A Holiday Away From Home

My typical thanksgiving goes something like this….

Prior to my family’s 2:45pm arrival at my Aunt’s house in Mukilteo, WA I usually prepare myself by not eating all morning and perhaps skipping dinner the night before. Upon arrival I find the seat that is closest to the pre-dinner spread. I only stop snacking long enough to see how the men are doing outside with the deep fried turkey and French fries. Usually by the time dinner is ready I am comfortably full but that never stops me from piling my plate high. (I learned to avoid wearing jeans to Thanksgiving dinner) After dinner I head to the couch where I spend the rest of night in a food-coma. More often than not I fall asleep and that's pretty much the extent of my Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving in Italy obviously wasn’t the same for me and it’s the first major holiday I have ever spent away from my family. In early October I was excited at the prospect of cooking my first thanksgiving, by mid November I was indifferent and by Thanksgiving morning I was flat out refusing to participate. After a few hours of pouting I finally decided to pitch in and help get the apartment cleaned up for the 10 people who would having dinner here. Initially I had only agreed to make my famous mashed potatoes but after a few minutes in the kitchen I found myself in the role of head chef. After two hours of slaving away in our steamy little kitchen Thanksgiving was on the table.

Maggie’s Mashed Potatoes Recipe:

I started making potatoes on the boat in Alaska with Red Potatoes and whatever ingredients I could find.  They have turned into quite the crowd pleaser.

You will need:

A Bag of Red or Yukon Gold Potatoes NO Russets!

A sprig or two of fresh rosemary

Salt

Pepper

Paula Dean’s attitude toward butter. NO Margarine!

Milk

A cup or two of gated Parmesan cheese

Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing

Start by giving the potatoes a little scrub under warm running water to remove any dirt. Next cut the potatoes into one or two inch cubes. 

Boil the potatoes in water until the potatoes are soft and can be easily pierced with a fork. Carefully drain the water from the pot. Add as much butter as you want depending on how many potatoes you have, for one bag (which ending up feeding 10 people perfectly) I will typically use about a half stick of butter, cut up into tablespoon sized pats for easy melting. Then pour in a good a splash of milk, but don’t drown the potatoes. Add a liberal squirt of Ranch dressing and one handful of the cheese.

The one and only.

 Next get your potato masher out and go to town until you achieve that fluffy and creamy consistency. Finish by adding a few sprinkles of salt and pepper to taste. Add the remaining cheese and a little more Ranch if you wish. Give them one more good mash and cover the pot until ready to serve.

Enjoy alone, with gravy or good company.

Nom Nom Nom...

Belgium

I almost didn't go to Brussels. Once again lured in by outrageously cheap flights on Ryan Air I found myself at the Pisa airport last Friday, making it the ninth consecutive weekend traveled.

After battling a sinus infection all week, I woke up after Thanksgiving exhausted, frustrated and completely unorganized. After literally sprinting down the street to get my boarding passes printed in time I tore apart my room in a unsuccessful attempt to find my earbuds. With the clock ticking I abandoned the search and made my way to the travel agency I usually get my train tickets from to see if I could even make it to Pisa in time.

I did.

After landing in freezing cold Charleroi I found the city shuttle bus that would take me to the Midi station in Brussels. After a 45-minute ride I found myself cold, confused and in desperate need of a ladies room. After running all over the hell like a crazy lady the fine people at the Hagen-Daz pointed me in the right direction. I finally found the CO-ED bathroom (yikes) and for .50 euro I managed not to pee my pants. Thank goodness.

I took a cab to the Le Meridian, which my kind and loving mother and generously booked for me with her Starwood points. After checking in I tested the comfort of my king sized bed and the speed of the internet. Later I went out to find myself a waffle and some Subway. (Eat Fresh!)

Not sure what the name is. Not my Palace. Not my Problem.

After way too many cups of tea I tossed and turned practically all night, which is why I ended up bagging my side trip to Amsterdam. I decided that fours hours on a train plus the inevitable dent in my wallet wasn't worth the few hours I would get to spend in the city. I will just have to check out Anne Frank's house and the Red Light district later in life.

After sleeping in 'til 9:30 I finally got moving and bundled up for some sightseeing in Brussels. With the help of my handy map that I snagged at the Charleroi airport I wandered the streets stopping at whatever caught my eye. I was very excited to stumble upon a Christmas fair, but then I was less than impressed with the wares being peddled in the little wooden booths. After a ham and cheese crepe and a styrafoam cup of hot wine I was ready to move on.

I found all sorts of overpriced chocolate shops, a beautiful cathedral and lots of statues of little boys gleefully taking a leak. Fianlly I came across the original which was swarming with Asian tourists armed with digital camera and peace signs.

For a mere 250 euro one of them can be yours!

The original. Not sure what all the fuss was about?

I made my way up to a park that was truthfully nothing special but I managed to get someone to take a picture of me. After that I succumbed to the cold and walked back to my hotel to warm up, watch a movie (The Blind Side) and then call it an early night complete with room service.





The next morning I was up early. I checked out of the hotel and took a train from the Central station to the Midi station where I boarded my bus and headed back to Charleroi. After securing a seat in the exit row I inflated my neck pillow, put on my headphones (which I found in my laptop case) and fell asleep to the soothing beats of my "Mellow Mix" playlist.