Happy Canada Day!
On July 1st, we had an awesome Canada Day celebration hosting friends and neighbours (not that our neighbours aren’t our friends)! This was our 14th annual party. We invite friends to wear red and white and share a potluck dish. It’s a family celebration – the kids are in the pool or playing games in the basement. Ping-pong, air hockey, Lego, and toys I saved from when my kids were little are a big hit.
I make two types of salmon – one with lemon and pepper and one with a teriyaki marinade – and along with the guests, an array of salads. And holy cow – what a feast! We had spicy cherry tomatoes, quinoa salad, Waldorf salad, spinach and blackberry salad, pasta with dried tomato pesto and artichokes, pulled pork, a three bean salad, potato salad, even old fashioned deviled eggs!
We buy a plain white cake from Sydenham Sweet Bakery (who are awesome) and my son decorates it with the Canadian flag. (I’ve seen it done with strawberries, but we use Swedish berry candy :D) And we had mango mousse, chocolate Skor trifle, decadent flourless chocolate cake, GF raspberry cheesecake, and homemade cookies! Needless to say, nobody went home hungry!
Between dinner and dessert, our tradition is to gather in the kitchen and sing Happy Birthday and Oh Canada! I have such a sense of pride when our voices, young and old, ring out with our national anthem – it sends shivers down my spine. I love getting together with our friends each year and sharing our pride for Canada!