Thanksgiving: African Remix

Being so far from home on an American holiday so focused on family made us all a little sad and incredibly dedicated to doing family dinner for Thanksgiving.  Even though about half the group was content with settling for dinner at an Indian restaurant together, a few of us persevered and convinced the rest that we had to attempt to make a thanksgiving meal.  Although it was complicated (read: charcoal stoves and a serious lack of ingredients... and utensils) it ended up being what I think was my best Thanksgiving yet.

And by the way, I have to say I feel like a pilgrim.  We did Thanksgiving the right way: on a new continent, we improvised with what we could find and we cooked with the help of locals.  This was a REAL Thanksgiving.

 Our substitute for a Thanksgiving turkey.

Yes, we slaughtered two chickens.

 A small sampling of our ingredients.  You would be amazed at what we pulled off with our improvisational market trip.  It may not have been a traditional Thanksgiving feast... but it was goddamn delicious.

The menu:

chicken
vegetable soup
mashed potatoes
pasta and tomato sauce
cabbage salad
curry peas
stuffing
garlic bread
fruit salad

 Paul lighting the charcoal stoves.

 RIP chickens.

 Zuri sauteing veggies for pasta sauce from scratch.
This is a standard kitchen in Uganda and Rwanda: charcoal stoves on the floor.  Although none of us are very well-versed in how to cook on these things, we (obviously) made it work.

 Caitlyn whipping eggs for a failed meringue and Achsah serving as our DJ.

 All the chicken blood on the counter was less than appetizing.

 Jason was terribly dedicated to making stuffing this Thanksgiving.
We dried bread in the sun for two days to make it.
Craving = satisfied.

 Mashing potatoes is difficult when all you've got to work with is a mingling stick.  But David and I made what I daresay were the best potatoes ever, exaggerated by all of our serious desire for some traditional American foodstuffs.

 Anyone reserve a table for eighteen?

We cooked and enjoyed dinner in the SIT office, the perfect place for us all to congregate for family dinner.

Add some music, good friends, a few bottles of wine, and good food, and you've got the recipe for a fantastic Thanksgiving meal.

Did I mention we made dinner for eighteen for under $75?
I might cry the first time I go to a grocery store when I get home.
More than a dollar for twenty tomatoes?  No way in hell.

The muzungus.

I have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.  I am counting my blessings more than ever this year.  Being here has really helped me to realize how lucky I am and to appreciate every opportunity I have the good fortune of being able to take advantage of.  This Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for my family and friends from back home, who have been nothing but supportive, my Gulu family, the Aludi's, for welcoming me into their home and introducing me as their firstborn to everyone we meet, and last but not least, my muzungu family, without whom I never would have survived the last four months.


Luke said it best in his toast before dinner...
No matter where we go in life, no matter what we end up doing, when we sit down to Thanksgiving dinner with our grandkids when we're 75 years old... we'll always remember this Thanksgiving as being just a little bit special.