Thanksgiving Saturday in Monte Belo

Ever wonder what Thanksgiving is like in Angola?
Thanksgiving is not a day off in Luanda. We're all pretty much okay with that - many come home to a very nice meal made by their spouses, or you're like Paul and me, who got home on Thursday at 8:30 after battling traffic and make gourmet top ramen - the gourmet part was that I pulled a scotch bonnet and some green onion and cilantro out of the garden to increase the fancy factor a little.

The point being that there isn't the same family gathering and holiday feel that many from the US are accustomed to. Thanksgiving in the US is a big deal - I didn't realize as much until I lived there, but it's almost bigger than Christmas. I think in Canada, we have less of an emotional tie to our Thanksgiving. As one would perhaps conclude, there is even less of a focal area of celebration in Luanda on that holiday (the same as Columbus Day), since most here are from the US of A, Portugal, or the UK.

Even if one's family sets up a nice meal on the Thursday proper, there still isn't the same significant gathering that maybe one gets when surrounded by a big group of extended family. We don't really travel for Thanksgiving in Canada either. It's really about whoever's around is invited.

So what did we actually do?
On Saturday, we had our "extended" family of Monte Belo get together for a pot luck Thanksgiving feast. The greatest part about this, to me, is the work that everyone puts into the event. Of course, there are a few leaders who put the whole thing on (thank-you Vivian, Catherine and Tammy!), but there are a lot of other man-hours put in to this thing by way of table decorating, cooking, and the take-down afterwards.

The Table:
Emiquilson helped me to decorate our table - if anyone was driving around MB's surrounding streets on Saturday morning, they would have seen us cutting the bright orange blooms off of the trees that frame the streets. They were my only option to create some sort of center-piece for the table. It worked out fine…. but the flowers smelled a little like used kitty litter, and the wine I provided for the table (though it's the reserve of my favorite $8.00 and $15.00 bottles) bit the big one. I only found out after the fact because no one had sipped on it, and so I curiously tried some only to realize too late why… Ah, gift horses. Well something to improve next year, I guess! I did make a bacon mac and cheese that got some good reviews, so maybe that was compensation for the other stuff.

The Food:
It was nice to have a down home meal with honey baked ham, turkey, gravy, stuffing, curried chick peas, saffron rice, fried rice… oh wait? the last few aren't on your traditional TG menu? Well guess what? We had all sorts of people come to this event with their delicious dishes from wherever they originate! Lucky us! It made for a really nice event. And of course… the pictures….

Table for 12 - Luanda Style

This tastefully done setting screams Architectural Digest - Luanda.

This blue on blue themed table had lovely crystal votive candle holders - it was muito azulejas themed - much like the Portuguese tiles that are considered a popular decor

The recreation center with something like 15 tables… wow!

I loved the elegance of the pears on each plate, and the beautiful runner!

My goofy table…it worked for being a little a last-minute.

Smell the litter!

A little blurry, but man was this plate full of goodness - notice the saffron rice, the fried rice, and the chickpeas starting at about 1:00-3:00! My bacon mac and cheese is at the 5:30 - 6:30 mark.

A very happy hubby - look a that ham! What a smile.

Sometimes I think I have to throw the "I'm almost smiling"
pic back at El Pablo - this one screams "joy."

Our fantastic table with all the usual suspects! A few more were parked right next door to us.