6 Thanksgivings

Before 2008, making mashed potatoes was my big contribution to Thanksgiving dinner. I had never been brave enough to attempt stuffing or a pie and opening cranberry sauce with a can opener was the hardest thing I had done. I wasn’t expected to roast a turkey. My mom or mother in law did it, fantastically, and I was A-ok with that.

One month after moving to Australia, I was on a frantic search for a turkey. I found a pretty small one, but that was perfect, given the shoe-box sized oven in our kitchen. I scoffed at buying a single can of cranberry sauce at USA Foods for $6, but bought it anyway, because Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce? Not really Thanksgiving.

All in all, I was solely responsible for 5 Thanksgiving meals in another country, without the expertise of my mom or mother-in-law, or the correct ingredients. Oh yea, and cooking all of it in a shoebox sized oven, in Celsius. And in the summer, on a Saturday since Thanksgiving isn’t an observed holiday in Australia, so it was just like any other Thursday.

This year? I am again in charge of hosting Thanksgiving – but this time with more comforts of home. Shelves stocked with Cranberry sauce, selling for a mere $1.79. Turkeys galore, regular sized oven, proper temperatures outside and the day off to spend with friends. The only thing missing? My family. Thankfully we have a nice group of expat friends to celebrate with, and we can FaceTime with our families, I guess that will have to do for now.