We were fortunate enough to celebrate Thanksgiving this year. Our church/ward decided to have a Thanksgiving dinner because of our family. They asked me to create the menu and cook the turkey. While I have never cooked a turkey before, I was sure that is was a really simple thing. I called on Sister Karlinsey (she is the half of the senior missionary couple who are in the Sendai, Japan mission) to help me out. After coming up with the menu I decided to just go and get the ingredients myself. So last Monday, Sister Karlinsey and I went to downtown Sendai to do all the shopping. It took us about 3 ½ hours to do, but we did it. I thought we did a great job, seeing how food in Japan can be rather expensive. Between the two of us, we knew which items where a bargain and which items were not. We now had everything we needed for the dinner and we just needed help making all of it. So on Tuesday night during the beads class at the church we passed out all the pie and Jell-O ingredients. Now none of the women helping had ever made a pie before so we had someone translating to one of the women on how to do it. She then wrote it down and gave it to the others. The next morning, the morning of the dinner, we went back to the church to try to hand out more things for people to make. The problem was that no one showed up and we still had the five casseroles to bake. I took one home and the sister missionaries took one home. With three still left at the church we decided to come back at 4pm to finish before the 7 o’clock dinner. I then went back home to check on the Turkey that I was baking and it was still so raw. It took my oven all day to cook mine; which was bad because I still had to bake two pies and a casserole. So I just stove topped my casserole and left the pies to be baked be Lane. When I got back to the church that afternoon we had so much help there to get everything ready. We made the stuffing, mashed potatoes, salad, and set up the tables. As stressed out as I felt, everything came together perfectly. The food tasted great (the women did an excellent job on the pies) and everyone loved it. This was the first Thanksgiving for many and the first time they had ever had stuffing, turkey, or pumpkin pie. I am truly thankful for all of my blessings and the opportunity to be here in Japan. Just for the record this is my first and last time that I will ever bake a turkey.
The Turkey that I baked.
Looks can be deceiving, the turkey was still not cooked on the bottom. A good thing people couldn't understand the conversation going on between me and Sister Karlinsey
The dinner in all of it's glory.
Lane and the Missionaries enjoying the meal.
4 comments:
About time you posted something on here! I have pretty much sworn off turkey, myself... but for different reasons. I just don't like the taste of it that much. I'm so glad you were able to have an American holiday and they were so supportive!! Your turkey did look pretty though.
How fun! I am sure that you will never forget this Thanksgiving. Your ward sounds neat also, doing so much so that you can have a Thanksgiving dinner.
Hi Katie,
What a wonderful event! The first time cooking a Thanksgiving dinner seems insurmountable, but you did it!
I'm so proud of you. This is just an example of what you can do when you say YES to a challenge. This event just demonstrated just how much character you have. You are a good example of the CAN DO American spirit!
Mom
Oh my gosh, that dinner looks like something out of a movie...our thanksgiving dinner does not look that organized and decorative at ALL! What a fun time! You did a great job, you go girl!
Post a Comment