Thanksgiving
This is my second Thanksgiving in Rome. The first was a very gourmet dinner with a few friends that included stuffed turkey, mashed potatoes, wine, dessert, the whole shebang. This year I am on my own. Meaning the chef of the house is working and he's not really interested in this holiday anyway (why would any Italian care about Thanksgiving?) so I am dining da solo, fending for myself.
I used to hate Thanksgiving thinking it was such a hypocritical holiday where everyone sat around stuffing their faces and watching American football. How boring, so lame. But since I've moved abroad I have come to miss sharing the holidays with my family. This year they are in Dallas and my little sister (she's actually 23...not so little anymore) is presiding over the menu. She has decided she wants to venture into the culinary world as a profession so Brava! to her and I wish I could be there to sample her holiday fare.
As for me? I have decide to make a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Yes, popcorn and jellybeans to get in the true spirit. Woohoo! If you haven't guessed by now I'm not much of a cook. I try I really do, however my artistic talents lie in other areas besides the kitchen. But I have very fond memories of Charlie Brown and the gang during the holidays. My older sister whom I idolized was a huge Snoopy fan. She had several Snoopys big and small with possibly every Snoopy outfit that was ever designed from Joe Cool to Flying Ace. She had Belle (Snoopy's amore) with a pink heart dress and I think there was also a snoopy jr. And Woodstock too.
I too became a huge Snoopy fan because I wanted to be just like my older sister. However I only had one Snoopy and Belle so I would have sneak into her room and borrow Woodstock and the clothes whenever I wanted to play. We would sit glued to the tv throughout the entire hour of whichever special was showing (there are also Charlie Brown Halloween and Christmas specials). Yet the Thanksgiving special was extra special for me because it first aired in 1973, the same year I was born, and it was also aired on the network ABC which just happens to be my initials. How cool is that? For those of you who don't know the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving I'll give a brief recap.
Peppermint Patty invites herself and some friends over to Chuck's place for Thanksgiving. Snoopy and Woodstock take over as caterers and whip up a very untraditional Thanksgiving that includes popcorn, buttered toast, pretzels, jellybeans, and ice cream sundaes. In the eyes of a five year old this was the ultimate Thanksgiving consisting of yummy "snacks". No turkey with tryptophan to make you sleepy, no cranberry sauce that's a bit too bitter for a five year old's palette. Of course Peppermint Patty complains and is a b****. Poor Charlie Brown. But there is always a lesson to be learned. Something like be thankful for what you've got, share the peace love happiness, etc. etc.
So where am I going with this???? I'm not really sure. I've already cracked open the bottle of wine and downed a couple of glasses so I kinda lost track. I guess the moral of my story is even if I only have one Snoopy and Belle it's still a lot. It's still something to be thankful for along with all the memories and time we spent together. Even if I can't be there in person to share the mountains and mountains of food, I am there in spirit. Wolfing down popcorn and jellybeans. Appreciating this fine holiday from abroad.
Happy Thanksgiving.
I used to hate Thanksgiving thinking it was such a hypocritical holiday where everyone sat around stuffing their faces and watching American football. How boring, so lame. But since I've moved abroad I have come to miss sharing the holidays with my family. This year they are in Dallas and my little sister (she's actually 23...not so little anymore) is presiding over the menu. She has decided she wants to venture into the culinary world as a profession so Brava! to her and I wish I could be there to sample her holiday fare.
As for me? I have decide to make a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Yes, popcorn and jellybeans to get in the true spirit. Woohoo! If you haven't guessed by now I'm not much of a cook. I try I really do, however my artistic talents lie in other areas besides the kitchen. But I have very fond memories of Charlie Brown and the gang during the holidays. My older sister whom I idolized was a huge Snoopy fan. She had several Snoopys big and small with possibly every Snoopy outfit that was ever designed from Joe Cool to Flying Ace. She had Belle (Snoopy's amore) with a pink heart dress and I think there was also a snoopy jr. And Woodstock too.
I too became a huge Snoopy fan because I wanted to be just like my older sister. However I only had one Snoopy and Belle so I would have sneak into her room and borrow Woodstock and the clothes whenever I wanted to play. We would sit glued to the tv throughout the entire hour of whichever special was showing (there are also Charlie Brown Halloween and Christmas specials). Yet the Thanksgiving special was extra special for me because it first aired in 1973, the same year I was born, and it was also aired on the network ABC which just happens to be my initials. How cool is that? For those of you who don't know the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving I'll give a brief recap.
Peppermint Patty invites herself and some friends over to Chuck's place for Thanksgiving. Snoopy and Woodstock take over as caterers and whip up a very untraditional Thanksgiving that includes popcorn, buttered toast, pretzels, jellybeans, and ice cream sundaes. In the eyes of a five year old this was the ultimate Thanksgiving consisting of yummy "snacks". No turkey with tryptophan to make you sleepy, no cranberry sauce that's a bit too bitter for a five year old's palette. Of course Peppermint Patty complains and is a b****. Poor Charlie Brown. But there is always a lesson to be learned. Something like be thankful for what you've got, share the peace love happiness, etc. etc.
So where am I going with this???? I'm not really sure. I've already cracked open the bottle of wine and downed a couple of glasses so I kinda lost track. I guess the moral of my story is even if I only have one Snoopy and Belle it's still a lot. It's still something to be thankful for along with all the memories and time we spent together. Even if I can't be there in person to share the mountains and mountains of food, I am there in spirit. Wolfing down popcorn and jellybeans. Appreciating this fine holiday from abroad.
Happy Thanksgiving.
posted by avery at 5:08 PM
5 Comments:
Love this post! Happy Thankgiving to you. Enjoy the popcorn and jelly beans. ;-)
This post cracked me up! I watched every single Charlie Brown special and had a Snoppy stuffed animal (as did my younger sister).
I was a little bummed yesterday being so far away from my family but at least I will see them at Christmas. It's funny as I get older I really miss some of these family traditions.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Next time call me! I will join in on your jellybean Thanksgiving. This year, if you can believe it, I was out of town with Ale b/c he had to have surgery on his nose: it had gotten to the point where he could hardly breathe, and he had put this operation off forever. Some Thanksgiving, eh? At least you had wine. I had HOSPITAL food. ICKY POO. The plate of pasta I ate there definitely qualifies as the worst pasta I've ever eaten in my life. Your meal was certainly better than mine.
Anyhoo, Tgiving in Italy is always a toughie...for me it symbolizes family and friends and reminds me how much I miss mine. So, I hear ya!
Glad I found your Thanksgiving post...I'm making a list of post from expatriates celebrating the holiday.
Hope you liked your popcorn and jellybeans...sounds yummy!
Meilleurs voeux!
I love Thanksgiving and the Charlie Brown holiday movies.
The halloween one, Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, is my all time fave.
It sounds like you're improvising much like I would be if I were away from my family in a far off country.
Brava to you for finding a way to bring the festivities home. And also, go see Shelley next time, she has a way of making special occasions come to life.
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