and the food tastier. I have 40 packages of roasting bags packed in my suitcase, ready to go as soon as I get a job/ship call. Lorraine (my sister, best friend and publisher) reminds me to be patient. I am trying.

Happy Thanksgiving to our US Neighbors. I like to make turkey dinner. It is a popular choice with the crews on the ships.

Turkey dinner was also popular for my staff when we had the restaurant. I would make a meal for each staff member for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. It was a fun tradition that I enjoyed and the staff looked forward to. 

My Dad has been using these as long as I can remember, over 50 years for sure.

There are two bags in a package. You can find them in all grocery stores by the aluminum foil. They usually cost between $3 and $4 Canadian. I pay for them myself when I take them on the ship. They make my life easier. The meat is never dry and the easy cleanup is a bonus.

Lorraine returned from her trip to Saint Lucia this past Sunday. She had a great time with her friends, and our sister reunion was celebrated by doing things we don't ordinarily do and indulging in a few treats. We always have fun together, and this was no exception. When we are in the area we love to go to Niagara Falls. They have a beautiful Christmas light show this time of year. It was not cold and we went for a nice walk. I asked Lorraine what she would like me to make for a treat. We usually don't eat pasta, and she was telling me that on vacation, she ordered a pasta dish and was disappointed that the pasta was too el dente, almost like they forgot to cook the pasta. I said I would make her a pasta dish, and we decided to make peanut noodles. They were so good.

The Falls are beautiful with the colored lights on the water. 

There were not many people out. It was such a beautiful evening 

They had neon signs: Love, Joy, Play…

I shared this photo with a friend and they commented that it is straight out of the movie Frozen. Our friend could not believe that we have not seen it.

This is always a high energy fun street at Niagara Falls. 

I made these peanut noodles for Lorraine to make up for the pasta she had on vacation that wasn’t very good because the noodles were too el dente. 

I also wanted to take her to the coffee shop in Port Colborne. I chose that spot because they have such a great view of the canal to watch ships. I also wanted a special place to show her the project I am working on. I was so excited at the end of the presentation when she commented that she loved it. Of course, she made some suggestions, and after considering them, I realized she was right. I will share it with you when I get a little further along. We had lunch and indulged in a sandwich and chips, a treat. We went to the grocery store where I had seen the cut Christmas trees the previous week. I told her we had to walk beside them. She agreed it was intoxicating and reminded her, too, of the trees Mom and Dad used to buy.

The wall to wall windows in this little coffee shop offer the best place to watch ships while having lunch or a coffee and pastry. 

I like this picture

We each ordered one of their grilled cheese sandwiches. It came with the choice of soup, salad or chips. Since it was a treat day, we both opted for chips. 

It was a nice surprise to see the CSL St Laurent during our walk. 

The painting is huge. If you think it spreads over five decks. This photo shows the ladders that are lowered when we go ashore. You get an idea how long they are. One on each side. 

The Port Colborne Promenade is a beautiful place to take a walk.

I had to take Lorraine to smell the the cut Christmas trees. 

We went to a movie. We decided to see a chick flick and laughed when we were in line to get some popcorn and a drink, and the gentleman ahead of us asked, "Are you going to see Gladiator?" We thought that was funny and politely said no, and when he was out of earshot, we giggled and said, not if it was the last movie ever to play. Sorry to the Gladiator fans, but it is not our idea of a sister's movie afternoon. We used to go to the movies often and wished there were more movies that we would like to see. We could not get over how comfortable the reclining seats were, and when the message came up on the big screen: "Turn off your cell phone," I looked at Lorraine and said, "I can't." What if the Union calls with a job? She agreed. At the end of the movie when the credits rolled at 17h08, I was happy that the phone didn't ring and offend the eight other people in the cinema. I also realized that it was after 5pm and there would be no more calls. It was a fun way to spend the afternoon, and we promised each other we would return. I bought a pair of winter boots, since I retired my last pair, which I had for four years. I bought a pair that would be easy to clean if I had to walk through messy docks to get to or from a ship. It's that time of year where you have to pack all the extras for the cold and weather.

It was fun to go to the movies. 

The sun is just coming out, which will be perfect to go for a walk. I wish everyone a wonderful day. I will keep you posted and hope to get a call/ship soon. In the meantime, I will enjoy my time on shore.

I passed Lorraine’s order book and mailing stickers back to her when she got back from vacation. She is busy filling out and packing the mailers. Thank you for your orders. We still have 2025 Porthole Calendars and will happily include them with your purchase. The books and calendars make great Christmas Gifts. Happy Holidays!

Shop Online — Ship To Shore | Chef Catherine Schmuck | Author, Entrepreneur & Cook | Canada