Being Thankful in South Africa

Things were a little different this year in regards to Thanksgiving. First of all, turkey isn't really a popular meat here in South Africa. Second, Ben had to work on Thanksgiving day AND Black Friday. Third, no football. Fourth... no family here. Fifth, we are simply in South Africa. They don't exactly celebrate Thanksgiving here!

Anyway, a few weeks ago as Kelly and I were on one of our shopping tours, I stopped by the meat department to inquire about turkey. The first person I spoke with had never heard of turkey. Thankfully the second guy had more of a clue and showed me to the frozen food department where I was able to secure us a small turkey. That set me at least one step closer to creating our own South African Thanksgiving.

Around the time I found our turkey, we were also informed of a BV Thanksgiving celebration taking place on the Wednesday before the actual day (over the guys' lunch hour). There is a lady who owns a little cafe that many of the BVers eat lunch at on a regular basis. Basically, one of the BV guys asked if she could cater a Thanksgiving lunch for those who were interested and she agreed.

That Wednesday arrived before we knew it and Kelly and I met up with the guys and some other BVers for the festive lunch. I must say, I was quite impressed with the food. The turkey was moist, mashed potatoes yummy and this special pumpkin dish she made? DELICIOUS! I was surprised one lady could pull off such an extravagant and tasty meal for so many people...but then again, I guess that is her job. And, I DID cook for a (small) fraternity back in my college days...so I knew it was possible. I also discovered that we would not have had turkey at this feast had it not been for my initial find of the turkey at the grocery store! Now I just had to hope that my own turkey would turn out half as good as hers...

The true Thanksgiving day arrived here in South Africa with lots of sun and heat. Ben took off for his day of work and I took a trip to the grocery store for the remaining ingredients of our own Thanksgiving meal scheduled for the upcoming Sunday. On my way back from the grocery store I stopped by our mailbox. And what did I find? Another wonderful surprise from our dear friends back home! A Thanksgiving surprise box! Stuffing, marshmallow cream, pie spice, apple tea, pumpkin bread...the list goes on. Such perfect timing, although I am sure the package was intended to arrive sooner.... this South Africa mail has no rhyme or reason. Some times I will receive a package within 10 days of it's shipment. Other times I will wait over a month for a small box to arrive. It's quite irritating. But it was super fun to receive the gift on Thanksgiving day...helped us feel a little closer to home.

Thanksgiving day came and went...leaving in it's wake one of my favorite days, Black Friday! Woohoo! I wasn't about to let an ocean stop me from enjoying the deals of this day. I set up a phone conference via Internet with my Mom as she shopped our favorite Black Friday hot spots in the store...and I online. I will admit, I had a shorter wait in line than my Mom! :) Yes, I know many people think that Black Friday is a horrible day, but I don't. Some people prefer to stay home and avoid the "mess." Others, like myself, enjoy the chaotic bonding time of good deals and long lines. There is nothing wrong with that.

After my successful shopping day, I figured it was time to begin preparations for our Thanksgiving dinner. First things first. Burn off some calories to make room for the mass of food! Ben and I went hiking. An 8KM hike to be exact. We saw giraffe which was of course exciting, but by the end of it I wondered: What on EARTH was I thinking!?

We returned home to our kitchen where I had to begin baking the pies. Oh, my aching legs and back. I pushed through it though and arrived at the finished product: 2 apple pies and 2 pumpkin-pecan crunch pies. (I made an extra of each so Ben could take them to work on Monday to share with his coworkers...they weren't ALL for us!)


And finally, it was Sunday. Our Thanksgiving day. True to form, Ben managed to find some rugby or something on TV while I worked on the goods: turkey, rolls, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and stuffing. We began with the turkey, which, I confess, Ben helped with the turkey. I don't like touching those slimy innards...plus he is better at carving than me. Then came the rolls, which aren't all that difficult besides the fact that they take a lot of time. They are worth it though, for their yumminess. Things were moving right along...but then...as I cut into the yams I realized they were not like home. They were small and white inside! Oh dear. Sweet potatoes are Ben's favorite...I did my best to flavor them up with butter and brown sugar, but they just didn't taste like the good ol' orange ones from home. Oh well, everyone said they tasted good. One thing's for sure, I know my Dad would not have approved! Haha, he is just a picky eater! Kelly took on the green bean casserole, which after a search for French's french fried onions, called for homemade fried onions. Impressive, for sure!

(picture above: white sweet potatoes)

Overall the meal was a success. (The turkey was good, not quite as moist as Wednesday's turkey, but definitely not a disaster!) Our tummies were satisfied and we were loaded down with leftovers. What more can you ask for? Well, besides America, of course ;)