To those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you had a wonderful one! Ours was… extremely hot. And I don’t mean in a good way—just blistering, sweaty, Argentine-spring hot.
You’d think after 12 years here, we’d be used to the heat during Thanksgiving, but honestly, we wouldn’t mind a freak cold front—or even a snowstorm—for a change. It would’ve made cooking so much easier!
This year has been rough. My mom had pneumonia in late September, then came her wild idea to evict tenants illegally, my dad’s dementia has been progressing, and let’s not even get started on Argentina’s spiraling economy.
Still, Thanksgiving is all about gratitude, and I’m incredibly thankful for my husband. No matter what life throws at us, we always find a way to make the holiday season fun—and delicious.
The Menu: A Hot Kitchen and a Missing Turkey
Speaking of delicious… we stuck with our usual side dishes: mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. But this year? No turkey.
I really wanted one. I scoured the supermarkets for weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. Nada. Here, turkeys (or pavita, as they’re called) are a bit of a luxury, and the only brand I’ve ever seen selling them is Sadia. But this year? Not a turkey in sight.
So, we made do with chicken.
Despite the turkey setback, the food turned out great—but the prep work was a sweaty nightmare.
Prepping the stuffing
The heat and humidity were brutal, and turning on the electric oven only made it worse. Our big fan broke a couple of months ago, and our ceiling fans weren’t cutting it.
We had ambitious plans for a bigger menu, but the heat zapped our energy. We decided to skip a few things: corn on the cob, gravy (a Thanksgiving staple we just couldn’t muster the energy for), and apple pie.
Still, we managed a few tasty treats that made the meal special, and in the end, it all came out perfect.
Pumpkin Pie
Holiday Traditions: Parades and Horror
After dinner, we stuck to tradition: sitting in front of the TV and watching last year’s recording of NBC’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. Unfortunately, the current parade isn’t available here until a couple of days later. There are livestreams on YouTube, but they’re often boring and skip the performances.
Honestly, though, the parade has felt lackluster in recent years. The hosts, like Hoda Kotb, seem distracted, and there’s way too much talking instead of focusing on floats and performances. (Here’s hoping Hoda wasn’t hosting the 2024 parade. We’ll find out in 2025 when we finally watch it!)
We also kept up another new tradition: re-watching the horror film Thanksgiving. Strangely, it was even better this year. Maybe it’s just one of those movies that grows on you?
Looking Ahead: Creepmas 2024
With Thanksgiving 2024 behind us, it’s time to shift our focus to Christmas—or, in our case, Creepmas. That’s right, we’re leaning into a darker holiday vibe this year. Stay tuned for more about that in a few weeks!
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