The bird was slaughtered yesterday morning. After a failed attempt to procure a Turkey from a factory in a town about an hour away, we got nervous. It isn't truly Thanksgiving without a bird! Finally, a friend of ours found out her neighbor had a Turkey she was willing to sell and kill and clean. What luck! I was a bit sad about the whole killing thing, but alas, as a carnivore, it is what it is. So Wednesday morning I awoke early, put my Martha Stewart hat on and got to cookin'. We have to celebrate today, Wednesday because we have to give our students midterms tomorrow. Today is my free today, left wide open for me to cook up a storm.
9am, bright and early, I began the homemade apple pie, the stuffed mushrooms, homemade whipped cream, the fall harvest salad, the rasberry & pomegranate jello and all else. Nick took care of the turkey and the stuffing and Tas, the mashed potatoes and the sweet potato casserole. Finding certain ingredients abroad can be quite a challenge and makes you get creative real fast. I had no rolling pin for the deliciously buttery apple pie and thus used a beer bottle to roll out the dough. Since there is no rasberry jello to be found in Turkey, and I needed the tart flavor, I decided to get Strawberry jello and use boiled pomegranate juice instead of water to infuse the tarty flavor. Also, I put in frozen rasberries and a little apple baby food, in place of apple sauce. I'll let you know the results! So far, so good.
Generally speaking, holidays abroad can be quite depressing. No family, and traditions are nothing but a memory of years past. But this year, I actually have a family to celebrate with. The people I live with in Duzce have become a little family, bonding together through the unique, ridiculous experiences we generally go through on a daily basis. Including but not limited to me asking someone where they lived, or attempting at least, and then apparently asking him if he just finished in the bathroom. Top ten embarrassing moments. Seriously. Or tripping walking down out of a bus? The list goes on and on. But alas, I digress. Thanksgiving dinner is a mere two hours away. I have cream to whip and serious dinner table preparations to attend to. Lastly, I finally understand why our parents stress about holidays. The amount of cooking, cleaning and preparation necessary for literally one day of celebration is mind-boggling. With my roommate, I worked for a good 8 hours today. It will be worth it though! Happy Thanksgiving from Turkey!
P.s. For an interesting read, check out my Thanksgiving experience in Turkey two years ago. Turkey in Turkey 2009 was a completely different experience, but definitnely the first trip that pulled me into to the glorious-ness of Turkey!
9am, bright and early, I began the homemade apple pie, the stuffed mushrooms, homemade whipped cream, the fall harvest salad, the rasberry & pomegranate jello and all else. Nick took care of the turkey and the stuffing and Tas, the mashed potatoes and the sweet potato casserole. Finding certain ingredients abroad can be quite a challenge and makes you get creative real fast. I had no rolling pin for the deliciously buttery apple pie and thus used a beer bottle to roll out the dough. Since there is no rasberry jello to be found in Turkey, and I needed the tart flavor, I decided to get Strawberry jello and use boiled pomegranate juice instead of water to infuse the tarty flavor. Also, I put in frozen rasberries and a little apple baby food, in place of apple sauce. I'll let you know the results! So far, so good.
Generally speaking, holidays abroad can be quite depressing. No family, and traditions are nothing but a memory of years past. But this year, I actually have a family to celebrate with. The people I live with in Duzce have become a little family, bonding together through the unique, ridiculous experiences we generally go through on a daily basis. Including but not limited to me asking someone where they lived, or attempting at least, and then apparently asking him if he just finished in the bathroom. Top ten embarrassing moments. Seriously. Or tripping walking down out of a bus? The list goes on and on. But alas, I digress. Thanksgiving dinner is a mere two hours away. I have cream to whip and serious dinner table preparations to attend to. Lastly, I finally understand why our parents stress about holidays. The amount of cooking, cleaning and preparation necessary for literally one day of celebration is mind-boggling. With my roommate, I worked for a good 8 hours today. It will be worth it though! Happy Thanksgiving from Turkey!
P.s. For an interesting read, check out my Thanksgiving experience in Turkey two years ago. Turkey in Turkey 2009 was a completely different experience, but definitnely the first trip that pulled me into to the glorious-ness of Turkey!
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