By Kelly Moad
Only a handful of countries celebrate Thanksgiving, so when you are not IN the United States of America, it gets a little tricky. Planning ahead is the only way to celebrate the holiday the way we know and love. Last year, our first year in Israel, was a learning process. There is a special market that orders turkeys in advance (if you know about it and place the order on time). But we like ham also, and, well, not quite possible in kosher land. There are a few markets that carry pork but to walk in and buy a whole ham as we would in the States, you’ll pay a pretty penny (read shekel), and get a bewildered look from the butcher and other customers. Thankfully Walmart and Amazon will ship to us so ordering stuffing mix, pumpkin puree, and many other American favorites is easy, once again, if planned ahead for shipping. And there’s always the family back home in Texas that will send the fixins to help create the perfect feast. For our fellow American neighbors nearby, we share extras from our cabinets, offer options for substitutions, or tips for the market where cranberry sauce was spotted.
We are forever grateful for PawPaw who never forgets Goode’s Pecan Pie in the “Made in Texas” box. It arrives in perfect condition every time. If only he could better estimate the shipping so it’s not eaten before the actual holiday. It just arrived, we have three days…will it make it to Thursday?
Thanksgiving will always be cherished no matter where we call home. We celebrate our many blessings in life. The family we love so much that we still miss daily. The friends we make along the way to share a Friendsgiving feast. The opportunities we’re granted to show our children the world. Even though the people around us consider it just another Thursday, we will enjoy our time together, in the kitchen, making the best Thanksgiving meal our supplies will allow.
[Nov-23-2021]
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Dear Kelly,
Thank you for this wonderful Thanksgiving gift from Israel. It is always a pleasure to read your compositions. This one is especially meaningful this year to remind us that we do have so much for which to be thankful. May you all have a grand celebration!
With love from Crystal Beach, Texas,
The Elissaldes