“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”
- Cicero, ancient Roman philosopher, statesman and writer

It's Canada’s Thanksgiving again. Let's go pumpkin, go orange!

What outperformed the global investment market this year is the good weather in Vancouver. We are so used to the forecast of rainy days, but God seems to be too generous giving us sunny days week after week. The good weather is like the stock market hitting new highs that have not been seen in many years.

The sun becomes gentle and autumn is coming with all the beautiful things. The light and shadows shaped by the leaves and the sky are the most perfect palette. Together with the wheels on the ups and downs of the city roads and the soft notes, they all nourished our hearts.

Pumpkin Spice Latte‍

Maple leaves turn red and the sun is warm. My morning coffee is Pumpkin Spice Latte. This cup of fragrant coffee is not only with the aroma of pumpkin, but also the unique autumn air of Vancouver.

Here’s a simple receipt for Pumpkin Spice Latte:

Ingredients:

Pumpkin puree
1 cup of espresso
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1-2 cups of milk
Sugar and a dash of vanilla extract

Steps:

1. Steam 300g of pumpkin for 30 minutes or until softened

2. Sieve the steamed pumpkin into puree

3. Add 1-2 cups of milk, pumpkin puree, spice mix, sugar and some vanilla extract. Mix well and heat, but do not boil

4. Pour 1 cup of espresso, blended pumpkin spice milk

5. Finally put whipped cream and mix with some spices

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pumpkin Pumpkin

September to October is the season for pumpkins. It is perfect to decorate the home with different kinds of pumpkins to accompany the colour of autumn and welcome the upcoming Halloween! There’s a saying, "Autumn comes and it’s the time of pumpkins".

Orange Orange Orange

Orange is the colour of this month. By adding the warm pumpkin colour between the flowers, even in Vancouver’s upcoming cool weather and wet season, you can still feel the warmness and comfort.

Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Thanksgiving

In addition to pumpkins, October is more about giving thanks for the good harvest and fortunes in the past year. It is also a day to spend a good time with family and friends. Traditionally, people prepare special dishes to serve the whole family and the guests.

Turkey is an essential dish for Thanksgiving
Image credit：Andy

Sometimes, this tradition creates a sort of stress. I don’t want to put too much energy into it and prepare a boring Thanksgiving dinner so I try to find inspiration from my friend's vegan website. A few days ago, I was invited to a friend's house for dinner, and it was the first time I realised that vegetarian food can be so delicious.

“Eating plant food is not about what we can’t eat. It’s about what we get to eat.”

— Founder of Nourish-to-Flourish

When many people think of vegetarian dishes, the first thing that comes to mind is green and bland vegetables, but this is just a stereotype. The founder of Nourish-to-Flourish aims to promote healthy and delicious vegetarian food. By designing a variety of vegetarian recipes and sharing them on her website for free, she just wants to give us more choices.

“For is there any practice less selfish, any labour less alienated, any time less wasted, than preparing something delicious and nourishing for people you love?”

— Michael Pollan, American author and journalist

This year, I chose two recipes to try.

1 Barbie’s Bitter Sweet Chopped Salad

Our daily never-fail salad

https://www.nourish-to-flourish.net/recipes/barbies-bitter-sweet-chopped-salad

Material:

1. Endive, kale, collard greens, arugula, romaine lettuce or other, spinach, fennel, avocado, sliced very fine

2. Red onion, sliced very fine

3. Carrots, grated

4. Celery and cucumber, chopped

5. Avocado, sliced

6. Prepare plenty of fresh herbs such as chopped basil, parsley, mint, dill

Salad Dressing Recipe：

Mixed white balsamic vinegar, a little olive oil, salt and pepper all together.

Other ingredients:

Roasted nuts/seeds such as sliced almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 350°F. And add them just before serving.

2

Black Rice Dome

Fragrant and full-bodied Black Rice

https://www.nourish-to-flourish.net/recipes/black-rice-dome

Ingredients (for 6-8 persons):

2 cups black rice
1 can light coconut milk and 2 cups vegetable stock
1-2 tbsp turmeric
salt and pepper

Instant Pot Method:

1. Add all ingredients into the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 18 minutes. Turn the pot off and let it cool down for 10 minutes

2. Cover with a dishcloth and steam for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork

3. Wipe a Pyrex bowl with a dash of olive oil

4. Pat the cooked rice down into the bowl firmly

5. Put it in the fridge for about 1 hour before serving

6. Put it in the microwave and heat it on high for 3-4 minutes

7. Unmold onto a plate and sprinkle with green onions

In fact, daily salads and rice can have so many changes. Nourish-to-Flourish brings us an interesting and fresh diet.

Have you stayed in the same place for too long and want to have a little change in your life to make daily life more interesting? Let your life be covered with the colours of Thanksgiving and the beauty of autumn in Canada to have a beautiful fairy tale in autumn.

Thanksgiving and special offer! Canada welcomes you with open arms! Just before July this year, Canada welcomed 275,000 new immigrants. This number is much higher than in any year of the same period. Canada targets to admit 432,000 new immigrants by the end of this year. As the world's largest sponsor of immigration and settlement services, it has a large budget of 1.7 billion for immigration settlement in the 2021-22 financial year to help new immigrants live and work here.

Peace of mind can be achieved by satisfying material life. By training our spiritual awakening and letting every day be full of compassion and gratitude, we can satisfy our spiritual needs.