Thanksgiving, one of my favorite holidays because of the wide-selection of dishes at dinner. Flavorful stuffing, creamy mashed potatoes, juicy turkey, and veggies covered in gravy, while the homemade pumpkin pie cooled down. I was used to cooking with my family, but I was not able to celebrate with them this year. Our London group made it special though. This year’s dinner was no disappoint, and my food baby was proof of that. Our dinner went off without a hitch, and everyone worked hard to put together a feast big enough to feed half of London. This is one of those days I will forever cherish.
Saturday morning, a group of us went out to buy the groceries. We grabbed all the bags we owned and made our way to Sainsbury’s. The ten of us scattered in the supermarket filling the shopping cart with unbelievable amounts of potatoes, strawberries, bread, turkey breasts, spinach, and butter. Each time people walked by the cart, their eyes widened in shock. I could also feel the tension building up as we figured out what to do about turkey for 30 people and as Josh and I sassed each other. However, we managed to pack everything in our reusable bags and make it out alive. When we got home, Jason and Margaret immediately tore the bread into bite-size pieces for the stuffing. Cooking for Thanksgiving dinner had begun, and I was anxiously waiting for our feast.
By noon on Sunday, the kitchens started filling with master chefs and happy helpers. The ovens and hobs were heating up, the water heater was boiling away, and we were dancing and singing to Christmas music. Everyone was running around looking for bowls, strainers, pots, and the good knives. My mashed potato team quickly set up an assembly line with Hannah rinsing the potatoes, Connor, Kitty, and Sydney peeling, and Jackson, Tyler, and me chopping. I pulled Zach into the kitchen to be my masher and mixer. Even though I do not recall him ever smiling, I have a feeling he enjoyed it. I watched the mashed potatoes go through a glow-up as I added cream, butter, and garlic salt. We piled the mashed potatoes into a pan, and it was overflowing with garlicky goodness. YUM!
Meanwhile, Jason, Paige, and Margaret were cooking six pans of stuffing (yes, six). The kitchen became chaotic with them tripling recipes and converting measurements. Luckily, we had our Math major, Karly, to assist. Anna arrived with her classic hors d’oeuvre, cucumber, bell peppers, and cheese. Upstairs, Brendan was making the other batch of mashed potatoes, and Maya was making her Oreo salad and sweet potato casserole. Sydney was busy making her green bean casserole, while Jordan, Sarah, and Anna slaved away on the turkey and gravy. Also in the flat, James was making sure his strawberry cheesecake turned out good, and Ammie was dipping strawberries in chocolate. Josie brought the bread, while Aubrey, Kitty, Ally, and Jackson provided a plethora of wine options. I saw Kitty and Tyler put together the strawberry spinach salad, while Clarke juggled leftover potatoes. Jbob patiently waited for a stovetop to open up to make his brown-sugared carrots, and Karly had the hardest dish to prepare, frozen corn. THE FEAST WAS COMING TOGETHER, and my mouth is watering as I re-imagine our meal.
Since our group is so large, I was waiting for someone to start an argument. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see how kind and helpful everyone was. Our flat was filled with love, laughter, and gourd jokes, and I would not have had it any other way. The night ended with more wine, Jackbox games, Sarah’s pumpkin pie, and James’ cheesecake. We also did not forget to thank Dan and Josh for washing the dishes. This was my favorite Thanksgiving by far, and I am beyond thankful for this beautiful group of humans.