Giving Thanks in Muskoka

Living and operating a small resort in Muskoka gives us much to be thankful for: beautiful lakeside views, a friendly community and great guests. We’re grateful that you choose to spend your vacation time with us (or that you’re maybe considering it!).

We’re also grateful for the abundance of local producers who provide delicious produce, meats, preserves and honey. At this time of year, when turkey and cranberries are on almost everyone’s mind, we thought we’d remind you that Muskoka is home to two commercial cranberry marshes. Both—Johnston’s Cranberry Marsh and Iroquois Cranberry Growers—are in Bala. Every October on the weekend following Thanksgiving, you can join the entire town of Bala in celebrating all things cranberry at the Bala Cranberry Festival. The highlight of the festival is the marsh tours but if you can’t make it that weekend, you can also visit the marshes throughout October to see how the cranberries are harvested. Check their websites for details, or watch this video from the Rick Mercer Report a few years ago to get a quick lesson in cranberries.

Thanksgiving dinner wouldn’t be complete without cranberry sauce (and that doesn’t mean the gelatinous goop that comes in a can). Here’s one of the best cranberry sauce recipes around—tart with a rich cranberry flavour—and super easy to make. If you try it (and we think you should!) you can adjust the sugar to your taste.

Killer Cranberry Sauce (source unknown)

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ c sugar
• 1 navel orange
• ½ tsp. grated ginger
• 4 c. fresh or frozen cranberries
• ½ c toasted pecans (optional)

Instructions:

1. Grate the orange peel and add to a pot with the sugar and ginger. Add the juice from the orange and simmer over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Add cranberries and cook until most of them have popped (about 5 minutes).
3. Add pecans (optional).
4. Cool and serve.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

The Howell Family

Thanksgiving in Muskoka: A Feast for the Eyes and the Belly

There’s nothing quite like Thanksgiving in Muskoka. Crisp air, gorgeous foliage, and the aroma of a roasting turkey all combine to create show-stopping, mouth-watering goodness. And two of the foods most associated with a Thanksgiving feast, turkey and cranberries, thrive right here in Muskoka.

Wild turkeys are plentiful in Muskoka thanks to efforts by the MNR to re-establish them in Ontario. Although they were eradicated from the province early in the 20th century, it’s estimated that the birds now number close to 100,000. And most surprisingly, they are abundant in Muskoka and parts north, an area outside of their historical range. It’s not uncommon to see them strutting down the side of the road, but it would probably be wise for them to hide out this time of year.

Muskoka is also home to two commercial cranberry marshes (and any number of others hidden away on private properties). Both Iroquois Cranberry Growers and Johnston’s Cranberry Marsh are near Bala and every October, on the weekend after Thanksgiving, the town of Bala celebrates all things cranberry at the Bala Cranberry Festival. You can sample cranberry products and take tours of the marshes. (You can also visit the marshes at throughout October and watch the cranberries being harvested.)

If you’re planning to visit Colonial Bay in October, why not make a trip to Bala, Muskoka’s Cranberry Capital, part of your adventure? And watch out for those turkeys!

We still have some availability at our waterfront Muskoka cottages for Thanksgiving weekend and beyond. You can see our availability and make reservations on the Colonial Bay website.

Happy Thanksgiving and we hope to see you soon!
The Howell Family