Thanksgiving In Australia

Its Thanksgiving time again, and I am living in a country that could care less about this American Holiday. The Question is how does one celebrate Thanksgiving with out the family, and all the trimmings that come along with the typical American tradition?

This year I will be cooking my first turkey in Australia. I set out looking for this turkey only to realize turkey is not a popular food item at this time of year in Australia. Being an American I am use to the super markets being stuffed to the gills with turkeys, stuffing, and canned pumpkin this time of year. So you can imagine it came as quite a shock to only find something called "Turkey Hind Quarter" in the freezer section of the super market. (there where no fresh ones available). Turkey Hind Quarter comes in an odd shape. I have yet to unwrap the "Hind Quarter"but I am guessing it is the ass end of the turkey with some breast, I am deducing this by its odd shape. So when the Turkey has thawed and I can unwrap it, it will be interesting to see just what Turkey parts come with "Turkey Hind Quarter".

Another Thanksgiving food issue I am facing is the lack of canned pumpkin in Australia. Australians like their Pumpkin fresh and they eat it all year. Mostly roasted in the oven, or made into soup. For this you would want to use fresh pumpkin. (I once made pumpkin soup out of the canned stuff in the USA, and it was disgusting, you can ask my humble parents who had to suffer through it.) But for pumpkin pie, I want canned pumpkin, mainly for the convenience, but also because I have no idea how to make it with fresh pumpkin, there are so many different kinds of pumpkins to choose from, and I do not want to be disappointed with a disgusting pumpkin pie because I used butternut pumpkin instead of buttercup pumpkin. So the pumpkin pie is off the menu until the super market starts carrying canned pumpkin!

Another important element of Thanksgiving is spending time with friends and family. This holiday, like Christmas is always a sad one for me and I am sure for many others who are far away from home. I will be spending it with Graham, and luckily this year my Mother In Law Karen, who is visiting Perth from Sydney. But I still miss my Mom and Dad, and all of our friends back in the good old US of A.

I remember my girlfriends once making the comment (when we where kids), "Mary isn't your Thanksgiving boring with only you and your Mom and Dad?" I never once thought it was boring. They all had large families, with other children, while it was just me and Mom and Dad at home. But just like them our small family had our own traditions on Thanksgiving. Our Thanksgiving would start out with Mom in the kitchen. Some years she would make Dad and I Waffles.. Yumm.. Grandma's buttermilk recipe. Then Mom and I would turn on the Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC, I always had to see the old Tom Turkey float or Thanksgiving could not begin. Dad always busy ed himself in his ham radio room until late morning when he and I would break out the Christmas lights, then he would spend the rest of the afternoon testing the strands and changing the bulbs and I would start hanging the lights out in front of the house. Dad and I where always a good team hanging the outdoor lights. Mom would come out to give us some artistic direction when she needed a break from all the preparations going on in the kitchen for our Thanksgiving Dinner. Late afternoon would find the three of us sitting around the big dining room table full of our favorite treats, Turkey, Sweet Potatoes with marsh mellows on top, Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, and always a pumpkin pie, and a selection of other yummy sweets! Though we where a small family, it was always still filled with the love, joy, and thankfulness all other "larger"family gatherings experience.

I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! Gee I wish I could be at home, but do not worry I will spread the spirit of Thanksgiving to everyone I meet today!