A Serbian Thanksgiving

This is the second year I've been away from home at Thanksgiving, and it totally sucks. Thanksgiving is my second-favorite holiday of the year, only behind Christmas, and I associate both holidays so strongly with home and family. So you can imagine how bummed I am to be missing not only Thanksgiving but also Christmas this year.

 

My make-shift measuring cups and delightful mini-pies fresh out of the oven. 

But don't get too sad for me! In the spirit of making the best of things, I joined fellow Serbia Fulbrighter Andrea for an absolutely delightful Serbian Thanksgiving. (Serbian Thanksgiving, in case you are wondering, is celebrated the day after regular Thanksgiving). Andrea planned a kick-ass dinner party, going so far as to rent an apartment in Belgrade for one day and planning a complete Thanksgiving menu. I arrived only a couple of hours before the party got going, and imagine my delight to find that she had made (entirely from scratch!) scrumptious stuffing, delicious cranberry sauce, and an excellent green-bean casserole. Not to mention mashed potatoes and some delicious appetizers. The only things we were missing were turkey (we had chicken instead, for convenience's sake) and sweet potatoes. (In other news, I would kill for sweet potatoes. They're no where to be found.)

Andrea's handiwork!

For dessert Andrea made a yummy pumpkin souffle/pudding dish, and I brought (drumroll please....) two pies! An apple pie and a walnut/caramel tart. I must say I was rather pleased with myself for successfully making yummy pie crust by hand; that is to say, without the aid of a food processor or even real measuring cups and spoons. (I also made a bunch of adorable mini apple pies to test drive the crust and give to my land-family).

The party was a blast, as we introduced the Serbs in attendance to the traditional Thanksgiving foods and traditions. We played party games and drank, and the party stretched into the wee hours as more guests kept arriving. I subtly encouraged each new arrival to try the pies, and may or may not have hounded them for compliments.

Thanks, Andrea, for the photo! It's pie time!

                 

So although it couldn't quite stack up to my family's exquisite yearly Thanksgiving meal, the party was a huge success and a lot of fun. Hopefully the same can be said for my next holiday-away-from-home... Christmas in Vienna!!!