Happy Thanksgiving everyone! It always feels a little bit odd to celebrate American Thanksgiving in Canada as I still have to go to work and miss out on the fun of preparing a big Thanksgiving feast. Thankfully some dear friends of ours have invited us over for a traditional Thanksgiving meal tonight – I can’t wait! And even though I don’t get to spend the day at home with family and friends, I have been thinking a lot about all Jeremy and I have to be grateful for this year and thought I would share some of my list with you…

• A wonderful supportive family that is just a phone call away. It has been such a blessing to get to live relatively close to our families during this season at Regent, and an even greater blessing that our families have been able to visit us often!
• Jeremy! My dear husband is in the midst of an incredibly stressful period at school as he is working on finishing up his thesis and applying to doctoral programs and working as a teaching assistant for two professors and continuing to take carry his regular coarse load on top of all of it! However, in the midst of all this busyness, Jeremy still finds time to hang out with me in the evenings, often cooks dinner for us and is still a lot of fun to hang out with – what a gift he is!
• It continues to amaze me at the depth and quality of friendships Jeremy and I have been blessed with during our time in Vancouver. We have such kind, loving and caring friends here and I can’t imagine this experience without them.

What are you thankful for today? Feel free to leave a comment below, I’d love to have a running list of gratitude to celebrate today!

Also, I thought I would share one of my favorite side dishes for Thanksgiving… Now before you turn up your nose at this often misunderstood vegetable, I must humbly say that I think this dish is good enough to make a brussel sprout believer out of anyone!

Balsamic Brussel Sprouts
16 oz brussel sprouts
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic
4 tbsp olive oil
salt/pepper to taste
1 shallot, chopped
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 425. Combine brussel sprouts, onion, garlic, and 3 tbsp olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and spread out on a greased cookie sheet. Roaste 25-30 minutes until tender. Meanwhile, saute shallot in remaining olive oil over medium-high heat, until tender. Add balsamic vinegar and cook another 3 minutes. Stir in rosemary and pour over brussel sprouts.