Categories: uncategorized
Date: 26 November 2004 18:35:30
I went to my first thanksgiving, and not an American in sight. The one and only American in our family was not present, but we did have instructions. I think if I've got the mood right, we did indeed enter into the spirit of thanksgiving. That is to say, we got stressed and noisy, to which I responded by going to hide under a pillow on a quiet couch. Then as we're about to sit down, dear Pop says, "I'm not doing all that holding hands thing." To which I replied, "well it's supposed to be a bloody thanksgiving so I think you'll have to." Good start. I should explain, master 2 year old discovered 'saying grace' involving holding hands around the table, I think at my house, and decided he likes holding hands before dinner.
Finally with everyone saying, "Well you can do what you want Dad, we're holding hands," we sit down, hold hands, Pop included. Me being a bit sulkly and feeling rather silly for previous comments says nothing, as does the other Christian present. Everyone sits in silence looking at each other. Finally someone says some grace that sounded a bit like a tao-ism, and we eat our meal. We're all too full for dessert, which I think is another part of thanksgiving. Later we have our dessert, and have a very casual, (Australian-like) round-the-table of what we are thankful for, which on the most part, was food and family.
I'm getting my thanksgiving rituals from TV, so I hope I'm on track.
I made pumpkin pie, using sweet potatoes. I loved the mixture full of warm mashed sweet potato, but baked, cold and with cream, I didn't like it. I'm so disappointed. Everyone I've ever met who has had pumpkin pie loves it. The apple pie on the other hand was absolutely fabulous, as was the turkey, and cranberry sauce, and the mashed pumpkin, none of which I was in charge of. I hope that doesn't say much about my cooking. I'm told you need mashed pumpkin and potato for thanksgiving, which I'm afraid, to Australians just doesn't seem right to have with a roast. I had to fight off comments about how good baked tatties and pumpkin are. We forgot the peas, another necessity apparently.
Here's the recipe in case you'd like to try pumpkin pie
(I know I said I didn't like it, but everyone else said they did, (kids not included.))
3 eggs beaten
1/4 cup maple syrup (3/4 cup sugar - stir well into the eggs)
500 grams mashed pumpkin
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
grated rind of one lemon
Mix and pour into prepared pie tart.
Bake at 180 C for about 45 minutes, until it sets, which I decided was when a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Chill and serve with whipped cream - into which you can add vanilla, ginger, cinnamon and maple syrup if you'd like.
The pie pastry I made was rather complicated and probably needed sugar, so if you want to make it, look it up on the internet.