During the holidays, it is easy to start missing all our friends and family even more than usual. It’s a wonderful time of year shared with people you love. Ben and I are big fans of the holiday season – all the parties, food and decorations… and cold weather that allows for the type of clothing that will hide away the extra pounds kilos resulting from the aforementioned indulgences.
Swimsuit weather doesn’t exactly pair well with stuffing your face full of all things cooked in butter. However, in the spirit of the holidays, we brought Thanksgiving to Oz!
This past Sunday we hosted Friendsgiving at our apartment. We booked the private dining hall and kitchen within the building and prepared a traditional turkey day feast. Most of the attendees were Ben’s work mates along with their significant others. We had 18 people in total so it turned out to be a pretty decent affair.
Gathering up all the ingredients proved to be a task. I spent all last week running from store to store in search of provisions. Ben and I even trekked out to a specialty USA food store – one hour away via tram and bus. We managed to find everything (or close enough substitutes) and I started prepping and making desserts through the weekend. Thankfully, a couple of friends came early on the day of to help out with the cooking – I would not have gotten it all done in time without them!
Sunday’s menu consisted of the traditional spread:
- Turkey – of course!
- Italian bread and chorizo dressing
- Mashed potatoes and gravy
- Broccoli casserole
- Corn muffins
- Cranberry sauce
- Desserts: Pumpkin cheesecake, Pecan pie, and Chocolate cake
It didn’t quite have the same flare of my usual seasonal decor and place settings and Ben refused to let me go purchase additional glass and serve ware… But despite the plastic utensils and paper cups, it was a success. We stuffed ourselves silly and had a great time. Everyone even humored me in going around the table and naming something they were thankful for.
This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for an amazing and loving husband who works with me to do crazy things like move across the world and for the wonderful and welcoming people we’ve met here in Australia who are making this experience so great. I am also thankful for the technology that allows us to stay connected to our loved ones back in the states.
Since Thanksgiving isn’t actually until Thursday, perhaps Ben and I will celebrate again with a more local menu – seafood maybe? Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!
We are so thankful for your friendship! We miss you but love hearing about your adventures!