Yes, Thanksgiving is officially tomorrow but I believe the majority of the country celebrates today, Sunday. I know my family always has and then spends the next day eating cold turkey sandwiches and relaxing.
Canada and the US share similar menus even though our American friends have Thanksgiving as the kick off to their Christmas season. We each have our family traditions with regard to the feast but mainly, we seem to follow the same idea:
♥Turkey & Stuffing
♥Mashed Potatoes
♥Gravy
♥Seasonal Veggies
♥Rolls, etc
and . . . Drum Roll please . . . 
Pumpkin Pie!!
I'll not get into the many versions of this pie, fresh, tinned etc but simply say I've made many many many pies over the years. Almost all received to resounding applause.
REWIND to 1992, Northern Ireland. I invited my husband's Belfast family to our first Thanksgiving in our new home there. I even had my Mother ship me some tinned pumpkin puree from Canada to introduce them to our traditional Pumpkin Pie - I wanted to ensure they were treated to the best Feast imaginable on this special day of thanks.
Remember, this is Northern Ireland where there wasn't the greatest selection of food during the Troubles.
I have to sadly admit, they were not thrilled with all the Canadian versions of what was presented and I was even told I used the WRONG POTATO, etc but that was okay . . . they just weren't used to flavour I told myself as I cleared away pretty full plates.
The showstopper at the end of the meal was going to knock their socks off!!!
I present my beautifully prepared with love Pumpkin Pie and there was complete silence at the table.
They were dumbstruck by its beauty I thought!
I quickly sliced a piece for everyone and said "I know it looks too pretty to eat, but dig in"!!
Not one single person would even try it - grrrrrrr
(my husband included!)
Each and every one of them admitted they'd thought it was going to be sliced pumpkin like an apple pie and not a custard!!! SLICED PUMPKIN??
I hadn't ever heard of such a thing especially in a country that didn't even grow pumpkins. For Goodness Sakes . . . they hollow out Turnip at Halloween - Don't tell me about Pumpkin Pie, I thought!
I removed each and every plate and made myself sick that night, enjoying each and every slice myself!!!! (I was soooo sick and guess what? They also didn't have Alka Seltzer or Pepto in those days!!!)
I read this in an article this morning in The Guardian which sort of sums it up:
"The British have never really got pumpkin pie, although cookbook writers have been trying hard to make us like it for over 300 years – long before the first recipe appeared in Cucubita pepo's native America. Jill Dupleix quotes a 1932 letter to the Times in which a gentleman marvels at the prodigious growth of the pumpkin in his garden – but adds doubtfully, "Whether it is a food worth eating remains to be seen."
The idea of having something so vegetal for pudding freaks us Brits out slightly, as anyone who's ever baked a courgette cake (zucchini) for the bring and buy sale will no doubt attest – even carrot cake took a while to catch on this side of the Atlantic."
So, from my table to yours, Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy any Pumpkin Pie that is offered!!
PS In 2013 I find this recipe for SLICED PUMPKIN PIE (or should I call it Humble Pie?)
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