America in Italy

Buon Ringraziamento!  Happy Thanksgiving!

Despite being on the other side of the world for this all-American holiday, my roommates and I (Ilaria and Valentina included) managed to celebrate Thanksgiving with a traditional Thanksgiving meal.  There were a total of 11 people at dinner and enough food for twice that number.  I loved being able to share our American holiday and traditions with Ilaria and Valentina and they loved it too!  I feel like each time we have a dinner party (although this is only the second one) I get to know them a little bit more.

I was proud that my first Thanksgiving cooking for people other than my family, both of my dishes were a hit.  I made a cold broccoli salad and sweet potatoes, which I learned are NOT the same as yams!  All these years I thought that yams and sweet potatoes ("patate dolci" or more commonly known as "patate Americani") were the same thing!  I felt my first Thanksgiving disaster coming on when I cut open my cooked potatoes and they were white inside! (dramatic, I know)  My mom came to the rescue and gave me a recipe that pleased a crowd.  So I suppose I didn't do it ALL by myself.

I find it a bit ironic how there are those times when you can get around a market using all Italian and don't look too out of place...and then you buy "patate Americani" and whatever cover you fooled yourself about having is surely blown. "Aaahh...Patate Americani!" says the vendor with a smirk when I ask for patate dolci.

Yes, those are strawberries.

There are a few things this weekend that I am missing back at home that have been Christmas traditions for almost as long as I can remember, but I am doing better than I thought I would on homesickness.  The day after Thanksgiving is always reserved for putting up Christmas decorations and we kept that going here in Italy with a tree and decorations we found in the closet.  Florence, apparently, has the same tradition because a giant Christmas tree (no, it doesn't compare to the Rockefeller Tree in New York, but still) was going up next to The Duomo as I was walking to dance, and when I came out there were Christmas lights sparkling here and there on the walk home.

Alasdair and Madelaine, 30 minutes till party time!

Another of our annual traditions is The Gingerbread Party.  Some of you  have been, some of you have heard about it, and some of you can just take a look at this picture to see how anxiously children await this Christmas party!  (Ok...how anxiously EVERYONE awaits this Christmas party.)  Candy and Gingerbread all afternoon and delicious, warm chili and cornbread after each family has decorated their house.  This was Amelia Josephine, my youngest niece's, first Gingerbread Party and she is a little young to decorate, but when I am there next year I imagine she will be in it and sticky!

(Thanksgiving pictures to come later...they are not on my camera.)