We celebrated Thanksgiving with a traditional turkey dinner and given our current location, it felt like a huge accomplishment. Actually we didn't have much trouble finding all the ingredients for a wonderful meal; the challenge involved meal planning with a tiny refrigerator and one small oven. I thought about those double ovens and second refrigerator in our Texas home often while fixing the various dishes Wednesday and Thursday. In the end, I kept the meal fairly simple and designated Karen as the "potato lady" so that made my work much easier.
The turkey was a good 'ol Butterball imported from the States and it cost me S$45 ($32 USD) for the12-lb bird. That's certainly more expensive than at home but what was my option - roast a duck instead? At the grocery store this week, I overhead a woman complaining that all the store carried was a large can of pumpkin and she didn't want to spend S$8 to make a pumpkin pie. I could only laugh and presume she was a newcomer (or not much of a baker!) because at holiday time, availability is the primary concern, with cost a distant second.
Megan and Elizabeth had Thursday and Friday off from school and while Brian had to take a vacation day Thursday, Friday was a Muslim holiday so he was off work anyway. How convenient for us :) Elizabeth had her weekly swim lesson Thanksgiving morning so maybe we'll make it a point to enjoy some pool time on each holiday this winter.
We invited Karen, Jason and Jacob over for dinner in the afternoon and we stuffed ourselves on roasted turkey with gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, fruit salad and my mom's cinnamon rolls. We topped off the meal with pecan pie, lemon cheesecake and pumpkin roll. It was all delicious and I'm happy that the Scotts joined us for the holiday.
There was one noticeable difference in hosting dinner this year. When the meal was done, I enjoyed a glass of wine with our guests in the living room while the kitchen was magically cleaned. This was my first major holiday with Delia helping me and she made it so much more enjoyable than in the past since I could cook and bake to my heart's delight while she assisted with preparation and cleaned up the mess. It was a hostess' dream come true! I think Delia enjoyed learning about the holiday and she was especially curious about the turkey because it's not a bird found in this part of the world.
Celebrating Thanksgiving here definitely felt different and I'm thankful that we were able to enjoy our traditional dishes and share them with friends. Holidays bring conflicting emotions for me, so I am trying to find a balance between maintaining traditions and embracing the unique aspects of celebrating in our "home away from home." This year I am especially thankful for our family's health, Brian's stable and prosperous work, our friends and the quality of life we enjoy in Singapore. We are blessed in so many ways and as long as I keep that in mind, holidays are joyous occasions, no matter where we are.
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