A Lot to be Thankful for

It's our second Thanksgiving here in London, but the first that we're actually properly celebrating. We're definitely not the only Americans celebrating the holiday in London since I had a difficult time getting hold of a turkey. Everything was completely sold out at my online grocer by the time I decided to go ahead and commit to making the feast myself instead of booking reservations at Bodeans, the local American haunt. Luckily, I managed to wrangle a few of the essentials, and I'm hosting Thanksgiving dinner at my flat tonight for a few Americans, Brits and a Kiwi.

I made cranberry sauce on Tuesday, rolled out the pie crust and baked the pumpkin pie last night and even had time to make whipped cream before it was time to go to bed. So all that's left for today is the big show: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and green beans.

I'm also trying to figure out if we can watch the Thanksgiving parade on TV, but we'll see. I'm aiming to make this all-American, but there are some concessions to where we live. For example, some of the snacks we're putting out aren't exactly common in the US...



Despite all the hoopla around the food during Thanksgiving, today is actually a day where we give thanks. I'm thankful for...

1. a husband that loves me unconditionally
2. a family that's supported me this far, and will continue to be there for me without regard to time or space
3. complete freedom in choosing if and when and how I want to work
4. the expat experience, which makes life so much more interesting

I have more than I could possibly deserve, and for that, I am truly thankful.

[Day after Thanksgiving day...]

Everyone showed up bang on time and with lots and lots of beverages to share. I was stirring the gravy like mad when they all arrived, and J was kind enough to take over the hosting duties by ushering everyone in, taking their coats, and making sure everyone had a drink in hand.

I spent the first half hour flying about the kitchen, and J eventually popped in to carve the turkey. He did a pretty damn good job! Despite my fears about the size of the turkey, it turned out to be the perfect amount for the eight of us, and we even ended up with some leftovers!




Dinner was served buffet-style, and everyone was raving about the stuffing. Isn't it weird how it's always the dish that you cared about the least that ends up being everyone's favorite? Or at least that's how it always turns out for me.

 


In any case, the pumpkin pie ended up displacing the stuffing as the highlight of the evening by the time we got to dessert. About half of those present had never had pumpkin pie before, and they were originally a bit aghast at the idea of a pumpkin pie. If you think about it, they've got a point. It's like how I would react to a turnip pie. Gross. But in the end, they all loved it!

 

We all sat around and chatted while the food digested, and J and I were pretty tired by the time everyone left. J pushed all of the furniture back to their original positions, while I tackled the huge pile of dishes sitting in the sink. By the time we were finished, it was like the evening had never happened.

It really was nice having people over at the flat, and J and I agreed that we would do it all again next year. Good, because I think I need a year to recover from all the cooking that I did.

No Thanksgiving But Still Thankful

It's been a while since I last posted since I've been busy running in the park every day, but it looks like I may have to take a break since it's supposed to sleet today. Apparently, we're supposed to have the worst November freeze in seventeen years. Great.

I'm actually excited at the prospect of seeing snow again. It's been a while since I've had to endure the freezing winters in Michigan, and I think I may have forgotten exactly how cold it can get. I'm sure I'll get a very firm reminder this weekend since snow is predicted for Saturday. But at the same time, it feels so right to have it cold and snowy and sleety for the holidays. A sunny and warm Thanksgiving and Christmas just doesn't cut it. I'm sure I'll be singing a different tune come February, but I'm going to enjoy the cold until then.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, there is no thanksgiving here in the UK. The Brits do make some concessions to the Americans in their midst: my grocery store has been taking orders for Thanksgiving turkeys and Food Network is showing Thanksgiving cooking shows all day long. If you hunt around, you can also find some restaurants, including the huge Whole Foods in Kensington, offer Thanksgiving meals to eat in or takeaway. On the other hand, J is going to work and life goes on as normal. It's a far cry from last year's Thanksgiving, when I spent all day making a Thanksgiving feast for the first time, including a turkey and a glazed ham, and invited my family over to our new condo.

Another Thanksgiving related phenomenon that they're trying to import here is Black Friday. I'm not sure it that's something that should be imported - the crowds, the pushiness, the anxiousness of it all. In any case, it's shaping up to be an epic fail with customers getting riled up at Amazon UK since I don't think the Brits exactly grasp the concept of how quick and fleeting deals are on Black Fridays. It's all about the rush to get the advertised product and then finding out that the deal ended or sold out. But the Brits are not amused.

Even though there is no Thanksgiving here, I'm still thankful for everyone and everything that's happened in my life. J and I always tease each other about how amazing we think the other one's life is, but it's true. We both have wonderful lives, and we're living it in a wonderful and unexpected place.