Thanksgiving in England, Year Four

Though a 16-pound turkey didn't seem all that large to me, it certainly did monopolize the fridge and oven.  And it certainly did well to serve all 11 of us.  I brined the turkey for the first year ever.  I soaked it for two days in a mixture of water, salt, sugar, onions, lemon, garlic, and thyme.  

When I told Steven I was going to decorate the table with leaves, pumpkins, and candles, he thought I was crazy.  Nevertheless, he was out there in the pouring rain, picking the brightest leaves from off the ground.  He came in with a huge handful of them, beaming at me: were they okay?  Sweet, I tell you, he's sweet.

I used Martha Stewart's recipe for cornbread to make this cornbread pecan stuffing.  So amazing.  Though it did fall apart a little after it was in the bird for the morning, it was certainly tasty.  So tasty in fact, I ate it for breakfast this morning.  Go figure.

I'm so happy to have my knives now in the UK.  Imagine I went three years without a proper cutting utensil?!  It's nuts!  Oh, this was for glazed carrots which were so easy and so delicious!

Everyone arrived at about two.  I had been off work for three days and felt decidedly rested, until I got into the bath on Saturday afternoon.  I could have slept there all weekend.  Washed my hair instead, put on my game face, and had a lovely time.  We were in bed by 9, but that's besides the point.

Steven's brother Tony, and his niece Abbie.

Steven's mum and her partner, Ted

The chef, a little worried about how it will all pan out (in the tiniest kitchen you've ever seen...those are literally the parameters of the space.  Sigh...how I long for a HUGE kitchen of my own).

Steven's niece, Ella

Za Turkey, done.  

She looks so small there, but let me tell you, she was majestic.

Carly, arriving from work, laden with the most beautiful orange tulips: how very colour-appropriate.

At last, we eat.

The living room is so massive (in comparison to the kitchen!) that we managed to have an eight-seater on one side of the room, and a four-seat kids' table behind us.  

Steven's mum brought the most delicious carrot cake (that has made up most of our meals today, in fact, as we sit relaxing, watching movies), and ordered these little Canadian flags to stick atop them.  Sweet, I tell you, sweet.

Check out that new table!  Loves it.

This was the first away-from-home Thanksgiving (or any holiday for that matter) when I've not been around "my people".  It was lovely to introduce people to the holiday (which I think is actually a British tradition, if I'm not mistaken, when they pillaged our villages came to Canada back in the Good Old Days), and they were so gracious: many of them Googled all about Thanksgiving so they'd know about the traditions.  I just felt a little like a girl standing alone on a dock, if you can visualize it.  All is calm, I'm very grateful to be there (as we always are alongside a lake); there's just something about solitary about it all.  But Steven's great and the way he looks at me after I've put out a spread to feed his family is golden: he's proud and grateful and a little amazed.  It makes it really special.

In the end, it was a fantastic night.  It's the kind of night that reminds you how blessed you are to have a fridge full of food, family all over the world, and the ability to provide an environment that emits positivity.  For Steven, this was the first event of its kind that he's hosted, so it was pretty rad to be a part of the inauguration.  

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving at your homes and that you're busy now thanking whoever/whatever for all the amazing people we know and share our lives with.