Thanks for Thanksgiving

This is easily my most favourite of the American holidays, it is Christmas without the religion and without the commercialism. It is all about friends and family and reflecting on your life and focusing on the good things about it. It's like the government has given Americans three days to just be together with their favourite people and enjoy each other.

Our usual thanksgiving is for Keir to make the turkey (a Happy one) and everyone to bring sides, I make the Tofurkey - yum - and then we eat till we can't. Then we all lie around or play baord games and perhaps manage a roll around the block before we face the dishes. Of course, here in Namibia no-one has the day off, but K and I took it off. We shopped from a list that reached my knees and then we chopped, peeled and mixed to our hearts content.

There were of course some of the usual mix-ups. I completely forgot to do the peas and we had to use philo pastry for the pies! Plus it never even occurred to me to make Gravy! Essential to all large dinners, shock horror. Then there were the uniquely Namibian hiccups. No Turkey... well, no WHOLE turkey. The closest we could come was to find four pre-cooked turkey legs, which looked very funny lying side by side in our roasting pan. We were all left to wonder where the rest of the Turkey's were. Perhaps they were only eating turkey breast for thanksgiving in Zambia, and only thighs in Botswana? Of course, if we only managed to find turkey legs, what was the chance of finding a tofurkey... Sigh!

The dinner itself was so wonderful. Somehow it still had the feel of thanksgiving, even though it was hot and the Bird carcass was missing from the middle of the table. I was so thankful to be sitting at a table with my Mom and Sisters. The whole evening had this lovely feeling of companionship and contentment that I always associate with Thanksgiving.

K made the most amazing pumpkin pie from scratch! From an actual pumpkin! I really enjoyed it, but he felt like it tasted too much like pumpkin and not enough like pie. Also - HUGE shoutout to KO for the stuffing recipe. Sooooo Good. I think it's the thyme - apricot combination that make it!

Of course all this has left me feeling very thankful for thanksgiving.