Home For Christmas

I'm home for Christmas!!
I've only been gone for a couple of months but it's nice to be back home for Christmas. It's so nice to see my mom's face and all of my friends faces too.
It is a weird Christmas for me because my brain is still half in Italy. I'm tired, a bit jetlagged and accclimating to changes. So is Mom and I think I'm happier for it.  We exchanged a gift each this morning and now we're just hanging around the house cooking and talking.
Over the last few years Christmas has become a very commercialized holiday. It's about presents and spending and beautiful things piled up under the tree, pretty packages and bows. Expensive gifts, because over the last few years people have been spending on presents like wii and playstations.
Because of this Christmas is not one of my favorite holidays and it hasn't been for a while. I like the idea of exchanging gifts as a mutual sign of affection but recently it's become excessive and we've lost the meaning. We exchange gifts because we have to, because it's an expected practice. We buy things that don't mean anything.
For Christmas this year, I am happy to spend quiet time with my mom and whatever friends pass by. I am happy that we had a simple exchange and that we'll spend the day cooking Christmas dinner and dessert together. We're not going crazy. We're just making ham, sweet potatoes and green beans and then in a bit I'll probably make some kind of delicious dessert.
The whole while I will be thinking of all the good experiences I've had this year. I've met some amazing people and had some wonderful times. I got to meet my half siblings and their families. I've moved abroad again. I'm a teacher. I have the most amazing mother in the world. I have an adventurous baby brother who is living out his dreams and for Christmas I'm home in Jersey with my loved ones and it's fantastic.

I hope everyone else is having an equally splendid Christmas. Enjoy your families and friends. Remember the good in life today and eat some wonderful food!

Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!
It's that time of year again, to give thanks for the people and the things in our lives.  I am so thankful for my Mother because she has supported me in all my endeavors even though it means that I'm not with her again this Thanksgiving.  I'm thankful for my baby bro and his adventurous spirit. I hope he's having a good hot meal today and making friends somewhere in South America. I am thankful for the siblings who found me one year ago. It's so amazing to have older siblings in my life all of a sudden, and nieces and nephews!  It's crazy! And I'm thankful for my Uncle, Aunt and cousins. We don't talk much but I'm glad to have them in my life.
I am grateful for my friends stateside, especially my Jersey girls because they're always there for me even though they know I'm a little crazy. I'm so happy that you guys are there for me even though I'm not physically present in the Jersey and I hope you know that if you need me for anything, I'm an email, a skype call or a phone call away. I miss you all immensely!!
I'm so thankful I have Endira here in Rome because I have someone to talk to and show me around the city and just because she's awesome in general. And I'm very thankful for this teaching position and my fellow teachers because they are fantastic and hilarious. We make quite the team. What would I do without the suggestions and reminders to bundle up? What would I do without the camraderie? Probably go nuttier than I already am. :D
This year, I'm finally back in Italy and I'm so happy to be here. I'm so thankful to have been offered this opportunity. Teaching is difficult. It's a challenge. It makes me tired. But it's so rewarding and fun even if I don't have a lot of free time.
Actually, my lack of free time also means that I won't be celebrating Thanksgiving with all the fixings tonight.  I'm working till 8:30 and won't have time to cook so I'm having a delayed celebration on Saturday night. I'm cooking with Endira as my sous chef for about 10 or 11 of our friends. We're introducing Thanksgiving to some Brits and to some Italians and it's going to be an amazing.   We're having a pretty traditional feast and I'm really looking forward to cooking a couple of dishes that I've never made before.
For the most part I'm cooking and Endira is going to help. But a couple of friends will be bringing side dishes too. I love that sharing and coming together is part of this fantastic holiday. Honestly, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday all year long.

So this years menu is mostly traditional with a couple of twists mostly because I don't like following recipes and because I can't find everything I would like to prepare here... Italy does not celebrate Thanksgiving so it can be hard to find things like Turkey and cranberries.

Appetizers:
Butternut Squash Soup
Stuffed Mushrooms
Salad

Main Course: 
Roasted Turkey with Apple Cider Gravy and Roasted Potatoes 
String bean salad
Berry Relish (sadly I haven't found cranberries)
Garlic Mashed Potatoes (made by friends
2 kinds of Stuffing (made by friends)
Grandma's Artichokes

Dessert: 
Apple Pie with a cookie crust 
Pumpkin Pie
Tiramisu (made by a friend)

I'm so excited by all of this food and so thankful to have people to share it with. I'll keep you all updated about recipes and post some pictures after the actual meal too!!

I hope you're all having a wonderful holiday season filled with family, friends, food and laughter!!