Finding Thanksgiving
For someone not raised in the U.S or born to American parents/family, thanks giving is something foreign. Yes we know what it means but it’s probably because you learned about it in school or you see it in movies and TV. I still remember people being shocked that I did not celebrate thank giving at all, and how I had to explain that it is 100% an American tradition, never the less I love the meaning of this holiday!
I know my parents must have celebrated thanksgiving at least once while we lived in New Jersey but I was tiny! There’s no way I remember any of it, what I do remember growing up watching thanksgiving dinners on TV mostly TV shows where they all have their “Thanksgiving Special” it felt so cool like having two Christmases. And what would be a holiday without a crazy story!
When I moved to the U.S for school I had yet to experience a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, so you can imagine my thrill when some friends invited us over for dinner on this date! I knew it was going to be a lot of food, but the image of Blair Waldorf’s epic dinners kept popping into my head, (gossip girl) So both me and my mom wore cute dresses, heels, makeup, you know cute dinner look, my brother and dad wore a blazer, and we thought “Don’t we look dashing” (and perfectly dressed for this affair)
Sidebar: we were however a bit surprised that dinner meant showing up at 4pm, in Mexico dinner is never before 7pm ….
Showed up, rang the door bell, and my mom’s friend opens the door in jeans, flats and a T-shirt (she still looked very cute) and she let’s out “you guys look so fancy!” this was all interrupted by “Man yelling” and TV sounds. Ah yes we had no idea that football goes hand in hand with thanksgiving (football is not big in Mexico to say the least) as we do that awkward sheep pack walk through the house clenching that apple pie to your chest. Everyone was sitting watching the game in football jerseys by the TV. Finally we settled down, said hello to everybody and then I couldn’t help asking “what time’s dinner” the response came by handing me a plate and said “help yourself, you can watch the game or sit at the table, whatever you like” WHAT?!?! But where’s my fancy Upper East Side dinner? Either way the food was great and we had fun.
Our next TG dinner was I guess a couple years after that, my parents were out of town but we decided we wanted turkey! I have to add I had never bought a turkey my self, for me they just magically appeared in the kitchen on Christmas Eve, ready to be put in the oven. So yes we had no idea that my mom always got the smoked (precooked bird) that only takes a couple hours to cook, I never imagined that the giant pale frozen bird we got would take up to 6 hours! This we realized on hour three and the thing was still raw and we got a call from mom and she said “did you get the precooked one?” oops – No worries stay positive its only us we can wait a little longer, why not bake a cake in the meanwhile (don’t judge) so we did, perfect white meringue cake went in the oven! Came out 40min later looking great (damn bird still not cooking) did the meringue topping, even caramelized the top, GORGEOUS we sent pics to everybody! We were very proud! After hours the turkey was still not cooperating so we decided to just eat our salad and sides, and yes we had our food network-like cake … but … then … first bight and the cake, our perfect meringue cake, tasted like TURKEY!!!!!! It didn’t even cross our minds that our ovens our dual, the ones that’s one on top of the other, well we had them there both at the same time and this is how the most beautiful cake I have ever made, ended up being the worst ever! (Below the elusive "turkey cake" (can't believe I actually found this pic)
Finally last year my cousins (who happen to be originally from Venezuela) invited my boyfriend and I to spend TG break with them in Connecticut, we practically grew up together but had never spent TG with them, but my cousin did state “we go over the top with our dinner, we have people over, cook, and dress up” and my reaction was YES! PERFECT! It has been the best Thanks Giving ever! Mostly because of spending it with people you love but also because it’s that time when your childhood idea of something comes true! It was my Gossip Girl fantasy without the drama and the fun times from friends and how I met your mother! Oh and it snowed!
I think this year we might just go out ... try something different.
It doesn’t matter how you spend TG what’s important is whom you spend it with and you have fun! And good luck to all of you gearing up to take on those nosy relatives asking you about your love life or work! You got this!
Happy Thanks Giving loves!
XOXO
