Oh hi there, blog. I've been lurking around you, but haven't had time/things to write about lately. Sorry 'bout that. I'm back now, though!

Even though I'm no longer in school, September seems to still be a busy month. It was the end of the summer season at work, there were a couple of birthdays (including my own), went on vacation for two weeks, got a second job, Mabon came and went, and then all of a sudden it's October and Thanksgiving! Whew!


There's a lot to cover, but I'm going just focus on one or two today. This year was the first year I celebrated Mabon, just a simple bit of a candle meditation, but I have to say, I really like the feel of it. Being from Southern Ontario, the end of September really does feel like harvest season to me. Mabon reminded me of crisp apples from the farm near by parents' house, and being in the mountains, it really did feel like fall. I came back from vacation to crisp mornings, bright days, and brilliant yellow leaves burning bright against the green backdrop of the evergreen forests. Yellow is the only colour we get here with the aspens and the larches, we don't get the gorgeous reds and oranges from the maples like back home, but I'm getting used to it.

The other thing that really appealed to me about Mabon this year was the spirit of thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving and everything that goes along with it (particularly my extended family's hijinks when we go visit the farm!), so I found it...comforting, I guess, that Mabon and Canadian Thanksgiving occur so close to one another. True, no familial hilarity involved per say, but I really enjoyed just taking that time to sit, reflect, and be thankful for the bounty of the harvest and all those wonderful foods I love to eat at this time of year. My own Thanksgiving holiday celebrations were a bit rushed and poorly planned, so I'm glad I took the time before hand to give thanks.

Yes, this year's Thanksgiving celebrations were not the best, food-wise. The turkey didn't quite turn out right, neither did the gravy, we had to use boxed stuffing (such blasphemy!), and the yams and carrots weren't quite up to par either. We did manage to get a few things right, so I thought I'd share one of my most favorite Thanksgiving foods with you: my awesome home-made cranberry sauce. This is my absolute favorite part of turkey dinners, I have been known to eat this stuff straight on many occasions. It's less sweet that your usual cranberry sauce, and that's just the way I like it!

Take your usual-sized bag of cranberries, about 340g.
Add to a sauce pan with one cup of water and half a cup of sugar.
Bring to a boil, and them simmer until the skins split open.
Cool, and enjoy!


Super simple, and super delicious. I always make extras so I can snack on it later :) Speaking of, there's container of tangy-sweet red sauce in the fridge calling my name....until next time!