Gobble Gobble (turkey for good morning) It’s Thanksgiving long weekend — so I’ll keep this brief so that you can get back to procrastinating your weekend grocery shopping.
Now before we get to the usual topics, let’s go around the circle and say one thing that we’re thankful for. I’ll start. To you, our readers, thank you for your support. I hope you have a great weekend with your families.
- Sean
Today’s read time: 5 minutes.
Okanagan Valley Forecast
Weekend Plans
Dinner and a show 🎤🖼️
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OKANAGAN IN COLOUR: TWO ARTISTS, ONE VALLEY
Oct 10 - Nov 8 • a0:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.
📍Peachland Art Gallery
Your Cottage Weekend Podcast
Weather, traffic, events, and more — from the Okanagan to Nova Scotia, and all the way to the Muskoka 🇨🇦
Introducing the latest addition to The Cottage Almanac podcast family, Your Cottage Weekend. Imagine a radio show that covers everything happening across six major Canadian cottage regions — all in about 15 minutes.
You can tune in every Friday at noon on Youtube and Spotify.
FIRESIDE WITH THE COTTAGE ALMANAC
Your Cottage Weekend - October 2nd to 4th, 2026
The Cottage Kitchen
All that Thanksgiving flavour with a fraction of the work.
Ingredients - Serves 6
2.5 kilograms bone-in, skin-on turkey breast
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 tablespoons fresh sage, finely chopped
1 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 lemon, zested
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoons black pepper
1 large onion, quartered
2 carrots, cut in chunks
3 cups chicken or turkey stock, divided
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Steps
Prep the oven and turkey: Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Pat the turkey breast very dry with paper towels. Scatter the onion and carrots in a roasting pan and set the turkey on top, skin side up.
Make the herb butter: Mash a ½ cup of unsalted butter, softened with 4 garlic cloves, minced, 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped, 1 tablespoons fresh sage, finely chopped, 1 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped, 1 lemon, zested, 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoons black pepper until smooth.
Butter under and over the skin: Gently loosen the skin from the meat with your fingers and push about two-thirds of the herb butter underneath. Rub the rest over the top of the skin. Pour 250 ml of the stock into the bottom of the pan.
Sear hot: Roast at 425°F for 20 minutes 20:00 to start the skin browning.
Finish at lower heat: Reduce the oven to 350°F (175°C) and roast until a thermometer in the thickest part reads 165°F (74°C). If the skin darkens too fast, tent loosely with foil.
Rest: Transfer the turkey to a cutting board, tent with foil, and rest for 20 to 25 minutes. This keeps it juicy.
Make the pan gravy: Strain the pan juices into a saucepan, pressing on the veggies, and skim off most of the fat, leaving about 2 tbsp. Whisk in 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour over medium heat for 7 minutes, then slowly whisk in the remaining 375 ml stock. Simmer 5 to 8 minutes until thickened, and season to taste.
Carve and serve: Slice and serve with the gravy.
Larry’s Tip: You can make the herb butter a day ahead, and a turkey breast needs no brining or basting. Roast potatoes or sweet potatoes right alongside it in the same oven, and pair with cranberry sauce and a simple green vegetable. Always go by the thermometer rather than the clock.
The Essentials
The Hostess With The Mostest
The MEATER Pro XL - A four-probe, WiFi-connected smart thermometer that lets you cook several dishes to their own doneness at once, with an OLED screen on the charger so you can check temperatures without opening the app. **
Hudson's Bay Stripes Signature Point Blanket - Woven in England, with the classic multi-coloured stripes. Perfect for couch naps or deck hangouts. **
Staub La Cocotte 6.75 L Round Cocotte, Grenadine Red - Made in France, and suits dinners for 5 to 7 people, sold at a discount because of minor cosmetic flaws. **
*A message from our sponsors.**This is a product recommendation from our writers.
A Final Note
Gratitude turns what we have into enough.
Until next time,
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