The King of Turkey Dinners

I am of course, referring to my husband. Home to 14 guests, my husband spent a good chunk of Saturday and all of Sunday preparing our feast. The above shot was the highlight of Thanksgiving dinner – maple, pumpkin crème brûlée (you can get the recipe here – he even ground the spices by hand). A break through the glossy outer shell made way for a spicy, silky custard – so sinful. This dish was served with a sweet glass of Taylor Fladgate 10 year old tawny port.

Ok, now that I've given you the grand finale, let me rewind back to the start of the meal! And please don't let my lack of photographs stop your mouth from watering. Every bit of food set out on the table was completely worthy of drool. That would be the reason I dove in face first, without stopping for a shot of anything. My bad.

First-off, my husband smoked a ham. Not just any ham, a giant leg of pork, bigger than the top of my 2 legs put together. After brining it for 3-4 days, he set it on the smoker heated with apple wood chips and charcoal for 6 hours. The skin was crisp and pleasingly powerful with smoke, while the meat inside so very tender. Aubrey's was the original home of this beautiful piece of meat.

In the oven, a 22lb turkey Paul and Sue brought from Solitude Farms, roasted away, keeping the house warm and cozy. The end result, a perfectly golden bird with moist and tender meat. So much so, you could have skipped the gravy. Of course I didn't.

Mom brought some pickled beets and chutney, while Teresa put together a dish of more pickled goodies. Perfect for cutting through the richness of the gravy, potatoes, squash, and of course, everyone's favourite, the stuffing. Cranberry sauce, green beans and bright orange carrots added lighter side options to the meal.

In addition to the crème brûlée, pumpkin pies, berry pies and apple pies were up for grabs, along with as much whipped cream and vanilla bean ice cream you could fit on your plate (thanks Sue, Jesse, Phil and AJ – these were surely the antidote to excess).

And of course, wine was flowing freely all night long. Thanks to everyone for making this year's feast a successful one and for filling our house with warmth.