Another year, Another Holiday Season

That's right...my second Thanksgiving in the UK has now passed, and it was certainly one to remember. In similar fashion to last year, some American buddies and I cooked up a huge feast for our friends. We built on our theme last year of strictly traditional American food by stepping it up a bit. With a slightly smaller group, we were able to be less overwhelmed with the quantity of food and focused more on the recipes.

Pics Here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bribergey/Thanksgiving2009?feat=directlink

I decided to host the event this year, which was great as my flat has room to entertain and a large kitchen space to cook in. My colleague Ellen and I worked from home, which allowed us to start cooking around noon until the guests showed up around 6. Even though the dinner wasn't ready until after 8pm, everyone had a great time eating snacks and drinks that we asked everyone to bring. The night's menu consisted of the following:

- 22 lb Turkey roasted in sage, thyme & rosemary butter and root vegetables
- Big B's Mashed Potatoes
- Homemade Creamed Corn with fresh cream and parmesan cheese
- Candied Yam & Apple Bake
- Sausage and Mushroom Stuffing
- Green Bean Casserole with french fried onions
- Brussel Sprouts with cream and bacon
- Cranberry Sauce with fresh cranberries, pecans and peaches
- Turkey Gravy made from giblets
- Dinner Rolls
- 2 Pumpkin Pies
- 2 Pecan Pies

We had about 15 people to feed and the best part was that we didn't run out of anything!

Without the Thanksgiving holiday, there is really no boundary for Christmas cheer in Londontown. Street decorations, shops and commercials have been in full swing for weeks already. I'll be spending these last couple weeks trying to enjoy the sights and sounds that provide the Christmas cheer around London. Stay tuned to see them yourself!

Finally, with the holidays approaching, I'll be doing some traveling to spend time with family and friends. First, I'll be heading to Brugge, Belgium for a long weekend with Nat. The day after our return to London, I'll leave for Oregon and will be there the 22nd until the 30th of December. Then I'll be in Amsterdam/Holland to celebrate the New Year with some of Nat's family. I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season and eats a lot of food. Merry Christmas!