Thanksgiving

For the second time now Josh and I celebrated Thanksgiving away from home, but for the first time we celebrated it together. Lucky for us we were not without family and certainly not without friends. As followers know the majority of Josh's family was with us for Thanksgiving, but so were 14 of our friends. We had the intention of providing a "family" for people to be with on Thanksgiving since we have a fairly large home, some real family and most people we know here have neither. Like all of my dinner parties though, the numbers kept growing until that night and there 19 of us in all.
That morning we walked up and down Florida to find Shelley some last minute earrings, or trinkets as Josh likes to call them, and then we headed to the San Telmo market for ingredients. We didn't arrive home till 5 pm (how quickly the day passes when one begins it so late) and our first guest had arrived! We began to cook away.
I was terrified there was not going to be enough food, but people took the B.Y.O. Dish very seriously and not even half the food present was eaten!!

Simone and Bennet in front of the buffet line up

People also took the B.Y.O. plate and silverware seriously so not one person had to eat Thanksgiving off a plastic plate (although I suspect Bennet's plate was actually a Tupperware lid. People began to arrive at 5 but most showed up around 8:30 and the festivities were underway.
From the left: Mike, Ted, Alfie, Juliana and Andy (in the front:Chicken, beet salad and Quilmes)

My family has several traditions that I love, and one is the festive cocktail. This is always some combination of liquor and cranberries, but every year its better than the last. This year I hear Mom took it to a WHOLE new level by infusing Vodka for the first time! Alas, there is an abundance of cheap liquor in this country, but no cranberries. Josh and I had to make do with Rum and Multifrutia juice which was delicious. Seeing as there were also no Turkeys to be had in San Telmo I roasted two very large chickens and made a beat salad. Josh's mom made delicious stuffing and cornbread (you should have seen people's faces light up at the cornbread). Some other dishes were mac & cheese, salads, shredded sweet potato yumminess and regular cheesy potato yumminess made by Tucker, sweet potatoes with caramelized nuts on top, mashed potatoes, more break/rolls, peas, MEATLOAF!!!! (made by Nick which was even better last night when we ate it again) and three different pies that included homemade apple pie by Erin and homemade peach cobbler by Mike. So it was a REAL feast of mega proportions! Add Quilmes (the favorite Argentine beer) to the mix and it was a party. We had drinks on the roof to cool off after dinner, and then pie in the cooled down apartment. There was no big table for all of us to sit around and I ate my dinner on the floor, but it was my first time really hosting Thanksgiving, so I thought I would give my self a break about the seating arrangements.

From the left: Annie, Nick (head is blocked), and Tucker chowing down on the floor
Tucker was very pleased with the vegetarian selection (mostly supplied by himself!)
Nick - under the table shot
Hannah and Josh (this is Hannah's post beet tasting face, I'm not sure if she'll ever forgive me for making her try one)
Camilla the Thrilla at her first ever Thanksgiving: She's from London - and I quote her: "Oh, what, Thanksgiving, is that big in your country? What is it even about?" I'm guessing they don't learn about it in England...
Alfie deep in conversation with Josh (note Josh's expressive hands on the left)
From the left: Jen, Bennet, Ted, Mike, Simone, and Nick
I love this picture...

Jacob chillin' on the couch: full and ready for his third nap of the day!
Tucker and Erin chattin' on the balcony
Andy drinking festive cocktail from the festive cups his mom sent him, Mike's face priceless as usual.
Me all sweaty after carving two massive chicken, festive cups, and great faces
Juliana and Annie in front of our massive buffet
Drinks on the roof
Bennet goes exploring
Ted's a pie kind of guy
From the left: Apple pie, Argentine pie, Peach COBBLER!!
Party begins to wind down: lots of empty bottles
Tearful goodbye, everyone said they were thankful for us having them- But Jen is just excited to go home and change out of her sweaty teaching cloths!

The people scattered all over the floor, couches and balconies of our apartment eventually began to leave and at 2:30 Josh and I were left with a fridge full of leftovers and a very dirty apartment (although much cleaner than it would have been thanks to there being a mom on the premises and Nick's dish washing). We did a minimal cleaning and went to bed.
Friday we met up with the Rolfs for their last few hours in our beautiful city. We mostly walked around and did some last minute shopping. Hannah got her amazing pair of split toe or Nike Air Rift sneakers that I have been loving since I got here (my search for them continues till I can find a grey or black pair) and some last minute gifts for her friends at home. We went back to the hotel to find them already kicked out of their room because the next guy had come early, so we spent the last half hour in the lobby. At 6 pm we put them in a taxi and said a minimally tearful goodbye.
The Rolfs coming and going combined with being away for Thanksgiving (my favorite family holiday since we don't do Christmas) made me truly homesick for the first time. I went home and skyped my family and got to see almost everyone over the web cam. The technology is amazing and it made it a little better that at least I got to see and talk to everyone, but I was very sad I could not be there. Lucky for me my family comes to me in a month!!!